General
course information
The University of Roehampton Business School MBA is designed to prepare those with a
minimum of two years’ experience of the workplace for the challenges of senior
management in an international environment. Graduates of the course often
progress to more fulfilling and better-paid employment. On the MBA, students
from around the world explore and debate important issues in contemporary
professional management. Study is guided by a committed team of tutors who have
both practical experience and expert knowledge. You develop personal managerial
knowledge and sophisticated interaction and intercultural skills that are of
interest to employers worldwide.
Key areas
of study
- A foundation in the key
operational and functional areas of business and management (for example,
finance and accounts, marketing, human resource management and
organisational analysis) together with an appreciation of the contemporary
context of business.
- A personal development
programme that includes activities aimed at enhancing managerial skills
and the opportunity to take an optional course to develop specific
managerial knowledge in depth; for example, in the fields of marketing,
human resource management, information systems or finance.
- A strategic and integrative
appreciation of management challenges, including an exploration of senior
managerial decision making, and the implications of change and innovation.
- The application of knowledge
to a personally selected management project, reported as a dissertation
and supported by a business research methods module.
Career and personal development
MBA students have the opportunity
to participate in a range of talks and activities designed to help them develop
their personal and career management skills. Some past examples are described
below.
Guest speaker
sessions
John Lees, an internationally
recognised career coach and careers writer, shared a number of insights into
the changing job market and the skills individuals need to manage their career.
Students were provided with a number of practical tools to help them surface
their skills, focus on their career drivers, as well as think about their ideal
job and the strategies needed to secure employment in a world where many jobs
are never advertised.
Vicky Reeves, entrepreneur and
Managing Director of the London-based web solutions company ChameleonNet, gave an inspiring and
candid talk on the highs and lows of developing a successful business. She
talked about how she has grown the company from a micro business to one that
now employs around 30 people. She spoke about the skills that she has developed
along the journey, how to go about getting the right advice and support, as
well as providing some humorous stories to demonstrate the creative skills
needed when running your own business.
Group projects
Students have worked on a number
of group projects. One of these involved producing a design proposal for a
dedicated postgraduate common room within the School. The objectives being to
build a more cohesive postgraduate community; create a ‘third place’ to
exchange ideas, share knowledge and maximise the resources of the University
and thus improve the Roehampton learning experience amongst the postgraduate
community. Students were given a budget to work within and had to present their
proposals to a number of key decision makers across the University.
Visit to the O2
In February 2008, Roehampton MBA
students visited the O2 Arena in London’s Docklands and met representatives of
NEC UK to investigate operational and management issues at one of the world's
leading music and entertainment centres. As part of the module Integrating
Operations for Strategy, students were asked to analyse critically operational
challenges at the O2 and consider IT solutions for the 23,000-seat indoor
stadium, the Tutankhamun exhibition, as well as extensive cinema, restaurant
and catering facilities on site.
Beyond your MBA
The
Roehampton MBA is fully recognised by the Chartered
Management Institute (CMI). Successful completion of the programme leads to
eligibility for membership of the CMI and the potential to gain chartered
manager status.
Career support
You can seek guidance from
professional staff from Roehampton’s Career Service to develop your career
path on completion of the MBA. You can browse through the comprehensive careers
library, which holds an extensive range of occupational information, literature
from professional bodies, and self-help materials on CVs, applications and
interviews. You can also arrange individual, confidential interviews to discuss
career plans, applications, interviews and job offers. In addition to the
drop-in services offered, you will be invited to attend regular workshops,
fairs and presentations by employers and careers experts.
Teaching
and learning methods
- Formal lectures from
Roehampton staff
- Guest lectures from leading
practitioners
- Student-led seminars and
group work
- Opportunities for
self-directed learning using the online StudyZone and other technology
- Workshops
- Roleplays
- Case study work
Assessment
Assessment
reflects the nature of the topic under consideration and is undertaken through
a variety of methods including:
- coursework assignments
- examinations
- individual dissertation.
Class
dynamics
- Students come from around
the world.
- Students are not normally
accepted unless they have at least two years' post-graduation employment
experience.
- You can expect an average
class size of 20 students.
- Mostly we see an even
balance of females and males.
- Most students are sponsored
by companies.
Research
areas
- Organisational behaviour
- Business ethics
- Career development
- Outsourcing of IT provision
- Brands and brand management
- Technology marketing
- International capital and
financial markets
- International banking
- Social enterprise
- AccountingFurther Information
Entry requirements
A minimum
of two years’ managerial or professional experience prior to starting the
programme is required, together with a good degree from a recognised university
or equivalent. Mature candidates with substantial management experience but
without the indicated academic qualifications may also be considered. Some
candidates may be asked to provide a score of 550 in the Graduate Management
Aptitude Test (GMAT).
If you are
not sure whether you meet the entry criteria, we may be able to consider your
application if you can provide alternative evidence of your ability to complete
the programme. In this case please contact us (email: enquiries@roehampton.ac.uk)
for advice prior to completing the application form.
English language requirements
If English
is not your first language you will need to satisfy the programme’s English
language requirements:
- IELTS
6.5
- TOEFL
575 (paper version) / 232 (computer version)
- GCSE
Grade C.
For
candidates who have acceptable academic and experiential qualifications but
have not quite achieved the required qualifications in English language, a
pre-sessional programme is available in order to help you reach the required
standard. This is assessed and a pass will entitle you to join the MBA,
providing you meet all other criteria.
We also
offer the Business pathway of the Pre-masters Certificate for students who want
to develop their academic English skills and their subject knowledge of before
beginning the MBA.
Transfers
We are able to consider
applicants for entry to the MBA who have credit from studies
undertaken at other recognised universities. The maximum amount of credit
that can be awarded for a student seeking entry with credit is 90 credits,
which means students will have to undertake 90 credits worth of study at
Roehampton. This will always include the research element of the
MBA.
Candidates wishing to apply for
entry with credit should submit an application in the normal way and be sure to
include up-to-date transcripts from their current institution, syllabus/module
outlines of modules undertaken and a current academic reference from their
current institution. Applications will then be processed through the
University CATS process.
Length of the programme
Please note: formal teaching starts in September and ends in June.