Master of Business Administration (MBA)

The course aims to:

• Provide a broad, analytical and integrated study of strategic management and leadership in an international context.
• Cover key functional areas of business and management.
• Focus on issues concerning the formulation of management and leadership.
• Provide an opportunity to critically reflect upon current leadership and management practices.
• Develop an understanding of ethical issues relevant to business and management.
• Develop scholarly research skills with an ability to reconcile practice and research.

Students who wish to undertake the Master’s programme must:

• Hold an honours degree awarded by a recognised UK university or HE Institution, or equivalent.
  Have a minimum of 3 years of managerial experience and have successfully completed modules in leadership and management.
• Have 3 or more years of managerial experience if applicant holds the equivalent of a UK Bachelor’s degree without honours.
• Have spoken and written English of an adequate standard for postgraduate study.
• Applicants not meeting any of the first three requirements may, in exceptional cases, be considered for admission. Applicants are expected to have strong supporting education or experience. All such cases will be scrutinised by the admissions and academic team to make a decision on the suitability of applicants for this programme.
• Acceptance on course will be subject to a face to face interview.

Qualifications Check

Please contact the Admissions Office to find out if your qualification is suitable. If you do not have a UK qualification or an International Baccalaureate we will use UK ENIC (Formerly UK NARIC) to find out how the qualifications, you already have compared to UK qualifications. UK ENIC is a UK agency that provides information and advice about how qualifications and skills from overseas compare to UK qualifications.

• It is essential to have an excellent command of the English language to benefit from studying for the programme. All students whose first language is not English and who have not done the last two years of their education in English must meet a minimum English language requirement before commencing their programme. Providing evidence of a previous qualification that confirms the applicant’s English proficiency at the required level can also be accepted.

• International students applying for this programme should pass their IELTS for UKVI Test Score of 6.5 overall with a minimum score of 6.0 in each component (reading, writing, listening and speaking).

The structure of the MBA programme is shown below:

Postgraduate Certificate – 60 credits at Level 7

• Understanding Workplace Behaviour (10 cr.)
• Business Finance (10 cr.)
• The Macro-economic Environment (10 cr.)
• Research Methodology (30 cr.)

Postgraduate Diploma – 120 credits at Level 7

• Formulating and Planning Organisational Strategy (30 cr.)
• Organisational Culture and Leadership (30 cr.)

Master of Business Administration – 180 credits at Level 7

• The Leadership of Strategic Change (30 cr.)
• Business Consultancy Project (30 cr.)

Understanding Workplace Behaviour

The module considers how individuals perceive their role in the workplace, what motivates them to work and the factors that may affect their performance. The role of perceptions and attitudes and how these affect commitment and job satisfaction are explored with an analysis of the causes of job dis-satisfaction and how this can lead to inter-personal conflict. The analysis underpins an examination of how to foster strong inter-personal relationship as the basis of effective leadership.

Business Finance

This module considers key financial information and applied methodologies that inform management judgements when taking strategic decisions. Three main areas are examined; the different types of costs and how to measure costs, setting and managing budgets for control purposes and appraising long term capital investment decisions. This module, therefore, provides an understanding of relevant financial information which is essential for the strategic leadership of organisations.

The Macro-economic Environment

This module considers some of the main economic influences on the business environment before examining the specific role of government monetary and fiscal policy. Business enterprises are strongly influenced by the economic environment in which they operate. An understanding of how government policies can affect the business environment is therefore essential for the effective management of organisations.

Research Methodology

The module examines the key concepts in carrying out a research project. In particular, competing philosophical issues, including ethical, political and socio-cultural issues with an analysis of how to select an appropriate methodology in the light of the chosen research topic. Quantitative and qualitative approaches to conducting research and how to present the research results will be studied. This module will equip students with the knowledge and understanding to undertake action research. Action research is focused on finding a solution to a problem by identifying and taking steps to resolve a problem, researching the outcomes and using critical reflection to link the two processes.

Formulating and Planning Organisational Strategy

The module examines how to identify opportunities and threats enabling competitive interactions with other organisations. The module first considers strategic choices and strategic positioning in different contexts leading to an understanding of an organisation’s specific competitive advantage. Various models that can be used to create a strategic vision are evaluated together with the criteria for assessing the effectiveness of a particular strategy. In the final part of the module, the ethical, social and environmental aspects of a strategy are considered as part of managing reputational risk.

Organisational Culture and Leadership

There is a strong inter-dependence between leadership and organisational culture. This module examines how organisational culture originates and develops, and how to diagnose and define a specific culture. A specific leadership style, such as democratic or authoritarian, can have a profound influence on an organisation’s culture. The module examines different leadership styles and their relationship to organisational culture are analysed.

The Leadership of Strategic Change

The need for strategic change is a result of a shift in strategic direction requiring a change in processes, practices, operating procedures, or even culture, to enable the development of new competencies and ways of competing. To successfully lead a change agenda requires both an understanding of the forces driving the need for change and the sources of resistance to the change. Since change involves people leadership of the process starts by building commitment and developing strong inter-personal relationships. Achievement of the change objective(s), however, may be hampered by poor performance, both human and operational, and leaders need to develop strategies for monitoring and improving performance.

Business Consultancy Project

This module consolidates the skills of independently collecting data, solving problems, applying theory, and reaching meaningful conclusions about a business issue. The project report will be an original, detailed analysis of a topic selected in consultation with, and supervised by, a member of LSME’s academic staff. The report will include a critical literature review with a primary and/or secondary empirical investigation to address a specific research question (or questions). The theories, models and concepts used to undertake the project will be drawn mainly from the programme modules supported by guidance on research methods and ethics, and the writing and structuring of a project report.

Teaching is primarily through a combination of lectures, seminars and interactive workshops allowing an opportunity to discuss and develop understanding in small groups. Action research carried out as part of a learning set is an important part of the pedagogical approach underpinning the course design.

The MBA programme is delivered through a full-time of formal lectures, workshops and seminars.

Assessment is both formative and summative and is designed to encourage ‘deep’ rather than superficial learning. Coursework is used throughout the programme with knowledge and understanding tested through essays, reports, presentations and case studies.

Assessment of cognitive and intellectual skills occurs through coursework and the use of case studies. The production of coherent written or oral responses to problems or tasks will demonstrate that key intellectual processes have been understood.

Students who complete MBA successfully can continue their studies further as PhD or DBA scholars. Students can also progress in employment in a range of positions such as Project Manager, Managing Director, International Business Management Consultant and Finance Manager.