Syllabus: MBA

Programme details for the Master of Business Administration

Courses Presented in this Programme

The MBA includes the following compulsory courses and components:

• Strategic Management
• Project Management
• Research Methodology
• Advanced business project
• Dissertation

Duration of the Programme

This programme has a minimum duration of one year before the qualification certificate can be issued. The maximum learning duration is normally two years.

Prerequisites

Completion of the BBA (Hons) or having been granted the status of a BBA (Hons) qualification through the process of recognition of prior earning (RPL), as confirmed by the CU Senate.

Single courses may be enrolled for to complete other qualifications. In such cases the student must consider that the courses sequentially before each course were selected by CU to serve as foundational knowledge for the more advanced courses.

Strategic Management

Credits: 20

Synopsis. In the fast moving area of strategy, this course provides the most comprehensive treatment of both rational and creative approaches to the subject. It offers a popular practitioner-oriented perspective, focuses on skill-building in all major areas of strategy formation, implementation, and evaluation, and weaves three very contemporary themes throughout each chapter-globalisation, the natural environment, and e-commerce.

Outline. The following aspects are reflected in this course:

• How to analyse a business policy case
• The nature of strategic management
• The business mission
• The external assessment
• The internal assessment
• Strategies in action
• Strategy analysis and choice
• Implementing strategies: management issues
• Implementing strategies: marketing, finance/accounting, R&D, and MIS issues
• Strategy review, evaluation, and control

Project Management

Credits: Incorporated in the advanced business project.

Synopsis. This course is designed to put the student on a fast-track to managing projects of every shape and size with speed and accuracy. It help the student master the essentials of good project management and then explore the situations where good projects and good business meet. It guides the student, step by step, to deliver the right projects in the right way at the right time.

Outline. The following aspects are reflected in this course:

• Structures and frameworks
• Strategy and project management
• Project definition
• Time planning
• Critical chain project management
• Cost and quality planning
• Plan analysis and risk management
• Project organisation: structures and teams
• Management and leadership in project environments
• Control of projects
• Supply chain issues
• Problem-solving and decision-making
• Project completion and review
• Improving project performance

Advanced Business Project

Credits: 60

Synopsis. The aim of the project is to put advanced business theory into practice. It is expected of our students to participate and apply their acquired management skills in an approved project in a business or organisational environment. Members of the project team will perform a variety of tasks designated to them by the appointed project leader and the course professor. These tasks are divergent in nature and will be determined by the nature of the project.

The student's contribution to the effective functioning of the group and the successful completion of the project will be assessed. In order to maintain a set standard of assessment, guidelines for assessing group participation are provided.

Research Methodology

Credits: Incorporated in the dissertation.

Synopsis. This course guides the student, step by step, through the research process, from problem selection through writing up results. It provides all of the basics necessary to complete a research project in any discipline.

Outline. The following aspects are reflected in this course:

• What is research?
• Tools of research
• The problem: the heart of the research process
• Review of the related literature
• Planning your research design
• Writing the research proposal
• Qualitative research
• Historical research
• Descriptive research
• Experimental and causal - comparative designs
• Statistical techniques for analysing quantitative data
• Technical details: style, format, and organisation of the research report

Dissertation

Credits: 100

Synopsis. This programme requires students to complete a dissertation as part of the final assessment for the MBA degree.

Doing a dissertation means that, instead of knowledge and information being presented and following a prescribed route for answering questions, students are thrust into an active role of managing an investigation into a topic area. This means researching and discovering things for themselves. They will have to set their own targets and parameters, pose their own central research question and decide on the appropriate sources of information to support the research. It therefore requires the use of the higher-level cognitive skills of analysis, synthesis and evaluation.

Students may choose an area of particular interest to them within the scope of Business Management.

A dissertation is an individual effort and the student, his/her academic tutor and the course professor will work together on constructing an approved topic (research question) and methodologies.

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