PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION MBA Higher Education Management Awarding Institution: University College London Teaching Institution: UCL Institute of Education Name of final award Master of Business Administration (MBA) Postgraduate Diploma Postgraduate Certificate Programme title Higher Education Management UKPASS Code: P023543 Language of Study The UCL Institute of Education teaches and assesses participants through the medium of the English language. Competence in English language is required of all applicants. Programme regulations may indicate the level of competence required of each applicant and may make its achievement a condition of admission. Participants The programme draws participants from a broad spread of interests administrative/managerial, academic support and academic in UK and international higher education institutions. Educational Aims of the Programme This programme was created to address the need for improved management in UK higher education institutions (HEIs) a need accepted by Government and by the Funding Councils. Higher education (HE) is increasingly central to a range of national social and economic concerns. HEIs are multi-million pound organisations which require effective management to meet their objectives, whether academic, financial or their wider commitments to society. The programme offers an intellectual and professional challenge to HEI staff with management responsibilities and aspirations to leadership roles. It relates management theory from private and public sector sources to the contemporary practicalities of working in universities and colleges. Taking a holistic view of the organisation, it aims to overcome the professional compartmentalisation which is a marked feature of present-day HE operations. The MBA in Higher Education Management (MBA HEM) therefore aims to:
offer an intellectually and professionally challenging programme which will continue to be a recognised component in the professional formation of future senior HE managers develop in participants an understanding of the key concepts in the academic literature and in the field of professional practice relevant to HE management develop the capacity for critical reflection on participants' own professional practice, drawing on a range of theoretical and practice-based perspectives foster the creation of a community of practice in the area of HE management, committed to mutual support and to enhancing and sharing professional insights. Learning Outcomes Participants in the MBA HEM should develop the following throughout their programme of study: enhanced leadership and management skills relevant to HE settings the ability to reflect critically on differing perspectives on HE management a rounded knowledge and understanding of the social, political and economic contexts within which HE is located a critical appreciation of recent developments in policy and practice affecting HE management and the ability to use this knowledge to inform professional practice understanding the main drivers of organisational change in HEIs and the development of skills in strategy to enable them to realise their future aims the development of analytic skills to identify organisational problems and to develop and present workable solutions to them. These broad learning outcomes can be broken down into the following constituent parts: Knowledge and understanding Theoretical and professional knowledge and understanding of concepts and issues involved in management generally and HE management in particular. Familiarity with current innovative management theories and practices in the public and private sectors, nationally and internationally. Knowledge and understanding of the historical development of the UK HE system and its relationship to wider political, economic and social aims. Knowledge and understanding of national policy processes affecting HE, and critical consideration of the outcomes of these processes. Skills A. Intellectual and analytical skills Opportunities for the consideration of the above in relation to comprehension, analysis, discernment, argument, synthesis and the evaluation of viewpoints Applying and refining the skills of research literacy: critically reading and using research in HE and in management in different forms and contexts Recognising the value of and using both professional and academic forms of oral and written communication. B. Professional skills
Acquisition and practice of the leadership, management and communication skills required as an effective senior manager Improving analytic and reflective capacities in order to enhance personal professional practice in HE management Working with others in ways which maximise their contributions to organisational effectiveness Making informed judgements about policy and practice in HE. C. Transferable skills All of the above are potentially transferable to other organisational contexts. Taken together skills A-B imply the practice and demonstration of: Leadership, management and team-building Effective oral and written communication Critical evaluation and reflection Understanding, planning and managing change Problem analysis and solving Taking personal responsibility for professional learning Successfully relating theory and practice. Criteria for admission A degree at second-class honours level or above (or equivalent), with at least four years of relevant professional experience of management in an HEI setting. It is possible for applicants with appropriate experience but without a degree to be accepted on the basis of an interview, a qualifying essay and/or a portfolio and reflective statement, depending on their prior qualifications. Applicants whose first language is not English may be required to provide evidence of their English language proficiency. The UCL Institute of Education is committed to admitting and supporting participants with disabilities and welcomes applications from them. Participants do not need to be registered disabled to draw on these services, though in order to provide services in the long-term we will need to ask for medical or other evidence, as appropriate. Disabilities Support can also support people who have a temporary mobility / dexterity impairment / other difficulty as a result of an accident, injury, illness or surgery. We aim to treat every person as an individual, with needs which may differ from those of other people with a superficially similar disability. We do not therefore have standard procedures for participants with dyslexia, nor standard procedures for visually impaired participants: each person's needs are considered individually. Mode of Study The programme is taken part-time over two years, in (generally) one-week blocks of formal teaching and guided learning activity. Programme structures and requirements, levels, modules, credits and awards The programme is divided into four core modules, two of 30 credits each, and two of 15 credits (a total of 90 credits). Participants undertake either a 30-credit Consultancy Report or a 60-credit Dissertation, usually in the last term of their twoyear programme, and will have taken a further four or two options selected from the range of optional modules of 15 credits each, to achieve a total of 180 credits. To be
awarded the MBA, successful completion of a minimum of 180 credits is required. (The UCL Institute of Education uses the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS), as a guide to support periods of study undertaken abroad and to assist student mobility. Currently it is assumed that two UK credits equate to one ECTS credit. Therefore a module of 30 credits would typically equate to 15 ECTS credits). Core Modules: MMAHEM_01 MMAHEM_03 Higher Education Institutions as Organisations; their strategic management The Management of Teaching and Research in Higher Education MMAHEM_15 The Management of Financial Resources in Higher Education (Part 1) MMAHEM_16 The Management of Financial Resources in Higher Education (Part 2) Optional modules: MMAHEM_04 Marketing in Higher Education MMAHEM_05 Institutional Governance in Higher Education MMAHEM_10 Managing Third Stream Activities in Higher Education MMAHEM_11 Managing People in Higher Education MMAHEM_12 Internationalisation in Higher Education MMAHEM_13 The Management of Physical Resources in Higher Education MMAHEM_14 Managing the Student Experience MMAHEM_17 An Independent Study in Higher Education Management While students have a choice between a consultancy project report and dissertation, in most cases they will be encouraged to pursue the consultancy option as being more professionally relevant. Each one-week module consists of about 30 hours of taught time plus additional independent study before and after the formal blocks of teaching and learning activity. During the module, students will also be required to undertake a substantial amount of work in syndicate groups, including in the evenings. All courses are supported by key readings and an overall programme which describes each individual session in the module. Participants are required to indicate optional preferences at the start of the programme, and again at the start of their second year, to facilitate planning. An optional module will not be run in any given year if fewer than a prescribed minimum number of students has opted for it. It is anticipated that most students will choose options from within the MBA programme. However, relevant modules carrying up to 30 credits may be taken from other MA programmes offered by the Institute. The Co-Directors of the programme are also willing to consider offering advanced standing by recognising a limited number of credits of appropriate quality and relevance gained elsewhere and counting these towards completion of the MBA.
This would mean that a course participant would take one or two fewer optional modules. Participants who, for academic or personal reasons, are unable to successfully complete the 180 credits required for the MBA award may exit with the completion of 60 or 120 credits and be awarded a Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma respectively in the subject area. The MBA programme (including assignments) has to be completed within four years. Students are advised that the normal expectation is that it will be completed within two. Teaching, learning and assessment strategies to enable outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated These include lectures, tutor and student-led seminars and discussions, critical engagement and discussion of relevant literature, syndicate group work and presentations (which may involve a variety of simulations usually based on reallife material and situations), essays, the successful completion of a consultancy project in an HEI other than the students' own (with a report of up to 10,000 words), or a dissertation on a topic relevant to the programme (20,000 words). Each module is organised by a member of the Programme Team with specialist knowledge, who, with other members of the Team, set, assess and give formative feedback on student assignments. In addition, all students are appointed an Academic Adviser who is expected to remain with them throughout their degree to support their professional and academic progress. lnformation about assessment regulations Participants must successfully complete all elements of the programme, to achieve the minimum credits required for the award. All coursework is assessed according to the grade-related criteria for the programme level, found in the Programme Handbook. All assignments are independently marked by two Course Team members, who discuss and reconcile the marks and comments for each assignment. Assignments are graded from A to D, with D being a failing grade. Participants are permitted to represent a failed assignment on one further occasion, within 12 months of the original submission. An External Examiner is appointed by Senate and plays an important role in monitoring the quality of the programme and evaluating the effectiveness of the teaching and support provided for the programme participants and the reliability of the judgements made in assessing them. Further details about assessment regulations can be found at: http://www.ioe.ac.uk/studentinformation/documents/about_policies/2010_assessme nt Regulations.pdf Support for learning
All students are expected to be working in a university or college or an HE-related organisation, and will therefore be more than usually familiar with the HE environment. They will however be supported by: The Institute s Student Handbook A Programme Handbook A dedicated zone on the Bloomsbury Learning Environment (BLE) including individualised access to all materials relevant to modules studied Information services induction and other courses Extensive library and other learning resources and facilities An Academic Adviser In-module group discussions Academic counselling and advisory service if required Academic literacy and other study skills sessions if required Access to Student Welfare Service if required. Methods for evaluating and improving the course Mechanisms for review and evaluation of teaching, learning, assessment, the curriculum and outcome standards Module evaluation by participants Termly meetings of the Programme Committee and Programme Team Annual Programme Team Away Day Annual programme review prepared by programme team and considered by Faculty Quality Assurance/Quality Enhancement Committee Periodic programme review and revalidation involving external panel member Staff review and development Peer observation of teaching External examiner reports. Committees with responsibility for monitoring and evaluating quality and standards Programme Committee Board of Examiners Faculty Quality Assurance/Quality Enhancement Committee Teaching Committee Validation Sub-Committee Equal Opportunities Committee Academic Board Senate. Mechanisms for gaining participant feedback on the quality of teaching and their learning experience Participant module evaluation (sessional and programme) Participant representation on programme committees. Indicators of quality and standards Consistently positive participant feedback Continued recruitment of high-calibre applicants, from the UK and abroad Continuous review by the Programme Team of individual modules and the overall programme structure in the light of changing professional needs Good pass and completion rates
Publication in peer-reviewed journals of participants outstanding work for the programme. Relevant benchmark statements and other external and internal reference points used to inform course outcomes Overview and report of the programme s External Examiner Self-benchmarking against comparator programmes in the UK and Europe. Date of completion/amendment of specification Updated December 2014