Master of Business Administration

Purpose

This Masters of Business Administration (MBA) qualification empowers learners to become professionals and outstanding business leaders who will be able to think with clarity and act with confidence and conviction. It is meant for experienced and practising managers to prepare them for senior leadership positions. It seeks to develop managers to make the right choices for themselves, their organisations and the society in which their organisations exist. The MBA qualification aims to prepare learners for senior leadership positions by enabling them to:

• Conduct rigorous and relevant research into business and management issues.
• Develop skills in creative and critical thinking including analytical thinking, the ability to synthesise information and the ability to analyse quantitative and qualitative data.
• Work collaboratively and effectively in a group both as a team leader and a team member.
• Demonstrate self-awareness as an independent, reflective and self-critical learner in a wide range of learning contexts and to be able to apply learning to new situations.
• Develop capabilities to integrate knowledge and information across different internal and external business contexts.

The qualification provides a rigorous grounding in the disciplines of management and access to thought leadership and leading edge practice, with opportunities for personal development. It is international in scope, content and offers an engaging and innovative learning process that blends face-to-face and virtual learning and collaboration with independent study. The learning and teaching process is intensive and challenging, and learners are expected to undertake structured, guided and autonomous learning.

Rationale

It was identified that learners have busy schedules hence the need for the qualification which will provide for some flexibility in their study schedule. The mix of face-to-face and virtual team learning is designed to equip learners as future leaders to cope with the demands of international management across geographical and cultural boundaries.

The qualification is structured to allow learners to continue working in full-time employment while studying and to connect their learning to current global business and management issues. Over three stages of roughly ten months each, there are opportunities to engage stakeholders about managerial issues. Learners will develop their own areas of interest and expertise in the elective modules and the Management Research Challenge project and will focus on integrating their learning into their own personal development.

Entry Requirements

• Honours Bachelors' Degree or an equivalent qualification at NQF Level 8.

Or

• Postgraduate Diploma in Management.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

RPL can be used to determine an applicant's potential to succeed in the qualification as follows

• Applicants without an honours degree, or its equivalent, may be accepted into the qualification if they can prove, via their management summaries that they have 5 or more years' relevant management experience.

This qualification consists of compulsory and elective modules at NQF Level 9 totalling 200 Credits.

Compulsory Modules at NQF Level 9

• Leadership and Personal Development 1, 10 Credits.
• Managing Processes and Systems, 15 Credits.
• Managing Financial Resources, 20 Credits.
• Managing People, 15 Credits.
• Strategy, 15 Credits.
• International Business, 15 Credits.
• Strategic Marketing, 15 Credits.
• Reputation and Responsibility, 15 Credits.
• Leadership and Change, 10 Credits.
• Management Research Challenge, 60 Credits.

Compulsory but no credit allocated

• Research Skills 9, 0 Credits.
• Personal Development 2, 0 Credits.
• Research Skills, 0 Credits.
• Personal Development 3, 0 Credits.
• Personal Development 4, 0 Credits.
• Research Skills, 0 Credits.

Elective Modules at NQF Level 9 (Learners need to choose one)

• Elective Choice A: Academic Dissertation chosen from the elective modules, 10 Credits.
• Elective Choice B: International study visit, 10 Credits.

1. Conduct rigorous and relevant research into business and management issues.
2. Develop skills in creative and critical thinking including analytical thinking, the ability to synthesise information and the ability to analyse quantitative and qualitative data.
3. Work collaboratively and effectively in a group both as team leader and team member.
4. Demonstrate self-awareness as an independent, reflective and self-critical learner in a wide range of learning contexts and to be able to apply learning to new situations.
5. Display the capabilities to integrate knowledge and information across different internal and external business contexts.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• An understanding of qualitative and quantitative research is demonstrated and their strengths and limitations for providing information and options in an uncertain organisational environment are evaluated.
• Models of businesses are developed and an ability to conduct research into business and management issues with the minimum guidance is displayed.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Communicate effectively in a variety of contexts, including written reports and oral presentations.
• Skills in critical thinking are demonstrated and the validity and reliability of evidence in a wide range of contexts is analysed and assessed.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Work effectively in teams to achieve a variety of goals and in a variety of contexts.
• Cultural and other differences are appreciated and managed.
• Leadership roles and styles; leading and implementing major change; key dilemmas and choices of management and ethical leadership, including the management and development of people and Human Resource Management skills are displayed.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Complex, incomplete or contradictory areas of knowledge is analysed and the outcomes are communicated effectively.
• The independent and self-critical learner is aware of their impact on others and is reflective on own and others' functioning in order to improve practice and continuing professional development.
• A full range of learning resources is utilised, practice and experience in both face-to-face and virtual learning contexts is learnt through reflection.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• Information and communications technology is used effectively both to support learning and effective communication.
• The principles of listening, negotiating and persuading or influencing others is applied; oral and written communication, using a range of media, including the preparation of business reports is demonstrated in academic and professional environments with a range of specialists and people at different levels of the organisations.

Integrated Assessment

Formative Assessments

The assessments are carefully designed for each module. Various assessments will be used to assess learners such as individual or group assignments, written examinations, or a combination of an examination and assignment. Modules may have multiple assessments made up of the above. Assignments are typically based on learner's own choice of organisation, predominantly the one for which they are working. Personal Development is assessed through assignments which provides formative assessment and which is required for progression on the qualification.

Summative Assessments are in the form of examinations when the learners have completed the core modules. An assessed assignment is also available for each of these modules.