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Nottingham University Business School MSc International Business Student Handbook And Course Syllabus and Assessment Regulations 2011/2012 Please refer to the section on ATTENDANCE MONITORING on page 2 of this booklet.
Transcript of · Web viewMSc Student Handbook — 2009/10 Edition — WELCOME. Welcome to Nottingham University...
Nottingham University Business SchoolMSc Student Handbook
— 2009/10 Edition —
WELCOME
Welcome to Nottingham University Business School. This handbook is a guide for MSc students, and should be retained as a first point of reference for information on the Business School throughout this academic year. Included are relevant Business School contacts and procedures, details of University and Business School services and information, and overview of academic practice and regulations.
Nottingham University Business School
MSc International Business
Student Handbook
And
Course Syllabus and Assessment Regulations
2011/2012
Please refer to the section on ATTENDANCE MONITORING on page 2 of this booklet.
MSc Programmes Handbook 2011-2012
Nottingham University Business School
MSc Programmes – Key Contacts
Director of MSc ProgrammesTim Bailey Ext [email protected]
Deputy Director of MSc ProgrammesDr Swee-Hoon [email protected] Ext 67820
Course Directors
Director of MSc Corporate Social ResponsibilityDr Judy Muthuri Ext [email protected]
Director of MSc MarketingDr Linda Peters Ext [email protected]
Co-Directors of MSc International BusinessDr Darryn [email protected] Ext 67651
Dr Chengqi [email protected] Ext 67821
Director of MSc Operations Management coursesDr Kim Tan Ext [email protected]
Director of MSc EntrepreneurshipDr Mathew Hughes Ext [email protected]
Director of MSc Risk Management Christopher O’BrienChristopher.O'[email protected] Ext 66519
Director of MSc ManagementDr George [email protected] Ext 66611 Director of MSc Finance and InvestmentDr Mohammad [email protected] Ext 66268
MSc Programmes Handbook 2011-2012
Director of MSc Corporate Strategy and GovernanceDr Rajesh [email protected] Ext 68071
MSc Student Support
MSc Student Support OfficerTeresa Bee Ext [email protected]
Placements Co-ordinatorDr Deborah [email protected] Ext 66562
Postgraduate Careers Service ManagerJulie [email protected] Ext 66478
Postgraduate Careers AdvisorSteven [email protected] Ext 66135
Postgraduate Careers AdvisorGillian [email protected] Ext 68102
Administrative
Programmes Manager (MSc & Doctoral)Amanda Shacklock Ext [email protected]
Postgraduate Office Members (MSc/PhD)
Postgraduate OfficerEmma Brown Ext [email protected]
Postgraduate Officer, Overseas CampusesTammy Chambers Ext [email protected] Programmes Administrator (Admissions)Wendy Bull Ext [email protected]
Postgraduate Programmes Administrator (Admissions)
MSc Programmes Handbook 2011-2012
Laura Dominguez Ext 66489Laura.Dominguez @nottingham.ac.uk
Postgraduate Programmes Administrator Lynn Townsend Ext [email protected]
Postgraduate Programmes Administrator Lorraine Kirkman Ext 66489 [email protected]
Postgraduate Programmes Administrator Teresa Frudd Ext 66620Teresa. [email protected]
PhD Programme AdministratorAndrea Tomlinson Ext [email protected]
An up-to-date list of all Academic and Support Staff can be found at:nottingham.ac.uk/business/staff.html
MSc Programmes Handbook 2011-2012
Contents
Key Contacts1. STUDYING IN THE BUSINESS SCHOOL 11.1 Personal Tutors 11.2 Attendance Monitoring 21.3 Quality Manual 31.4 MSc Option Talks 31.5 MSc Dissertation Talks 31.6 Dissertation Placements 31.7 Research Ethics 41.8 Key Dates to Note for 2011/2012 71.9 Personal Information and Data Protection 81.10 Responsibilities: Staff and Students 81.11 Channels of Communication 102. SERVICES AND INFORMATION
Administrative and Information Services
2.1 The Postgraduate Office and Reception 10 Photocopy cards 11 Hiring Lockers 11 Inter Library Loan vouchers 11 Proof of Study Letters (includes request for bank
account letters and Visa Letters) 11 Distribution of marked coursework and transcripts 12 Communication of important information 13
o University Emails 13o Notice Boards 13o Pigeon Holes 13o MSc Student Web Site - NEXUS 13o Student Portal 14o Student Records 14o Twitter 15
2.2 Computer Facilities 15 Rooms available and Opening Hours 16 Faults 16 Printing Credit 16 Wireless Network Hotspots 16 Code of Practice 17
2.3 MSc Student Resources 172.3.1 MSc Student Resource Room 172.3.2 Data Management Systems – Compustat and Datastream 18
2.4 The Postgraduate Careers Service 192.4.1 Our Services Include 19
MSc Career Management Skills Programme 19 Individual Careers Consultation 19 Guest Lectures and Events 20 Careers Information Resources Area and Noticeboards 20 Vacancy Resources 21 Psychometric Assessments 21
2.4.2 A Quality Service 222.4.3 Confidence and Data Protection 22
MSc Programmes Handbook 2011-2012
2.4.4 After you have Graduated 222.4.5 Who we are 23
2.5 The Business Library 23
2.6 Student Support Services2.6 Business School Student Support Officer 252.7 Central Support Services 252.7.1 Academic Support 252.7.2 Examination Arrangements for Students who
have a Disability or Long-Term Medical Condition 252.7.3 Religious Observance 262.7.4 Accommodation Office 262.7.5 Counselling Service
262.7.6 Financial Support 272.7.7 International Office 272.7.8 Centre for English Language Education 272.7.9 Cripps Health Centre 252.7.10 Students Union 272.7.11 Sports Facilities 282.7.12 Chaplaincy 282.7.13 Language Study 282.7.14 Jubilee Graduate Centre 29
2.8 Information for Students with a Disability 29-Services for students who have a disability, dyslexia and/or a long-term medical condition 29-Disclosing a Disability 29 Student Disability Disclosure and Confidentiality
Policy 292.8.1 Further Information on Student Development Services 30
3. PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES
3.1 How to Submit Coursework 303.2 Late Submission of Coursework 323.3 What to Do if you Require an Extension for Coursework 323.4 Extenuating Circumstances 333.5 Late Submission of Extenuating Circumstances 353.6 Return of Coursework 36
3.7 Academic Offences: Plagiarism & Cheating in Exams 363.7.1 Plagiarism Defined 373.7.2 Understanding Plagiarism 373.7.3 Examples of Recent Plagiarism Cases 383.7.4 Guidance on the use of Turnitin and other
Text-matching Software 393.7.5 Cheating in an Examination 403.7.6 Other Academic Offences
403.8 STUDY SKILLS and the Support Available to you 41
3.8.1 Student Support and Development Coordination 413.8.2 Setting Up a Self-Help Network 41
Establishing the Group 42 At the First Meeting 42
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Time and Place 423.8.3 Getting Organised 433.8.4 Time 433.8.5 Places to Study 443.8.6 Filing and Reference Systems 453.8.7 YOUR STUDIES 463.8.8 Reading 463.8.9 Taking Notes 473.8.10 Writing – Essay and Assignments 503.8.11 General Principles 513.8.12 Presentations 543.8.13 Group Working 583.8.14 Dissertations 593.8.15 Guidelines on Referencing 593.8.16 Practical Hints 623.8.17 Using Case Studies 633.8.18 Examinations 65
3.9 University Classification Marking Guide 69- MSc Classification Marking Guide 69
3.9.1 Postgraduate Assessment Regulations 703.9.2 Business School Supplementary Regulations 743.10 Assessment Results 753.11 Examinations 763.11.1 Missing Examinations 763.11.2 Resit Examinations 773.12 Procedure for Requesting Feedback on Assessment 773.13 Complaints and Appeals 773.14 Learning Community Forum (LCF) 773.14.1 Student Representatives 783.15 Providing Feedback – SET/SEM forms 783.16 MSc Society 78
Appendix 1.Business School Health and Safety Policy 79Index 87
Course Structures
MSc Course Structure: 89MSc International Business & Optional Modules
Details of Modules: 92
Elective Modules – Frequently Asked Questions 132
MSc Programmes Handbook 2011-2012
1. STUDYING IN THE BUSINESS SCHOOL
We hope that your time studying for your Masters degree at the Business will be enjoyable, and that you will do well in your studies.
All of the taught Masters courses are full time courses and can be intensive. On average it is expected that you will spend approximately 100 hours (per 10 credit module) and 150 hours (per 15 credit module) each semester. This includes both the taught formal lectures and self-directed study.
The course outline for the programme that you are studying for is included in this booklet, as well as the supplementary regulations. All students are advised to read this carefully.
1.1 Personal Tutors
All students are allocated a Personal Tutor when they arrive at the Business School, who will be an academic staff member. The name of your tutor, along with their contact details, will be made available to you during week 2 and you will then be required to access Nexus and book an appointment slot in order to meet with them.
The role of an MSc Personal Tutor is as follows:
a) To make themselves available to see their personal tutees in a scheduled meeting at the start of Semester 1, and to have a reasonable availability to see their personal tutees at other times, and for contact to be made within an acceptable timeframe.
b) To provide advice on the postgraduate assessment regulations (please refer to pages 70-74 in the MSc Student Handbook), including counseling on examination marks and a review of academic performance, if requested.
c) To provide references as required for job applications and further study.
d) To act as a gateway to the range of student support and development services offered by the Business School and the wider University.
It is important that you make yourself known to your tutor and to keep in contact during the programme.
If you have not been allocated a Personal Tutor, please contact the Postgraduate Officer.
1.2 Attendance
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Attendance Monitoring – VERY IMPORTANT
The Business School is required to regularly and formally report on the attendance of all students on full-time degree programmes. To facilitate this, during certain weeks within the academic year you will be required to complete a Business School attendance card and to take it with your University Card identification to the Postgraduate Office where your attendance will be registered. You will be notified of specific attendance weeks as they arise throughout the academic year.
Lectures, tutorials and, in some cases workshops, form an integral part ofeach module. You are expected to be regular and punctual in attendanceat all classes. You are also required to remain in residence throughout the full period of each semester. Within these periods, you may be absent for a weekend or for a night or longer provided you can satisfy your tutor that such absence will not adversely affect the progress of your studies.
The Postgraduate Office will also monitor attendance rates on a weekly basis. Where large periods of unexplained absence occur, a student may be written to by the Postgraduate Officer or the Course Director for an explanation.
More severe cases of absence due to illness or on medical grounds, should be reported to the Student Support Officer, where official evidence will normally be required, (please see page 25).
If we find that a large amount of sessions have been missed and if the School do not receive a satisfactory explanation for this absence, the University Quality manual states that a mark of 0% may be awarded for all remaining assessments (including examinations) on the module. It is therefore very important that you attend all sessions as scheduled.
Students are also only permitted to attend the lectures, tutorials and workshops that they are allocated to attend and may not for example, attend the same lecture twice. This is to ensure that attendance numbers for each session meet with Health and Safety requirements and that we provide the students at each session the best available teaching and learning experience.
1.3 Quality Manual
In order to constantly maintain and improve its academic and administrative standards, and to ensure equity across all modules, courses and programmes, the University of Nottingham has created a Quality Manual of standards and procedures that all Schools must comply with. This can be found on-line at
nottingham.ac.uk/quality-manual/
1.4 MSc Option Talks
In semester 1 and 2, students taking most MSc programmes will be required to choose elective modules. Please refer to the Module Syllabus section,
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incorporating the Supplementary Regulations for your course for further information as to how many elective modules you are required to choose and which ones are open to you.
For module option choices, you will be supplied with a Module Enrolment Form (MEF) at Induction and will be required to choose the appropriate numbers of electives from the selection available for your Masters degree. Information on the Options available to you will be supplied during the ‘Module Option Talks’ that take place during the Induction week timetable.
The completed MEF form must then be submitted to the Postgraduate Office no later than Friday 14th October 2011. The Postgraduate Office will then check and approve choices. Approved choices will be displayed on your portal towards the end of October 2011. (More information on the Portal and how to access it can be found on page 14 of this handbook).
If you do not return the forms by the due dates, we will not be able to guarantee that you will be able to take the modules that you have elected to take, as in some cases, spaces are limited.
You may also find it helpful to refer to the section in this Handbook entitled ‘Elective modules: Frequently Asked Questions’, that will answer further questions on module choices.
You may also find it helpful to refer to the Timetabling Office web page link copied below, as this supplies more information on completing your Module Enrolment form:
nottingham.ac.uk/timetable/html/ModuleEnrolment/Home.php
1.5 MSc Dissertation Talks
Dissertation talks will be held in early February. A Dissertation guideline booklet will be distributed at the talks giving you further details. You will be required to submit an initial dissertation proposal, which will be used as the basis to allocate you an academic member of staff to supervise you. It is, therefore, important that you provide enough information in order to make this decision effectively.
It is strongly advised that you endeavour to meet all of the various deadlines set in order to ensure the satisfactory progression of your dissertation and to enable you to meet the final deadline.
1.6 Dissertation Placements
The Business School will also be offering an optional system of competitive placements in a variety of organisations for the dissertation stage of your award. These placements will allow student’s an opportunity to apply the theory learned on their course to practical business problems. A presentation, date to be advised, will be held to provide students with further information on this and how to apply for a placement position. If you are interested please ensure you attend this presentation.
To be eligible to apply for a Dissertation Placement student will need to have also attended at least six sessions of the Career Management and Professional
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Skills Programme sessions run by the Postgraduate Careers Service (see page 19 for further details).
1.7 Research Ethics
Some of your assignments may require you to undertake some original or primary research of your own. If this research involves human participants (for example, through interviews, questionnaires, focus groups, or surveys) or their personal data or information, you will need approval from the School’s Research Ethics Committee (REC). Arrangements for ethical review and approval for student projects are currently being updated for the academic year 2011/12, and further information, forms, and template for participant information sheets will be placed on the student portal.
Depending upon the module and the nature of your research, you may need to submit a formal application to the REC for ethical approval or to agree to follow a set of pre-approved protocols and practices for the conduct of your research. The relevant module convenor or your dissertation supervisor will let you know about any such requirements,
The School encourages students to undertake independent research where appropriate, normally as part of a dissertation module. The intention of these procedures is not to discourage students from undertaking imaginative and original research, but to safeguard the interests, rights, and dignity of research participants. This is just as important for student projects as for cutting-edge academic research led by senior Professors.
The process of ethical review and approval is an important part of safeguarding participants, but at least as important is for researchers to be aware of ethical issues when planning and carrying out their research. The following guidance is adapted from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Framework for Research Ethics (2010):
http://www.esrc.ac.uk/about-esrc/information/research-ethics.aspx
There are six key principles of ethical research that the ESRC expects to be addressed whenever applicable:
The six key principles:
1. Research should be designed, reviewed and undertaken to ensure integrity, quality and transparency.
2. Research staff [including students undertaking research] and participants must normally be informed fully about the purpose, methods and intended possible uses of the research, what their participation in the research entails and what risks, if any, are involved.
3. The confidentiality of information supplied by research participants and the anonymity of respondents must be respected.
4. Research participants must take part voluntarily, free from any coercion.
5. Harm to research participants must be avoided in all instances.
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6. The independence of research must be clear, and any conflicts of interest or partiality must be explicit.
To implement these principles:
The responsibility for conduct of the research in line with relevant principles rests with the principal investigator and the research / employing organisation.
Risks should be minimised. Research should be designed in a way that the dignity and autonomy of
research participants is protected and respected at all times.
POINTS TO CONSIDER WHEN PLANNING RESEARCHHave you considered risks to:
o the research team?o the participants? (harm, deception, impact of outcomes)o the data collected? (storage, considerations of privacy, quality)o the university?
Might anyone else be put at risk as a consequence of this research? What might these risks be? How will you protect your data at the research site and away from the
research site?
Details and recruitment of participants:o What types of people will be recruited? o How will the competence of participants to give informed consent be
determined?o How, where, and by whom will participants will be identified,
approached, and recruited?o Will any unequal relationships exist between anyone involved in the
recruitment and the potential participants?o Are there any benefits to participants?o Is there a need for participants to be de-briefed? By whom?
What information will participants be given about the research? Who will benefit from this research? Have you considered anonymity and confidentiality? How will you store your collected data? How will data be disposed of and after how long? Are there any conflicts of interest in undertaking this research?
Have you considered consent?o Does your information sheet (or equivalent) contain all the information
participants need?o If your research changes, how will consent be renegotiated?
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Are you conducting research outside the UK? Are there any additional issues that need to be considered as a result? (e.g. local customs, local ‘gatekeepers’, political sensitivities)How will the ethics aspects of the project be monitored throughout its course?How will unforeseen or adverse events in the course of research be managed?
1.8 Key Dates to Note for the Academic Session 2011/2012
Semester One Teaching Starts: Thursday 29 September 2011MSc LCF Meeting: Late October 2011 (date to be confirmed)MSc Option Talks: During Induction Week:
- Tuesday 27th September, 2.00 – 5 .30 pm- Wednesday 28th September, 2.00 – 5.30 pm
‘Getting Involved’ Session: Wednesday 05th October, 6.00 – 7.00 pm (LT2 Exchange Building).
Teaching Ends: Friday 16th December 2011
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Christmas Holidays: Monday 19th December – Friday 13th January 2012
Semester 1 Exams: Monday 16th January – Saturday 28th January 2012.
Semester TwoTeaching Starts: Monday 30th January 2012.MSc Dissertation Talks: Early February 2012 (Dates to be confirmed)MSc LCF: March 2012 (TBC)MSc LCF June 2012 (TBC)Teaching Ends: Friday 30th March 2012.
Easter Holidays: Monday 02nd April – 27th April 2012
Teaching Starts: Monday 30th April 2012Teaching Ends: Friday 18th May 2012
Semester 2 Exams: Monday 21st May 2012 – Saturday 09th June 2012
Summer Exams: Monday 20th August - Wednesday 29th August 2012
Dissertation deadline: Friday 21st September 2012
Term Dates
Autumn Term: Monday 26th September– Friday 16th December 2011
Spring Term: Monday 16th January– Friday 30th March 2012Summer Term Monday 30th April– Friday 22nd June 2012
Semester Dates
Semester One: Monday 26th September 2010 - Saturday 28th January 2012
Semester Two: Monday 30th January 2012 – Friday 22nd June 2012
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1.9 Personal Information and Data Protection
The Business School and the University respect the right to privacy of all present and former students, and hence expect all parties maintaining records containing personal or confidential information to comply with the Data Protection Act (1998). You should therefore note that no personal information held on you in the Business School in either electronic or hardcopy format will be released to any third party without your explicit permission. The only exceptions are where such information is required on a matter of internal University business or where disclosure may be required by law.
The above means that the Business School cannot, and will not, disclose or discuss your marks, academic performance and/or other circumstances with any third party – including your parents or other students – without proof of your consent for such personal information to be disclosed.
1.10 Responsibilities: Staff and Students
In seeking a positive teaching and learning environment, staff and students are expected to adhere the following minimum requirements. Specifically, in terms of staff responsibilities, students within any module should expect:
the provision of a hardcopy module outline that includes the syllabus covered by the module; the duration and scheduling of all formal contact hours; a detailed reading list; explicit details of all module assessments; and identification of the knowledge and understanding, intellectual skills, professional skills, and transferable skills that the module seeks to develop.
in the first or second lecture of any module involving coursework, a hardcopy handout explicitly setting the same unless notification has been provided in writing that the coursework will not be set in the first or second lecture.
all coursework assignments to be set within the first five weeks of any module.
a module’s syllabus and assessment to be consistent with that published on the Business School website, Nexus, and in other on-line learning environments.
Courteous and professional conduct in all interactions, both in person and when communicating via e-mail and all other forms of electronic or hardcopy media.
a level of library provision which gives students reasonable access to all recommended material, where necessary through the short-loan system and/or on-line, and availability of core texts in a University Bookshop.
return of coursework with appropriate feedback as quickly as possible.
punctuality and where possible advance notification of and explanation for any changes in teaching times or locations.
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a reasonable level of access to staff outside formal class times, with an indication of office hours.
In turn, staff will expect of students:
punctuality and a high level of attendance at all formal teaching sessions (including lectures and group work meetings).
active participation in all University and Business School administrative processes, and in particular those related to module and examination registration and coursework submission.
courteous and professional conduct in all interactions, both in person and when communicating via e-mail and all other forms of electronic or hardcopy media.
use of their University e-mail account for all communications with module convenors and administrative staff, coupled with a regular checking of the same, of hard copy and electronic notice boards, and of those on-line learning environments associated with the modules they are undertaking.
an adequate reading of key reference materials and the consultation of additional sources such as academic and professional journals and on-line materials.
an adequate preparation for and active participation in smaller group classes.
active and full participation in group work activities, including assessed group projects.
an appropriate organization and scheduling of work so that submission deadlines are adhered to and the acceptance of penalties for non-submission (a 5% mark deduction for every working day overdue without reasonable cause and advance notification, as explained in the University Guidelines).
strict compliance with University regulations relating to academic offences (for example plagiarism or cheating in examinations) and acceptance of the penalties for non-compliance.
Constructive feedback on teaching via the completion of module and course evaluation forms.
1.11 Channels of Communication
In order to ensure that MSc Course Members can make the most of their time at the Nottingham University Business School, it is important that there are good
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channels of communication between staff and students. These allow students to draw to the Business School’s attention aspects of the MSc programmes which are particularly good or which cause problems. The communications channels available are as follows:
Personal Tutors The Student Support Officer The Programmes Manager (MSc and Doctoral) The overall MSc Director, the Deputy Director and the individual
programme specific MSc Directors The MSc Staff-Student Feedback Committee Online SET/SEM module evaluation questionnaires
The Business School encourages all MSc Course Members to use these channels to provide us with their feedback on the MSc programmes and how they might be improved. Students are also expected to communicate with their module convenors and other teaching staff on academic matters as requested and appropriate, and in particular to ensure that matters of concern are communicated as early as possible.
2. SERVICES AND INFORMATION
Administrative and Information Services
2.1 The Postgraduate Office and Reception
The Postgraduate Office is located in rooms A70 and A74. All students must go to the Postgraduate Office Reception in room A70 in the first instance during opening hours.
The Postgraduate Office will assist you with any administrative queries that you have relating to the course that you are studying.
Postgraduate Office Reception Opening Hours
10.00 – 4.00pm Monday to Friday
Although for the first two weeks (commencing Monday 26th September – Friday 30th September 2011), the Postgraduate Office Reception will be open between 9.00 am – 5.00 pm.
Please note that we will be unable to assist you face-to-face outside of the opening hours.
We can assist you with: Purchase of photocopy cards
Cards can be purchased at a cost of £5 per card. Each card has 80 copies, and can only be used in the photocopy machines based in the MSc Resources Room)
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Hiring of Lockers Lockers can be hired at a total cost of £15 for the academic year. £5 of this will be refunded to you upon the return of your key, at the end of the year.
Distributing Interlibrary Loan Vouchers (ILL) MSc Students are entitled to a free quota of a maximum of 20 ILL vouchers for the academic year.
Proof of Study Letters
There are a number of ‘types’ of letters that you may need to request during your course of study in Nottingham and details on how to apply for each ‘type’ of letter are listed below:
Letter Requests: CURRENT STUDENT STATUS and/ or additional items as follows:
Fees Graduation Date Course Length Confirmation of Student Status Term Dates Eligible to progress
For a letter that confirms any of the above items you can either:A) Complete the form available from the Postgraduate Reception
orB) Apply on-line to Student Services (who also offer a ‘letter request’
service) via the web address below:nottingham.ac.uk/academicoffice/studentregistry/currentform.htm
If you are requesting a ‘proof of study letter’ from the Postgraduate Reception that confirms your current student status, it is essential that you allow at least 24 hours notice for us to do this for you.
a) You will need to complete a ‘Student Request Form’ which is available from the Postgraduate Reception.
b) Hand the completed form into the Postgraduate Reception.
c) The letter will be ready for you to collect after 2.00pm the following day.
d) If you require your address to be shown on the letter, you need to bring a utility bill or bank statement to the office when you collect your letter as proof
To use to open a BANK ACCOUNT:You must request a letter via the Student Services Centre using the online form at the web address below. Please mention in the ‘Comments’ field that the letter will be used to open a bank account.
nottingham.ac.uk/academicoffice/studentregistry/currentform.htm
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EXTEND YOUR VISA to remain in the UK:
‘A Visa letter’ – Please note, it is not acceptable to use a letter from your Departmental Office (i.e. the Postgraduate Office) or one from your Supervisor. You must request a letter via the Student Services Centre using the online form at:
nottingham.ac.uk/academicoffice/studentregistry/currentform.htm
or you can request the letter in person at The Student Services Centre, B Floor, Portland Building or the A Floor, Amenities Building Jubilee Campus. These are where you would also collect the letter from.
CONFIRM DEGREE AWARDED after successful graduation:
Please complete the form available at the web address below:
nottingham.ac.uk/academicoffice/studentregistry/formerform.htm
CONFIRM DEGREE AWARDED and to use to apply for a POST-STUDY WORK VISA:
Please complete the form available at the web address below. Please ensure you choose ‘yes’ in the question where it asks: I am applying for a post-study work visa. Please also make it clear in the ‘comments’ field (bottom) that you intend to apply for the Post Study Work Scheme.
nottingham.ac.uk/academicoffice/studentregistry/formerform.htm
The distribution of marked coursework and transcripts
Marked coursework shall be returned to students where it is needed for revision purposes for examinations, providing it has been returned by the Module Convenor to the Postgraduate Office for processing. It may take at least 48 hours (longer at peak periods), to process it once it has been returned marked from the Convenor.
You will be notified by your University email accounts once marked work is ready for collection.Marked coursework can ONLY be collected from the Postgraduate Reception between the hours of 10.00 am and 4.00 pm. You will be required to show your student card and sign for your coursework. After 5 days, coursework will be enveloped and put into the student pigeon holes in the resource room.
Please see separate section on Assessment results regarding the distribution of transcripts.
Communication of important information to you regarding your studies:
Our communication channels are:
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a) University email accounts
Any important information (e.g. lecture cancellations etc) will be communicated by email. We advise that you should check your University email accounts on a daily basis. We are unable to send information to personal email accounts.
It is important that you set up your University email at the beginning of the academic year.
b) Notice boards
Each programme has its own notice board for more course-specific information, and there is also a MSc Notice board for more general information. We advise that you check both sets of notice boards regularly for any important or relevant information that may have been posted.
The notice boards are situated along the corridor where the Postgraduate Office is situated.
c) MSc Student Pigeon-holes
The pigeon-holes are situated in the MSc Resources Room in room A34.
The pigeon-holes are sorted A-Z by your surname/family name.
It is important that you put any mail that is not yours back into the correct pigeon-holes, in order to show consideration towards other students. Any abuse of this system contravenes the Data Protection Act, and may result in the system being withdrawn.
d) MSc Student Web Site
Nexus: Nexus is a password-protected website that can be accessed on any device with Internet access. Only students taking Business School modules have access to our Nexus pages. Details of how to access Nexus will be provided during induction. If you have problems accessing the Nexus website please contact: [email protected] contains information on every module taught by the Business School, as well as general programme-related information. For all modules, Nexus contains a definitive module specification (including all assessment details), past exam papers, and assessment feedback and review pages where you can see information on previous student performance and feedback on the module and its Convenor’s response to the same. For most modules, Nexus also contains online tutorial sign-up lists, module forums, module messages, and a Module Convenor page that provides access to online materials such as electronic copies of lecture handouts. The web address for Nexus is:
nottingham.ac.uk/business/nexus
e) Student Portal
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The Portal is a personalised web-based “one-stop-shop” that allows students to easily access the various electronic systems and sources of information they need whilst at University. The sources of information include:
Module Registrations- check enrolments Fee Payments/ finance links Examination Timetables (individual to you) Student Marks/Transcripts (individual to you) Library resources
The Student Portal can be access at web address:
my.nottingham.ac.uk/cp/home/loginf
f) Student Records
In certain situations it may be necessary for us to contact you by letter to your term-time address or by phone.
The University of Nottingham will hold two kinds of records for you:
a. Local records (held at the Business School) b. Central University records (held at the University’s Central
Postgraduate Student Registry)
If you change your addresses at any stage during the academic year, you must ensure that both records are updated.
It is, therefore, your responsibility to make sure that we have your current correspondence address, and telephone details. If you move house, or wish us to use a different address, we will require you to inform the Postgraduate Office in writing. Please call into the Reception area to complete the ‘Change of Personal Details’ form.
In addition, you must also ensure that you update your address on the Student Portal. You can do this by going to:
my.nottingham.ac.uk/cp/home/loginf
Please note that the University of Nottingham undertakes to maintain student data in secure conditions and to process and disclose data only within the terms of the Data Protection Act 1998.
g) Twitter Website
Twitter is a social networking web site that allows users to send and receive short messages known as ‘tweets’. The Nottingham Business School has a Twitter web page that will be used to remind and notify students of deadlines and events such as:
Module Entry Form deadlines
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When SET/SEM is open for feedback When Exam Results are Available Careers talk
To sign up to become a member of Twitter and receive these ‘tweets’ follow the Twitter link below and register yourself as a member:
twitter.com/Nubs_MAMsc
Please then ensure that you regularly access this web page to check any important items that have been posted.
2.2 Computer Facilities
Students have access to a range of computing facilities provided by Information Services (IS) at the University level and by the School itself.
Rooms Available and Opening Hours within the Business School and on the Jubilee Campus:
MSc Resources Room, A34 Business School North Building (24 hour access – door code C5802)
B33, Business School North Building: 0900 – 2000 (not open weekends)
B35, Business School North Building: Open 24 hours, including weekends (The code for this is C4681)
A03, Business School South Building: 0900 – 2000 (not open weekends)
A09, Business School South Building: 0900 – 2000 (not open weekends)
B4 Exchange Building, Computer Room- Self Access Centre- Language Learning Resources
BANK HOLIDAYS AND UNIVERSITY HOLIDAYS – closed
Please note that CCTV cameras are in operation within the Business School Computer Laboratories.
Faults
All faults and queries should be reported to the IT Technicians who are located in B9a, Business School or by calling the following extension numbers:
Steve Moore Ext 66630Chris Bates Ext 66613Kieran Woodward Ext 66645
Printing Credit
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You are entitled to a free quota of 1500 sheets of printing for the whole academic year (500 each for semesters 1 and 2, and 500 sheets for the summer period).
Additional credit can be purchased from the Business School North Building Reception in blocks of £5.00 (5p per sheet).
Wireless Network Hotspots
Wireless Network Hotspots: If you have a laptop or other Wi-Fi enabled computing device you should be able to establish a wireless connection to the University Network in the atriums of the Business School North and South Buildings, in the Undergraduate Study Area, in the Business Library, and in most teaching rooms and computer labs in the Business School North Building. Where available, the wireless network should appear on your device as "UoNSecure". On a typical laptop, after selecting to "connect" to this network, open a web browser and go to nottingham.ac.uk to open the University connection page and then click "yes" to proceed at the security alert. Then enter your usual University username and password on the bluesocket web page to log on to the Nottingham network. If this does not work, and/or for more detailed information on connecting to the wireless network, on NEXUS select "Undergraduate" and then "Technical Support" (under the "General Information" heading) to access the Business School Wireless Networking guide. Alternatively contact the Business School's technical support staff as above.
Code of Practice
When you are given access to University computing facilities you are deemed to have agreed to the Code of Practice for Users of the University Computing Facilities. This code explains that access to computing facilities is normally granted by the issue of an individual username and password. The code strongly emphasises that no confidential information (such as proprietary software) may be copied, modified or disseminated without the approval of the Director of the School. Approval from the vendor is also needed before externally-written commercially available software is run on University facilities.
PLEASE ENSURE THAT:
1. Faulty computers are switched off, and that they are NOT tampered with in any way, and are reported to the technicians;
2. Neither books nor equipment are removed from the premises;
3. NO food or drink is taken into the Computer Laboratories;
4. The NO SMOKING policy is respected.
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There are two fire exits situated on the second floor, which can be found by turning left when you leave the laboratory and then take a right or left turn at the end of the corridor.
The laboratories will be used for teaching purposes at various times – details will be posted on the Computer notice board. Alternative facilities are available at Cripps computing and Social Sciences, LRC (Learning Research Centre)
If students choose to ignore the Code of Practice as outlined above, and if there is any misuse of these facilities, then they may be withdrawn.
2.3 MSc Student Resources2.3.1 MSc Student Resource Room and Graduate Centre
The Resource Room, situated in the business School North Building room A34, is a room specifically for the use of MSc Students and provides access to PCs and a study area. Students will also find copies of daily and weekly periodicals as well as a comprehensive careers resource area that includes both reference and take away material. Here you will be able to pick up copies of employer directories, industry career guides and career sector briefings. This room also has 24 hour access with a door code of C5802. The Graduate Centre on Jubilee Campus is also a space exclusively developed for postgraduates and early career researchers and further details can be found on page 29 of this Handbook.
2.3.2 Data Management Systems- Compustat and Datastream
The Business School is one of a limited number of UK schools that subscribe to Research Data Services (WRDS) from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. WRDS is an economic and financial data management system which allows us to access, handle and download data more effectively. Through WRDS, NUBS faculty and students can access data from many sources, including the important datasets from CRSP (University of Chicago) and Compustat (Standard & Poors - S&P).
To obtain a username and password during your time with Nottingham, you should go online from your computer (a special terminal is not needed) and visit:
wrds.wharton.upenn.edu/index.shtml
Once there, use "account request", identify yourself as from University of Nottingham and your course (please do not pretend to be a faculty member - all requests are checked at NUBS) and you will receive a username and password as soon as approval has been granted. Then you will be able to logon from any PC anywhere. NUBS also, of
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course, has DataStream and students can access this database via the PCs installed in the Business School Computer Labs.
2.4 The Business School’s Postgraduate Careers Service
To assist with your career planning the Business School provides a specialist careers service to postgraduate students. Throughout your postgraduate studies you will have access to comprehensive career information, advice and guidance. The Service complements your academic studies by helping you to assess skills and enhance your career management skills. An overview of our services is provided below.
Further details of all our services can be found on Nexus, the Business School’s online teaching and learning environment:
Log on to Nexus (nottingham.ac.uk/business/nexus) with your University username and password.
On the drop down menu select MSc Programme Area Using the link under MSc Programmes Information go to MSc Careers The Convenor Pages contain careers information and resources:
o MSc Careers Convenor pages – links to essential websites and specialist resources for MSc students.
o MSc Careers Forum page –this will be used to discuss career related topics.
o MSc Careers Tutorials page – this will be where you sign up to attend Postgraduate Careers Service events.
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2.4.1 Our Services Include:
MSc Career Management & Professional Skills ProgrammeA series of lectures/seminars covering all aspects of career planning including: career planning, job search, job applications, the hidden job market, psychometric tests, interviews, assessment centres. The Programme is built into your timetable on Mondays and Thursdays in Semester 1, depending on your main programme of study and on Wednesdays in Semester 2. You will be provided with a timetable of the sessions and a copy will be posted on Nexus.
NB. In order to be eligible for the School’s MSc Dissertation Placement Scheme you will need to have attended at least six of these sessions, four of which should be:
CVs & Covering Letters, Interview Skills, Presentation Skills and Teamwork.
Careers Consultations A consultation may be helpful whatever your situation:
you may be very confused about your career options and not know which direction you want to pursue;
you may have a clear idea of what you want to do but would like to discuss a plan of action.
You may wish to use a consultation to discuss: your future plans – career ideas, further study etc; applications and interviews; or general career development issues
Careers consultations are completely confidential. They are available to you throughout your studies.
Details of how to book an appointment can be found on Nexus (MSc Careers).
Please note: Individual careers appointments may not be on offer during the initial first week or two of the Autumn Term due to induction activities. You will be advised at the time of booking whether interviews are available immediately.
Guest Lectures & Employer EventsGuest Lectures are an opportunity for postgraduates to gain exposure to leading experts from the business community. For example, a former senior manager at a major investment bank in the City will deliver a Guest Lecture focusing on ‘A Career in Investment Banking’. Consultancy specialists will also be providing input. Business School Employer Presentations will also be on offer. These will be based in the Business School. These sessions will be run by employer representatives, including some of our alumni from postgraduate programmes.University of Nottingham Employer Presentations are open to all Nottingham students and you will usually be required to book in advance.
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They usually take place at University Park in the evenings. These sessions are useful for finding out about career opportunities with many of the large graduate recruiters. They will mainly concentrate on graduate training schemes. Employer Presentations begin during the FIRST week of term in late September 2010. Look at the central careers service’s website for sign up details (nottingham.ac.uk/careers). Business & Management Careers Fair, will take place on 26th October. Further details to follow.
Access to Careers Information Resource Room: a careers resource area is located in the MSc Resource Room (A34 Business School North) and includes both reference and take away material. Here you will be able to pick up copies of employer directories, industry career guides and career sector briefings.
Notice boards: there are two MSc Careers Noticeboards, located in the corridor near to the MSc Resource Room (A34) which will advertise career planning resources and events.
MSc Careers – NexusYou will find tailored information here to help with career planning, job search and recruitment processes. Resources here include:
Career Sector Guides: Tailored information to help you research opportunities in specific business career areas.
Guides on writing CVs and Applications Links to career planning websites, vacancy databases and websites Information for international students Links to country profiles and job seeking around the world
Vacancy ResourcesPlease note that many major graduate recruiters impose very early closing dates for applications for jobs for Autumn 2011. In some cases closing dates are early October/November 2010.
Postgraduate Careers Service Vacancy DatabaseOur vacancy service allows recruiters to post vacancies direct and allows you to search for vacancies by job sector, location and keywords. Go to:
nottingham.ac.uk/business/businesspcs/vacancies/pg
To access the vacancies you will need to use the following access codes (case sensitive):Username: NUBSPG Password: PG707VAYou will receive weekly vacancy e-newsletters to your university email to highlight vacancies that we have been notified of. Look out for regular emails from [email protected]
Centre for Career Development (CCD) Vacancy DatabaseCCD is the University’s central careers service. Whilst you are not permitted to access their career consultation sessions you have access to some of the other services that they provide:Their website (nottingham.ac.uk/careers) provides useful links to many career related websites as well as links to numerous employers’ websites
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including A-Z employer listings. There is also an area for international students. Key features of interest are:
1. Cassini - the vacancy database for all Nottingham students and graduates
2. online sign up system for numerous employer presentations held centrally at the University throughout the year
3. The Centre also organises a Summer Graduate Careers Fair.
The Internet offers many opportunities for job search and it will depend on your subject area and career interests as to which you will find most useful. Go to the MSc Careers Pages on NEXUS for links to additional vacancy websites.
Psychometric AssessmentsMany recruiters use psychometric assessments in the recruitment and selection process to help them select applicants for jobs. To help you prepare for these you will have the opportunity to take aptitude tests free of charge in the Business School.
The aptitude tests on offer are verbal, numerical and, depending on demand, inductive reasoning. These tests are similar to tests used by employers in the selection process. You will be notified of test availability by email.
2.4.2 A Quality ServiceOur policy is to strive for continuous quality improvement and we welcome your views on the careers services provided. We will regularly ask you to complete feedback questionnaires to help us improve the service to you but you can comment on the quality of service at any time.
Staff within the Postgraduate Careers Service team are members of the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS) and work within the AGCAS Code of Practice on Guidance. We also work within The British Psychological Society’s Code of Good Practice in Psychological Testing.
The Service is a member of the Association of Graduate Recruiters and so you can be reassured that we keep up to date with current recruitment practices and trends.
What you can expect from us: To help you to prepare for the recruitment and selection process. To advertise vacancies in good time. To treat you with respect and courtesy at all times. To answer your questions honestly, promptly and to guide you
according to the highest professional standards. To treat everything you tell us as confidential and to handle all your
personal data in confidence.
What we expect of you: To respect all our deadlines. To adhere to start times for careers lectures and workshops.
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To prepare thoroughly for your future career by using all of the careers resources we buy or otherwise provide for you.
To inform us in advance if you cannot attend any external speaker sessions or sign-up commitments you have made via NEXUS or by any other method.
To inform us in advance if you cannot attend an appointment you have made with us.
To apply in good time for jobs. To tell us if we do not meet your expectations.
2.4.3 Confidentiality and Data ProtectionYour personal data is handled strictly in accordance with the University’s policy on data protection and is in line with current legislation. Information that you tell us in careers consultations, your aptitude test results and anything else arising from our contact with you is treated confidentially and in accordance with our professional standards.
2.4.4 After you have graduatedIt is very important to us that we are able to keep in touch with our graduates. We will ask you to complete a confidential destination questionnaire which provides us with details of your job or other activities. The destination questionnaire allows us to compile essential statistical data relating to sectors, roles, salaries and career patterns. As a Nottingham graduate you will still be able to access careers services from the careers team within the Business School and through the School’s Alumni Service.
2.4.5 Finally………Who are we?If you have queries on any aspect of the careers provision please do not hesitate to contact us. Your key contacts within the Postgraduate Careers Service team are:
Julie Blant: Postgraduate Careers Service Manager (A73 North Building)Gillian Murchie –Postgraduate Careers Adviser (C41 South Building)Steven Rook - Postgraduate Careers Adviser (B9b North Building)Clare Simcock - Postgraduate Careers Research AssistantTim Orton - Postgraduate Careers Research Assistant
We very much look forward to supporting you in achieving your career aspirations.The Postgraduate Careers TeamEmail: [email protected]
2.5 The Business LibraryThe Business Library is located on the top floor of the Business School South Building on Jubilee Campus. The Library supports the courses taught by the Business School and it is effectively your “home library” for Business.
Library and Lending Desk opening hours are as follows:
Term-Time and Vacations Monday to Friday 08.00 - 21.45 Saturday 09.00 - 16.45
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Sunday 09.30 - 16.45
The Library is open 24/7 during exam periods. Please check noticeboards or the Information Services’ website (nottingham.ac.uk/is) for any changes to hours or announcements about days on which the Library may be closed (e.g. at Christmas and Easter).
Finding Books, Journals and Other MaterialsTo locate items that you may need to read for your course (e.g. books or journal articles) you will need to use the web-based catalogue, UNLOC (University of Nottingham Library Online Catalogue), available through the portal or from the IS website. You can access the library catalogue remotely. When you find an item that you’d like to consult, make a note of the classmark (representing a subject area) to find it on the shelves. Whilst the vast majority of material that you will require for your studies will be in the Business Library, you may also need to use the Hallward or George Green libraries on University Park campus. The catalogue also includes electronic books and electronic journal titles, enabling you to read material whenever you need it from your own PC or laptop. If you need an item which is not owned by any University of Nottingham Library, an Inter-Library Loan (ILL) facility is available. You can obtain an ILL voucher from the MSc Reception Office to enable you to request items.
Borrowing ItemsYou will always need your University Card to borrow books. You can use the self service machines located by the Lending Desk to borrow and return items. There is also a ‘book return’ box situated underneath the stairs by the main entrance to the Business School and you can use this to return books outside of library opening hours.
You may borrow up to 20 items at any one time, including a maximum of 2 Short Loan items. Ordinary loan books can be borrowed for eight weeks but these are subject to recall should another borrower request them. Items from the high demand Short Loan Collection are issued for a 24-hour or weekend loan period. If items are returned late, fines are charged. You should check your University email account regularly, as the Library will use this to correspond with you about all items relating to your use of the Library.
Electronic ResourcesFor your studies, you will also need to use a range of electronic information sources. These include bibliographic databases, market intelligence reports, company and financial information, online newspapers, etc. You can access these through the eLibrary Gateway (again, available through the portal or from the IS website). All of the resources in your area are located in the Business sub-category (beneath the Social Sciences category). To access some online resources - particularly if you are working off-campus - you will need to login to confirm that you are from the University of Nottingham. Follow the Alternative Log-in links to the University of Nottingham login page where you can enter your University Computer Username and Password. For more information about accessing electronic resources, please see this library guide: nottingham.ac.uk/is/documents/about/inductionguides/elibrarygateway.pdf
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The Library produces a full range of guides on using Library and IT services at the University, and the IS website (nottingham.ac.uk/is) contains a huge amount of essential and useful information. If you need help with finding, evaluating and citing electronic and print information you might want to try the online information skills package, "Pathway 2 Information", available to all students through WebCT (webct.nottingham.ac.uk)
If you require any further information, please ask a member of library staff, or email [email protected]
STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES
2.6 The Business School Student Support Officer
The Business School has its own Student Support Officer, Teresa Bee, who is responsible for dealing with all extenuating circumstances relating to coursework and examinations. She is located in room A7b in the Business School North Building between 9:30am and 1:00pm every weekday. Teresa is also available to advise and counsel students on any areas of concern related to their studies, in liaison, where appropriate, with other staff in the School or with outside agencies.
Issues such as anxiety, depression, family concerns, bereavement, difficulties in adjusting to a new way of life, eating disorders, and worries about drugs or alcohol, can be discussed in confidence with Teresa, who will provide guidance for where to go for further support if required. Should any issue potentially need to be raised at a relevant examination board, your permission will always be requested before any disclosure.
The role of the Student Support Officer is intended to supplement that of the Personal Tutor. For more information e-mail:[email protected]
2.7 Central Support ServicesThe following central support services are responsible for providing student support and development.
2.7.1 Academic/Disability Support
The Academic Support Team provides general study support for all students and specialist academic support for students with dyslexia, dyspraxia and other specific learning difficulties. http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/studentservices/supportforyourstudies/academicsupport/index.aspx
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The Disability Support Team co-ordinates support and access arrangements for disabled students and those with long term medical conditions. http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/studentservices/supportforyourstudies/disabilitysupport/index.aspx
2.7.2 Examination Arrangements for Students who have a Disability or Long-Term Medical Condition
As part of its commitment to equality of opportunity, the University believes that assessment methods should, as well as being appropriate to the academic objectives of the course, minimise the impact of a student's disability on performance in assessment. This means that some students may require adjustments to examination arrangements. Full details for students who wish to request alternative examination arrangements can be found at:
http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/academicservices/currentstudents/examinations/adjustmentstoexaminationarrangements.aspx
Please note that deadlines apply for arranging an appointment with Academic Support to be assessed for examination adjustments and are as follows:
Autumn semester examinations - students to have been assessed by the Academic Support by 04th November 2011.
Spring semester examinations - students to have been assessed by the Academic Support by 16th March 2012.
Resit examinations - students to have been assessed by the Academic Support by 6th July 2012.
2.7.3 Religious Observance
The University of Nottingham respects the rights and religious views of its students. The University has a procedure for students who are unable to take examinations on a particular day during the published examination periods for reasons of religious observance. This procedure is available to view at the following web address: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/academicservices/currentstudents/examinations/religiousobservance.aspxIf students are unable to attend an examination on a particular day, students should complete a Religious Observance Form available from: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/academicservices/currentstudents/examinations/religiousobservance.aspx
This form should be authorised submitted to the School Examinations Officer, Emma Brown.
The deadlines for submission of completed forms to School Examinations Officers are:
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Semester 1 examinations: 14 October 2011
Semester 2 examinations: 17 February 2012
Failure to submit a completed form by the deadline will mean that a student's request cannot be taken into consideration for the forthcoming round of examinations.
2.7.4 Accommodation Office The Accommodation Office provides assistance in finding suitable accommodation and information provision relating to the same.
2.7.5 Counselling Service The University Counselling Service is a free, confidential service available to all students at the University. It is located on the ground floor of the Trent Building in room A75-A85. There is a limited service available (on Thursdays) at the Jubilee Campus, within the Student Services area in the Amenities Building. To contact the University Counselling Service, telephone ext x.13695 or e-mail [email protected]. Please remember that you can also obtain confidential advice and support on any problems you may be experiencing from Teresa Bee, the Business School’s Student Support Officer.
2.7.6 Financial SupportFinancial Support provides information about financial matters (including fees, student loans, bursaries and scholarships), as well as access to hardship support and information on the same.
2.7.7 The International OfficeThe International Office is responsible for the recruitment and welfare of international students at the University. An experienced team of dedicated staff advise and support students from their initial enquiry, throughout the application process and give ongoing support on issues such as immigration, employment, finance, personal and family concerns, and academic difficulties. nottingham.ac.uk/InternationalOffice/index.aspx
2.7.8 Centre for English Language EducationThe Centre for English Language Education (CELE) at The University of Nottingham provides English language support for international students. Pre-sessional courses are for students intending to study at Nottingham and who need to improve their academic language and study skills, whilst In-sessional courses provide support for students during their studies at Nottingham. CELE also offers the following services and study programmes: preparatory courses for Cambridge English Language Examinations; Pre- and in-service teacher training courses for teachers of English as a Foreign Language and English for Academic Purposes; Examination centre for IELTS; and special courses for language and skills development.
2.7.9 Cripps Health CentreWhen you arrive at the University you should register with the Cripps Health Centre in order to receive National Health Service provision. This
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will normally take place as part of your Week One Induction. To make an appointment, please telephone 0115 8468888.
2.7.10 Students UnionThe Students Union aims “To improve the experience of student life by providing quality service, representation and development opportunities for all our members.” They represent over 35,000 students from over 140 different countries on campuses in the UK, Malaysia and China.The Union support societies, sports clubs, a theatre, magazine, an award winning student-run radio station (URN) and fledging TV Station (NUTS). The Union’s student fund-raising organisation, Karnival is the largest in Europe and they also assist volunteers through their Student Volunteer Centre.
To help you enjoy the social side of university life, they have a huge list of Union-run events and for more day to day needs, there are Students’ Union shops at a number of sites and they have their own print shop and travel centre.
2.7.11 Sports FacilitiesExtensive sports facilities exist at the University of Nottingham and opportunities to take part in sport at all levels of ability are provided by the Department of Physical Recreation. The majority of facilities are situated on University Park campus but facilities are also provided at Sutton Bonington Campus and at Jubilee Campus. There is also a boathouse for use by the Rowing Club situated at Trent Bridge, next to Nottingham Forest Football Club. Jubilee Campus Sports FacilitiesThe Sports Centre at Jubilee Campus is situated opposite the Triumph Road entrance and the building houses the following:
Large Sports Hall 35m x 38m containing 2 basketball or 2 tennis or 2 netball or 8 badminton courts or a combination of these.
Squash Courts Practice room 12m x 12m to be used for martial arts, table-tennis,
aerobics, keep fit etc. Fitness Suite cardiovascular training area (treadmills, cross trainers and
rowing ergo meters), multi gym unit and dumbbells. To book courts at Jubilee please ring Ext. 68288 or visit nottingham.ac.uk/sport/jubilee.php for further information.
All sports facilities are available to those who hold a current Sports Facilities Membership Card. There is a joining fee payable each academic year and this entitles the cardholder to the use of the facilities at whatever level they choose. A free sports physiotherapy service is available on three evenings per week for all sports facilities card holders. Further details on membership and the facilities available can be found at nottingham.ac.uk/sport/studentmembership.php
2.7.12 Chaplaincy
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The University provides a number of prayer rooms for prayer and religious observance across all campuses. Full details of the locations of these prayer rooms can be found at web address:nottingham.ac.uk/chaplains/prayerrooms.html There are also university recognised chaplain’s for the following faiths, Christian, Islamic, Jewish.Further information on Chaplaincy within the University can be found at nottingham.ac.uk/chaplains/
2.7.13 Language StudyB4 in the Exchange building is also a computer room equipped with electronic language learning resources which can be used by students for independent language study. Resources include live satellite TV, in-house computer assisted materials and networked resources. A notice on the door will inform students when the room can be used. A full range of independent learning materials is also available in the Self Access Centre on the Main Campus in Trent Building room C66.
2.7.14 Jubilee Graduate CentreThe Jubilee Graduate Centre, Amenities Building, Jubilee Campus, is a space exclusively developed for postgraduates and early career researchers, the Jubilee Graduate Centre offers a range of facilities including social and work areas, computers, a dedicated seminar room and kitchen facilities.
2.8 Information for Students with a DisabilityThe Business School is strongly committed to equality of opportunity in its provision for students, and as the Disability Liaison Officer (DLO), Teresa Bee has a specific role in assisting students with disabilities:
The DLO provides a point of reference, advice and guidance for students with a disability and will be able to give you information about the specialist support services available.
If you have a disability, dyslexia and/or a long-term medical condition you are strongly recommended to contact Teresa as soon as possible. Early disclosure can assist in ensuring the timely provision of appropriate support services.
No information concerning any disability you declare will be released to any third party without your explicit permission.
You should also note that it is your responsibility to declare in advance any disability (including dyslexia) that may impact on your academic performance as the University is unlikely to accept any such evidence as part of any appeal or related process if it is submitted retrospectively.
If you need additional time for your exams, you must apply to Teresa Bee or the Academic/Disability Support Teams. There are specific deadlines for each Semester to submit your request, these are:
Autumn semester examinations - students to have been assessed by the Academic/Disability Support Teams by 04th November 2011.
Spring semester examinations - students to have been assessed by the Academic/Disability Support Teams by 16th March 2012.
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Resit examinations - students to have been assessed by the Academic/Disability Support Teams by 6th July 2012.
For further details please refer to the Academic Support Team for matters relating to learning difficulties such as dyslexia, dyspraxia and other specific learning difficulties via the University website:
http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/studentservices/supportforyourstudies/academicsupport/index.aspx
or
the Disability Support Team for matters relating to disability or long term health conditions via the University website:
http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/studentservices/supportforyourstudies/disabilitysupport/index.aspx
If you feel that you may need additional help in the event of the emergency evacuation of a University building, you should notify Academic Support (x13710) as well as Teresa Bee so that an appropriate Personal Emergency Egress Plan (PEEP) can be developed.
Further information can be found at: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/studentservices/studentservicescentres/index.aspx
Business School disability documentation and disclosure information is also available on Nexus.
2.8.1 Further information on Student Development and Support
Further information for all of the above services, (including contact information and telephone numbers where applicable), can be found from the main MSc Nexus web page.
3. PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES
3.1 How to Submit Coursework
The Convenor for each of your modules will inform you of the deadlines for submitting your coursework. The deadlines will also be published in the Module Outline provided for each module.
The standard deadline for coursework unless specified otherwise by the Module Convenor is 4.00pm of the due date.
Work received after the deadline will be penalised (unless accompanied by an Extension Form signed off in advance by the Student Support Officer – please see separate section ‘Late Submission of Coursework’).
Electronic submission of coursework is not usually required unless specified by Module Convenors, however, there may be occasions
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throughout the year when students are required, as part of the assessment and moderation process, to submit electronic copies of their coursework to the Postgraduate Office. Student’s will be contacted independently should they be required to submit an item electronically.
Things to note when submitting coursework
You must submit two copies of your coursework. (One to be retained by the PG Office, and the other one to be marked). The marked copy will eventually be returned to you.
If you only submit one copy, you will not get a copy back.
The pages for each copy must be securely fastened together (e.g stapled, soft-bound). Students are requested to note that coursework submissions must NOT be submitted in any kind of plastic wallet, folder or binder. Students are simply required to place a staple in the top left hand corner of each piece of work and place an elastic band around the two copies.
Please ensure that both copies of your work have a cover sheet. There are separate sheets for individual work, and for group-based assignments. Please use the cover sheets that are published on NEXUS:
Please log-on, go to ‘‘MSc Programmes on the drop-down menu and under the MSc Programmes Information page, you will be able to click on either the Individual Coursework Cover Sheet or Group Coursework Cover Sheet as appropriate.
You will also need to complete ONE copy of the ‘Nottingham University Business School Official Receipt for the Submission of Assessed Coursework’. This will act as a sheet that the marker will record their comments and the final mark on. These forms are usually kept on top of the Postgraduate Post Box. Please use the elastic bands provided, on top of the Postgraduate Post Box to secure both copies of your coursework, and the completed Coursework Submission Form together.
YOU MUST SUBMIT YOUR COURSEWORK BY PUTTING THIS IN THE POSTGRADUATE POST BOX.
This is located in the alcove behind the Postgraduate (right-hand) Atrium on the ground floor, near the right-hand entrance at the back of the Business School North building.
You will be emailed by the PG Office to confirm receipt of your coursework.
The Postgraduate Office will empty the Postgraduate Post Box promptly at 4.00pm of every deadline date.
NB: The Postgraduate Office closes at 4.00pm promptly and will not be able to assist with ANY enquiries after we have closed. Therefore, please do not offend any of the Postgraduate Office staff by approaching them
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outside of office hours, as they are not able to accept coursework from you.
3.2 Late Submission of Coursework
If coursework is submitted after the official deadline date, without having obtained an extension (please refer to the section in your student Handbook ‘What to Do if you Require an Extension’ for further information), five marks will be deducted per working day that it is late.
For example any work submitted after 4.00pm on the deadline date up to 4.00pm the following day will be deducted 5 marks.
Work received after 4.00pm the following day (i.e. 2 days late) will be deducted 10 marks.
This is a general University Regulation and is not open to student negotiation.
You should ensure that you have left enough time to print out your work and do not leave this until last minute, as inevitably printing and other computing facilities will be intense.
Also, if you are travelling from outside of the Jubilee Campus, you should always allow yourself enough time, and factor in the possibility of buses/trains etc running late, or traffic queues.
We also advise students that they should always keep a back-up copy of all the work you do on a floppy disk or memory sticks to allow for computer/network problems, or in the event that you should lose your first copy.
Some of the reasons that will not be accepted for reasons for late submission:
Computer or printer problems Queues to use computer and printer facilities Not leaving allowing yourself enough time to travel here, allowing for
delays etc
3.3 What to do if you Require an Extension for the Submission of your Coursework
Extensions on the submission of coursework will only be given in exceptional circumstances such as illness (which needs verifying evidence from a doctor) and in the case of personal/family problems. Please refer to the relevant section in the Quality Manual for examples
http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/academicservices/qualitymanual/assessment/extenuatingcircumstances.aspx
All extension requests must go through the Student Support Officer Teresa Bee (Please do not go directly to the Module Convenor.)
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If an extension is granted, students will be required to complete the ‘Extension for Submission of Coursework’ form. Please note that official evidence may be required if necessary. You will need to attach the bottom portion of the form to your coursework, when you hand this in.
Where a claim for extenuating circumstances is made within five calendar days or less of an assessment deadline, except in exceptional circumstances late submission penalties will automatically apply.
If a claim for extenuating circumstances is retrospectively approved, then late penalties will not be implemented. Penalties will apply in all cases where claims are deemed to have insufficient grounds or inadequate written evidence.
Students will need to try and plan ahead and note that it may not always be possible to get an extension on the due date.
Any work that is submitted without the above procedure having taken place will be penalised for late submission.
3.4 Extenuating Circumstances
All extenuating circumstances must be notified to the School, through Teresa Bee, in a timely manner and using the correct documentation. Please note especially the following from the Quality Manual:
2.4 The completed extenuating circumstances form should be returned to the student's School as soon as the student knows that s/he will not comply with the assessment requirement(s). The absolute latest date for submission is the seventh working day after the affected component of assessment for the module(s). If the form is not submitted within this period, the student may receive a mark of zero for the assessment(s). If a form is being submitted by post it should be sent by recorded delivery where this service is available. Schools are entitled to reject automatically and without consideration all extenuating circumstances claims that are submitted after the relevant marks or qualification outcomes have been published to students. The only exception to this provision is where the student provides authoritative evidence (e.g. from a doctor) that they were unable to submit the extenuating circumstances any earlier. Notwithstanding the above, extenuating circumstances claims will in any case not be considered if they are submitted more than one month after notification of the outcome of an examination board.
The policy will be strictly adhered to in the Business School.
We will consider extenuating circumstances fairly and with sensitivity. However, students should not assume that their extenuating
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circumstances will be accepted. The following from the Quality Manual should be noted:
By missing an assessment, the student will receive a mark of 0 if the School or University decides that the examination was missed without ‘sufficient cause'.
And
Students who feel ‘below par' or generally unwell whilst preparing for and/or engaging in an assessment(s), should make reasonable efforts to comply with the assessment requirement(s) as normal. The typical symptoms associated with ‘exam stress' (e.g. anxiety, sleeping disturbances, feeling nausea etc) are not considered to be good reasons for missing or underperforming in an assessment.
A further list of factors not considered as valid extenuating circumstances is available at:http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/quality-manual/assessment/pro-guid-ext-cir.htm.
The same source also provides a list of some examples of factors which may be considered valid.
For progression decisions, a “first sit” may be recommended if a student has missed or failed an assessment where there are extenuating circumstances. The Quality Manual states:
The Quality Manual identifies that all claims of extenuation made under this policy need to be supported by independent, reliable, documentary evidence of inability to undertake the assessment. Upon receipt of a completed written claim, the student’s School will determine whether or not the student has ‘sufficient cause’ for non-compliance with the requirements of the assessment. The ‘burden of proof’ to support a claim on extenuation lies with the student at all times.
For final degree classifications, where students have reported medical evidence or other extenuating circumstances the Examination Board in the Business School may, in exceptional circumstances, make a recommendation to award a higher degree classification than a student’s final degree average may indicate provided that:
a) The evidence/circumstances reported are verifiable via appropriate documentation in accordance with University and Business School guidelines and
b) The evidence/circumstances reported can clearly be seen to have impacted (relative to other performance) on any mark covered by such evidence/circumstances and as a result
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c) The evidence/circumstances can be seen to have impacted on the final degree average so as to influence the final classification as would have been awarded under the above criteria.
Finally please note the following from the Quality Manual:
1.3.5 Examiners have discretion to take into consideration extenuating circumstances, which are usually personal or medical. The extent of any discretion exercised by the examiners in relation to the student's extenuating circumstances is not a ground of appeal; that is, an appeal may not be based on a claim that the examiners should have made more (or any) allowance for the student's extenuating circumstances. The only ground on which an appeal may be entertained in relation to extenuating circumstances is that information properly provided by the student was not considered by the examiners at all.
This means that:
a) Examiners are not obliged to take account of any extenuating circumstances
b) The Board of Examiners’ decision is final and students cannot appeal against a decision made in the light of extenuating circumstances
c) The only exception to this is if the Board of Examiners has not considered at all properly notified extenuating circumstances.
3.5 Late Submission of Extenuating Circumstances
It is also important that students understand that Schools are entitled to reject automatically and without consideration all extenuating circumstances claims that are submitted after the relevant marks or qualification outcomes have been published to students. The only exception to this provision is where the student provides authoritative evidence (e.g. from a doctor) that they were clinically unable to submit the extenuating circumstances any earlier. For full details on this, see Section 2 of the ‘Procedure and Guidance for dealing with Extenuating Circumstances’ available via the University Quality Manual at:
http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/academicservices/qualitymanual/assessment/extenuatingcircumstances.aspx
3.6 Return of Coursework
All coursework will be returned to students. When coursework is ready for collection, ALL students will be notified via their University email accounts.
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The coursework can be collected from the MSc Postgraduate Reception (Room A70) or after 5 days this will then be put into an envelope with your name and course clearly marked and then returned via the Student Pigeon-holes located in the MSc Resource Room and can be collected from here.
Where coursework is required for the purpose of revision for exams the marker and the Postgraduate Office will endeavour to return coursework to you at the earliest opportunity. However, we would ask students to be aware that there are factors that can affect this, such as staff illness etc.
We will also not be able to return marked coursework to students until ALL students taking the module have submitted coursework.
Only the lead student i.e. the student listed first on the coursework submission form will be able to collect the hard copy of a coursework completed by a group. All other group members will receive a copy of the feedback report only.
Coursework will be marked and internally moderated by a second marker before it will be returned to students, however please note that all marks are provisional until they have been ratified by the Exam Board and therefore, may be subject to change.
The Business School ensures that a full internal and external moderation process takes place for each module.
3.7 Academic Offences: Plagiarism & Cheating in Exams
As defined in the University’s Quality Manual, “it is an academic offence to attempt to gain for oneself or another person an unpermitted advantage in an assessment”. Academic offences therefore include — but are not limited to — acts such as cheating in examinations, plagiarism, and the fabrication of results. The University treats any such actions as unacceptable and has a formal mechanism in place that will be triggered if you are ever suspected of an academic offence.
Once any form of academic offence is suspected in the Business School, a student will be required to attend an Academic Offence Committee hearing chaired by the Business School’s Senior Tutor. You may bring one other person to this meeting to help represent you if you wish. A central University Academic Offence Committee (AOC) hearing may also result, dependant on the outcome of the initial hearing.
You should be aware that in 2010-2011 there were 34 proven academic offence cases in the Business School (29 involving plagiarism and 5 involving cheating in an examination). Of these, 33 cases were first offences where the penalty in almost all instances was a mark of zero for the entire piece of coursework or examination concerned. The remaining case was a second offence. These figures compare to 47 proven academic offence cases in 2009-2010, where 38 were first offences and 9 were second offences. Across these two years,
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the penalties imposed by the University for second offences were a mark of zero for the module concerned (1 case), a mark of zero for 60 credits (1 case), a mark of zero for 120 credits (2 cases) and termination of course (6 cases).
3.7.1 Plagiarism Defined
The academic offence of plagiarism is defined by the University as presenting someone else’s work as being your own. If you follow the guidelines for referencing as described in the previous and following sections you will be able to build upon other people’s work within your own without any fear of being accused of plagiarism. However, if you do not reference properly then you may be found guilty of an academic offence and a penalty imposed. This penalty may be but is not necessarily limited to a mark of zero for the work or module concerned.
The key point to remember is that whenever you include any material from a book, journal article, website or other source in your own work it must be made absolutely obvious that it is not your own work and referenced accordingly. This means that each and every instance where you copy verbatim or paraphrase other people’s work within your own it must be appropriately referenced in the text and in your end-of-text references. Those marking your coursework will assume that everything they read is your own work unless you clearly indicate otherwise. Hence, if they discover any material within your work that is from another source but which is not indicated as such they will report a case of suspected plagiarism to the Business School’s Senior Tutor. The marking of your work will then be delayed until all formal Academic Offence procedures have been completed.
3.7.2 Understanding Plagiarism
There are several forms of plagiarism. Firstly, it constitutes plagiarism to copy without appropriate referencing either exactly or virtually word for word any content from an article, book, web page or any other work. Please note that this includes copying the work of other students or your own work submitted in other coursework assignments.
For example, you may be writing a report on future food shortages and have read the article “How to Feed 8 Billion People” by Lester R. Brown published in The Futurist in January 2010. In this article the following text appears on page 30:
Food security will deteriorate further unless leading countries collectively mobilize to stabilize production, stabilize climate, stabilize aquifers, conserve soils, protect cropland, and restrict the use of grain to produce fuel for cars.
If in your report you incorporated the above sentence from this article word for word, but did not put it in quotation marks and include a reference immediately after it in the text, then you would have committed plagiarism. To be clear, to avoid plagiarism you would have to do the following (bold only included for emphasis here):
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“Food security will deteriorate further unless leading countries collectively mobilize to stabilize production, stabilize climate, stabilize aquifers, conserve soils, protect cropland, and restrict the use of grain to produce fuel for cars” (Brown, 2010, p.30).
Note also that if you used the ideas from the article in your own essay and rephrased them in such as way as to imply that those rephrased ideas were your own work (again without attributing them directly to the author) then this would also constitute plagiarism. For example, the following passage (if non-attributed) would be considered a plagiarised version of the above text:
There will be a further deterioration in food security if leading countries do not mobilize to stabilize climate, stabilize aquifers, stabilize production, protect cropland, conserve soils, and limit the quantity of grain used to make biofuels.
It should be noted that plagiarism could easily be avoided in the above case by prefacing the passage with something like “Brown, (2010) argues that . . .”
You must be aware that it is absolutely critical to include the (Author, Date) reference in the text of your report where your quotation or paraphrase is included. To be absolutely clear, only including a reference to an article that you have quoted or paraphrased at the end of your work is never sufficient to avoid a charge of plagiarism. This is because it is your responsibility to signal to your reader exactly which contributions are your own and which are taken or informed by others.
3.7.3 Examples of Recent Plagiarism CasesWhilst all cases are different, it is worth noting two particular examples of inappropriate practice that have frequently resulted in proven academic offence plagiarism cases in the Business School.
Firstly, an increasing number of students are apparently conducting “research” by pasting material from websites or e-journals into their own intermediate “research” document. Some such students have then pasted material from this document into their work and have been found guilty of plagiarism as material from another source has been found in their work with no attribution. It is therefore vital that if you ever paste anything from a website or other electronic publication into an intermediate document that you also keep track of the source of the material. Further, you are advised that you should never paste anything into your work from an intermediate “research” document without including quotation marks and/or verifying that you have included an appropriate reference in the text alongside the material, as well as a full reference to the initial source material at the end of your work.
Secondly, several recent plagiarism cases have involved students including a reference to a source at the end of their work but not in the body text following every quotation or close paraphrase from the same. This constitutes plagiarism because without the benefit of in-text
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references, those marking your assignment will not be able to differentiate your work from the work of others. In this context it is worth remembering that systems of referencing exist to enable you to indicate precisely where you are drawing from the work of others. A list of “References” at the end of your work may hence be somewhat different from a “Bibliography” (as you may have included in previous work), as a “Bibliography” commonly contains a list of sources that have been consulted but not specifically referenced.
3.7.4 Guidance on the use of Turnitin and other Text-matching SoftwareThere are now a variety of online tools that allow you to submit an assignment for text-matching against a known databank of sources. One such tool is the Turnitin software made available to all students at the University from the start of the 2010-2011 academic session. Many people refer to Turnitin and other similar tools as ‘plagiarism detection software’. However, such a description is not correct. Not least this is because such tools only compare submitted work against a limited range of sources and do not indicate the inappropriate mass paraphrasing of other works.
It is the policy of the Business School to very strongly advise all of its students against using Turnitin or any other piece of text-matching software as means of verifying whether or not their work may be plagiarised. In recent years a large percentage of the proven academic offence plagiarism cases in the Business School have involved students copying work from each other. This is also something that Turnitin would not detect as it is not set to retain a copy of every document every student submits for checking. Many recent academic offence plagiarism cases in the Business School have also involved work copied from business reports that again Turnitin and other text-matching software often would not detect.
It is the strong advice of the Business School that you should avoid plagiarism by engaging in ethical and professional academic practice, rather than by using a tool such as Turnitin to check if you have included in your work material copied from another source. It is the contention of the Business School that copying another party’s work into your own is a conscious activity. If you learn to work in an ethical and professional manner you should therefore have no need to use Turnitin. If you do have queries concerning appropriate referencing you are strongly encouraged to raise them with your module convenors, personal tutor and other relevant academic and academic-related members of Business School staff.
Should you choose to use Turnitin or other text-matching software to compare your work to a database of some other works then you must be aware that you will not be able to defend any accusation that you have committed an academic offence on the basis of any results generated by such an online tool. To be absolutely clear, you must be aware that you cannot rely on Turnitin or similar software to verify your work to be free from plagiarism.
3.7.5 Cheating in an Examination
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Cheating in an examination can involve one candidate copying from another, obtaining other forms of assistance from another person, impersonating another candidate or allowing oneself to be impersonated, or introducing into an examination room any source of unauthorised information.
In recent years, the number of Business School students caught cheating in an examination has significantly increased. Several cases have involved students who have taken permissible items into examinations with unauthorised information written on them. For example, many students have been caught with materials written on their calculators. Others have been caught with material written in translation dictionaries (which students whose first language is not English are permitted to take into examinations). In a great many cases, the students concerned have argued that they have not been guilty of an academic offence on the grounds that (a) the calculator or dictionary concerned was only borrowed for the examination and was not theirs; (b) their usual “revision” practice is to write on their calculator or dictionary, or (c) that they have not committed an offence because they have not copied the material concerned into their examination script (often because the dictionary or calculator has been confiscated early in the examination). None of these defences has ever been accepted.
With the above in mind, all students are reminded that they have to take sole responsibility for all materials that they take to their desk in an examination, and that the introduction of unauthorised materials constitutes an academic offence. Further, all students should understand that any Business School student found in possession of unauthorised materials at their desk in an examination will automatically be subject to an Academic Offence hearing. We will not accept the defence of “I accidentally left my revision notes on or near my desk” as you are not permitted to take any such materials to your desk in the examination room.
3.7.6 Other Academic OffencesYou are reminded that an academic offence is defined by the University as an attempt to gain for oneself or another person an unpermitted advantage in an assessment. You must therefore not fall into the increasingly common “trap” of believing that the only way to commit an academic offence is to copy somebody else’s work and to present it as you own, or to introduce unpermitted materials into an examination.
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For example, you should be aware that all University examination rubrics state that students cannot start writing in their answer book before the start of the examination. Should you be caught doing this you will therefore be charged with an academic offence. You should also be aware that continuing to write after the end of an examination will be taken to constitute an academic offence and that you should therefore stop writing immediately the end of an examination is announced.
You should also be aware that being assisted by or assisting another student in preparing individual coursework may be deemed to constitute an academic offence. You should therefore ensure that you complete individual coursework entirely by yourself, and should never lend any of your incomplete or unmarked coursework to other students.
Not assisting other students with their work will be taken to imply that you must not upload your work to essay sharing websites. In 2010-2011 one student in the Business School completed and submitted a coursework essay and then chose to upload it to a website that required an essay to be supplied as a means of registration(!). The student was then staggered when, a few weeks later, he was accused of an academic offence. This was on the basis that content from his essay appeared word-for-word in the essay of another student taking the same module. This had happened because the site to which he uploaded his essay had sold it to the second student. All students are therefore strongly advised never to share or submit their work to any other party other than the Business School.
3.8 STUDY SKILLS and the SUPPORT AVAILABLE TO YOU This section provides information that will help you to make the most of your studies in the Business School.
Section one will focus upon the different levels of support available to you, section two will concentrate on the different methods you can use to organise yourself, and section three will look closely at the different skills to help you with your studies.
3.8.1 STUDENT SUPPORT AND DEVELOPMENT COORDINATION
Student Support and Development (SSD) activities, including the operation of the personal tutor system, are coordinated by the Business School’s Senior Tutor, Christopher Barnatt. Please contact Christopher if you have questions or concerns relating to the personal tutor system and in particular your relationship with your own personal tutor (e-mail [email protected]). Further details on the Personal Tutor system in operation at the Business School can also be found on page 1 of this Handbook.
3.8.2 SETTING UP A SELF-HELP NETWORK
You will have plenty of opportunities within your MSc course to share your ideas and discuss your problems with tutors and your fellow students.
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However, you might consider extending those opportunities by setting up your own informal self-help network. Such a network could help you and your colleagues to study for your MSc in a number of ways:
You could compare lecture notes to ensure that you all have a full an accurate record of what was said;
* Lecture notes could be photocopied for someone who has been absent;
* Problem 'clinics' could be held where members of the network have a chance to discuss matters with which they are having difficulty;
* You could act as 'critical friends' for each other by reading first drafts of essays and action plans for work-based assignments;
* You could form a 'study group' to research a topic of common interest with an agreed division of labour within the group;
* You could operate a book and reference 'bank' in which resources are pooled and shared;
* You could give each other moral support and organise your own social activities.
The following notes are intended to help you to set up and run just such a network:
Establishing the group
* Do not assume that someone else will set up a group for you - take the initiative and do it yourself.
A self-help network does not have to be big - two or three people can work together very productively.
Do not wait too long to set up your network - it may save you a lot of time and worry if you get it established and working from the outset.
Find out the names and telephone numbers of the other students who are taking the course you feel you could work with and ring them to see if they are interested in setting up a network. If they are, arrange a meeting as soon as possible.
At the first meeting
Make a names, e-mail, addresses, and telephone numbers list and make sure that everyone has a copy.
Elect a convenor to be responsible for arranging meetings and cancelling them if things go wrong.
Discuss what each of the participants think that they can contribute to the network and what they want to get out of it.
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Spend some time considering how the group could work together (you could begin by discussing the list given above or by using brainstorming to generate your own list).
Before leaving fix the date, place and agenda for the next meeting (this should become a general rule to be applied to all meetings of the group).
Time and place
A convenient place to hold such meetings might be the Resources Room, over lunch, at the Halls of Residence or even someone's home.
When meetings are held try to make sure that the agreed time frame is adhered to, whilst remembering to allow some time for general and informal talk. Part of the purpose of a self-help network is social and if you are too rigid and efficient in the use of time in meetings people may not enjoy them.
2 ORGANISING YOURSELF
The guidelines given below are intended to help you cope with the demands of studying for your MSc. You will probably find some sections to be more useful than others, depending on your past experience.
3.8.3 GETTING ORGANISED
As befits a higher degree your MA course will require you to take a great deal of responsibility for the direction and management of your own learning whilst coping simultaneously with the demands of your personal life.
It is important, therefore, to get yourself well organised so that you are able to reconcile meeting the demands required by the MSc with your existing commitments. In Higher Education the following are generally regarded as being central to good organisation:
* The efficient use and management of time;
* Finding a suitable place or places to study;
* Having good habits with regard to filing notes and references.
3.8.4 TIME
If you are not careful and take sensible steps to avoid it, studying for your MSc can become an open-ended commitment with regard to the amount of time you devote to it. The danger is that in continually striving to do a better job, you spend too much time on a piece of work.
However, time spent on your MSc will have to be at the expense of other uses of your time. Consequently, what you need is an overall plan the aim of which is to ensure that you devote sufficient time to meet the requirements of your
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MA course and that the time set aside for study is balanced against the other demands on your time (including that set aside for recreation and leisure).
In drawing up such a plan it must be recognised that it is inevitable that there will be 'pressure points' arising from your work or your MA course when it will be difficult to maintain that ideal balance if you are to meet all of your commitments. It is unlikely that the experience of having to manage your use of time is new to you. Nevertheless, you may find it useful to draw up a daily, weekly and monthly timetable in order to:
* Analyse how you currently use your time;
* Identify your order of priorities with regard to your use of time;
* Examine the ways in which you can begin to adjust your use of time in order to accommodate the demands of your MSc course.
In your analysis try to identify blocks of time of different sizes which you might devote to different aspects of your MSc course, for example:
* 20-40 minutes during which you might read a short article from a specialist magazine or an academic journal.
* 1-2 hours during which you might read and make notes on a chapter from a textbook.
* 3-4 hours during which you might write an essay, having previously undertaken the necessary reading, note making and planning.
* A whole day during which you might collect or analyze data for an assignment or essay.
When studying you may find it useful to:
* Put realistic time boundaries around your study time.
* Have regular routines when you work.
* Make as much use as you can of short periods of concentrated and uninterrupted effort.
* Give yourself 'rewards' when units of work have been completed on time.
It is also sensible to map out the main elements of the MSc course including the assessment and examination requirements in relation to your other commitments on a year planner. This should help you to plan ahead so that you can cope better with the demands on your time.
Try to keep your year planner on display in the place where you study most frequently so that it can be referred to constantly and updated in the light of changing events and circumstances. It is also advisable to carry a copy of your forward plan in your diary or your personal organiser so that you can refer to it immediately as the need arises.
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3.8.5 PLACES TO STUDY
You may not have too much choice about the places where you study. You may be lucky enough to have accommodation for the year in one of the student residences which have been especially designed with study in mind. Or you may have to do most of your work in a library or in the family home.
Although there are individual preferences with regard to these matters, you should try to ensure that the main place where you study;
* has an absence of outside noise,
* is as free as possible from interruptions by people,
* has space for you to leave out your books and papers where they will be undisturbed,
* has a good surface on which you can write and spread out your books and other study materials,
* has ease of access to your files and books,
* has adequate heating, lighting and ventilation.
3.8.6 FILING AND REFERENCING SYSTEMS
In order to work effectively on your MSc course it is essential that when you require a piece of information you are able to find it quickly and with minimum effort. Consequently, you need to build up an orderly system of notes and references which will enable you to store and gain access to information.
It may well be that you have already developed what you consider to be a perfectly adequate filing and referencing system. Nevertheless, you might find it helpful to consider how your system might be improved by use of the following ideas:
* Adequate shelf and cupboard space to house your MSc books and files.
* Ring-back folders for storing your notes on a particular subject or topic.
* Box files for keeping photocopies of articles, pamphlets, etc.
* Card indexes which you use to keep brief notes on topics relevant to your MSc course or an index of source materials which you have read such as articles in academic journals.
* The data storage and retrieval facilities of an electronic personal organiser or computer.
In building up such a filing and reference system you should try to bear in mind the need to develop a system to which it is easy to add information and from which it is equally simple to find and retrieve the data you require.
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3.8.7 YOUR STUDIES
3.8.8 READING
Most students in higher education spend a large proportion of their study time in reading and it is unlikely that those studying for the MSc will be an exception. It may be that you are already required to do a lot of reading as part of your job or that you frequently read for pleasure. However, your MSc course will require you to read new materials and for different purposes. Consequently, you may need to review your approach to this aspect of your studies to ensure that you are reading effectively.
Effective reading requires that you not only match your reading methods to the reading matter but to the purpose of your reading as well. For example, you no doubt read a novel in a very different way from the method you would use to read the rules of a board game with which you were unfamiliar. With the former you might well read rapidly with little apparent effort for several hours, whereas with the latter it is likely that you would read the rules slowly one-by-one to make sure that you understood them.
Much of the reading you will undertake as part of your MSc course will be from textbooks, articles in journals and reports. Its main purpose will be to enhance your knowledge and understanding. By placing the emphasis on the active involvement of the reader with the text, the techniques described below should help you to achieve that objective.
* Use the contents page (and the synopsis if there is one) to get a quick overall impression of the information contained in a book, article or report and to find out how it is structured.
* Take note of the titles and headings of chapters, sections, sub-headings and paragraphs which summarise for you what the text is about.
* Skim read the text (i.e. read it quickly and selectively) to pick out the key points, facts, information, ideas, etc.
* Scan the text, i.e. look quickly at all parts of text in order to get an overall impression of what it is about. Avoid getting 'bogged down' in detail.
* Keep actively involved by constantly asking yourself such questions as "What is this all about?", "How does this relate to the previous section?", "Does it make sense?", "Do I already know this?" and "Do I really need to know this?"
* Underline or highlight words, phrases, sentences or sections of text in order to identify important pieces of information, key points in an argument, matters on which action needs to be taken, etc.
* Annotate the text, for example by inserting headings and sub-headings into blocks of text, listing the key points and writing comments in the margin.
* Draw lines around blocks of text to indicate their importance.
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* Draw arrows to link up points which you have highlighted or underlined elsewhere in the text or to connect parts of the text with a diagram or table of statistics.
* Write summaries of the key points or arguments in a chapter in a book or section of a report. Alternatively, you might try to summarize the key points in a passage of text in the form of a diagram such as an organisation chart.
* Work out the meaning of words and terms, which you do not understand from the context in which they are used. Look them up in a dictionary as a last resort as this will slow you down.
It is not unusual in higher education for a student to be confronted with long lists of books and references which exceed their capacity to read them in the time available. Consequently, they are often confused over what to read and just exactly how much reading they should do. If faced with this dilemma on your MA course you should try to read selectively. In order to do this you should:
* Seek guidance from your tutors on what you should regard as essential reading on their lists.
* Identify your own order of priorities with regard to your reading in the light of your interests in the topics under consideration and your course work commitments.
You should also remember that in the longer term the quality and effectiveness of your reading are likely to be every bit as important as the quantity of it.
3.8.9 TAKING NOTES
There will be many situations in your MA course when you will take notes, in lectures and seminars, from text when you are reading reference material or when listening to a video/television or radio broadcast relevant to your studies. Even though you may well consider that you have already evolved an efficient personal note-taking system it will do no harm to review that system in the light of the guidance offered below.
First of all you should ask yourself why you bother to take notes. In other words what are the reasons behind your note-making? For example, do you take notes:
* To help improve your understanding of a difficult topic?
* As an aid to your memory?
* As a substitute for the original because the latter is no longer available for reference?
* In order to collect data which you can subsequently process and analyse?
The answer is likely to be 'yes' to all of these from time-to-time during your MSc course. Whatever your reasons are for taking notes it is likely that you
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will most frequently make notes whilst reading some form of text and whilst listening to the spoken word.
Taking Notes from Text
The techniques suggested above for effective reading are relevant to note-taking from text. Indeed, it may be that for some purposes underlining or highlighting key points and ideas in the text and jotting notes in the margins are more effective than making a separate handwritten set of notes.
However, it is almost certain that there will be some occasions during your MSc course when it will be necessary for you to make notes from text. In these circumstances you should try to:
* Be selective about what you write down - if your notes become too detailed you might as well return to the original source (or take a photocopy of it).
* Avoid copying down the text verbatim in your notes - put it into your own words unless you are taking down an important quotation. See guidelines on referencing and plagiarism later.
* Structure your notes under a series of main headings and sub-headings.
* Write down the key points and leave out unnecessary words.
* Work out and use a numbering and lettering system for the headings and sub-headings.
* Summarize and organize what you have read and made notes on in the form of flow diagrams or topic webs.
Once you have made them, remember to file and classify your notes for ease of retrieval.
Taking Notes while Listening
It is likely that you will want to take notes for future reference during your MSc lectures and seminars. Effective note taking in these circumstances demands a combination of good note making and listening skills. As with reading you are likely to learn much more in lectures and seminars if you are actively involved.
* Be prepared in advance, Read about the topic under consideration or by studying the discussion paper circulated beforehand.
* Concentrate on what is being said, Try not to let your mind wonder to other things - interesting and important points are often made in the middle of what may seem to be dull and insignificant interludes.
* Think about the way in which the speaker is structuring and organising what he/she is saying.
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* Listen for signals or cues from the speaker to indicate what they consider to be key points or ideas or when they intend to summarize what they have said.
* Actively interrogate what the person is saying, e.g. by analyzing the strengths and weaknesses in their line of argument.
* Be punctual and sit where you can both see and hear the speaker(s).
* Watch the speaker for the non-verbal cues, which can add meaning to what they have said.
* Do not be unduly distracted by the speaker's personal mannerisms and idiosyncrasies.
* Be willing to ask the speaker to clarify points, which he/she has made, about which you are uncertain.
With regard to note taking in lectures and seminars you may find the following suggestions helpful:
* Devise your own shorthand including ways of abbreviating words.
* Leave spaces for things that you have missed or diagrams which you can add later.
* Draw attention to important words, names, terms or ideas by underlining them, writing them in CAPITAL LETTERS or drawing a box around them.
* Leave plenty of spaces between the main points - they are useful for adding additional information and any afterthoughts you may have.
* Write on one side of the page so that you can use the other side for notes on the same topic from references or your own reflections on what was said.
* Make use of the same system of headings and sub-headings and their related numbering and/or lettering system that you use when making notes from text.
After the lecture you should try to work your way through your notes with a view to checking their accuracy. Make any additions or corrections that you consider necessary. Identify any reading you need to do in order to further your understanding. Underline or highlight any points which you consider to be important or wish to remember. Add diagrams or information in the spaces, which you left for that purpose.
You might find it useful to work through your notes in this way with a fellow student from your self-help network. This will not only give you insights into the ways in which other people make their notes, but will give you a chance to reinforce your understanding of what you have learned in the session.
Remember to file and classify your completed notes for ease of retrieval!
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3.8.10 WRITING - ESSAYS AND ASSIGNMENTS
During your MSc course you will be required to write for a variety of purposes. If you are daunted by this prospect take comfort from the fact that writing for most students is nearly always a difficult and painful process. This is especially so when the outcomes have to be submitted for assessment.
However, it is not only for purposes of assessment that MSc students are expected to write as an integral part of their course - writing is a powerful way of enhancing a person's knowledge and understanding of the topic under consideration. It also provides the central focus by which you can develop those intellectual skills which enable you to be analytical, critical and independent in study. There are a number of different types of essays and it is important to be able to differentiate between them. Some will require you to respond to a question or proposition, e.g. “World class companies need to develop strategic alliances in order to remain competitive in today’s business environment. Discuss.” Others will ask you to test or evaluate a theory or framework, e.g. “How does Porter’s Five Forces model relate to not-for-profit organisations.” In other instances, such as when you undertake your dissertation, you may be posing the question yourself.
Whatever type of essay it provides you with the opportunity of combining and developing a number of skills: comprehending - understanding an argument or theory; evaluating - breaking down the theory or argument and assessing its constituent parts for ‘fit’ with the evidence available; defining - clearly determining what either you, or an author you are quoting, means by the words they are using; arguing - building a case, showing its strengths and weaknesses, its implications and conclusions and of course substantiating it with appropriate evidence; finally expressing - which is the clarity of style, the presentation and the use of good English.
3.8.11 GENERAL PRINCIPLES
There are a number of general principles which apply to essays in the area of the social sciences which you should bear in mind at all times.
It is important to realise that there are very seldom a ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ overall answer to questions set. But facts can be wrong within your argument, not only factually wrong, as in mathematical errors or erroneous information, but also ‘logically wrong’, as in ungrounded or spurious assumptions being drawn. An example of this might be “Spain lies to the south-west of Britain, therefore most of its tourists come from there.” It may or may not be true that most tourists to Spain come from Britain, but it is certainly not determined by the fact that Spain lies to the south-west, which in itself is true.
Essays are essentially arguments, cases that develop a line of thought within a particular theme. To do this successfully you need first to think out the broad line of the argument before you start writing, in fact during the stages of reading and background research for the project. As the argument becomes clear to you, you will find it easier to work out the structure needed in your essay to communicate your argument to the reader. During the draft stage you may need to move things around quite a lot to get a good structure within which to express your argument.
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Essays are not really a forum for testing your ability to regurgitate facts. What is much more important, and the assessor will be looking for, is your ability to handle and assess facts for the purposes of your argument. You will need to show that why the facts are relevant to your essay, this may be through comparisons with other facts or interpretations against theory. The important thing is that facts only add value to your essay if they are used in the right context, e.g. in an assessment of the human resource management policies of Company A, a high tech software company, it may not be particularly important to know that last year there were 500 training and development days undertaken by personnel. However, if one knows that there are only 50 employees and the norm in companies in the same market and of similar size is 2.3 days per employee per annum, it becomes more interesting. Add to that the fact that the profitability of the company is some 50% above that of its nearest competitor for the same period and it becomes even more interesting. But the implications of the facts can change if we add that the company launched a new product during the year in question with considerable pre-sales and non-accounted development costs, also that 200 of the training days were undertaken by four members of the accounts department staff who had had a new accounting system installed. The picture begins to look a bit more complicated.
Many of the essays you will undertake will be based on empirical data, either collected by yourself or reported from other research. Either way it is important to consider how you present this data, pages and pages of figures tend not to be a particularly good idea or indeed necessary in the main text (They may be added as part of an appendix). Data can most often be best presented either in the form of summaries, tables, diagrams or graphs.
One of the reasons why many people find writing to be such a difficult process is that it involves at least three separate but inter-related processes, e.g.
crystallising and refining ideas,
sorting out, systematising and organising those ideas,
presenting those ideas on paper in the form of a coherent argument.
If you try to tackle these three processes simultaneously the likelihood is that you will run into difficulties. One way of tackling this problem is to approach your essay writing in stages.
Stage 1 - Deciding what it is that you have to write about
It is essential that you fully understand what it is that you have been asked to do. In this respect a simple but useful technique is to underline or highlight the key words in the instructions or essay question. Check that your interpretation of what you are expected to do coincides with those of your fellow students. If you are still in doubt, check with your subject tutor.
Stage 2 - Getting your main ideas and key pieces of information onto paper
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This is the stage in which you attempt to crystallise your thoughts by 'thinking' on paper. Do not worry too much at this stage about the order in which you put things down or the ways in which you express them. Make a note of the places where significant references or pieces of information are available and any additional reading or data collection you need to do before you move on to the next stage in the process.
Stage 3 - Planning and organising your ideas
When you have assembled all of the information which you need to write your essay or assignment and have jotted down your ideas on how you might tackle it, you are ready to plan its structure. In order to do this, try to put your ideas or points into groups to which you give titles or headings, then try out different ways of ordering and sequencing the different sections which you have identified. Your aim should be to arrive at a plan which will help you to write your essay or assignment and make it easy for the reader to follow and understand what you have written.
Stage 4 - Writing
Having gone through preparatory stages 1-3, you should now be in a position to write your first draft in which you try to present a clear flow of information and ideas which the reader can follow. An essay should have three main sections; a beginning, a middle and an end. Often quoted is the preacher’s advice on how to write a good sermon:
“Tell them what you are going to tell them, then tell them what you’ve got to tell them, then tell them what you’ve told them.”
Some people will suggest it is a good idea to start by writing the introduction in which you give the reader some idea as to how you plan to tackle the essay or assignment. Others, will say never write the introduction, except as very rough notes, until you have completed the rest of the essay. Their rationale being that at this point you know exactly what you are introducing the reader to and you can safely make assertions as to what you will discuss, prove or show. It is really a matter of personal preference, but whether you start with the introduction or finish with it, your essay will need careful reading in its draft form to make sure each of the three sections hangs together and complements each other. There are a number of points which may help you in writing your essays:
Try to help the reader to follow the flow of your writing by providing 'signposts' to indicate the direction which you intend to take, e.g. "Another aspect of ...." and "The final point ....".
* It is perfectly legitimate to use the first person (I intend illustrating that ...) but many students shy away from this and it is as acceptable to use a more neutral tone, (It will be illustrated that...).
* It is a good idea to break up your essay into sections and sub-sections. It will help you to structure your essay and to differentiate between one point and another - headings, subheadings, numbering can all be used successfully.
* It is often a good idea to complete a section by summarising the main point
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that has been covered in it and perhaps even linking this to the main point of the next section. Not only does it show that you are completely in control and understand the argument you are making, but also it will help the reader to follow the path you are plotting.
* Another method of helping the reader to follow your chosen route is to deal with any problems that may arise through the use of ‘flags’. You are showing the reader you are aware of a particular element, but have chosen to deal with it later, e.g. “Later in this paper the organisational development requirements for successful change management will be assessed, but in this section the focus will be directed on the leadership attributes and competencies required.”
* Some people write naturally with style and flair, most do not. Always aim for clarity rather than ‘intellectually fine writing’. Your aim is to communicate to the reader your thoughts and arguments clearly, and in a way that they will understand precisely what you mean. Do not use jargon unless it is imperative and do not use words unless you really understand them. If you mean ‘epistemology’ and the text demands such a complex term use it, but make sure you understand what it means in general and in your context in particular - every student should have a dictionary and thesaurus close at hand when writing.
* When you have completed your first draft you should then be able to do some editing (in order to cut out superfluous or repetitive material, make good any omissions and smooth out the flow of the text) before writing your final draft. Read the draft through carefully. Make sure your argument flows. Does the paper answer the question set? Does the introduction reflect the actual paper? Does the conclusion draw together the main threads of the argument and suggest implications?
3.8.12 PRESENTATIONS
For many of the modules in the Business School, student presentations in seminars and tutorials represent an important component of the required work. Preparing and executing presentations is also an excellent way of organising and learning complex material. The ability to stand in front of a room of people and make yourself understood will additionally prove valuable outside of the University when applying for jobs and in your wider career.
PreparationWhilst no two presentations are the same, below are some general issues to consider:
* Establish the aims of your presentation — this will help to determine the content of the presentation. Are you intending to inform or persuade? If it is the latter, emphasis will typically be on why you did things that way, rather than simply describing what you did. If you haven’t been given a remit — and it is important to read module outlines thoroughly to determine whether this is the case — then try to think what would be of most interest to your audience.
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* Identify the key points which you want to communicate to your audience — it may be useful to start here and plan your presentation around these points. It is easy to lose the main points if you don’t highlight them — and there will be little chance of your audience discovering them for themselves.
* Plan around the time limit — class time is usually limited and presentations are typically very closely timed. It is important that you practice the art of saying what you want to say in a limited time period. Moreover, this should also help you to identify and focus on what is important and what can be left out. If there are other groups presenting at the same time, it might be useful to think about how your presentation will stand out amongst these in order to make it interesting and entertaining for the audience.
* Know your audience — this is the key to good presenting. Pitch your information and delivery at the right level — not too difficult and not too easy. Also, knowing how many people you are to face can help to calm your nerves.
Structuring your Presentation
All presentations should have a beginning, a middle and an end. This may sound obvious, but you would be surprised how many people launch straight in to the subject without an introduction, and how many finish off without summing up. It may also be easier for you to plan and deliver the presentation when it is split into sections as follows:
* Introduction — it is important to introduce yourself (and your group if you are working in a team) since this is a good way of starting and it will help to calm you down and get into your stride.
* Overview — it is also useful to give an outline of what is included in your presentation when you begin, how it will run, and who will speak about what. This gives signposts to your audience so that they can follow what you are saying, and see how it is fitting into the whole. It also lets them know how far you have got and what is still left for you to cover.
* Key Issues/topics — this should be the most interesting part of the presentation. It makes sense to structure the main part of your presentation around a number of key points or topics. These points should be clear and they should follow a logical and consistent pattern. It helps if from time to time you refer to the overall structure of your presentation so that the audience knows where you are in your talk.
* Review — it is a good idea to round up the main points that you have made in order to reiterate what you feel the audience should have understood.
* Conclusion — you should always offer some kind of a conclusion to your talk, either in terms of drawing implications from what you have said, or developing plans for the future.
Delivery
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In making presentations, how you say things matters as much as what you actually say. Presentations are dependent on your skills as an orator in helping them to be interesting and informative. Points to remember include:
* Speak slowly, clearly and audibly — it may seem to you as if you are shouting, but it is much better to be louder than necessary than for no one to hear. Do not be afraid to take pauses to add weight to what you are saying, although admittedly this is easier said than done and takes practice over time.
* Don’t rely on notes — you should aim to know your presentation as much as possible, although remembering it parrot fashion is not necessary. It is perfectly alright to use notes as prompts to keep you on track, but remember that you should always avoid reading directly from them. Reading lends the delivery an inferior tone compared with speaking or presenting. It also focuses you on the script rather than the audience. Notes on cards with keywords are more effective than a full script as they force you to think about and process what you are saying. Alternatively, many speakers now use bullet point visuals as a structural and content guide to themselves as well as for their audience.
* Use eye contact — always try and maintain eye contact with your audience. Think how it feels to suddenly have someone’s eyes on you: you sit up and take notice. The same applies to your audience if you can use this tactic when you are presenting. It will also help you to be heard, and it will allow you to keep an eye on the response of your audience. Are they interested? Bored? Comatose?
* Be aware of you body language — your physical demeanour speaks volumes. If you slouch, shuffle your feet, pace the room, wring your hands or fiddle with your clothes then these all send signals to the audience about your enthusiasm, nerves and even your self-esteem. Try to avoid distracting mannerisms: think what you look like when you stand in front of an audience. Is this the best image to project?
* Run to time — a good presentation is succinct, to the point and does not overrun. You will need to pace yourself through the presentation. Make sure that you have spent enough time on the main points so that they have been sufficiently covered. By practising beforehand you should discover which parts you need to cut down on and which points you can expand. Don’t try to say everything. You should not be in a position where you have to be called to a halt midway through a sentence because you have not finished in time. This simply shows poor preparation on your part.
Visual AidsVisual aids, such as PowerPoint presentations, posters or OHP slides may be used to help convey ideas and information in a way which is more easily understood by your audience. You will often be called upon to use various visual aids during your time in the Business School. Before doing so, you should consider the following questions:
* Are your visual aids simple, interesting and easy to read?
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* Do they fit well with your talk and add substance to your presentation?
* Have you practised your presentation with the visual aids? Don’t forget that this all adds to the timing of the presentation.
* Have you proof-read the text?
* Is the size of the text/picture large enough to be seen? (As a general rule use a 24 point text size or larger for computer-projected PowerPoint slides, and be aware that sans-serif fonts project better than serif fonts. As another general rule, ensure that your slides can be read on a standard size monitor from two metres away if you want them to project with clarity).
* Are you relying on non-standard software or equipment? (If making PowerPoint presentations make certain that the PC you will be working from can read your files and is equipped with any necessary multimedia hardware).
Group PresentationsThe important thing to remember with group presentations is that it is the group which should present. It may be tempting to let someone experienced with public speaking do all the talking but ultimately it is you who will fail to develop the requisite skills. Some lecturers now specifically look for group participation, and since all of you will get a shared mark from the presentation it is only fair to share the pleasure! Some other points to bear in mind when presenting as a group are:
* Practice as a group — it is all very well getting your section right, but if you don’t know who you follow, where they will be standing or sitting, what your cue is, and who follows you, the total impression will be of a poor presentation.
* Even when not presenting, you should be involved — if you have had your turn it’s easy to turn off, drop out, and let your gaze wander round the room. It is distracting for the audience who may focus their attention on you rather than on the presenter. Concentrate on what each person is saying and be ready to step in if they falter. Most of all, don’t start talking to your co-presenters in the background.
* Think about the team’s image — there is no need to form a queue of presenters: you are not waiting for a bus! Try to arrange a group of chairs so those not presenting are out of the way, but are still involved. Remember that the way the group is dressed will also have an impact on the audience.
NervesMany students are nervous making presentations, and whilst nerves can be valuable in giving your presentation an edge, they can also prove debilitating if not controlled. Some ways to lessen the impact of nerves include:
Being organised — good preparation and organisation goes a long way to reducing anxiety. Make sure that you have all the visual aids and other
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materials that you need and don’t lose them. Think of things that can go wrong and make contingency plans.
Think success — visualise yourself in the room giving a successful presentation. Think of role models, people you have thought of as good presenters and try to copy what they do.
As a final point, however you present and however your presentation is going, always try to maintain your enthusiasm. After all, if you are not interested in what you are taking about, how can you expect your audience to be?
3.8.13 GROUP WORKING
The Business School places considerable emphasis on developing your skills in teamworking. As a result it is likely that you will often find yourself working in groups with other students. The benefits of this for you as a student are that:
* Groups can bring you into contact with others with different skills and talents.
* Groups can be particularly effective at enabling you to collect ideas and solve complex problems.
* Group working skills are likely to be very useful and important attributes in your future working environments.
* The ability to work in groups is a transferable skill much valued by many employers.
Getting the Most out of Working in GroupsMuch of the group work that you will undertake in the Business School will be assessed in some way (usually by way of a group report and/or presentation), and it is likely that it will contribute to your assessment. It is therefore important that you learn how to organise yourself and your group in order to get the most from the situation and to produce the best work of which you are capable. Ideally, groups should work as a team in a synergistic fashion: the capabilities of the team exceeding the sum of those of their individual members. Below is a set of general guidelines that you may find helpful in successfully organising your group situations in the School and elsewhere.
* Get organised — make sure that everyone exchanges e-mail addresses and other contact details so that you can keep in touch. Establishing a regular meeting time (for example after the relevant lecture) is a good idea as it is easier to remember and saves energy trying to fix up times when everyone is free.
* Identify the problem to be solved — it may sound obvious, but getting the question right is essential to getting the right solution. Too many projects suffer from ambiguous, unarticulated or unreasonable problem
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formulations. Your lecturer or project supervisor may want to see an initial problem formulation before allowing the group to continue with the project.
* Do the groundwork — first off, it makes sense to do some background reading. Then you can get together, brainstorm and generate ideas about how best to tackle the project.
* Allocate tasks — divide up the work and designate individuals or sub-groups to each task or set of tasks. Remember though that successful teamwork is about working together and supporting each others’ efforts.
* Set definite deadlines — most group projects will have very strict deadlines, and so it can be very helpful to set reasonable time limits for each proposed stage of the project. Remember that each member of the group is likely to be taking different modules with various different commitments and deadlines of their own.
* Assimilate and integrate your work — group projects are supposed to be the work of a single team and not of several independent individuals. For example, a group project report that is written in several different styles and printed in a number of different fonts is unlikely to impress the assessor. Therefore, in the final stages of the project, separate tasks should be brought together and developed into a cohesive whole either by a nominated individual or by the full group.
* Don’t let problems escalate too far — if things are not going as planned, or if some group members feel that others are not pulling their weight, then obviously it is important for the group to sort things out before personal tensions arise and the group ceases to function cohesively. If any problems cannot be sorted out within the group then the module convenor should be told immediately.
3.8.14 DISSERTATIONSTo complete your degree you will undertake a dissertation that will count for 60 credits (600 hours) of self-directed student work, and which will result in a 20,000 word document. Further guidelines will be given to you at the Dissertation Talks held in February.
3.8.15 GUIDELINES ON REFERENCING
3.8.16 ReferencingThe practice and assessment of social science requires you to build on the work of others by studying books, articles and online materials and incorporating appropriate elements from them into your own work. When you do this you are relying intellectually upon someone else’s contribution and must acknowledge this with an appropriate reference.
Whilst there are several systems of referencing, the most commonly used in the social sciences (and the one that you should use unless instructed otherwise in the Business School) is the Harvard system. This involves placing a short “(Author, Date)” reference in brackets in the text, with a full, alphabetic list of references appearing at the end of your document. References should not be included as footnotes. Please note that only
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including a reference at the end of your work is never sufficient. Harvard conventions are as follows:
In the textWhen you directly quote material within your work you should include the name of the author(s), the year of publication and a page reference in brackets. Most commonly this would be in a format as follows:
“New lighter-weight technologies and IT models enable CIOsto reimagine IT and focus on two objectives that elude manyIT organizations: growth and strategic impact.” (Gartner, 2011, p.2).
If, however, you are already mentioning an author in the text, you may simply include the year of publication and page reference in brackets at the end of your quote. For example:
Indeed, as Gartner has also argued, “new lighter-weight technologies and IT models enable CIOs to reimagine IT and focus on two objectives that elude many IT organizations: growth and strategic impact” (2011, p.2).
Alternatively, you may wish to avoid quoting directly and instead paraphrase the work using a name and year of publication reference only. For example:
Gartner (2011) suggests that less heavyweight IT implementations will allow management to focus more on growth and strategic impact.
If you wish to use an author’s ideas but you do not want to reference them directly in your text (for example, because it interrupts the flow of your sentence) then you should still include the reference at the end of the sentence to distinguish it from your own work. For example, you may write:
New slimline technologies are likely to allow IT managers to focus more on growth and the strategic impact of their operations (Gartner, 2011).
The same style of referencing in the text should be used regardless of the kind of source being cited. If a reference has multiple authors, an ampersand (&) is usually employed between them. For example:
Pick & Duggles (2009) argue that . . .
Three or more authors, however, should be referenced as follows:
Richardson et al (2010) suggest . . .
Note, however, that in the above instance all of the author’s names should be included in the full list of references that appears at the end of your document.
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If you are referencing two or more articles published in the same year by the same author(s) then you should give each publication a letter to distinguish it: e.g. Wright (2010a) and Wright (2010b).
In the ReferencesA full, alphabetic list of references should appear at the end of your document listing all of the books, articles and other sources referenced in the main body of your work. Note that books, articles and online (Internet) sources should not be separated out into different alphabetical listings, and that references should not be numbered. The style of referencing is slightly different between books, articles/chapters in edited books, articles in journals, and online sources as follows:
Books: include:
1. Name(s) of author(s) 4. Edition (if not the first)2. Year of publication in brackets 5. Place of publication3. Title of book printed in italics 6. Name of Publisher
For example:
Barnatt, C. (2010) A Brief Guide to Cloud Computing. London: Constable & Robinson.
Watson, T. (2006). Organising and Managing Work (2nd Edition). London: Prentice Hall.
Articles in books: include:
1. Surname and initials of author(s) 6. Edition if not the first2. Year of publication in brackets 7. Page number range (first to last)3. Title of article or chapter 8. Place of publication4. Name(s) of editor(s) of the book 9. Name of publisher5. Title of book in italics
For example:
Lewis, B. (1995) ‘Customer Care in Services’ in Glynn, M. ed., Understanding Services Management, pp. 57-88. Chichester, England: John Wiley & Sons.
Articles in journals: include:
1. Surname and initials of author(s) 5. Volume of journal2. Year of publication in brackets 6. Issue number in brackets (if exists)3. Title of article 7. Page number range (first to last)4. Title of journal in italics
For example:
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Starkey, K. & Tempest, S. (2009)., “The Winter of Our Discontent - the Design Challenge for Business Schools”, Academy of Management Learning and Education, Vol.8(4), pp. 576-586.
Online sources:
Materials from the Internet should be referenced in the text and in your full alphabetic list of references no differently from any other source using as much detail as you have available. You should also include a date and URL for an online reference. For example:
Saenz, A. (2010) “Japan’s Robot Picks Only the Ripest Strawberries”, Singularity Hub. Downloaded from http://singularityhub.com/2010/12/04/japans-robot- picks-only-the-ripest- strawberries-video/ as at 21st July 2011.
You may find that many online articles have no named author (something that can also be the case for many company reports and white papers). In such an instance, attribute the reference to the authoring organization (in other words the name of the website itself). For example:
ExplainingTheFuture.com (2011) Synthetic Biology. Downloaded from http://explainingthefuture.com/synthetic_biology.html as at 21st July 2011.
3.8.17 PRACTICAL HINTS
a) Always stay within any word limit you have been set. You may be penalised for going over the word limit - some lecturers may even stop reading at the limit and many of your most important points may be lost. It is important to understand that a longer essay is not necessarily a better one. Word counts should include all text, tables, diagrams, but generally excludes appendices and references. This is not a hard and fast rule though so it is worth clarifying with your tutor.
b) Submit your essays on A4 paper, preferably written on one side and definitely with all the pages numbered. It is not necessary to bind your essays and assignments (with the exception of the dissertation) but the sheets must be firmly fixed together (stapled or similar). When buying binders think about the assessor, many slide binders make reading the pages very difficult whilst others seem to fall apart on opening.
c) Word process your work if you possibly can. Although not a hard and fast rule, it will be to your advantage, the reader will be able to focus on what you are saying rather than trying to work out individual words. Also it gives you the advantage of being able to use a spell check. A clutch of mis-spellings does detract even from the soundest argument.
d) Always keep a copy of any assignment, either as a complete file or a photocopy. Even in the best organised systems things can go astray! Don’t forget to keep a back-up of your work as both a hardcopy and on a separate disc/memory stick device! You need to allow for the fact that computers and networks can crash. You need to make sure that you don’t lose your work if something goes wrong with the computer you are using.
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e) Be very wary of plagiarism - representing the work of others as your own! There are four simple ways to avoid finding yourself with what is considered a very serious academic crime:
* By using common sense and working in good faith and only submitting your own work for assessment.
* So long as you indicate in the proper way - references, bibliographies, notes - where ideas, information and arguments come from you cannot be accused of plagiarism. If in doubt include the appropriate reference in your work.
* Read all of your essays carefully before handing them in, to avoid mistakes in referencing.
* On the MSc programme you are encouraged to collaborate with your fellow students, to bounce ideas off each other and pursue research arguments together. However, individual written work must be the result of individual writing, any joint research or data collection must be acknowledged to avoid accusations of collusion.
3.8.18 USING CASE STUDIES
Case studies are extensively used in management teaching to provide students with ‘real’ situations on which to test their theoretical knowledge and understanding. Each case tells a story about a situation facing an organisation or an experience they have been through. Within the case will be provided a whole variety of pieces of information, some of which may be relevant and some of which may not. You may also find that some important information that you need is not included in the case.Steps to be undertaken:1. Read the case carefully right through, from front to back, and look through any appendices attached.
2. Look at the questions you are being asked to answer. Make sure you read each part of the question carefully and are sure you understand what each question really means.
3. Ask yourself what areas of management does the case and questions refer to. What frameworks, theories, etc. might be appropriate and should be kept in mind?
4. Re-read the case. This time use a highlighter pen to mark the pieces of information which are most important. If you are responding to more than one question and the case is quite long you might like to use a colour coding system for each area.
5. Also make sure you identify clearly any current problems, any important decisions that need to be taken and any difficulties or opportunities you can predict for the future. If you find a major problem look for its root cause, it may in fact be caused by a number of smaller seemingly
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unconnected things. For example: falling sales due to a demoralised sales force, because of complicated and low commission rates, customer dissatisfaction with delivery times, slow development of updated products, etc.
6. Are there any pieces of information that you feel are important but not available within the case? How could you collect the missing data yourself? A lot of the cases will involve real companies. What can you find out about their current situation?
7. Usually the questions you are being asked about the case will require you to provide solutions for the organisation’s present, past or even future problems. And just as in real life there is likely to be more than one possible solution and no definitive answer. This is where you should try to use some of the theoretical knowledge you have gained. Is there anything you have heard about in the lectures, or read about in the textbooks, applicable to solving the problems you have identified? Is it possible to group the solutions you have come up with according to similarities they might have with each other?
8. Decisions now have to be made. Based on all the information you have acquired you need to decide which of the solutions is most appropriate to the problem and to make suggestions as to how it might be implemented. If you have managed to group your solutions you may be able to dismiss a whole group for a shared reason - e.g. all these solutions require considerable financial investment, which is not available. Try to narrow down your choice to only one solution, but be aware that this is not always possible. If you are left with more than one solution you will have to provide details of each one’s implications, requirements for implementation and their pros & cons.
Presenting your response:
1. Visual aids should be an aid to your presentation, they should not contain every single point you want to get across. DO NOT overcrowd them or just read them out.
2. If you have been given a timed period for the presentation make sure you get all your facts across within the allocated few minutes. You may well be stopped if you run over time and might not have covered the most important points.
3. Make sure you have planned your presentation with a good clear structure that responds coherently to the task you have been set. Use notes or cue cards to make sure you do not forget anything important.
Written reports:
1. This is your opportunity to show that you can apply your knowledge and understanding of the management areas under review. Do not just write everything you know about the subject hoping to get a good mark through mass regurgitation. What is important is that you present a well reasoned and structured argument for the recommendations you are making and show
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what other solutions might have been possible but why you are dismissing them.
2. Stick to the word count you have been allocated. Additional words may just be struck-out no matter how important they are to your argument.
2. Always reference any additional sources of information you use beyond the case and its appendices.
3.8.19 EXAMINATIONS
Preparing for your examinations
This section provides general advice only on what you should be doing before, during and after any of your examinations. If you have any questions specific to a module, then please consult your module leader.
Before the exam
When to revise?
As your exams take place at the end of Semesters 1 & 2 and form either all or part of the assessment for the modules you have studied over a semester, much clearly depends on the extent to which you have kept up with the material being covered in each module. Hopefully, you will have checked over your notes after each lecture, undertaken the required reading and have discussed, with colleagues or the tutor, conceptual and practical issues arising from the topics covered in each session. At least a couple of weeks before the examinations you should plan a revision schedule and start your final revision.
What to revise
To give yourself the maximum chance of success you should look to revise the entire syllabus. Try not to leave out any major topics, as there might be compulsory questions in the examination. It is probably best to begin your revision by making a detailed plan of what topics need to be covered and when you are going to do this. Make the plan realistic by allowing longer for those areas that you find particularly difficult. Assume shorter revision periods of aspects that are already familiar to you, but remember that it is not sufficient to revise lecture notes, you are expected to have undertaken the recommended reading as well.
How to revise
How to revise is very much an individual choice, but you may find some of these suggestions useful:
a) Reading and note taking
Rewrite your module notes on the chosen area in a much shortened form, using headings and lists to cover major information.
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Learn these lists; often you will find this easier if you remember how many points there are.
e.g. Kolb's learning circle:- Concrete experiences- Observations & reflections- Abstract concepts & generalisation- Testing implications & concepts in new situations
Do not spend too long learning definitions - if they are needed, keep them short.
Use charts or diagrams as a revision tool.
Write down any key facts and figures
Write down brief examples or cases that illustrate important principles
Learn all the above by reading and repeating from memory.
For computational questions, learn by attempting to answer specimen questions against the clock and without 'model answers' in front of you.
b) Practicing past examination questions
For most of us, it will not be sufficient to just read and hope that we can write answers when it comes to the examination. Instead we have to train by practicing what will be required in the examination room: e.g. we have to write answers, against the clock, without having books and papers to help us out. Here are some things to try out.
Try planning your answer. Use a number of specimen questions, spending 2 or 3 minutes to list out key headings for an answer.
Try to complete a full answer to a number of specimen questions in the time that would be allowed in the examination. Attempt as many questions as you can without having texts or lecture notes open in front of you.
Try to complete a full set of examination style questions as a 'mock-examination' a day or two before the real examination.
During the examination
Carefully read the instructions on the front of the paper!
This is the first important thing to do. You must follow these instructions absolutely: the total number of questions to be answered and the number of questions from each section if there is more than one. Do not assume that the number of questions required is what you think someone told you before you went into the examination room.
Plan your time
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Question papers will indicate the duration of the examination and will tell you the marks you can get for each question. Work out carefully how much time you have for each question - do not over run. If you spend too much time on one question you may not have time to complete others and will lose marks. Instead, you could cut off an answer to this question midway, move on to another question in the paper and return to the former question later on if time permits.
Example: If a 2 hour examination is out of 100 marks, you should allocate 1.2 minutes per mark for each question; e.g. a 30 mark question is allocated 36 minutes.
If you have a choice, then choose carefully which questions to answer.
Read quickly through the whole paper and mark those you think you can answer - if there is more than one part to the question then make sure you can answer all parts. Then choose the appropriate number of questions out of those you think you can answer best. Remember your aim is to let the examiner know that you know and understand the particular area of business & management. Not just that you can regurgitate information when required
Now concentrate on your chosen questions
Focus your attention on your first question, check the time, and calculate when you must finish and read the question again. Underline any important words or phrases and double check that you understand what is required.
Plan what you are going to put in your answer. Keep this plan very short - it should only take you a few precious minutes to think carefully and write key headings. Check your plan with the question. Does it give the required response?
Write you answer carefully, expressing ideas precisely and using supporting evidence where possible. Give examples and try not to be vague. Always follow the instructions of the paper. e.g. if the question is in two parts, part (a) and part (b), your answer should follow the same pattern. Keep referring back to the question and your plan to ensure you are staying on track and writing a pertinent response rather than just waffling around the subject.
Undertake all your questions in the same way, being very hard on yourself when it comes to stopping a question because of time constraints even though you may have more to add. When you have completed all the questions and, if you have time left, you can check your work for errors, go back and complete unfinished questions or add diagrams.
A few Do's DO leave 5-10 minutes at the start of each exam to plan your choice of
questions to attempt.
DO read the question requirements especially carefully. You will not earn marks for information that does not answer the question set in the examination.
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DO try to write clearly. Practice writing fast if your writing normally becomes a scrawl. Markers will do their best to read your writing, but they cannot award marks if it is impossible to read the points you have written.
DO write on each side of the exam booklet paper.
DO leave a gap - a half page is enough - at the end of each part of a question so that you can go back and add something more if you have time.
DO start each full question on a new page.
DO write in blue or black ink; pencil can be used in diagrams but should not be used for the main paper.
DO keep track of time. You should stop writing your answer to a question when the time is up and move on to the next question.
DO leave 5 minutes at the end of each exam to read through your answers and make minor changes to your text and grammar.
A few Don'ts DO NOT waste time by writing out the full question before you start writing
your answer. The examiner already knows what the question is!
DO NOT use highlighter pens on the exam script, they distract from the general flow of your answer.
DO NOT write your answers in red ink or pencil.
The key advice in the examination room is DO NOT PANIC. If a question seems difficult to you, then it will probably be the same for everyone taking the examination. Those who have revised sensibly, who read the question carefully and do their best to answer the question set in the examination will be successful.
Examination EtiquetteCheating, with plagiarism, is classified as a serious academic offence. To avoid any misunderstandings these simple rules should be followed:
Leave all bags, books and mobile phones (switched off!) outside of or at the side of the examination room. Only take with you to your desk the pens, pencils and rulers you will need to complete the paper.
Once you have been called to order do not, nor at any time until the examination is finished, talk to any of the other candidates.
Should you need to leave the examination for any reason, first put your hand up and then wait to be accompanied by one of the invigilators.
Do not take watches with alarms in to the exam, they can be very annoying to other candidates.
When the examination is completed do not remove anything from the examination room except your writing tools. All scrap paper and notes
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should be left behind.
After the examinationIt is a waste of your time to conduct a 'post mortem' on an examination with your colleagues until all the examinations are over. Do not be concerned if you overhear anyone saying that the examination was easy. It was probably because they were not aware of the complications or nuances in the question paper!Do not waste your time going to see the module leader to explain (for example) that you did not attempt the requisite number of questions. It is too late for anything to be done at this stage, which is why you should follow the advice given earlier in these notes. Stick to the rest of your revision schedule for remaining exams.
3.9 University Classification Marking Guide
The marking scheme used within the Business School may be significantly different to that you have experience of elsewhere. As a consequence, you should not be alarmed if you are awarded marks in the 50s or 60s, as these are perfectly respectable grades. The complete range of University marking standards and associated classifications is as follows:
MSc Classification Marking Guide
The complete range of marking standards and associated classifications is as follows:
Classification Mark Attributes normally associated with work in this category
Distinction 80+ Outstanding piece of workAll major and minor objectives achievedExcellent comprehension and informed criticism and analysisEvidence of outstanding work beyond question and some originalityFree from errors and showing advanced analytical skills
Distinction 70-79 Excellent piece of workAll major and some minor objectives achievedVery good comprehension and analysis of the issues involvedExcellent familiarity with the source materialNo major errors and only occasional minor errors
Merit 60-69 Careful and clear piece of workMost major objectives achievedGood understanding of the topicGood grasp and analysis of major issuesNo major errors though some minor errors
Pass 50-59 Middle of the range piece of workBasic question answered with relevant analysisDiscusses and understands most relevant issues
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Material a bit thin and/or poorly focusedPossible major and some minor errors
Fail 40-49 Adequate but relatively poor piece of workFew major objectives achieved Demonstrates understanding of the general fieldInadequate reading/preparationOccasional major and some minor errors
Fail 30-39 A failed piece of workNot a full answer to the question setStill shows some understanding of the general fieldInadequate reading/preparationMajor errors
Fail 0-29 A badly failed piece of workNo real attempt to answer the questionPoor arguments and lack of relevanceCompletely inadequate reading/preparationGenerally unsound
3.9.1 Postgraduate Assessment Regulations
3.7.1 Regulations for Taught Masters Degrees, Postgraduate Diploma and Postgraduate Certificate courses *
In addition to the regulations below, students will also be subject to the supplementary regulations for their individual courses (please see below)
The University Assessment regulations can be found at: nottingham.ac.uk/quality-manual/study-regulations/taught-postgraduate-regulations.htm
Approved Courses of Study
1. To qualify for an award a student must:
(a) pursue an approved course of study as prescribed by a programme specification.
(b) pass the assessments specified in these Regulations and in the relevant programme specification.
(c) successfully complete any additional components that are required as specified in the relevant programme specification.
2. Students must select their modules in accordance with the relevant programme specification and the University’s Qualifications Framework. This selection should be undertaken in consultation with their academic tutors and shall be subject to the approval of their Head of School. A School offering a module has the right to refuse admission to that module.
3. In making their selection of modules, students must satisfy any
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prerequisites, corequisites or other requirements set out in the relevant module or programme specification.
4. Students may not select taught modules worth more than 75 credits in any one semester.
5. The work presented for assessment for an award of a taught postgraduate qualification must be the result of work done mainly while the candidate is registered as a student of this University.
Award of Credit
6. The pass mark for a module comprising part of a Masters course is 50%. The pass mark for a module comprising part of a Postgraduate Diploma or Certificate course is 40%.
7. The module specification states how the components of the module will be combined to form a module mark and whether a particular mark must be gained in individual components of the module in order for the module as a whole to be passed. A student who passes the module will be awarded the credit for that module.
8. A student who fails to pass a module may nevertheless be awarded the credit for that module in the circumstances set out in Regulations 10 and 11 below.
9. Credit may also be awarded under the University’s policy on Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL).
Completion of a stage
10. Where Schools require students to pass or to perform at a particular minimum level in the taught stage of a course before progressing to the dissertation/project stage this will be explicitly stated in the programme specification.
11. A student who fails one or more modules for the taught stage of the course will still complete that stage and so be awarded the total credit for that stage provided that:
- they have passed modules worth at least 80 credits (or 40 credits for students on Postgraduate Certificate courses), and
- have a weighted average for the taught stage of at least 50% with no module marks of less than 40% (a weighted average of at least 40% with no module marks of less than 30% for Postgraduate Diploma and Certificate students)
Notwithstanding the above, if stated in the programme specifications for Taught Masters Degrees and Postgraduate Diplomas, module marks for up to 20 credits can be below 40% (30% for Postgraduate Diploma) and be compensated if the student has passed modules worth at least 80 credits and has a weighted average of at least 50% (40% for Postgraduate Diploma).
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12. A course may only have progression requirements more stringent than those stated in Regulation 11 above if there is a demonstrable requirement from a professional or accrediting external body. Students who fail to satisfy the requirements of such a course but who nonetheless satisfy the progression criteria as stated in Regulations 10 and 11 will be eligible for the award of a named non-accredited degree.
13. Regulation 11 will not apply to any module which is listed in the relevant programme specification as not compensatable. A student who fails such a module will not complete that stage without successfully undertaking re-assessment in that module. The Masters dissertation/project module will always be non-compensatable
Re-assessment
14. A student who, at the first attempt, has not satisfactorily completed the taught stage or dissertation/project stage of the course has a right to one re-assessment in each failed module at a time to be specified by the admitting School but normally by the end of the following academic year or equivalent for part-time students. At the discretion of the School delivering the module, the form of the re-assessment may be different from the first attempt for taught modules, provided that it tests the same learning outcomes and to the same standard. The full marks gained on re-assessment will be used for determining whether compensation can occur under the provision of Regulation 11 above.
15. Where a student has pass marks in one or more components of the module, but has failed the module overall, the School delivering the module may limit the re-assessment to the components which have been failed. The re-assessment mark for the module will then be a combination (on the same basis as in Regulation 7 above) of the marks from the components passed first time and the components which have been re-assessed.
16. At the discretion of a student’s School (and, if different, the School delivering the module), a student may be permitted to repeat their enrolment in failed modules (which will include attendance at all scheduled classes and submission of all coursework) before taking the re-assessments. A module specification may stipulate that, in order for a student to be re-assessed in a particular module, the student must repeat their enrolment in that module.
17. Students may not be re-assessed in modules they have already passed.
18. A student who, after re-assessment, has not passed assessments as specified in these regulations and the relevant programme specification will have no further re-assessment opportunities.
Awards
19. A student will only receive a Masters award if they have
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successfully completed both the taught and dissertation/project stages of their course. A student who does not successfully complete the dissertation/project stage will be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma or Certificate if they have gained a pass mark of 40% or more in taught modules worth 120 credits (60 credits for the Postgraduate Certificate), or satisfy the requirements of Regulations 10 and 11 above. Schools who wish to count the dissertation mark towards the award of a Postgraduate Diploma must specify this in the course supplementary regulations.
20. Postgraduate Diplomas or Certificates awarded under Regulation 19 above will have the same subject title as the Masters course on which the student was registered, unless the programme specification states an alternative subject title for those being awarded Diplomas or Certificates.
21. The provisions of Regulations 19 and 20 above also apply to the award of Postgraduate Certificates to students registered on a Postgraduate Diploma course.
Classification
22. Postgraduate Masters, Diploma and Certificates will be awarded with Merit to students who achieve a final credit-weighted mark of at least 60% and with Distinction to students who achieve a final credit-weighted mark of at least 70%. Programme specifications may, though, additionally state any or all of the following:
(a) a mark of at least 70% must be gained in the dissertation/project stage for a Distinction to be awarded,
(b) a credit-weighted mark of at least 70% must be gained in the taught stage for a Distinction to be awarded,
(c) an award of Merit is not available.
23. Marks awarded on re-assessment do not contribute to the final mark calculation for the purpose of awarding Merits and Distinctions in Regulation 22 above; instead the mark gained on the first attempt at the module will be used. Marks awarded on re-assessment will, however, count towards attaining a Pass in the course overall.
24. Boards of Examiners have only two areas where they may apply discretion in determining classification:
(a) when a final mark falls within a borderline, (see nottingham.ac.uk/quality-manual/assessment/degree-class.htm). In such cases the Examiners will take into account other relevant performance metrics (e.g. balance of paper classifications or the result of a viva voce examination) to determine if the classification may be raised to the next highest classification.
(b) When a student has personal extenuating circumstances (which have not been addressed by a further attempt at the affected assessment(s) under the extenuating circumstances procedure)
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such that the final mark is deemed to be unrepresentative of their normal performance. In such cases the School Board of Examiners will satisfy itself by appropriate means that an exception should be made to the normal rules of classification and a decision should be reported to the Postgraduate Registry Manager.
25. There is no discretion to lower the classification below that indicated by the final mark.
3.9.2 Business School MSc Supplementary Regulations
Business School MSc Supplementary Regulations 2011-12 Session
A Pass with DISTINCTION will be awarded to Postgraduate Masters, Diploma and Certificate students who achieve an overall credit weighted mark of at least 70%. For the award of Postgraduate Masters, an overall credit weighted mark of 68%, including at least 80 credits with a mark of 70% or above, will be considered by the examination board for a borderline Pass with DISTINCTION.
A Pass with MERIT will be awarded to Postgraduate Masters, Diploma and Certificate students who achieve an overall credit weighted mark of at least 60%. For the award of Postgraduate Masters, an overall credit weighted mark of 59%, including at least 90 credits with a mark of 60% or above, will be considered by the examination board for a borderline Pass with MERIT.
Examiners may occasionally take into account other relevant performance indicators (e.g. the result of a viva voce examination) to determine if the classification may be raised to the next highest classification.
For the completion of the taught stage of the Postgraduate Masters degree, a module mark between 30 and 39% for up to 15 credits can be compensated if the student has passed modules worth at least 80 credits and has a weighted average of at least 50%.
For the award of Postgraduate Diploma students must have gained a pass mark of 40% or more in 80 credits (which can include the Dissertation or Project), and a weighted average of at least 40% with no module marks of less than 30%.
3.10 Assessment ResultsYou will be informed of your results on a Semester basis. You shall receive two transcripts over the course of the academic year, one after both the June and November Board of Examiners meetings have taken place:
Details of the dates and how results are released are listed below:
Semester Board of Examiners meeting
date
Date of the Release of Results *
Method of the Release of Results
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Semester 1 Early February
End of February Semester 1 results available via the portal.
Semester 2 Mid June Early July Both semester 1 and semester 2 results available via the portal and via a transcript sent in the post.
Summer Semester
Early October Early November
Dissertation, final marks and/or any reassessment marks available via the portal and via a transcript sent in the post.
All marks are subject to confirmation by the Board of Examiners, and any marks released before the Exam Boards have taken place are provisional until they have been ratified.
*The Postgraduate Office will email students to confirm the exact date when marks are available on the Student Portal.
3.11 Examinations
Most University examinations are held in early January and Mid-May to early June.
You should note that the late arrival at an examination, the failure to take an examination, or the removal of a script from an examination room can have severe consequences, as can academic offences such as cheating in examinations or plagiarism in work forming part of the degree assessment. It is your responsibility to acquaint yourself with these matters by referring to ‘Academic Offences Policy and Procedure’ in the Quality Manual.
nottingham.ac.uk/qualitymanual/assessment/offences.htm#defin
You will be able to check your provisional and definitive individual examination timetable on the Student Portal. It is your responsibility to check both the provisional and definitive exam timetable and make sure that you are registered for the correct exams.
3.11.1 Missing Examinations
If you miss an examination, or fail to submit a piece of coursework/assessment, on medical or personal grounds, or if you feel that your performance has been impaired by such circumstances, then this may be taken into account during Examinations Boards. In such circumstances, you must provide third-party official medical or other evidence to the Business School via the Student Support Officer, the Course Director, or the Postgraduate Officer.
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If appropriate you should also complete an ‘Extenuating Circumstances Form’, available from the Student Support Officer.
If you miss an examination for whatever reason, or fail to submit a piece of coursework/undertake an assessed presentation etc, you must report this to the Postgraduate Officer, Emma Brown and Student Support Officer, Teresa Bee as soon as possible.
Further details of the University’s guidelines on assessment, please see the relevant section with the Quality Manual at:
nottingham.ac.uk/qualitymanual/assessment/index.htm
3.11.2 Resit Examinations
Resit examinations take place at the mid-late August/beginning of September and it is your responsibility to make sure that you have gathered the required revision materials and are available to sit the examinations at this time.
If you are required to be reassessed in one or more components for a module, as determined by the Exam Board, you will be notified in writing by the Courses Office and by the Business School. You will also be able to check this information on the Postgraduate Transcript Channel on the Student Portal.
3.12 Procedure for Requesting Feedback on Assessment
All module convenors and administrative staff in the Business School take great care to ensure that every piece of assessment is appropriately graded and processed.
Students should be aware that, under University regulations, they cannot appeal marks on the basis of the academic judgement that has been exercised in awarding them. Nor, except in extremely exceptional cases, can students appeal marks once they have been signed off as final by our External Examiners.
Students who require further clarification of their mark can request feedback from the module convenor.
3.13 Complaints and Appeals
The Business School complies with the rigorous procedures towards the courses that it delivers. However if the procedure for dealing with complaints and appeals is published on the Quality Manual at:nottingham.ac.uk/quality-manual/appeals/
3.14 Learning Community Forum (LCF)
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Students will have the opportunity to elect a representative for each MSc course.
The purpose of the LCF is to provide a forum for the discussion of general issues relating to the MSc programmes in the School.
If course members have any comments, these should be communicated to the student representative for your course via email, who will then be able to raise it at one of the LCF meetings that will be held throughout the academic year on your behalf.
LCF meetings are usually held three time a year in October and March and June, and will usually be attended by the Course Representatives, the Director of MSc Programmes, the Deputy Director of MSc Programmes, Individual MSc Course Directors, relevant teaching staff, Programmes Manager (MSc and Doctoral), and the Postgraduate Officer.
Minutes of the LCF meetings will usually be posted on the general MSc notice board and on Nexus.
3.14.1 Student Representatives
If you are interested in becoming a Course Representative, please go along to the ‘Getting Involved’ session taking place on Wednesday 05 th
October, 6.00 – 7.00 pm (LT2 Exchange Building). The session will cover, the role of a Course Representative, how it can benefit you and enhance your C.V., and the election process.
Once Course Representatives have been elected, details of their Student Name, Course and Email Address will be posted on the general MSc notice board, outside the Postgraduate Office and on Nexus.
A training session for Course Representatives is usually provided by the Student Union. Details of this will be supplied to the reps once they have been chosen.
3.15 Providing Feedback – SET/SEM forms
In order to encourage feedback, the School operates a system of formal teaching appraisal. You will be asked by each of your lecturers to complete a short on-line questionnaire relating to their course of lectures or tutorials. Your co-operation would be very much appreciated, as we value student’s comments to maintain the quality of the courses we provide at the Business School.
You can view the results of the SET/SEM appraisal and get the module convenor’s comments by looking at the Module Review on NEXUS. Select the module you wish to view and then ‘Review’ from the drop down menu, click ‘Go’ and you will open the form.
3.16 MSc Society
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If you interested in running the MSc Society, please come along to the ‘Getting Involved’ session taking place on Wednesday 05th October, 6.00 – 7.00 pm (LT2 Exchange Building). The session will cover what you need to do to get started and the Society positions you will need to fill. The Business School will donate a nominal amount to help get you started.
We would encourage you to continue with the Society. In the past, students have organised a number of social events, ranging from small group functions and buffet evenings to more formal events.
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Appendix 1 Nottingham University Business School Health & Safety Policy
INTRODUCTION
This document sets out the Health & Safety Policy of the Business School and is supplementary to the Safety Policy of the University of Nottingham, as stated in the University Safety Handbook. The policy has the objective of ensuring the health, safety and welfare of its staff, students and visitors and is issued to all members of the school. This document includes the general policy of the School, followed by the School's emergency procedures and safety arrangements.
ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE BUSINESS SCHOOL
Name Tel Room Email FunctionMartin Binks
15505 C71 (NORTH BUILDING)
School Director (NORTH BUILDING)
Janet Cooke
66678 B11 (NORTH BUILDING)
[email protected] Safety Officer (NORTH BUILDING)
Susan Cotterill
66111 A11 (SOUTH BUILDING)
Fire Officer (SOUTH BUILDING)
Hilary Vaughan-Thomas
66687 A6a (NORTH BUILDING)
Fire Officer (NORTH BUILDING)
Stephanie Gorst
15098 B12 (NORTH BUILDING)
First Aider (NORTH BUILDING)
Michelle Haynes
15483 B78b North [email protected]
First Aider (NORTH BUILDING)
Mick O’Keefe (Mon-Thurs am)
66065 Business Library (SOUTH BUILDING)
First Aider (SOUTH BUILDING)
Maggie Rouse (Tues, Thurs, Fri)
66609 B41 (SOUTH BUILDING)
First Aider (SOUTH BUILDING)
Catherine Thompson (Mon-Thurs)
15273 B41 (SOUTH BUILDING)
First Aider (NORTH BUILDING)
OTHER IMPORTANT TELEPHONE NUMBERS
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Internal Extn.University Emergency Telephone Number 8888Occupational Health 14329University Safety Office 13401Estate Office Helpline 16666Jubilee Campus Security 66788Jubilee Campus Porters 66053
STATEMENT OF GENERAL POLICY
The School's Health and Safety Policy should be read in conjunction with the University Safety Handbook which is available at nottingham.ac.uk/safety/handbook/SafetyHandbook.pdf . The objective of the policy is to ensure the health, safety and welfare of its staff, students and visitors.
The Head of School is responsible for the adequacy and effectiveness of the support arrangements for health and safety. He is assisted in performing the duties associated with these responsibilities by the School Safety Officer. However, all members of staff and students are responsible for their own safety and the safety of others.
Academic and supervisory staff shall conduct those activities over which they have control in a safe manner and in accordance with University and School policies and procedures. They will co-operate with the Head of School so that responsibilities at that level can be discharged. Assessment of work-related risks is a key part of managing the School’s safety. Unsafe working practices must not be condoned. Any deficiencies, defects, faults, etc. must be brought to the attention of the School Safety Officer.
SCHOOL SAFETY COMMITTEE
Safety policy and safety issues are discussed by the School Safety Committee and this comprises representatives of all interest groups. Any member of the committee may be approached to raise particular safety issues. A meeting of the School Safety Committee is held each semester.
SCHOOL SAFETY INSPECTIONS
To ensure that the School's policies and procedures are being correctly implemented, inspections will be carried out annually. The frequency of monitoring will depend on the issues involved to some extent. Issues arising from inspections will be reported to the School Safety Committee and appropriate remedial action instigated.
Any member of the school should report any defects, faults of other safety hazards to the School Safety Officer or the Receptionists as soon as possible.
EMERGENCY PROCEDURES/FIRE
The successful implementation of the Fire Strategy depends upon the commitment of each member of staff and student of the University to the careful consideration and application of the safety measures related to their work.
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Everyone should make it his or her first task to become familiar with the fire evacuation procedures, the emergency and normal exits, location of fire alarms, location of fire fighting appliances and how they work.
If anyone working, studying or visiting the School has a disability which may have implications relating to the arrangements for fire evacuation, he or she will appreciate that it is to their advantage to make this known to the Safety Officer (Janet Cooke) or the Disabilities Officer (currently vacant post). Evac+chairs have been placed by the stairwells on the first and second floors in the existing building for the evacuation of wheelchair users (In the South Building, Evac+ chairs are located on each of the upper floors at the fire escapes.)
On Discovering A FireRaise the alarm by operating the nearest break-glass call point.Dial 8888 on the nearest internal telephone stating the location of the fire.Attack the fire with nearest appropriate extinguisher if safe to do so and your escape route is clear.
On Hearing The Alarm
Evacuation Procedure for Staff Stop whatever you are doing and leave the room that you are in as quickly
as possible.
On entering the corridor please check that the red fire token for that corridor has been removed. If not, pick up the token. The staff member with the token then has the responsibility of ensuring that all other staff and students have left that corridor through the nearest available exit before leaving themselves (this may involve them checking each room). After exiting this token should normally be presented to Hilary Vaughn-Thomas (Fire Officer, North Building), (Susan Cotterill in the South Building), if she is not available please give the token to Janet Cooke (School Safety Officer), Gina Rogers (Senior Receptionist), or the Receptionist in the new building. Note that the staff member who picks up the token for the middle corridor of each floor in the North Building should check that there is no one in the toilets. (In the South Building, the staff member who picks up any of the red tokens should check that there is no one in the toilets including the disabled toilets.)
Staff members who do not have one of the red tokens should leave the building through the nearest available exit. Please make sure that you are aware of the nearest exit at all times.
Please try to avoid opening the fire doors, unless it is necessary for your escape. This is to prevent fire and smoke from spreading through the building.
Staff members who are responsible for students or visitors should ensure that they leave the building, through the nearest available exit, as quickly as possible.
Upon leaving the building please assemble in the main car park at the rear of the building, making sure that you are a safe distance away from the road. (In the South Building, please assemble in the car park at the rear of
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Newark Hall). Please do not wait at the front of the building or on the grass/pavement at either side. This is to prevent interference with fire fighters and to stop people from being injured by falling debris.
Please do not re-enter the building until you have been told that it is safe to do so. This applies even if the alarm has been switched off.
Evacuation Procedures for Students and Visitors Follow the instructions of staff at all times.
Stop whatever you are doing and leave the room that you are in as quickly as possible.
Upon entering the corridor please proceed to the nearest available exit. Make sure that you are aware of the nearest exit at all times.
Please try to avoid opening the fire doors, unless absolutely necessary. This is to prevent fire and smoke from spreading through the building.
Upon leaving the building please assemble in the main car park at the rear of the building, making sure that you are a safe distance away from the road. (In the South Building, please assemble in the car park at the rear of Newark Hall). Please do not wait at the front of the building or on the grass at either side. This is to prevent interference with fire fighters and to stop people from being injured by falling debris.
Please do not re-enter the building until you have been told that it is safe to do so. This applies even if the alarm has been switched off.
Please note that failure of students to follow these instructions could lead to disciplinary action being taken.
On hearing the fire alarm in the Exchange (Central Teaching Facility), you should leave the building immediately via the NEAREST fire exit, as indicated by the green signs hanging from the ceiling. Do not use the lift and do not stop to collect personal belongings. Report to your assembly point at the back of the building.
N.B. The fire alarm in the Business School North Building is tested by Estates every Wednesday morning at 9.40 am. (In the South Building the alarm is tested at 10.00 am every Wednesday morning). This is not a fire drill or an evacuation alarm, just an electrical test.
Fire Exits And BarriersIn the North Building, the designated fire exits on the ground floor are to the rear of the building (Mondex doors) and the front main entrance. (In the South Building, the ground floor fire exits are located at the main entrance at the front of the building and the two doors on either side of the building in the teaching area foyer at the rear of the building. The fire exits for the large lecture theatre B52 are located at the top rear of the lecture theatre and via the external spiral stair cases or by the two exits at the front of the lecture theatre). The electronic doors open automatically when the fire alarm is activated. From the upper floors
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of the North Building you can either exit via the stairwells to the rear doors or use the fire exits to the front of the building onto the external spiral stairs. (In the South Building, there are two external spiral staircases, fire exits, on the upper floors which are located on the perimeter road side of the building or you can exit by the main staircase. From the large lecture theatre, B52, you can exit by the two fire exits at the top rear of the lecture theatre onto the external spiral staircases or exit from the two main doors at the front of the lecture theatre). Do not use the lifts. Make sure you know where your nearest fire exit is.
The fire barriers along each corridor and at the exit of each stairwell all close when the fire alarm is active. These doors are to restrict the spread of smoke and fumes in the event of a fire, but you may go through these doors to the exit. The large white doors in the North Building have glass at the top through which you should be able to see if the adjacent corridor is clear of smoke before opening them. (In the new building, the glass panelled fire barrier doors along each corridor on the upper floors will close automatically when the fire alarm sounds. Before entering a corridor, check that is free of smoke before opening the door.)
It is important to keep stairs and corridors clear of obstructions and free from combustible materials.
ACCIDENT
In an emergency or in case of serious injury, dial 8888 and ask for the Ambulance Service. State your name and location, and arrange for someone to direct ambulance attendants to the casualty.
When a minor injury has been sustained, one of the first aiders should be summoned. Report any accidents to the School Safety Officer, so that inspection/repair may be activated and a report form completed. FIRST AID
First Aid boxes are kept in Reception and with each First Aider. First Aid supplies are maintained by the current qualified First Aiders who are listed in ‘ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES’ table above. SCHOOL SAFETY ARRANGEMENTS Accident and Incident ReportingAll injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences must be reported in line with the university procedures laid out in the University Safety Handbook and in Safety Office Circular P1/95A. University Report Forms are available from both Business School Reception Offices. The University Safety Office must be contacted immediately following major injuries and certain dangerous occurrences (refer to Safety Office Circular P5/96B for definitions).
School managers and supervisors are responsible for investigating all incidents in their areas to identify the causes and any remedial action required. The School Safety Officer will review the accidents occurring in the School on an annual basis for any emerging trends. Any significant findings will be brought to the attention of the Head of School.
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Please report any accidents, injuries, dangerous occurrences.Forms are available from both Business School Reception offices.
Reporting of HazardsA hazard is any potential or actual situation that constitutes danger to the health and safety of any user of the School's premises or its buildings and equipment. Any member of the School who identifies any defects, faults or other safety hazards is responsible for taking action if it is within their competence to do so, otherwise, hazards should be reported to the School Safety Officer.
If you notice a fault within the building please report it to Reception who will inform the Porters/Estates.
Electrical SafetyThe School will comply with the University Code of Practice for Electrical Safety. All items of portable electrical equipment shall be inspected/tested in accordance with the University guidance. Inspection, testing and record-keeping is carried out by the Electrical Safety Officer (to be appointed). Any new items of electrical equipment including those which are brought from home must be added to the inventory and inspected/tested. Members of the School must report any problems arising with electrical equipment to the School Safety Officer.
Under no circumstances use equipment with obvious faults such as:
Loose plug assembly or cable grip Damaged mains supply lead Exposed internal parts Unusually noisy or cover loose Damaged casing Hot in operation
Advice on the Use of Visual Display UnitsGood seating and background lighting facilities are essential to avoid straining the back, eyes or arms, when using computers. Points to consider include:
Are there any distracting reflections or bright lights on or near the screen?
Are the screen, keyboard and mouse at comfortable heights and distances from the user?
Has the chair been adjusted so that the user's back is well supported? Is the worktop thickness small enough for the seat to be raised to a
comfortable height? Can the user still rest their feet on the floor? Is text displayed on the screen clear to read? Can the brightness, font size
and spacing, be adjusted to improve this? Ensure that colour screens are well focused and colours well aligned.
Regular users of computer keyboards are advised to take an hourly break from their machine and watch out for signs of eye strain, head aches, tingling sensations in the hands, pain in the wrists or arms, and back aches.
Manual HandlingThe movement of equipment or furniture constitutes a possible lifting hazard. It is essential to learn the correct method.
Do not try to lift too much, get help if necessary
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Make sure you can see where you are going Trolleys are available – please use one
For those members of the School who are regularly involved in manual handling, there are courses on lifting and handling available from the University Safety Office (13401). These are bookable through your line manager or via the School Safety Officer. For the movement of large or heavy items of furniture, please liaise with the Reception and Facilities staff.
SmokingThe University of Nottingham is a non-smoking organisation. Smoking is only permitted in designated smoking areas. This does not include toilets, corridors or any public rooms. The University's No Smoking policy is contained within the University Safety Handbook.
Fieldwork/PlacementsFieldwork is defined as any practical work carried out by staff or students of the University for the purpose of teaching or research in places which are not direct supervisory control of the University, but where the University is responsible for the safety of its staff and students or others exposed to their activities. This includes traditional field study trips and expeditions as well as visits by researchers into homes, organisations, or in the street.
The organiser or leader of the fieldwork activity is responsible for carrying out a risk assessment and putting together safe systems of work. Issues such as equipment, training, lone working, health matters, first aid, transport, and insurance must be considered. Individuals taking part in the fieldwork activity must be provided with adequate information and instruction in order for them to be able to participate in the activity as safely as is reasonably practical. Further details and references may be found at: nottingham.ac.uk/safety/publications/circulars/fieldwk.html
Out-Of-Hours WorkingThe Business School buildings are normally open from 8.00am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday. Staff and Postgraduate students can gain access outside these times through the rear doors of the building by inserting their University card into the machines next to those doors. Access to the building outside the above times is not permitted for undergraduate students. Before leaving the building make sure that windows are closed and doors are locked. Staff and students should ensure that they sign the out of hours log (located at the entrances to both building) when entering and leaving the Building outside of normal office hours (i.e. before 8.00am and after 6.30pm during week days and at any time during the weekend).
Families And Friends Friends and children of people in the School may occasionally and briefly visit staff and researchers, without special permission, providing children are fully supervised and restricted to their parent's office or the Staff Common Room. The terminal rooms are not suitable for young children and care needs to be taken to ensure that children do not play in the lift or on the stairs. Permission does need to be obtained from the Safety Officer before friends or children can visit the School more often or for longer periods than this. This is to ensure that all adults are aware of security issues and the Safety Policy and that children are adequately supervised in a suitable room.
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Open WalkwaysThe building has open walkways across the atria on the first and second floor. These walkways should not be used as a main circulation route. Children should also be prevented from using these walkways.
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INDEX
Academic Offences, 36-41, 75Academic Support, 25Accommodation, 56Assessment Regulations, 70 - 74Attendance requirements, 2
Business Library, 23
Career Development, 19-23Central Support, 25Centre for English Language Education (CELE), 27Chaplaincy, 28Collecting coursework, 35Complaints and Appeals, 77Computing facilities,15-17Computer technicians, 16Counselling service (University), 26Coursework coversheets, 231
Data Protection Act, 8, 13, 15, 22Dates of term, 7Deadlines, 7, 29Disability Liaison Officer, 25, 29Dissertation talk, 3 59Dissertations, 3, 59
e-mail, 13Examinations, 64Extensions (coursework), 29Extenuating Circumstances, 33
Financial Support, 27
Health and safety, 79Health Centre (Cripps), 27
Interlibrary loans, 11, 24International office, 27Key Dates, 7Late submission of coursework, 31Lectures, 2Lockers, 11
MSc Societies, 27, 28Marking classifications, 69Missing exams, 76Module evaluation forms (SET/SEM), 77Module Option Talks, 3
Nexus, 13Noticeboards, 13
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Personal tutors, 1Photocopy Cards, 11Pigeon holes, 13Plagiarism, 36-40Printing credit, 16Proof of Study Letters, 11
Quality Manual, 2
Receipt for the Submission of Coursework, 31Referencing, 59Research Ethics, 4Resit examinations, 77Resources Room, 17Results 75
Sports Facilities, 28Learning Community Forum (LFC), 77Student Records, 14Student Representatives, 78Student Support Officer, 25Student’s Union, 27Submitting coursework, 30
Postgraduate Office and Reception, 10
Wireless Network, 16
COURSE STRUCTURE
MSc International Business
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Students must select 180 credits in total.
Semester 1
Core ModulesModule Code Module Title
CreditsN14B37 Business Economics 15N14B44 International Business Environment 15N14B28 International Accounting 15
Semester 2
Core ModulesModule Code Module Title
CreditsN14B45 International Business Strategy 15N14B46 Essentials of International Marketing 15N14B27 Research Methods 15
Optional ModulesStudents must choose an optional module each Semester*. A number of pairs in the following subject areas create depth and understanding in an important international business issue. Please refer to the MSc International Business List of optional modules, including the restricted set pairs.
Group One: Chinese Business and Society
Group Two: Tourism
Group Three: Corporate Social Responsibility
Group Four: OB/HRM
Group Five: Entrepreneurship/Innovation
Dissertation (60 credits). Students will prepare an individual dissertation/project (N14B20) on an approved subject relevant to the MSc International Business.
* Not all optional modules will necessarily run each session.
List of MSc International Business optional modules*Students may choose any one of the following optional modules from each semester:
Semester 1Module Code Module Title
CreditsN14115 Business Ethics 15N14151 Tourism Marketing & Communication 15N14B29 Managing Organisations 15N14B50 Creative Problem Solving 15T14115 Contemporary Chinese Culture & Society 15
Semester 2Module Code Module Title
Credits
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N14114 Strategic Human Resource Management 15N14127 Managing for Sustainability 15N14150 Managing Tourism & Sustainability 15N14B41 E-Business 15N14B36 Overseas Project 15N14B38 Introduction to Japanese for International
Business 15N14B39 Introduction to Mandarin for International
Business 15N14B40 Introduction to Spanish for International
Business 15N14B51 Innovation Management 15T14116 Managing International Business in China 15
The following are pairs of modules which students might like to select. These subject areas create depth of understanding in an important international business issue:
Group One: Chinese Business and SocietySemester 1Module Code Module Title
CreditsT14115 Contemporary Chinese Culture & Society 15
Semester 2Choose one module from:Module Code Module Title
CreditsT14116 Managing International Business in China 15N14B36 Overseas Project 15
Group Two: TourismSemester 1Module Code Module Title
CreditsN14151 Tourism Marketing & Communication 15
Semester 2Module Code Module Title
CreditsN14150 Managing Tourism & Sustainability 15
Group Three: Corporate Social ResponsibilitySemester 1Module Code Module Title
CreditsN14115 Business Ethics 15
Semester 2Module Code Module Title
CreditsN14127 Managing for Sustainability 15
Group 4: OB/HRMSemester 1Module Code Module Title
CreditsN14B29 Managing Organisations 15
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Semester 2Module Code Module Title
CreditsN14114 Strategic Human Resource Management 15
Group 5: Entrepreneurship/InnovationSemester 1Module Code Module Title
CreditsN14B50 Creative Problem Solving 15
Semester 2Module Code Module Title
CreditsN14B51 Innovation Management 15
* Not all optional modules will necessarily run each session.
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SEMESTER 1 MODULES
N14115 Business Ethics
Credits 15
Module Convenor Rob Caruana
Other Teaching Staff
Pre-requisites: None
Co-requisites: None
AimsThis module aims to provide students with knowledge of ethical issues involving
business. In particular, it aims to provide students with knowledge regarding the existence of corporations in liberal democracies, and ethical concerns surrounding multinational corporations and globalization. Further to this, the module aims to develop the capacity of students to critically engage with issues of human rights; environmentalism and sustainable development; consumerism; and the role that corporations play in politics. Ultimately, the aim of the module is to enable students to recognise and reflect upon complex ethical problems with a view to enhancing their analytical and decision-making skills.
Learning Objectives and OutcomesKnowledge and understandingThis module develops a knowledge and understanding of:Markets - the development and operation of markets for resources, goods and
servicesInternational issues in business and managementCustomers - customer expectations, service and orientationBusiness Policy and Strategy the development of appropriate policies and
strategies within a changing environment, to meet stakeholder interestsPervasive Issues - these would include sustainability, globalisation, corporate social
responsibility, diversity, business innovation, creativity, enterprise development, knowledge management and risk management
Ability to recognise and address ethical dilemmas and corporate social responsibility issues, applying ethical and organisational values to situations and choices
Intellectual skillsThis module develops:Being able to think critically and be creative: manage the creative processes in self
and others; organise thoughts, analyse, synthesise and critically appraise. This includes the capability to identify assumptions, evaluate statements in terms of evidence, detect false logic or reasoning, identify implicit values, define terms adequately and generalise appropriately
Being able to solve complex problems and make decisions: establish criteria, using appropriate decision-making techniques including identifying, formulating and solving business problems; and the ability to create, identify and evaluate options; the ability to implement and review decisions
Using information and knowledge effectively: scanning and organising data, synthesising and analysing in order to abstract meaning from information and to share knowledge
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Professional practical skillsThis module develops:The ability to conduct research into business and management issues either
individually or as part of a team through research design, data collection, analysis, synthesis and reporting
Transferable (key) skillsThis module develops:Effective two-way communication: listening, effective oral and written
communication of complex ideas and arguments, using a range of media, including the preparation of business reports
High personal effectiveness: critical self-awareness, self-reflection and self-management; time management; sensitivity to diversity in people and different situations and the ability to continue to learn through reflection on practice and experience
Summary of ContentThis module examines businesses from an ethical perspective. In particular, it
explores the existence of corporations in liberal democracies, and ethical concerns surrounding multinational corporations and globalization. Further to this, the module examines human rights; environment ethics; consumerism; and corporations as political actors, and as sites of political action. The main concepts and theories underpinning the business ethics field will be introduced, and you will have the opportunity to use these in understanding business related issues. Teaching will consist of a mixture of lectures, case studies, exercises, discussions, and multi-media. Considerable emphasis will be placed on student participation in class, with the aim of promoting ethical reflection on the many important issues that surround business-society relations. Ultimately, the aim of the module is to enable you to recognise and reflect upon ethical problems with a view to enhancing your analytical and decision-making skills.
AssessmentIndividual Coursework (2,500 word essay) (50%); Group Presentation (50%)
Recommended TextsSee recommended reading lists circulated at the beginning of the academic year.
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N14151 Tourism Marketing and Communication
Credits 15
Module Convenor Scott McCabe
Other Teaching Staff
Pre-requisites: None
Co-requisites: None
AimsThis module aims to develop students understanding of tourism marketing as a
critical field within the discipline of marketing. It aims to explore and evaluate approaches to marketing in tourism and allow students to apply marketing theories and principles in specific context, developing research and analysis skills.
Learning Objectives and OutcomesKnowledge and understandingThis module develops a knowledge and understanding of:Markets - the development and operation of markets for resources, goods and
servicesCustomers - customer expectations, service and orientationCommunication and Information Technology (CIT) - comprehension and use of
relevant CIT for application in business and managementBusiness Policy and Strategy the development of appropriate policies and
strategies within a changing environment, to meet stakeholder interestsAbility to recognise and address ethical dilemmas and corporate social
responsibility issues, applying ethical and organisational values to situations and choices
Intellectual skillsThis module develops:Being able to think critically and be creative: manage the creative processes in self
and others; organise thoughts, analyse, synthesise and critically appraise. This includes the capability to identify assumptions, evaluate statements in terms of evidence, detect false logic or reasoning, identify implicit values, define terms adequately and generalise appropriately
Being able to solve complex problems and make decisions: establish criteria, using appropriate decision-making techniques including identifying, formulating and solving business problems; and the ability to create, identify and evaluate options; the ability to implement and review decisions
Using information and knowledge effectively: scanning and organising data, synthesising and analysing in order to abstract meaning from information and to share knowledge
Professional practical skillsThis module develops:The ability to conduct research into business and management issues either
individually or as part of a team through research design, data collection, analysis, synthesis and reporting
Effective use of CITTransferable (key) skillsThis module develops:Effective two-way communication: listening, effective oral and written
communication of complex ideas and arguments, using a range of media, including the preparation of business reports
Summary of Content
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Defining tourism and marketing; tourism and services marketing; unique characteristics of tourism marketing; tourism products and markets; tourism demand and forecasting; tourism marketing planning; the role of market research in tourism; consumers and trends and theories in tourist behaviour; quality management and services quality as marketable activities; tourism destination marketing, managing destination image and managing the total visitor experience; the marketing mix for tourism services
AssessmentIndividual Coursework (3,000 words) (75%); Group Presentation (including
submission of slides & 1,000 word summary) (25%)
Recommended TextsSee recommended reading lists circulated at the beginning of the academic year.
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N14B28 International Accounting
Credits 15
Module Convenor Nooch Kuasirikun
Other Teaching Staff
Pre-requisites: None
Co-requisites: None
AimsTo provide course members with an appreciation of the roles and techniques of
accounting in the context of international business reporting and management.
Learning Objectives and OutcomesKnowledge and understandingThis module develops a knowledge and understanding of:Finance - the sources, uses and management of finance; the use of accounting and
other information systems for managerial applicationsPervasive Issues - these would include sustainability, globalisation, corporate social
responsibility, diversity, business innovation, creativity, enterprise development, knowledge management and risk management
Ability to recognise and address ethical dilemmas and corporate social responsibility issues, applying ethical and organisational values to situations and choices
Intellectual skillsThis module develops:Being able to solve complex problems and make decisions: establish criteria, using
appropriate decision-making techniques including identifying, formulating and solving business problems; and the ability to create, identify and evaluate options; the ability to implement and review decisions
Numeracy and quantitative skills including the development and use of relevant business models
Professional practical skillsThis module develops:The ability to conduct research into business and management issues either
individually or as part of a team through research design, data collection, analysis, synthesis and reporting
Effective performance within team environments and the ability to recognise and utilise individuals' contributions in group processes and to negotiate and persuade or influence others; team selection, delegation, development and management
Transferable (key) skillsThis module develops:High personal effectiveness: critical self-awareness, self-reflection and self-
management; time management; sensitivity to diversity in people and different situations and the ability to continue to learn through reflection on practice and experience
Summary of ContentThe roles of accounting in business and its link to global capital markets.
International accounting harmonisation. Comparative international accounting. Financial statement analysis. Managerial accounting for planning and control. Doscounted Cash Flow and Valuation.
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Assessment2 Hour Examination (60%); Coursework (Group based 3,000 words) (40%)
Recommended TextsSee recommended reading lists circulated at the beginning of the academic year.
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N14B29 Managing Organisations
Credits 15
Module Convenor Qi Xu
Other Teaching Staff
Pre-requisites: None
Co-requisites: None
AimsTo introduce key concepts in managing organisations; to investigate how
organisations adapt to their environments; to facilitate a critical understanding of the core issues in contemporary organisations; to provide a framework for understanding the systems and management role in organisations; to provide a guide for exploring management issues in a global context; and to develop the ability to diagnose and solve organisational problems.
Learning Objectives and OutcomesKnowledge and understandingThis module develops a knowledge and understanding of:International issues in business and managementPeople - the management and development of people within organisationsPervasive Issues - these would include sustainability, globalisation, corporate social
responsibility, diversity, business innovation, creativity, enterprise development, knowledge management and risk management
Ability to recognise and address ethical dilemmas and corporate social responsibility issues, applying ethical and organisational values to situations and choices
Intellectual skillsThis module develops:Being able to think critically and be creative: manage the creative processes in self
and others; organise thoughts, analyse, synthesise and critically appraise. This includes the capability to identify assumptions, evaluate statements in terms of evidence, detect false logic or reasoning, identify implicit values, define terms adequately and generalise appropriately
Being able to solve complex problems and make decisions: establish criteria, using appropriate decision-making techniques including identifying, formulating and solving business problems; and the ability to create, identify and evaluate options; the ability to implement and review decisions
Using information and knowledge effectively: scanning and organising data, synthesising and analysing in order to abstract meaning from information and to share knowledge
Professional practical skillsThis module develops:The ability to conduct research into business and management issues either
individually or as part of a team through research design, data collection, analysis, synthesis and reporting
Effective performance within team environments and the ability to recognise and utilise individuals' contributions in group processes and to negotiate and persuade or influence others; team selection, delegation, development and management
Leadership and performance management: selecting appropriate leadership style for different situations; setting targets, motivating, monitoring performance, coaching and mentoring
Transferable (key) skills
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This module develops:Effective two-way communication: listening, effective oral and written
communication of complex ideas and arguments, using a range of media, including the preparation of business reports
High personal effectiveness: critical self-awareness, self-reflection and self-management; time management; sensitivity to diversity in people and different situations and the ability to continue to learn through reflection on practice and experience
Summary of ContentClassic management topics and critical reflections on management knowledge: I
People in organisations – theories of motivation and of team development, and their contemporary relevance; II. Organisational processes – theories and models for managing organisational culture, strategic change, across cultures and diversity, and learning and leadership; and, III. Critical perspectives on management knowledge – from disciplinary knowledge to the meaning of work, comparative management and its prospects, and from application of classic theory to emerging dialogues in the global age.
Assessment2 Hour Examination (50%); Coursework (2,000 words) (50%)
Recommended TextsSee recommended reading lists circulated at the beginning of the academic year.
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N14B37 Business Economics
Credits 15
Module Convenor Tim Bailey
Other Teaching Staff
Pre-requisites: None
Co-requisites: None
AimsTo provide students who have no previous training in economics with a knowledge
and understanding of key economic concepts and tools of analysis relevant to the student of business.
Learning Objectives and OutcomesKnowledge and understandingThis module develops a knowledge and understanding of:Markets - the development and operation of markets for resources, goods and
servicesIntellectual skillsThis module develops:Being able to think critically and be creative: manage the creative processes in self
and others; organise thoughts, analyse, synthesise and critically appraise. This includes the capability to identify assumptions, evaluate statements in terms of evidence, detect false logic or reasoning, identify implicit values, define terms adequately and generalise appropriately
Being able to solve complex problems and make decisions: establish criteria, using appropriate decision-making techniques including identifying, formulating and solving business problems; and the ability to create, identify and evaluate options; the ability to implement and review decisions
Using information and knowledge effectively: scanning and organising data, synthesising and analysing in order to abstract meaning from information and to share knowledge
Numeracy and quantitative skills including the development and use of relevant business models
Summary of ContentMarkets; Firms and Market Power; Market Structure and Government Policy;
Government Intervention; International Trade; International Capital and other Factor Flows; The Macroeconomic Policy; Balance of Payments and Foreign Exchange
Assessment2 Hour Examination (75%); Coursework (1,500 word essay) (25%)
Recommended TextsSee recommended reading lists circulated at the beginning of the academic year.
N14B44 International Business Environment
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Credits 15
Module Convenor Paul Windrum
Other Teaching Staff
Pre-requisites: None
Co-requisites: None
AimsTo examine national/regional/international political, economic, technological,
cultural and institutional factors that make up the global business environment, and to understand the impact of the global business environment on business' international decisions.
Learning Objectives and OutcomesKnowledge and understandingThis module develops a knowledge and understanding of:Markets - the development and operation of markets for resources, goods and
servicesInternational issues in business and managementPeople - the management and development of people within organisationsOperations - the management of resources and operations; information systems;
the development, management and exploitation of information systems and their impact upon organisations
Pervasive Issues - these would include sustainability, globalisation, corporate social responsibility, diversity, business innovation, creativity, enterprise development, knowledge management and risk management
Intellectual skillsThis module develops:Being able to think critically and be creative: manage the creative processes in self
and others; organise thoughts, analyse, synthesise and critically appraise. This includes the capability to identify assumptions, evaluate statements in terms of evidence, detect false logic or reasoning, identify implicit values, define terms adequately and generalise appropriately
Using information and knowledge effectively: scanning and organising data, synthesising and analysing in order to abstract meaning from information and to share knowledge
Professional practical skillsThis module develops:The ability to conduct research into business and management issues either
individually or as part of a team through research design, data collection, analysis, synthesis and reporting
Transferable (key) skillsThis module develops:Effective two-way communication: listening, effective oral and written
communication of complex ideas and arguments, using a range of media, including the preparation of business reports
High personal effectiveness: critical self-awareness, self-reflection and self-management; time management; sensitivity to diversity in people and different situations and the ability to continue to learn through reflection on practice and experience
Summary of ContentThis module introduces students to the international business environment. The
module develops an understanding of the global environment: globalisation of business, internationalisation theories, innovation; international
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institutions governing IB (flows of trade, investment, financial and human capital), and differences between countries (political, economic and cultural).
Assessment2 Hour Examination (50%); Coursework (2,500 words) (50%)
Recommended TextsSee recommended reading lists circulated at the beginning of the academic year.
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N14B50 Creative Problem Solving
Credits 10
Module Convenor Lee Martin
Other Teaching Staff
Pre-requisites: None
Co-requisites: None
AimsTo encourage students to develop an understanding of entrepreneurial creativity
through theoretical analysis and the use of creative problem solving techniques. The module will enable students to generate, evaluate and apply new ideas and concepts within a business planning process. Students will also experience creative problem solving techniques, reflect upon appropriate methods for different stages of problem solving techniques, reflect upon appropriate methods for different stages of problem solving and explore the relationship between creative problem solving and entrepreneurship.
Learning Objectives and OutcomesKnowledge and understandingThis module develops a knowledge and understanding of:Markets - the development and operation of markets for resources, goods and
servicesCustomers - customer expectations, service and orientationFinance - the sources, uses and management of finance; the use of accounting and
other information systems for managerial applicationsPeople - the management and development of people within organisationsOperations - the management of resources and operations; information systems;
the development, management and exploitation of information systems and their impact upon organisations
Business Policy and Strategy the development of appropriate policies and strategies within a changing environment, to meet stakeholder interests
Pervasive Issues - these would include sustainability, globalisation, corporate social responsibility, diversity, business innovation, creativity, enterprise development, knowledge management and risk management
Theories, models and frameworks of entrepreneurship and creativityIntellectual skillsThis module develops:Being able to think critically and be creative: manage the creative processes in self
and others; organise thoughts, analyse, synthesise and critically appraise. This includes the capability to identify assumptions, evaluate statements in terms of evidence, detect false logic or reasoning, identify implicit values, define terms adequately and generalise appropriately
Being able to solve complex problems and make decisions: establish criteria, using appropriate decision-making techniques including identifying, formulating and solving business problems; and the ability to create, identify and evaluate options; the ability to implement and review decisions
Using information and knowledge effectively: scanning and organising data, synthesising and analysing in order to abstract meaning from information and to share knowledge
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Professional practical skillsThis module develops:The ability to conduct research into business and management issues either
individually or as part of a team through research design, data collection, analysis, synthesis and reporting
Effective performance within team environments and the ability to recognise and utilise individuals' contributions in group processes and to negotiate and persuade or influence others; team selection, delegation, development and management
Leadership and performance management: selecting appropriate leadership style for different situations; setting targets, motivating, monitoring performance, coaching and mentoring
Transferable (key) skillsThis module develops:Effective two-way communication: listening, effective oral and written
communication of complex ideas and arguments, using a range of media, including the preparation of business reports
High personal effectiveness: critical self-awareness, self-reflection and self-management; time management; sensitivity to diversity in people and different situations and the ability to continue to learn through reflection on practice and experience
Summary of ContentThe course will introduce students to the latest thinking in the areas of creativity,
the creative process, knowledge management practices and the nature of entrepreneurship. Having established the crucial link between creativity, entrepreneurship and economic development the course proceeds with the latest thinking in the areas of creativity, entrepreneurship and economic development the course proceeds with the latest thinking in the areas of creativity, the creative process and modern knowledge management practices supported by case studies and examples of successful applications. Students will be introduced to a variety of creative problem solving techniques and learn how to apply these techniques in the context of the development, evaluation and application of ideas and concepts with
commercial potential; consider the evaluation of business ideas that translate existing business models into new national contexts.
AssessmentIndividual Coursework (3,500 words) (50%); Team Presentation (15 minutes, with
10 minutes Q&A) (25%); Team Project Report (1,500 words) (25%)
Recommended TextsSee recommended reading lists circulated at the beginning of the academic year.T14115 Contemporary Chinese Culture and Society
Credits 15
Module Convenor Fulda, Andreas
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Other Teaching Staff Lu, Yiyi
Pre-requisites: None
Co-requisites: None
AimsTo develop students' knowledge and understanding of continuity and change in
China’s society and culture during the reform era. It complements other taught-postgraduate modules on China’s contemporary history, politics, law, economic development, and business
Learning Objectives and OutcomesKnowledge and understandingThis module develops a knowledge and understanding of:• The major philosophical and theoretical approaches to studying the culture
and society of contemporary China, and of the social sciences more broadly• The role and importance of key features of Chinese society and culture• Evaluating and using a variety of sources in conducting research for their
coursework assessment• Comprehension and evaluation of the diverse research methods used in
contemporary Chinese studies, and the social sciences more broadlyIntellectual skillsThis module develops:Being able to think critically and be creative: manage the creative processes in self
and others; organise thoughts, analyse, synthesise and critically appraise. This includes the capability to identify assumptions, evaluate statements in terms of evidence, detect false logic or reasoning, identify implicit values, define terms adequately and generalise appropriately
• Being able to identify, formulate and evaluate questions or problems appropriate to the study of contemporary China
• Being able to develop a sustained and reasoned argument, whilst evaluating and articulating weaknesses in the arguments of others
• Identify and evaluate approaches to problem-solving• Articulate and communicate personal views about contemporary Chinese
studies and more generally social science issues in ChinaProfessional practical skillsThis module develops:The ability to conduct research into business and management issues either
individually or as part of a team through research design, data collection, analysis, synthesis and reporting
• The ability to evaluate the diversity of specialised techniques and approaches involved in collecting, analysing and presenting social science information (social survey, observation and use of textual and archival sources; qualitative and quantitative techniques)
Transferable (key) skillsThis module develops:Effective two-way communication: listening, effective oral and written
communication of complex ideas and arguments, using a range of media, including the preparation of business reports
High personal effectiveness: critical self-awareness, self-reflection and self-management; time management; sensitivity to diversity in people and different situations and the ability to continue to learn through reflection on practice and experience</ul>
Summary of ContentThis module introduces students to key concepts in the understanding of
contemporary Chinese culture and features of Chinese society, including:
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• Continuity and change in the Chinese family• Rural and urban society• Chinese youth and generational identity• Ethnicity and religion in contemporary China• The arts and popular culture
AssessmentCoursework 1 50% 2000 Words; Seminar 5% (2.5% for Seminar participation and
2.5% for 500 word reflection report); Coursework 2 45% 1500 words
Recommended TextsSee recommended reading lists circulated at the beginning of the academic year.
SEMESTER 2 MODULES
N14114 Strategic Human Resource Management
Credits 15
Module Convenor Aditya Jain
Other Teaching Staff
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Pre-requisites: None
Co-requisites: None
AimsTo illustrate the relationship between HRM issues and organisational context; to
show how HR decisions relate to organisational strategies.
Learning Objectives and OutcomesKnowledge and understandingThis module develops a knowledge and understanding of:People - the management and development of people within organisationsBusiness Policy and Strategy the development of appropriate policies and
strategies within a changing environment, to meet stakeholder interestsPervasive Issues - these would include sustainability, globalisation, corporate social
responsibility, diversity, business innovation, creativity, enterprise development, knowledge management and risk management
Ability to recognise and address ethical dilemmas and corporate social responsibility issues, applying ethical and organisational values to situations and choices
Intellectual skillsThis module develops:Being able to think critically and be creative: manage the creative processes in self
and others; organise thoughts, analyse, synthesise and critically appraise. This includes the capability to identify assumptions, evaluate statements in terms of evidence, detect false logic or reasoning, identify implicit values, define terms adequately and generalise appropriately
Being able to solve complex problems and make decisions: establish criteria, using appropriate decision-making techniques including identifying, formulating and solving business problems; and the ability to create, identify and evaluate options; the ability to implement and review decisions
Using information and knowledge effectively: scanning and organising data, synthesising and analysing in order to abstract meaning from information and to share knowledge
Professional practical skillsThis module develops:The ability to conduct research into business and management issues either
individually or as part of a team through research design, data collection, analysis, synthesis and reporting
Transferable (key) skillsThis module develops:High personal effectiveness: critical self-awareness, self-reflection and self-
management; time management; sensitivity to diversity in people and different situations and the ability to continue to learn through reflection on practice and experience
Summary of ContentThe module aims to develop an advanced understanding of human resource
management. Core elements of the course include recruitment and selection, training, performance management, job design, work-life balance and health and safety.
Assessment2 Hour Examination (100%)
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Recommended TextsSee recommended reading lists circulated at the beginning of the academic year.
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N14127 Managing for Sustainability
Credits 15
Module Convenor Judy Muthuri
Other Teaching Staff
Pre-requisites: None
Co-requisites: None
AimsThis module aims to introduce relationship between corporate social responsibility
and sustainable development to students with an interest in CSR.
Learning Objectives and OutcomesKnowledge and understandingThis module develops a knowledge and understanding of:Markets - the development and operation of markets for resources, goods and
servicesCustomers - customer expectations, service and orientationBusiness Policy and Strategy the development of appropriate policies and
strategies within a changing environment, to meet stakeholder interestsPervasive Issues - these would include sustainability, globalisation, corporate social
responsibility, diversity, business innovation, creativity, enterprise development, knowledge management and risk management
Ability to recognise and address ethical dilemmas and corporate social responsibility issues, applying ethical and organisational values to situations and choices
Intellectual skillsThis module develops:Being able to think critically and be creative: manage the creative processes in self
and others; organise thoughts, analyse, synthesise and critically appraise. This includes the capability to identify assumptions, evaluate statements in terms of evidence, detect false logic or reasoning, identify implicit values, define terms adequately and generalise appropriately
Being able to solve complex problems and make decisions: establish criteria, using appropriate decision-making techniques including identifying, formulating and solving business problems; and the ability to create, identify and evaluate options; the ability to implement and review decisions
Using information and knowledge effectively: scanning and organising data, synthesising and analysing in order to abstract meaning from information and to share knowledge
Professional practical skillsThis module develops:The ability to conduct research into business and management issues either
individually or as part of a team through research design, data collection, analysis, synthesis and reporting
Transferable (key) skillsThis module develops:High personal effectiveness: critical self-awareness, self-reflection and self-
management; time management; sensitivity to diversity in people and different situations and the ability to continue to learn through reflection on practice and experience
Summary of Content
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This course introduces the students to frameworks and theories used to critically assess Corporate Social Responsibility. The course will study the global drivers of corporate social behaviour, particularly analysing the role of location and national business systems in shaping behaviours. The course will also cover both the environmental and social initiatives at both corporate and sector and business-wide levels. The second part of this course will analyse managing for corporate sustainability.
Assessmentindividual Coursework (3,000 words) (50%); Individual Problem Solving (Learning
Log) (40%); Individual Presentation (10%)
Recommended TextsSee recommended reading lists circulated at the beginning of the academic year.
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N14150 Managing Tourism and Sustainability
Credits 15
Module Convenor Robert A. Lambert
Other Teaching Staff
Pre-requisites: None
Co-requisites: None
AimsTo provide an overview of contemporary debates on sustainability.To use case studies and a possible field trip to illustrate the negative and positive
aspects of the tourism-environment interaction.
Learning Objectives and OutcomesKnowledge and understandingThis module develops a knowledge and understanding of:International issues in business and managementCustomers - customer expectations, service and orientationOperations - the management of resources and operations; information systems;
the development, management and exploitation of information systems and their impact upon organisations
Business Policy and Strategy the development of appropriate policies and strategies within a changing environment, to meet stakeholder interests
Pervasive Issues - these would include sustainability, globalisation, corporate social responsibility, diversity, business innovation, creativity, enterprise development, knowledge management and risk management
Ability to recognise and address ethical dilemmas and corporate social responsibility issues, applying ethical and organisational values to situations and choices
Intellectual skillsThis module develops:Being able to think critically and be creative: manage the creative processes in self
and others; organise thoughts, analyse, synthesise and critically appraise. This includes the capability to identify assumptions, evaluate statements in terms of evidence, detect false logic or reasoning, identify implicit values, define terms adequately and generalise appropriately
Professional practical skillsThis module develops:The ability to conduct research into business and management issues either
individually or as part of a team through research design, data collection, analysis, synthesis and reporting
Effective performance within team environments and the ability to recognise and utilise individuals' contributions in group processes and to negotiate and persuade or influence others; team selection, delegation, development and management
Transferable (key) skillsThis module develops:Effective two-way communication: listening, effective oral and written
communication of complex ideas and arguments, using a range of media, including the preparation of business reports
High personal effectiveness: critical self-awareness, self-reflection and self-management; time management; sensitivity to diversity in people and different situations and the ability to continue to learn through reflection on practice and experience
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Summary of ContentThis module is concerned with providing an understanding of the theoretical and
practical issues relating to environmental, economic and socio-cultural sustainability in tourism. A day long field trip may form part of this module. Topics covered include:
Tourism and the EnvironmentSustainability and biodiversityImpact of tourism on physical and socio-cultural environmentsEco-tourism; sustainable transport systemsInternational Case studies in environmental tourism
AssessmentIndividual Coursework (4,000 words) (70%); Group Oral Presentation (25 minutes
plus 5 minutes Q&A. Submission of Powerpoint slides) (30%)
Recommended TextsSee recommended reading lists circulated at the beginning of the academic year.
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N14B27 Research Methods
Credits 15
Module Convenor Simona Spedale
Other Teaching Staff Battisti, Giuliana; Shepherd, Craig
Pre-requisites: None
Co-requisites: None
AimsTo instil familiarity with and understanding of key techniques of quantitative and
qualitative analysis. To improve accessibility of research material such as journal articles. To provide basic skills in support of both other modules taught on the MSc Programme and dissertation research involving quantitative and qualitative analysis
Learning Objectives and OutcomesKnowledge and understandingThis module develops a knowledge and understanding of:Customers - customer expectations, service and orientationPervasive Issues - these would include sustainability, globalisation, corporate social
responsibility, diversity, business innovation, creativity, enterprise development, knowledge management and risk management
Ability to recognise and address ethical dilemmas and corporate social responsibility issues, applying ethical and organisational values to situations and choices
This module develops a knowledge and understanding of theories, models, frameworks, tasks and roles of management.
Intellectual skillsThis module develops:Being able to think critically and be creative: manage the creative processes in self
and others; organise thoughts, analyse, synthesise and critically appraise. This includes the capability to identify assumptions, evaluate statements in terms of evidence, detect false logic or reasoning, identify implicit values, define terms adequately and generalise appropriately
Being able to solve complex problems and make decisions: establish criteria, using appropriate decision-making techniques including identifying, formulating and solving business problems; and the ability to create, identify and evaluate options; the ability to implement and review decisions
Using information and knowledge effectively: scanning and organising data, synthesising and analysing in order to abstract meaning from information and to share knowledge
Numeracy and quantitative skills including the development and use of relevant business models
Professional practical skillsThis module develops:The ability to conduct research into business and management issues either
individually or as part of a team through research design, data collection, analysis, synthesis and reporting
Effective use of CITEffective performance within team environments and the ability to recognise and
utilise individuals' contributions in group processes and to negotiate and persuade or influence others; team selection, delegation, development and management
Transferable (key) skillsThis module develops:
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Effective two-way communication: listening, effective oral and written communication of complex ideas and arguments, using a range of media, including the preparation of business reports
High personal effectiveness: critical self-awareness, self-reflection and self-management; time management; sensitivity to diversity in people and different situations and the ability to continue to learn through reflection on practice and experience
Summary of ContentPart I: Introduction Qualitative Analysis. This part of the module will be concerned
with the collection and analysis of qualitative data; Part II: Introduction Quantitative Analysis; Survey design and measurement, Introduction to statistics; hypothesis testing, t-tests, ANOVA, Regression Analysis and Factor Analysis.
Assessment1.5 Hour Examination (50%); Coursework (3,000 words) (50%)
Recommended TextsSee recommended reading lists circulated at the beginning of the academic year.
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N14B36 Overseas Project
Credits 15
Module Convenor Xuemei Bian
Other Teaching Staff
Pre-requisites: None
Co-requisites: None
AimsTo bring students into direct contact with a different economic and cultural
environment. To enable students to critically reflect on observed business practices and consumer experiences. To enable students to critically reflect on the literature that explores the nature of and transformation of Chinese business and consumer culture (specifically the area studies literature on Chinese culture and cultural history, urbanisation, economic reform and its consequences). To enable students to critically reflect on the international business literature as it applies to China (specifically China's role in the international business value chain, China's transformation into a global economy, China's transformation into a consumer society and the literature on globalisation and its impact on people). To enable students to critically reflect on the international business literature they have studied in other modules in the context of their observations (particularly research methods for international business and management, international marketing and strategy). Provide a framework for students to draw consulsions about the value of international business theory given their observations. Enable students to derive practical insights from their observations and reflection on the literature.
Learning Objectives and OutcomesKnowledge and understandingThis module develops a knowledge and understanding of:Markets - the development and operation of markets for resources, goods and
servicesCustomers - customer expectations, service and orientationPervasive Issues - these would include sustainability, globalisation, corporate social
responsibility, diversity, business innovation, creativity, enterprise development, knowledge management and risk management
Ability to recognise and address ethical dilemmas and corporate social responsibility issues, applying ethical and organisational values to situations and choices
Intellectual skillsThis module develops:Being able to think critically and be creative: manage the creative processes in self
and others; organise thoughts, analyse, synthesise and critically appraise. This includes the capability to identify assumptions, evaluate statements in terms of evidence, detect false logic or reasoning, identify implicit values, define terms adequately and generalise appropriately
Using information and knowledge effectively: scanning and organising data, synthesising and analysing in order to abstract meaning from information and to share knowledge
Professional practical skillsThis module develops:The ability to conduct research into business and management issues either
individually or as part of a team through research design, data collection, analysis, synthesis and reporting
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Effective performance within team environments and the ability to recognise and utilise individuals' contributions in group processes and to negotiate and persuade or influence others; team selection, delegation, development and management
Transferable (key) skillsThis module develops:Effective two-way communication: listening, effective oral and written
communication of complex ideas and arguments, using a range of media, including the preparation of business reports
High personal effectiveness: critical self-awareness, self-reflection and self-management; time management; sensitivity to diversity in people and different situations and the ability to continue to learn through reflection on practice and experience
Summary of ContentInternational business, marketing, consumer behaviour, strategy, international
economics and global trade, management, Chinese consumer and business practice, contrast between business and consumer behaviour in China and that in the United Kingdom.
AssessmentIndividual Project (4,000 words) (70%); Group Assignment (3,000 words) (30%)
Recommended TextsSee recommended reading lists circulated at the beginning of the academic year.
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N14B38 Introduction to Japanese for International Business
Credits 15
Module Convenor Darryn Mitussis
Other Teaching Staff Tamaki, Emiku
Pre-requisites: Students should have no previous knowledge of Japanese
Co-requisites: None
AimsTo enable students to interact in business situations with native speakersTo develop basic reading, writing, listening and speaking skills in the languageTo demonstrate an understanding of both basic written and spoken language
Learning Objectives and OutcomesKnowledge and understandingThis module develops a knowledge and understanding of:International issues in business and managementCustomers - customer expectations, service and orientationPeople - the management and development of people within organisationsCultural and transcultural awareness; Cultural ManagementTransferable (key) skillsThis module develops:High personal effectiveness: critical self-awareness, self-reflection and self-
management; time management; sensitivity to diversity in people and different situations and the ability to continue to learn through reflection on practice and experience
sensitivity to diversity in terms of cultural differencesListening with discrimination and Information retrieval in the Japanese languageIntroductions, negotiating, persuasion and presentation in a foreign language
Summary of ContentAn introduction to the Japanese language for use in the international business
environment
AssessmentCoursework (Listening Assessment - class test) (20%); Coursework (Reading,
Grammar and Essay - class test) (40%); Presentation (Group Oral Assessment) (40%)
Recommended TextsSee recommended reading lists circulated at the beginning of the academic year.
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N14B39 Introduction to Mandarin for International Business
Credits 15
Module Convenor Darryn Mitussis
Other Teaching Staff Guo, Lan
Pre-requisites: Students should have no previous knowledge of the Mandarin language
Co-requisites: None
AimsTo enable students to interact in business situations with native speakersTo develop basic reading, writing, listening and speaking skills in the languageTo demonstrate an understanding of both basic written and spoken language
Learning Objectives and OutcomesKnowledge and understandingThis module develops a knowledge and understanding of:Customers - customer expectations, service and orientationPeople - the management and development of people within organisationsCultural and transcultural awarenessCultural managementTransferable (key) skillsThis module develops:High personal effectiveness: critical self-awareness, self-reflection and self-
management; time management; sensitivity to diversity in people and different situations and the ability to continue to learn through reflection on practice and experience
sensitivity to diversity in terms of cultural differencesListening with discrimination and Information retrieval in the Mandarin languageIntroductions, negotiating, persuasion and presentation in a foreign language
Summary of ContentAn introduction to Mandarin for use in the international business environment
AssessmentCoursework (2 assignments plus in-class listening assessment) (20%); Coursework
(Reading, Grammar and Essay - Class test) (40%); Presentation (Group Oral Assessment) (40%)
Recommended TextsSee recommended reading lists circulated at the beginning of the academic year.
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N14B40 Introduction to Spanish for International Business
Credits 15
Module Convenor Darryn Mitussis
Other Teaching Staff Rigby, Olga
Pre-requisites: Students should have no previous knowledge of Spanish
Co-requisites: None
AimsTo enable students to interact in business situations with native speakersTo develop basic reading, writing, listening and speaking skills in the languageTo demonstrate an understanding of both basic written and spoken language
Learning Objectives and OutcomesKnowledge and understandingThis module develops a knowledge and understanding of:International issues in business and managementCustomers - customer expectations, service and orientationPeople - the management and development of people within organisationsCultural and transcultural awarenessCultural managementTransferable (key) skillsThis module develops:High personal effectiveness: critical self-awareness, self-reflection and self-
management; time management; sensitivity to diversity in people and different situations and the ability to continue to learn through reflection on practice and experience
sensitivity to diversity in terms of cultural differencesListening with discrimination and Information retrieval in the Spanish languageIntroductions, negotiating, persuasion and presentation in a foreign language
Summary of ContentAn introduction to the Spanish language for use in the international business
environment
AssessmentCoursework (Essay - Class Test) (20%); Coursework (Reading and Grammar - Class
Test) (40%); Presentation (Group Oral Assessment) (40%)
Recommended TextsSee recommended reading lists circulated at the beginning of the academic year.
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N14B41 E-Business
Credits 15
Module Convenor Duncan R. Shaw
Other Teaching Staff
Pre-requisites: None
Co-requisites: None
AimsTo familiarise participants with the strategic management issues and technology
developments associated with e-business.To provide participants with a solid strategic business view of the uses of web
technologies and Information Systems.To help participants understand how and why e-businesses are successful or not,
i.e. what makes them 'tick'.
Learning Objectives and OutcomesKnowledge and understandingThis module develops a knowledge and understanding of:Markets - the development and operation of markets for resources, goods and
servicesCustomers - customer expectations, service and orientationOperations - the management of resources and operations; information systems;
the development, management and exploitation of information systems and their impact upon organisations
Communication and Information Technology (CIT) - comprehension and use of relevant CIT for application in business and management
Business Policy and Strategy the development of appropriate policies and strategies within a changing environment, to meet stakeholder interests
Pervasive Issues - these would include sustainability, globalisation, corporate social responsibility, diversity, business innovation, creativity, enterprise development, knowledge management and risk management
Effective qualitative problem solving and decision-making skills.The ability to apply business models to business problems and phenomena.The effective use of information and communications technology (ICT) skills for
business applicationsThe ability to create, evaluate and access a range of options, together with the
capacity to apply ideas and knowledge to a range of business and other situations.
Understanding of the link between theoretical and empirical work.The ability to research both country and case-study material.The ability to write accessible and insightful reports.Intellectual skillsThis module develops:Being able to think critically and be creative: manage the creative processes in self
and others; organise thoughts, analyse, synthesise and critically appraise. This includes the capability to identify assumptions, evaluate statements in terms of evidence, detect false logic or reasoning, identify implicit values, define terms adequately and generalise appropriately
Being able to solve complex problems and make decisions: establish criteria, using appropriate decision-making techniques including identifying, formulating and solving business problems; and the ability to create, identify and evaluate options; the ability to implement and review decisions
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Using information and knowledge effectively: scanning and organising data, synthesising and analysing in order to abstract meaning from information and to share knowledge
Numeracy and quantitative skills including the development and use of relevant business models
Professional practical skillsThis module develops:The ability to conduct research into business and management issues either
individually or as part of a team through research design, data collection, analysis, synthesis and reporting
Effective use of CITEffective performance within team environments and the ability to recognise and
utilise individuals' contributions in group processes and to negotiate and persuade or influence others; team selection, delegation, development and management
Transferable (key) skillsThis module develops:Effective two-way communication: listening, effective oral and written
communication of complex ideas and arguments, using a range of media, including the preparation of business reports
High personal effectiveness: critical self-awareness, self-reflection and self-management; time management; sensitivity to diversity in people and different situations and the ability to continue to learn through reflection on practice and experience
Effective oral and written communication skills in a range of traditional and electronic media.
Effective self-management in terms of time, planning and behaviour, motivation, self-starting, individual initiative and enterprise.
Learning to learn and developing an appetite for reflective, adaptive and collaborative learning.
The interpersonal skills for effective listening, negotiating, persuasion and presentation.
Summary of ContentThe e-Business module is aimed at future managers and business people who want
to know how information and communications technologies (ICTs) can help them to be successful in their careers by understanding how companies use these technologies.
AssessmentIndividual Project (4,000 words) (70%); Presentation (30%)
Recommended TextsSee recommended reading lists circulated at the beginning of the academic year.
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N14B45 International Business Strategy
Credits 15
Module Convenor Chengqi Wang
Other Teaching Staff
Pre-requisites: N14B44.
Co-requisites: None
AimsThe module’s principle aim is to develop understanding of international business
strategy and practice application of it through cases and examples. The module focus is on the assessment of challenges and strategies facing international managers. Detailed case-studies are examined, illustrating more general points by referring to firms and entrepreneurs that have set important benchmarks in business performance and globalisation.
Learning Objectives and OutcomesKnowledge and understandingThis module develops a knowledge and understanding of:Markets - the development and operation of markets for resources, goods and
servicesPeople - the management and development of people within organisationsOperations - the management of resources and operations; information systems;
the development, management and exploitation of information systems and their impact upon organisations
Communication and Information Technology (CIT) - comprehension and use of relevant CIT for application in business and management
Business Policy and Strategy the development of appropriate policies and strategies within a changing environment, to meet stakeholder interests
Pervasive Issues - these would include sustainability, globalisation, corporate social responsibility, diversity, business innovation, creativity, enterprise development, knowledge management and risk management
Intellectual skillsThis module develops:Being able to think critically and be creative: manage the creative processes in self
and others; organise thoughts, analyse, synthesise and critically appraise. This includes the capability to identify assumptions, evaluate statements in terms of evidence, detect false logic or reasoning, identify implicit values, define terms adequately and generalise appropriately
Using information and knowledge effectively: scanning and organising data, synthesising and analysing in order to abstract meaning from information and to share knowledge
Professional practical skillsThis module develops:The ability to conduct research into business and management issues either
individually or as part of a team through research design, data collection, analysis, synthesis and reporting
Leadership and performance management: selecting appropriate leadership style for different situations; setting targets, motivating, monitoring performance, coaching and mentoring
Transferable (key) skillsThis module develops:Effective two-way communication: listening, effective oral and written
communication of complex ideas and arguments, using a range of media, including the preparation of business reports
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High personal effectiveness: critical self-awareness, self-reflection and self-management; time management; sensitivity to diversity in people and different situations and the ability to continue to learn through reflection on practice and experience
Summary of ContentApproaches to strategy for international businesses; cases and examples of
international businesses.
Assessment2 Hour Examination (50%); Group Coursework (3,000 words) (50%)
Recommended TextsSee recommended reading lists circulated at the beginning of the academic year.
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N14B46 Essentials of International Marketing
Credits 15
Module Convenor Xuemei Bian
Other Teaching Staff
Pre-requisites: Students must have no prior knowledge of Marketing
Co-requisites: None
AimsThe course provides students with an in-depth understanding of current issues in
marketing in general and international marketing theory and practice in particular. It encourages critical thinking about international marketing theories and practices.
Learning Objectives and OutcomesKnowledge and understandingThis module develops a knowledge and understanding of:International issues in business and managementCustomers - customer expectations, service and orientationBusiness Policy and Strategy the development of appropriate policies and
strategies within a changing environment, to meet stakeholder interestsPervasive Issues - these would include sustainability, globalisation, corporate social
responsibility, diversity, business innovation, creativity, enterprise development, knowledge management and risk management
Intellectual skillsThis module develops:Being able to think critically and be creative: manage the creative processes in self
and others; organise thoughts, analyse, synthesise and critically appraise. This includes the capability to identify assumptions, evaluate statements in terms of evidence, detect false logic or reasoning, identify implicit values, define terms adequately and generalise appropriately
Being able to solve complex problems and make decisions: establish criteria, using appropriate decision-making techniques including identifying, formulating and solving business problems; and the ability to create, identify and evaluate options; the ability to implement and review decisions
Using information and knowledge effectively: scanning and organising data, synthesising and analysing in order to abstract meaning from information and to share knowledge
Professional practical skillsThis module develops:The ability to conduct research into business and management issues either
individually or as part of a team through research design, data collection, analysis, synthesis and reporting
Effective performance within team environments and the ability to recognise and utilise individuals' contributions in group processes and to negotiate and persuade or influence others; team selection, delegation, development and management
Transferable (key) skillsThis module develops:Effective two-way communication: listening, effective oral and written
communication of complex ideas and arguments, using a range of media, including the preparation of business reports
High personal effectiveness: critical self-awareness, self-reflection and self-management; time management; sensitivity to diversity in people and
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different situations and the ability to continue to learn through reflection on practice and experience
Summary of ContentThe module will introduce the core marketing concepts and techniques prior to
covering aspects of marketing that are explicitly international. The course provides an overview of the changing international business environment and its challenges for international firms. It critically reviews contemporary issues in international marketing and provides insights into the development of competitive strategies and international marketing management within the context of consumer goods, industrial goods and services. The module is designed to develop an appreciation of the special requirements for successfully conducting international marketing activities. The course aims to provide students with an in-depth understanding of current issues in international marketing theory and practice.
AssessmentIndividual Coursework (5,000 words) (100%)
Recommended TextsSee recommended reading lists circulated at the beginning of the academic year.
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N14B51 Innovation Management
Credits 10
Module Convenor Hannah Noke
Other Teaching Staff
Pre-requisites: None
Co-requisites: None
AimsTo help students to understand the knowledge and skills required to manage
innovation by considerating a number of different perspectives; industrial perspectives, innovation within an organisation, and finally innovation from a managerial perspective.
Learning Objectives and OutcomesKnowledge and understandingThis module develops a knowledge and understanding of:Pervasive Issues - these would include sustainability, globalisation, corporate social
responsibility, diversity, business innovation, creativity, enterprise development, knowledge management and risk management
Intellectual skillsThis module develops:Being able to think critically and be creative: manage the creative processes in self
and others; organise thoughts, analyse, synthesise and critically appraise. This includes the capability to identify assumptions, evaluate statements in terms of evidence, detect false logic or reasoning, identify implicit values, define terms adequately and generalise appropriately
Professional practical skillsThis module develops:Effective performance within team environments and the ability to recognise and
utilise individuals' contributions in group processes and to negotiate and persuade or influence others; team selection, delegation, development and management
Transferable (key) skillsThis module develops:Effective two-way communication: listening, effective oral and written
communication of complex ideas and arguments, using a range of media, including the preparation of business reports
High personal effectiveness: critical self-awareness, self-reflection and self-management; time management; sensitivity to diversity in people and different situations and the ability to continue to learn through reflection on practice and experience
Summary of ContentIntroduction - What is Innovation Management?; Building an Innovation
Organisation; Innovation and Family Firms; External Guest Speaker; Sources of Innovation and Networks; Innovation Strategy and Blue Ocean Strategy; Selecting the Right Idea; Implementing Ideas; Capturing Learning; Group Presentations - Appraisal of Innovation
Management of an Innovative Firm; consider the challenges of managing innovative products, services, processes and business models that are to be delivered across different international contexts.
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AssessmentIndividual Report (70%); Group Presentation (15 minutes & 10 minutes Q&A) (30%)
Recommended TextsSee recommended reading lists circulated at the beginning of the academic year.
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T14116 Managing International Business in China
Credits 15
Module Convenor Zhang, Jing
Other Teaching Staff
Pre-requisites: None
Co-requisites: None
AimsTo develop students’ ability to apply theoretical frameworks and models to the
analysis of practical issues of managing international business in China; to enhance students’ understanding of current business and management practices of multinational companies operating in China; to foster students’ cultural awareness
Learning Objectives and OutcomesKnowledge and understandingThis module develops a knowledge and understanding of:Markets - the development and operation of markets for resources, goods and
servicesPeople - the management and development of people within organisationsBuisness Policy and Strategy the development of appropriate policies and
strategies within a changing environment, to meet stakeholder interestsPervasive Issues - these would include sustainability, globalisation, corporate social
responsibility, diversity, business innovation, creativity, enterprise development, knowledge management and risk management
Intellectual skillsThis module develops:Being able to think critically and be creative: manage the creative processes in self
and others; organise thoughts, analyse, synthesise and critically appraise. This includes the capability to identify assumptions, evaluate statements in terms of evidence, detect false logic or reasoning, identify implicit values, define terms adequately and generalise appropriately
Using information and knowledge effectively: scanning and organising data, synthesising and analysing in order to abstract meaning from information and to share knowledge
• Identify, formulate and evaluate questions or problems appropriate to management studies in contemporary China
• Articulate and communicate personal views about management issues in contemporary China
Professional practical skillsThis module develops:The ability to conduct research into business and management issues either
individually or as part of a team through research design, data collection, analysis, synthesis and reporting
Transferable (key) skillsThis module develops:Effective two-way communication: listening, effective oral and written
communication of complex ideas and arguments, using a range of media, including the preparation of business reports
High personal effectiveness: critical self-awareness, self-reflection and self-management; time management; sensitivity to diversity in people and different situations and the ability to continue to learn through reflection on practice and experience</ul>
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Summary of ContentThis module analyses the basic issues of managing international business in
contemporary China, including entry mode selection, alliance management, negotiation with Chinese partners, cross-cultural human resource management, cross-cultural marketing, protection of intellectual property rights, corporate finance, and strategic management. These issues are discussed in the light of the relevant theoretical frameworks and models of international business and management, with reference to current business and management practices of multinational companies operating in China. The context of China’s general business environment and specific international business regimes are also examined.
AssessmentEssay (3,000 words) (60%); 1 Hour Examination (35%); Seminar Participation (5%)
Recommended TextsSee recommended reading lists circulated at the beginning of the academic year.
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DISSERTATION
N14B20 Dissertation: MSc International Business
Credits 60
Module Convenor Darryn Mitussis
Other Teaching Staff
Pre-requisites: Completion of the modules on the MSc International Business
Co-requisites: None
AimsTo enable students to demonstrate their understanding of and ability to use techniques and methods of analysis through independent research, and to significantly develop their business and management knowledge and related
analytical and communication skills.
Learning Objectives and OutcomesKnowledge and understandingThis module develops a knowledge and understanding of:Business Policy and Strategy the development of appropriate policies and
strategies within a changing environment, to meet stakeholder interestsPervasive Issues - these would include sustainability, globalisation, corporate social
responsibility, diversity, business innovation, creativity, enterprise development, knowledge management and risk management
Intellectual skillsThis module develops:Being able to think critically and be creative: manage the creative processes in self
and others; organise thoughts, analyse, synthesise and critically appraise. This includes the capability to identify assumptions, evaluate statements in terms of evidence, detect false logic or reasoning, identify implicit values, define terms adequately and generalise appropriately
Being able to solve complex problems and make decisions: establish criteria, using appropriate decision-making techniques including identifying, formulating and solving business problems; and the ability to create, identify and evaluate options; the ability to implement and review decisions
Using information and knowledge effectively: scanning and organising data, synthesising and analysing in order to abstract meaning from information and to share knowledge
Professional practical skillsThis module develops:The ability to conduct research into business and management issues either
individually or as part of a team through research design, data collection, analysis, synthesis and reporting
Transferable (key) skillsThis module develops:Effective two-way communication: listening, effective oral and written
communication of complex ideas and arguments, using a range of media, including the preparation of business reports
High personal effectiveness: critical self-awareness, self-reflection and self-management; time management; sensitivity to diversity in people and different situations and the ability to continue to learn through reflection on practice and experience
Summary of Content
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Dissertation on an international management topic selected by the candidate, in consultation with the Course Director and a member of staff designated as dissertation supervisor.
Assessment20,000 Word Dissertation (100%)
Recommended TextsSee recommended reading lists circulated at the beginning of the academic year.
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Elective modules: Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What happens if I want to choose an elective module that is outside of the selection for my Masters degree?
Students are expected to choose any elective modules from within the selection shown as part of their degree structure, or in some cases, a maximum of 15 credits can be chosen from an additional list of optional modules subject to meeting any pre-requisites and timetabling constraints. In exceptional cases it may be possible to choose no more than one module from another Postgraduate degree, again subject to meeting any pre-requisites and timetabling constraints. The module must be of an equivalent standard to the one that they are substituting, in both level that is appropriate to the course that they are undertaking, and number of credits attained.
Students would be expected to make a case for wishing to do so (a written rationale), to be submitted to the Postgraduate Officer, and is subject to approval from the Director, Director of MSc Programmes, and if outside of the Business School, the host school. Students would then be notified by email of the result.
Q. I have submitted by module selection by the Business School deadline but upon reflection, I want to change one of my modules. Can I do this?
The University does allow for the following two week ‘change of mind’ periods.
← Autumn Semester – the two weeks immediately following University Registration (i.e. first 2 weeks of teaching). Students are able to change any (autumn, spring or full-year) optional modules.
Spring Semester – the first two weeks of the spring semester. At this point, students can change only spring semester optional modules.
During these periods, students are able to change their module choices by completing a ‘Module Change Request Form’ available from the Postgraduate Reception.
If the choice of module is taken from the selection available for your Masters degree, then the Postgraduate Officer would check and approve this and students would then be notified by email or the result.
Any modules that are not on the selection for your Masters degree must follow the procedure outlined in question 1 above, i.e. student must supply a written rationale to the Postgraduate Officer, and the request is then subject to approval from their Course Director, Director of MSc Programmes, and if outside of the Business School, the host school.
Students are not permitted to register for additional modules in order to compensate for a perceived poor performance in previous modules.
Q. Can I change my module choice after the two week ‘Change of Mind’ period?
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After these ‘change of mind’ periods, a change to a module registration will only be accepted in exceptional circumstances and where the choice is formally approved, i.e. approval from the School offering the module and/or from the student’s home School.
Students will need to also complete an ‘Exceptional Amendment Form’ available from the Postgraduate Office. Students would also be expected to make a case for the amendment (a written rationale) and supply this along with the completed form. All Business students would also need to seek approval and receive confirmation in writing from the Director of MSc Programmes. The registration process for the new module (and de-registration for the old one) must also be fully complete before they start attending another lecture.
The University’s Quality Manual states:
‘It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that any changes in Module choice are notified to their School / Department immediately, as the University reserves the right to give marks only for Modules that the student is formally enrolled for. In these cases, a mark of zero may be awarded for the module a student is enrolled on, even though they have actually studied and successfully completed another module, on which they are not registered’.
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