3 YEARS (students only enter at level 6 so the normal length of study and maximum registration period will be different)
7 Years
Variable
N/A
N/A
No
17a. Faculty
17b. Department
Business and Management
Warrington School of Management
BUSINESS
BUSINESS
Saturday 1st September 2012
There is an expectation that degree programmes covered by this subject benchmark statement should provide a broad, analytical and highly integrated study of business and management. Students should be able to demonstrate relevant knowledge and understanding of organisations, the external environment in which they operate and how they are managed. There is likely to be an emphasis upon understanding and responding to change and the consideration of the future of organisations and the external environment in which they operate. The interrelationships among and the interconnectedness between these areas is very important within the overall student learning experience, and should be demonstrated in the capabilities of successfulstudents from all modes of delivery.
Organisations - this encompasses the internal aspects, functions and processes of organisations including their diverse nature, purposes, structures, governance, operations and management, together with the individual and corporate behaviours and cultures which exist within and between organisations and their influence upon the external environment. External environment - this encompasses a wide range of factors, including economic, environmental, ethical, legal, political, sociological and technological, together with their effects at local, national and international levels upon the strategy, behaviour, management and sustainability of organisations. Management - this encompasses the various processes, procedures and practices for effective management of organisations. It includes theories, models, frameworks, tasks and roles of management together with rational analysis and other processes of decision making within organisations and in relation to the external environment. Within the framework of these three main areas, it is expected that students will also be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding in the following areas:
markets - the development and operation of markets for resources, goods and services
customers - customer expectations, service and orientation
finance - the sources, uses and management of finance; the use of accounting and other information systems for managerial applications
people - the management and development of people within organisations
operations - the management of resources and operations
information systems - the development, management and exploitation of information systems and their impact upon organisations
communication and information technology - the comprehension and use of relevant communication and information technologies for application in business and management
business policy and strategy - the development of appropriate policies and strategies within a changing environment, to meet stakeholder interests
pervasive issues - sustainability, globalisation, corporate social responsibility, diversity, business innovation, creativity, enterprise development, knowledge management and risk management.
Educational Aims of the Programme
To provide a broad, analytical and integrated study of business management that enables students to develop an understanding of contemporary management theory and practice across a range of sectors and organisational contexts.
To provide a programme of study, which offers students a grounding in the disciplines, and methodologies of business management and to stimulate a critical awareness of the factors associated with the changing focus of contemporary management practice.
To enable all students to develop a management centred approach, within an academic context, that is relevant to a wide range of contexts, organisations and industries.
To provide opportunities for students to develop skills, behaviours and aptitudes commensurate with the dynamic nature and needs of management practices in the 21st century, including web based technologies, information technology and internal & external organisational communications.
To provide students with a flexible pathway that allows a basis from which to identify, develop, scrutinise and challenge a comprehensive range of business management models, frameworks and theories, and to apply them to actual situations in a range of internal and external working environments.
To enable students to develop and use a range of generic (transferable), cognitive, intellectual, personal and interpersonal skills required for effective undergraduate study and future vocational needs.
To provide an appropriate base for access to further study or professional qualifications by encouraging the knowledge, skills and attitudes to become life-long learners who recognise the need to engage in Continuous Personal and Professional Development.
To foster employability and transferable skills throughout the programme.
To provide a coherent programme of study that will prepare students for post-University employment and careers in a wide variety of organisations and sectors.
To enable students to be strong contenders in a competitive employment environment.
Knowledge and Understanding
The following programme outcomes are applicable across all levels. The outcomes are introduced, applied and developed through level FHEQ LEVEL 6.
The various processes, procedures, competencies and practices associated with effective management. (BU6201, BU6202, BU6203, BU6205, BU6208, BU6212)
The management and development of resources and operations. (BU6201, BU6202, BU6203, BU6205, BU6208, BU6212)
The diverse nature, purposes, structures, governance, operations, processes and management of organisations.(BU6201, BU6202, BU6203, BU6205, BU6208, BU6212)
Types of corporate behaviour and the internal and external factors which impact upon this behaviour (BU6201, BU6202, BU6208)
The development and operation of markets and the management of customer expectations.(BU6203, TM6009, BU6212)
The sources, use and management of finance. (BU6208)
The development, management and exploitation of information systems and their use in effective decision making. (BU6208, BU6212)
The use of relevant information technologies and their applications to business and management.(BU6208, BU6212)
The development of relevant, effective and appropriate management policies and strategies.(BU6201, BU6202, BU6203, BU6205, BU6208, BU6212)
The contemporary challenges and issues that face managers in the modern business environment and the organisations in which they operate. (BU6201, BU6202, BU6212)
Thinking or Cognitive Skills
The following programme outcomes are applicable across all levels. The outcomes are introduced, applied and developed through level FHEQ LEVEL 6.
Application of problem solving skills, knowledge and ideas to a range of situations.(BU6201, BU6202, BU6203, BU6205, BU6208, BU6212)
Development of analysis, synthesis and critical thinking in a variety of contexts. (BU6201, BU6202, BU6203, BU6205, BU6208, BU6212)
Consider and question own values and opinions relating to a number of ethical and social responsibility issues. (BU6205, BU6203)
Analyse relevant theories and concepts to determine their relevance to specific problems and situations.(BU6201, BU6202, BU6203, BU6205, BU6208, BU6212)
Practical Skills
The following programme outcomes are applicable across all levels. The outcomes are introduced, applied and developed through level FHEQ LEVEL 6.
Development of problem solving and decision making skills. (BU6208)
Effective communication skills, oral and written.
Quantitative skills such as data analysis and interpretation. (BU6201, BU6208)
Ability to engage in research into business and management issues by utilising relevant data and appropriate methodologies. (BU6201, BU6202)
Transferable Professional Skills
Reflection, self- awareness and openness to life-long learning opportunities. (BU6201)
Key Communication Skills
The following programme outcomes are applicable across all levels. The outcomes are introduced, applied and developed through level FHEQ LEVEL 6.
Communication (BU6201, BU6202, BU6203, BU6205, BU6208, BU6212)
Application of Number (BU6208)
Information Literacy and Technology (BU6208)
Improving own learning and performance (BU6201, BU6202, BU6203, BU6205, BU6208, BU6212)
Working with others (BU6203)
Problem solving (BU6201, BU6202, BU6203, BU6205, BU6208, BU6212)
The programme is designed to prepare students to ultimately become competent and knowledgeable business management professionals. It aims to provide students with the knowledge, skills and understanding to successfully embark upon a business or management career. Its content and structure have been informed by the QAA’s Benchmark Statement for General Business and Management, the National Occupational Standards for Management and Leadership and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development Core Management Standards. The programme is further informed by the debates around employability from a variety of employer bodies such as the CBI and IOD and the Higher Education Funding Council for England.
At Level 4 students develop an understanding of the key business management concepts and the business functions that managers have to be aware of to operate successfully in the modern business environment. In addition participants begin to develop some of the skills necessary to be an effective student and manager. At level 4 students are introduced to the theme that runs through all levels: employability.
Supporting the 'work shadowing' team within the careers department of the university will be a feature at this level. Students will be actively encouraged to utilise the services of these staff and the programme team will support students' endeavours to gain work experience through this scheme at this and in subsequent levels of the programme.In addition organisations such as Enterprise Rent a Car will help the careers team to generate graduate scheme awareness by speaking to students about the timing and preparation of applications to these schemes.
At Level 5 students explore the relationship between functional areas and develop an appreciation of the context in which managers operate. Key aspects of business management behaviour and practice, such as how to manage people and technology and how to make effective decisions, are developed in depth. This level continues the theme of employability, which features in the Research for Business module, in addition to developing students' employability this module prepares students for their work placement and the Applied Business Research Project at level 6.
Level 5 culminates in a period of experiential learning in which learners are provided with an opportunity to apply knowledge, skills and understanding within a University verified organisation. The placement provides the opportunity for students to acquire and develop transferable based skills and to gain an insight into the running of an organisation. Students are supervised and formally monitored during their placement and are required to analyse and reflect critically on their personal and professional development during the placement. Enterprise Rent a Car, a local business, have agreed to run workshops for our level 5 and 6 students to facilitate 'live' practice on assessment centres, application forms, interview techniques and general personal presentation.
Students may undertake WB5007 International Exchange as a replacement year of level 5. The replacement International Exchange module (WB5007) provides an opportunity to replace their second year of study by studying at a different university in an overseas country. It is important that the content of the modules offered by the overseas university match those that would have been studied during the student's second year at the University of Chester.
Level 6 of the programme enables students to develop an understanding of how organisations are managed as a whole, whilst at the same time allowing them to specialise in aspects of business management that are of particular interest. Specialisation is achieved by providing a range of option modules that follow themes established at levels 4 and 5, and incorporates an employability based module for instance. A major piece of work is undertaken in the Applied Business Research Project.
IS6011, BU6212 and BU6213 are modules available only IN THE PART-TIME MODE OF DELIVERY.
All options will only run when sufficient numbers have registered for the modules.
In the United Kingdom the typical applicant will have the following:
A minimum of 240-280 UCAS points must be obtained from GCE A Levels or equivalent e.g. BTEC/OCR National Diploma, Certificate
Irish Highers/Scottish Highers: B in 4 subjects
International Baccalaureate: 26 points
QAA recognised Access to HE Diploma, Open College Units or Open University Credits
The Advanced Diploma
In the Philippines, the typical applicant will have the following:
Level 4 - diploma from high school and secondary transcript of record (grades 7-10/11), recommendation letters from teacher and guidance councillor and/or principal, 500-word essay, assessment test (Math, English and Science), interview by the Dean, copy of birth certificate/passport, and ID pictures. For transferees - tertiary transcript of record, transfer credentials, course description, recommendation letters from faculty and dean, 500-word essay, assessment test (Math, English and Science), interview by the Dean, copy of birth certificate/passport, and ID pictures.
Level 6 - HND diploma and transcript, English certificate and all Level 4 requirements
Non English background applicant must hold an IELTS test score of level 6.0 or higher
QAA Subject Benchmarks Statements for General Business and Management
This subject benchmark statement is for general business and management honours degree programmes only. The purpose of general business and management programmes is threefold:
Study of organisations, their management and the changing external environment in which they operate
Preparation for and development of a career in business and management
Enhancement of lifelong learning skills and personal development to contribute to society at large
'Organisations' should be understood throughout this text to include a wide range of different types including, for example, public, private and not-for-profit, together with a comprehensive range of sizes and structures of organisations. Similarly, the term 'business' should be interpreted generically.
'Preparation for business' should be taken to mean the development of a range of specific business knowledge and skills, together with the improved self-awareness and personal development appropriate to graduate careers in business with the potential for management positions and to employability in general. This includes the encouragement of positive and critical attitudes towards change and enterprise, so as to reflect the dynamism and vibrancy of the business environment.
Not every student will engage subsequently in a business and management career, or will have entered directly from secondary education. Therefore, lifelong learning skills should be understood to include the development and enhancement of a range of general transferable intellectual and study skills, which, while being highly appropriate to a career in business and management, are not restricted to this.
While there is a clear expectation that all such general degree programmes should cover these three purposes, the actual balance will vary among individual higher education institutions and may also reflect the requirements for recognition by professional bodies. The particular balance being delivered should be explicable and demonstrable in terms of the specified learning outcomes of particular programmes.
Knowledge and Understanding
There is an expectation that degree programmes covered by this subject benchmark statement should provide a broad, analytical and highly integrated study of business and management. Students should be able to demonstrate relevant knowledge and understanding of organisations, the external environment in which they operate and how they are managed. There is likely to be an emphasis upon understanding and responding to change and the consideration of the future of organisations and the external environment in which they operate. The interrelationships among and the interconnectedness between these areas are very important within the overall student learning experience, and should be demonstrated in the capabilities of successful graduates from all modes of delivery.
Organisations - this encompasses the internal aspects, functions and processes of organisations including their diverse nature, purposes, structures, governance, operations and management, together with the individual and corporate behaviours and cultures which exist within and between organisations and their influence upon the external environment.
External environment - this encompasses a wide range of factors, including economic, environmental, ethical, legal, political, sociological and technological, together with their effects at local, national and international levels upon the strategy, behaviour, management and sustainability of organisations.
Management - this encompasses the various processes, procedures and practices for effective management of organisations. It includes theories, models, frameworks, tasks and roles of management together with rational analysis and other processes of decision making within organisations and in relation to the external environment. Within the framework of these three main areas, it is expected that graduates will also be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding in the following areas:
Markets - the development and operation of markets for resources, goods and services
Customers - customer expectations, service and orientation
Finance - the sources, uses and management of finance; the use of accounting and other information systems for managerial applications
People - the management and development of people within organisations
Operations - the management of resources and operations
Information systems - the development, management and exploitation of information systems and their impact upon organisations
Communication and information technology - the comprehension and use of relevant communication and information technologies for application in business and management
Business policy and strategy - the development of appropriate policies and strategies within a changing environment, to meet stakeholder interests
Pervasive issues - sustainability, globalisation, corporate social responsibility, diversity, business innovation, creativity, enterprise development, knowledge management and risk management
Skills
Business and management degrees are strongly related to practice and therefore there should be a strong link between the development of skills and employability of graduates. Graduates should be able to demonstrate a range of cognitive and intellectual skills together with techniques specific to business and management. Graduates should also be able to demonstrate relevant personal and interpersonal skills. These include (not in any particular priority order):
Cognitive skills of critical thinking, analysis and synthesis. This includes the capability to identify assumptions, evaluate statements in terms of evidence, to detect false logic or reasoning, to identify implicit values, to define terms adequately and to generalise appropriately
Effective problem solving and decision making using appropriate quantitative and qualitative skills including identifying, formulating and solving business problems. The ability to create, evaluate and assess a range of options together with the capacity to apply ideas and knowledge to a range of situations
Effective communication, oral and in writing, using a range of media which are widely used in business such as the preparation and presentation of business reports
Numeracy and quantitative skills including data analysis, interpretation and extrapolation. The use of models of business problems and phenomena
Effective use of communication and information technology for business applications
Effective self-management in terms of time, planning and behaviour, motivation, self-starting, individual initiative and enterprise
Effective performance, within a team environment, including leadership, team building, influencing and project management skills
Interpersonal skills of effective listening, negotiating, persuasion and presentation
Ability to conduct research into business and management issues, either individually or as part of a team for projects/dissertations/presentations. This requires familiarity with and an evaluative approach to a range of business data, sources of information and appropriate methodologies, and for such to inform the overall learning process
Self-reflection and criticality including self-awareness, openness and sensitivity to diversity in terms of people, cultures, business and management issues. Also, the skills of learning to learn and developing a continuing appetite for learning; reflective, adaptive and collaborative learning
It is recognised that all programmes covered by these standards need to address international business issues. Where specific emphasis is placed upon this, for example, in the title or in requiring study and or work abroad, then appropriate business and cultural understanding and, where appropriate, foreign language capability should be developed and demonstrated by students.
The methods of learning and teaching are geared to progression and integration through the levels of the programme. The individual module descriptors provide details of learning outcomes as well as methods of teaching and learning. The major forms of teaching methods will be lectures, seminars and workshops. Other methodologies will be employed as appropriate. These may include; field trips, visits, directed reading, interactive learning via the University computer network, case study analysis, individual research, group learning activities, reflective log/portfolio (e.g. utilising student progress files in relation to personal development planning) and presentations. Industry practitioners will also be used wherever possible, as repositories of up to date, expert knowledge in their specialist or functional areas.
The University seeks to deliver varied, high-quality learning experiences, teaching and assessment in order to develop appropriate knowledge and understanding, and to enhance a variety of key/transferable skills. This is facilitated through the outcome-directed nature of learning, teaching and assessment, in a student-centred environment, which provides incremental opportunities for independent and autonomous learning.
The assessment strategy for this degree will serve three purposes:
To test the level of knowledge and skills acquired, measured against the specified learning outcomes, and applied within a relevant business management context
To provide the vehicle for modular integration within a business management context
To promote teaching to learning, which will assist students in the achievement of academic goals and imbue them with skills and attitudes which will assist in life-long learning
Assessment will follow the university model of a 4,000 word equivalency per 20 credit module. Each module will be summatively assessed by a minimum of two assessments, with formative assessment also employed throughout. Student assessment will employ rigorous, objective testing to ensure that learning outcomes are met.
Assessment tasks will grow in sophistication and complexity as a student progresses on the programme. For example:
At Level 4 a student may be asked to describe, discuss, compare, and outline
At Level 5 a student may be asked to evaluate, analyse, justify, and differentiate
At Level 6 a student may be asked to criticise, synthesise, appraise, formulate
However, it is expected that students will begin to use and develop critical skills from the beginning of the programme.
Students will be assessed in a number of ways, including essays, industry-related reports, presentations, poster displays and presentations, assessed seminars, reflective reports, examinations.
Students completing the BA Business Management Single Honours programme should meet the QAA’s Benchmark document’s standards on knowledge and understanding, skills and the assessment strategies. The outcome of level six should be a graduate student who will be able to offer added value to the market place by meeting the expectations of employers via the application of acquired transferable, integrated skills, and the developed body of knowledge gained from the programme. In addition the graduate will have amassed valuable life skills such as self-awareness, creative problem solving, and autonomy, which could be applied in a wide variety of circumstances that they will face. They will have been instilled with a positive attitude towards reflection, self- awareness and will possess openness towards seeking out life-long learning opportunities, which may be translated into the pursuit of professional qualifications.
Consistent with the University’s commitment to widen access and participation, the University has a flexible admissions policy, and encourages applications from mature students and from groups normally under-represented in higher education. The general policy is to look for a good level of literacy, together with proven interest and/or experience in an appropriate subject.
The University has considerable experience in successfully addressing the practical and learning needs of a wide range of students. This includes mature students, those entering education with a non-standard academic background and those with a wide range of disabilities. Equality and diversity issues are embedded and addressed in all modules.
Students studying on the programme will benefit from the experience of staff within the University. Many staff have extensive experience in delivering management training for organisations and practising managers, at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
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