Master of Business Administration (MBA Global)

It is designed for a new generation of ambitious business professionals and graduates with an international outlook. The business world is experiencing rapid growth on an international scale and, now more than ever, managers within every industry need to be equipped with a strategy for global scalability.

‍Target Audience:

• 21+

Phase 1

Strategic Leadership and Management (10 ECTS Credits)

Leaders and managers at all levels of an organization have important roles to play in supporting an organization’s ability to meet its strategic intentions, remain sustainable, and grow in, more often than not, dynamic and evolving environments.

Building on an understanding and appreciation of contemporary and seminal theories, concepts, and models, learners will examine the strategic challenges faced by senior members of an organization ensuring a competitive advantage. This may be through ‘business as usual’ activities or through the implementation of change initiatives.

Learners will explore strategic leadership and management in practice where ethics, diversity, and performance management are important considerations, especially during times of uncertainty and volatility in operating markets.

Strategic Change Management (10 ECTS Credits)

Leaders and managers at all levels of an organization have important roles to play in delivering organizational change. Building on an understanding and appreciation of contemporary and seminal theories, concepts, and models, learners will examine the role of leaders and managers as strategic agents for change where context, change types, and change choices are key considerations.

Learners will explore different perspectives on strategic change where an appreciation of the relationships between organizational culture, power and internal politics, and organizational learning. Understanding these different perspectives will enable learners to explore, in greater depth, how strategic change management is applied in practice.

Once learners are able to examine the internal and external environments of organizations and how these influence organizational change, they will be in a position to design a change transition strategy where the conditions for change are effectively enabled. People can be both champions of, and resistors to change. As such, how they are managed is key to the success or otherwise of a change initiative.

Learners will explore the role of leaders, managers, and the human resources team as tools to engage with employees and establish the conditions that will facilitate a successful change and deliver required performance outcomes.

Strategic Marketing Management (10 ECTS Credits)

Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large. Marketing is therefore a critical organisational function. An organisation’s strategic position, and the positioning of its products and services, depend on creating and implementing intelligent and well-informed strategic marketing plans.

Marketing management seeks to get the business to produce what the customer wants and align all marketing activities to meet customer needs. This unit explores the role of marketing management in setting marketing goals, applying business models to establish a marketing strategy, and utilizing marketing instruments that contribute towards an organizational approach to marketing.

In order to remain competitive, it is important that organizations focus on establishing, developing, and adjusting their strategic marketing plans.

A strategic marketing strategy combines product development, promotion, distribution, pricing, relationship management, and other elements of marketing. The strategy identifies an organization’s strategic marketing goals and explains how they will be achieved within a designated timeframe.

Learners will investigate how marketing plans are designed to contribute towards an organization’s mission and strategic objectives. They will consider the management decisions that have to be taken when implementing different elements of the marketing mix (product, price, people, and place) and how marketing plans can be monitored and controlled to maximize the benefits to the organization and its stakeholders.

Financial Principles and Techniques for the Strategic Manager (10 ECTS Credits)

The goal of the strategy is to place an organization in a sustainable position supported by adequate resources. One of the key functions of strategic managers is to make long-term decisions that will contribute towards the achievement of an organization’s strategic objectives. Strategic managers rely on both quantitative and qualitative management information to ensure that the decisions they make are robust and take account of the potential benefits and risks to the organization.

Strategic decision-makers will have acquired specialist skills and knowledge that will be linked to organizational functions. A team of strategic managers, therefore, could include specialists in areas such as finance, marketing, human resources, and digital technology.

Strategic leaders will need to understand, interpret, and make use of financial data and other information, whatever their specialist skills and knowledge area. Financial data is processed as part of an organization’s management information system (MIS). Strategic managers need to be able to apply financial techniques and tools to analyze the organization’s management information and to make firm decisions for different organizational reasons.

This unit focuses on the financial data and management information that strategic managers use when making financial decisions. These decisions will be about the planning and allocation of resources based on the financial models and financial statements prepared and presented by the organization’s management accountants and financial accountants.

Successful completion of this unit will enable learners to analyze these financial models and financial statements to assess and evaluate an organization’s financial performance, determine the reasons for underperformance, and set challenging financial performance targets in relation to revenue, costs, liquidity, financial returns, efficiency, and overall profitability. Achievement of these targets will enable an organization to improve its position in a competitive market and meet the needs and interests of its stakeholders.

Phase 2

Business Research Methods and Data Analysis (10 ECTS Credits)

Reflecting how managers need to be able to conduct business research in a systematic and objective manner so they can assess new business opportunities or potential future strategies. This module prepares you to apply your dissertation or corporate placement project in an organizational or industry context and to undertake management interventions in the workplace. It brings your knowledge of your own area of professional practice together with the skills to investigate issues of professional concern. You will pursue research interests, address workplace problems, and report on them in a manner consistent with the demands of master's level study.

Risk Management in a Global Context (10 ECTS Credits)

Providing a critical analysis of the management of risks within the global business environment, and how effective management can lead to successful performance. Using a variety of live and historic case studies, you will consider risk identification strategies, risk analysis approaches, and the management of risks.

Global Supply Chain Management and Logistics (10 ECTS Credits)

Taking an in-depth look at the increasing need for managing the global supply chain effectively. This aspect of an organization is seen as a ‘strategic asset’ which can improve efficiency, customer satisfaction, and financial results. As a consequence, managing the supply chain is key in terms of how an organization performs to meet its goals and strategy.
During the program, you will also attend two support modules to develop your personal business skills and enhance your career coaching and mentoring skills.

Phase 3

Dissertation / Corporate Placement Project

A dissertation is a major piece of independently researched work, providing an opportunity to carry out an in-depth investigation of a management problem or issue. This will normally have a strategic dimension that addresses organizational issues and provides a process for solving research-related problems. Based on an identified problem, learners find answers to research objectives by critiquing literature, analyzing methodologies, synthesizing primary and/or data, and analyzing results, taking a critical perspective of their role in the research. If the collection of primary data is prohibitive, at the discretion of the program leader, desk research may be allowed to be undertaken.

The module builds on the knowledge and skills within the Business Research Methods and Data Analysis module, in shaping students into becoming independent thinkers. The module provides an opportunity for students interested in specializing in any business-related area to explore an in-depth topic relevant to their own context. It also provides the opportunity for you to reflect on the research experience and use what you have learned to guide your future development via a reflective statement and development plan.

Module learning outcomes

On successful completion of the module, you will be able to:

Critically evaluate, with appropriate academic rigor, a business or management research problem or issue

Conduct a research methodology that investigates a business problem or issue, reviews pertinent literature, analyses primary and/or secondary data to an appropriate depth, and demonstrates strategic awareness within a chosen business-related discipline

Reflect on the process of undertaking a significant piece of independent research

Module content

The dissertation represents a major learning experience for students, providing an opportunity to pursue in considerable depth and with suitable academic rigor a specific area of management and/or strategy, building on the study of relevant concepts, models, and paradigms. Each research project will be supervised by a specialized research supervisor. At the beginning, and as part of this module, a dissertation topic and research objectives will be individually negotiated and agreed upon. This initial collaboration with the supervisor will demonstrate that the proposed research and objectives can be achieved. Students will also have to complete an ethical approval form that meets the University of Derby’s ethics guidelines. The final work will comprise a dissertation or action-based study, a reflective statement, and a development plan. This whole process will normally be independently assessed by two tutors, one of whom will be the Dissertation Supervisor.

Assessment

Formative assessment will be provided across the breadth of modules to provide students with a structured learning approach, as well as feedback opportunities. The process may include self-assessment, peer review, and tutor feedback, and come from exercises based on, for example, inquiry-based learning and problem-based learning activities. Summative assessment will aid students in developing Master’s levels in knowledge, skills, and personal development. Over the course of a program, students will experience different assessment methods which may include computer-aided tests, research projects, work-based reports, case study analysis, patchwork assessment, and reflective reports.

In all cases, assessment is directly related to either a student’s personal development or in applying solutions to their own organizations or case study organizations. In all programs, the final assessment at the Master’s level will normally be a major piece of independent research and application. This challenges students to demonstrate a wide range of knowledge and skills.

Teaching, Learning, and Assessment Procedures

The development of the autonomous and independent learner is further enhanced by a range of technology-enhanced learning tools and activities. Students will have access to a range of tools and activities, providing support for research activities, personal diagnostics, additional content, online discussion, and self-directed study techniques. Different methods will be used to take account of different learning preferences and include, for example, face-to-face or virtual lectures, case studies, role play, debates, student presentations, formative and summative inquiry-based learning, and problem-solving activities. The program encourages students to apply learning to the workplace and this is a central feature of the teaching and learning strategy. This will be achieved through a variety of means with the aim being to encourage and develop critical evaluation and the ability to synthesize and apply solutions to complex real-life management problems. Teaching and learning approaches will be appropriately applied to each cohort in order that the same learning outcomes are achieved, but at times through different methods, whilst facilitating the development of effective peer support networks and learning sets. This will provide a stimulating experience as well as assist students in their ability to critically evaluate and apply knowledge and intellectual skills to differing situations.

A range of assessments, commensurate with level 7 requirements has been devised and the programs operate within the University’s Regulatory Framework and conform to its regulations on assessment. A flexible approach has been taken in developing the assessment strategy, to allow for the diverse nature of the student cohorts as well as the different learning preferences of individual students.

Grading System

Phase 1:

Each successfully completed unit will be graded as a pass. A pass is awarded for the achievement of all outcomes against the specified assessment criteria.

‍Phase 2 and Phase 3:

• 90-100% Excellent – Distinction
• 80-89% Excellent – Distinction
• 70-79% Excellent – Distinction
• 60-69% Very good – Merit
• 50-59% Good/Satisfactory – Pass
• 40-49% Unsatisfactory – Marginal Fail
• 5-39% Very Poor – Fail

Skills you will develop

• Strategic awareness and thinking
• Confident leadership
• Presenting logical and relevant arguments
• Critical evaluation
• Innovation and the confidence to challenge traditional ways of thinking

Areas you will study

• Strategic Management
• Strategic Leadership
• Change Management
• Risk Management
• Supply Chain Management and Logistic
• Strategic Marketing
• Business Research Methods and Data Analysis

The purpose of this degree and the defined pathways are:

• The advanced study of organizations, their management, and the changing external context in which they operate
• Preparation for and/or development of a career in business and management by developing skills at a professional level, or as preparation for research or further study in the area. This includes the development of positive and critical attitudes towards leadership, change, and enterprise, so as to reflect the dynamism and vibrancy of the business and management environment
• Development of the ability to apply knowledge and understanding of business and management to complex issues, both systematically and creatively, to improve business and management practice within an international context
• Development and enhancement of a range of general transferable skills and attributes that are highly appropriate for a career in business but are not limited to this
• Development of lifelong learning skills, including engendering enthusiasm for business and learning as part of continuing personal and professional development.