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Integrated University |
Master of Business Administration
(programme structure and ouline syllabuses)
| Course Preview |
| The MBA is an internationally recognised and accepted degree in general management. The MBA programme at ITU provides you with the opportunity to widen your knowledge, skills and competencies to effectively perform as a manager of an organisation in a strategic manner. This rigorous programme has been developed for suitably qualified and motivated individuals from a wide range of professional and academic backgrounds. It has been designed to enhance the managerial skills of those already working within an organisation, and to provide expertise to those aiming for managerial position. The aim of the programme is to develop a thorough knowledge and understanding of contemporary theories, tools and techniques in international management strategy. The successful completion of the programme will qualify the graduate as a master in this field with an undeniable expertise. |
| The programme Structure |
a. Core ITUB 501CM International Managerial Decision Making b. Electives ITUB 510EM Financial & Capital
Markets c. Dissertation
ITUB520MD MBA Dissertation
|
| MBA Academic Support |
The academic support team consists
of the head of ITU, programme manager for MBA, programme
secretary, module leaders and programme tutors. The team is responsible for all academic matters
from suitability of candidates for registration to reccommention
of candidates for MBA award. In
particular, the responsibility of programme manager, amongst other
tasks, is to ensure the progress of candidates, to liase with module
leaders and local tutors for overall delivery and smooth running
of the programme. During your study you will be in close contact
with your programme manager to discuss any aspects arising from
your progress. The module leaders are responsible
for the delivery and assessment of their module. They provide technical and academic advice and
references in all aspects of their module and play supportive role
throughout the duration of your study. programme tutors are responsible
for acting as academic mentor for your study within your peer group
of students, and advise you on a range of academic issues including
assessment, academic and scheme regulations and withdrawal from
the programme. They play a supportive role for students who
are affected by illness or stress and refer them to the appropriate
providers of support. Tutors
also provide academic references and are available to you and other
students at agreed time. |
| programme Agenda |
All modules are taught and assessed
in the English Language. ● The programme is of 18 months duration
and is divided into 4 terms. ● Each term is of 3 months duration for
taught modules and 6 months for the dissertation. ● Candidates are required to complete 7
core modules and 2 elective modules during the first year, and a
dissertation in the fourth term. ● Candidates are required to take 3 core
modules in the first two terms, and 1 core and 2 electives in the
third term, as specified below. ● Each module comprises of 16 hours of
lectures, delivering approximately12 major topics. On line workshops
works are on a 2-hour weekly basis. ● Each taught module requires at least
one coursework submission in the form of either an essay, computer
work or an assignment. The
coursework element constitutes 50% of total mark for the core modules
and 100% for electives. The weight of the final written exam for core
modules is 50%. ● The pass mark for all modules is 40%.
● The written examination on each of the
taught core modules will take place during March-June 2004 in nominated
Centres. ● All taught modules are delivered by module
leaders in the form of video or CD-Rom, accompanied by relevant
module handbook in hard copy and on Blackboard. ● Weekly workshop exercises and case studies activities with module leaders are through Blackboard. |
| programme Timetable |
Term 1: 3
months ITUB501CM International Managerial Decision
Making Term 2: 3
months ITUB504CM Marketing & Operations Management Term 3: 3 months ITUB507CM Project Management and any 2 electives from: Term 4: 6 months ITUB520MD Dissertation
|
| Module Description |
UITB501CM
International Managerial Decision
Making This module deals with the application
of economic analysis to make managerial decisions involving the
best use of an organisation’s scarce resources.
The module will develop your knowledge and competency in
business decision-making by applying relevant microeconomic tools,
theories and models. It will
enhance your ability to formulate and implement strategic direction,
to allocate resources efficiently and to interact with competitors
effectively. Emphases are
placed on issues relating to management decision making within domestic
and international entrepreneurial firms as well as public sector
organisations. UITB502CM Business Finance Good financial management can be
an important source of competitive advantage. This module focuses on the fundamental financial
decisions confronted by business organisations. Corporate financial decisions concerning ways
to raise and invest capital in both the short and the long term
are major themes of today’s business finance.
The module enables you to assess and evaluate those investment
projects that are available to the firm and recommend, through systematic
process, the best possible alternative(s).
You will be able to evaluate the best method of payment for
investment projects and decide what the firm should do with the
proceeds from a successful investment. By examining real case scenarios you will develop
necessary skills and expertise to evaluate the impact of mergers,
acquisitions, outsourcing, restructuring and downsizing on firms. UITB503CM E-Commerce Strategy This module focuses on formulating
and implementing a plan consistent with a company’s long-term corporate
objectives, developed in the context of its broad strategic issues.
It emphasises the importance of integrating new technological
development with the business strategy of an organisation to achieve
a competitive advantage. You will develop both external and internal
environmental assessments skills and synthesis to address the viability
and application of e-commerce for both small and large business
enterprises. The knowledge of the latest advancement in e-commerce
and communication technology will enable you not only to offer technological
direction to your chosen company but also to communicate with peers,
suppliers and customers more effectively. UITB504CM Marketing & Operations Management This module aims to develop your
knowledge and skills competencies in marketing and operations management
through critical analysis of current practices in contemporary business
organisations. This module
will provide you with the ability to apply concepts; language and
theories of marketing and operations management within different
businesses including your own workplace.
It will also enable you to play a pro-active role in managerial
discussion of the firm and lead marketing and operations management
activities at functional or strategic management level. UITB505CM Strategic Management & Business
Policy Strategy and business policy cuts
across the entire spectrum of business and management. This module addresses the corporation as a whole
and its interactions with its internal and external environments. The objective of this module is to encompass
the complete range of strategic management topics from competitive
strategy and industry analysis to environmental trends and ethics. The emphasis will be placed on the significance
of technical and managerial expertise within both non-profit and
entrepreneurial ventures. The module will provide you with the panoramic
view of the changing corporate terrain and show how small and large
firms can be more effective and efficient in today and tomorrow’s
arena of business. UITB506CM Managing Organisaions in the 21st
Century Recent global economic and structural
changes have made management tasks more complex and widely diverse.
Globalisation of markets and production, international regional
integration, corporate governance, technological advancement, especially
in transportation and telecommunication, the social and demographic
divergence/convergence have profound influence on strategic choices
of the firm. To remain competitive
in the 21st century, firms need not only be locally responsive
but also achieve economies of scale through organisational change
and diversification. By identifying
the current trend and development, this module will equip you with
ability to identify the impact of these changes on different industries
and markets and to offer managerial remedies to remain competitive. UITB507CM Project Management Awareness and understanding of different
concepts and systems management related to major software and IT
systems have become essential success factors for many contemporary
organisations. The aim of
this module is to develop your ability to formulate and implement
strategic and operational plans for business projects.
The module enables you to critically evaluate and analyse
project performance at different stages, from a stakeholder perspective;
and to offer suggestions for improvement.
Knowledge of project management processes and system elements
involving innovation, and management of associated risks will enhance
your ability to apply relevant tools and techniques, while taking
into consideration dynamics and complexity of the project context,
organisation and the content of project work. UITB510EM Financial & Capital
Markets Financial markets are now an integral
part of success and prosperity of any economy. The focus of this module is on the examination
of the functions of financial and capital markets. Alongside the evaluations of these roles and
functions, you will be equipped to apply your competencies and skills
to the analysis of the instruments of risk management in relation
to the overall financial strategy of an organisation.
You will also develop a self-focussed capability to make
appropriate financial managerial decisions to ascertain the best
possible alternatives of selecting a portfolio that enhances the
resources of the firm. Your skills in this field will be further developed
through the examination of real case examples in short and medium
term financial management of firms. The principal objective of this
module is to develop your understanding of the fast advancing field
of information technology and its application within the profit
and non-profit making organisations.
Theories and concepts underlying management information system
are supplemented by real world examples incorporated in case studies
and exercises. You will develop the necessary skills and expertise
through the appreciation of different information requirements for
various types of decision-making and strategic planning within different
business settings. The module
will also develop your intellectual ability to make rational decisions
on the IT needs of various functional activities within the organisation. UITB512EM International Business Strategy The quest for global competitiveness,
that is, the ability to proportionally generate more wealth than
competitors in world market, is the key challenge for today’s large-scale
enterprises. This module
is about the strategic issues confronting managers in an international
business. It will enable you to understand the cultural,
social and political differences between countries, alongside their
different levels of economic development.
It will allow you to decide on the best international location
to minimise the costs and maximise the profits of your production
activities. It will equip you with the skills to decide
which foreign markets to enter or avoid, the skills to control and
coordinate global business activities, and to hedge against adverse
currency movements. It will
develop a knowledge and competency that will enable the integration
of this strategy with other strategic functions, such as organisational
structuring, human resource management and marketing. UITB513EM Portfolio Management The aim of this module is to explore
a full range of criteria that investors can employ to evaluate various
investment projects in both domestic and foreign markets. The main focus will be on the asset allocation
decision and the overall management strategies of associated risk
and return of a portfolio. You
will be able to apply a number of quantitative approaches to portfolio
optimisation and investment opportunities within all classes of
securities such as equities, fixed-income instruments, derivatives,
etc. The empirical investigation
of the performance of various assets alongside the knowledge of
dynamic strategies to control risks should enable you to address
those opportunities and threats that are associated with different
assets. UITB514EM Business Research All businesses are affected by such
external factors as political, economic, legal, environmental technological
and global changes. The objective
of this module is to enable you to think more independently and
autonomously about ethics, fiduciary duties and social responsibilities
of business organisations and their managers, while contemplating
changes. The module is designed to provide you the necessary
structure, guidelines, abilities and confidence needed for an independent
research. It enhances your
writing styles, methodological approaches, communications and argumentative
skills at professional level. The
transferable skills are attained through development of critical
thinking and a argumentation in the context of the synopsis and
analysis of real world cases. ITUB520MD Dissertation After successful completion of all core and elective modules, you will have the opportunity to choose your dissertation title and to get title approval from your designated supervisor. Generally, the dissertation of approximately 25,000 words is the proof of your ability to carry out an in-depth research in the subject area and apply theory, models, and approaches systematically and effectively to arrive at a conclusion. Your chosen methodology and analytical underpinning of your dissertation constitute the testimony of your ability and mastery in the selected field. This will demonstrate your knowledge and skills in analysing a real case setting, which may result in marked benefits to the organisation and society as a whole. Your competency in research and investigation should pave the way to pursuing either further achievement in the academic field, or professional upgrading, or even both. |