Business Management - MSc/Postgraduate Diploma/Postgraduate Certificate

The Postgraduate Certificate is made up of four modules. You will need to choose at least two of the four core modules below. You can also choose up to two option modules.

Core modules

Managing Finance covers the principles and techniques of information management and looks at how to manage finance to support decision making in a global context.

Meeting Customer Needs introduces you to how organisations are transformed to better identify and satisfy the needs of their customers.

People and Organisations provides you with a critical and enquiring understanding to be able to deploy a variety of perspectives for analysing organisations and people.

Strategic Analysis introduces you to the terminology of economics and strategy to develop your understanding of strategic analysis and practice.

Option modules

The Postgraduate Diploma is made up of the four core modules above, plus four optional modules from a selection which will typically include:

• Managing Change
• Leadership
• Project Management
• Innovation, Creativity & Enterprise
• Management Consulting Project
• Customer Relationship Management
• Global Marketing
• Sustainable Procurement

Masters

Dissertation

In addition to these modules, your dissertation gives you the chance to research an area of management of particular interest to you and of relevance to your career or company. Previous dissertation topics include:

• How does engagement with Corporate Social Responsibility relate to performance?
• Working towards empowerment within a manufacturing team environment a first person and reflective study
• Examination of work-life issues in a small family business
• An exploration of dynamic capabilities and the operating environment of a local aviation company
• Opportunities, barriers and challenges faced by refugee community organisations in Bristol
• The value of mergers and acquisitions an examination of post integration success and failure

The University continually enhances our offer by responding to feedback from our students and other stakeholders, ensuring the curriculum is kept up to date and our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the real world. This may result in changes to the course. If changes to your course are approved we will inform you.

You'll learn through formal classes and seminar sessions, with a focus also on group work and independent study. Our diverse cohort means you will be able to work with, and learn from, students from many different countries and backgrounds. The work will include assignments, exercises, case studies and presentations, with an emphasis on independent learning to develop your problem-solving skills.

For more details see our glossary of teaching and learning terms.

Full-time

If you opt for the full-time course, you'll attend the University for 12 months, with between eight and ten hours of teaching scheduled a week during both teaching terms and supervised study during the dissertation term.

Part-time

The part-time route is designed to help you fit your studies around your other commitments. You should be able to complete the Certificate stage in eight months, the Diploma in 20 months and the full Masters in 31 to 35 months, or in a shorter amount of time, depending on when you begin your dissertation. You'll typically have four hours of teaching a week during each teaching term and supervised study during the dissertation terms.

Study support

If you have been out of higher education for a while, we provide skills sessions to help prepare you for studying again as well as sessions for non-native English speakers.

The course primarily uses continuous assessment through marked assignments, which are either organisation or role-focused, and of great practical benefit to you as an individual and to your organisation. You will typically have one shorter assessment during the module and a longer assessment at the end.

For more details see our full glossary of assessment terms.