London College of Accountancy

Postgraduate Programme Overview and Module Descriptions for:

• Postgraduate Certificate in Business Management
• Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management
• MSc in Business Management

MSc in Business Management (PGC/PGD)
The MSc in Business Management comprises of 180 credit points.  Each module is worth 15 credit points other than the Integrated Case Study which is credit rated as 30 credit points. 

Students who do not complete the MSc may exit their studies with a Postgraduate Certificate in Business Management or a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management. 

The Postgraduate Certificate requires the successful completion of four 15 credit point modules (60 credit points).  The Postgraduate Diploma requires successful completion of eight 15 credit point modules (120 credit points) one of which must be Entrepreneurship and Business Development. 

There are no pre-requisites within the MSc other than the Integrated Case Study module, which can only be attempted after completing the  study of (or being exempt from) at least eight modules.

Business in Context (Assignment)
The module puts students inside a business, gaining an understanding of how business strategy and operations are both driven by the business environment and impact upon the business environment. Students will gain an insight into business opportunities and threats in a global context and a competitive context.

Managing Business Finance (Examination)
This module is designed to develop the students understanding of key financial information, financial analysis and financial sources for general managers in modern business.  The module develops students understanding of the three key areas of managing finance within a business: generating financing, managing finance and assessing financial performance.

Human Resource Management (Examination)
This module encourages the manager to recognise the role played by Human Resource Management in the ability of the organisation to operate effectively in the national, international and global context. The importance of effective HRM in the management of change and organisational development is analysed as is the process of globalisation and the management of human resources in different organisational and national cultures.

Information Analysis for Business (Assignment)
This module provides the foundation for business research and the core analytical skills required by business professionals to maximise the value of information.  Students will develop the skills to understand business information requirements, the source, validity and value of business information and to analyse and report on research findings.

Global Economics (Examination)
The basic objective of this course is to help students acquire new skills and economic concepts that they can apply in their daily way of thinking about economic situations. The course will take an applied-theory approach based upon numerous examples to clarify the main points and illustrate the fundamental economic approach to situations based upon scarcity. A basic unifying theme will be gains from trade, economic efficiency and incentive structures and the process of globalisation as enhanced by such vehicles as multinational enterprises, consumers and governments.

Operations and Project Management (Examination)
Operations Management involves all the activities, decisions and responsibilities for managing the production and delivery of products and services.  Managing business operations is not only vital to implement and support any organisation’s strategic plans, but it can also drive strategic change and be a key source of competitive advantage.

Global Business Strategy (Examination)
This module investigates strategy within an international context. It assess the impact of globalisation on contemporary organisations, evaluates how managers should respond to different national cultures and assesses the pros and cons of a variety of international market entry options.

Entrepreneurship and Business Development (Assignment & Presentation)
This module investigates entrepreneurship and innovation in the modern business environment.  It aims to integrate theoretical and practical knowledge of business and management issues into a practical business plan for a SME and develops knowledge of entrepreneurialism to provide the basic building blocks for successfully generating entrepreneurial ventures.

Implementing Business Strategy (Examination)
This module develops knowledge of key implementation strategy models and refers to the practical tools and techniques underpinning the success of implementing organisational strategy and change.  The key elements of change management tactics, managing risk in implementation and managing subsequent performance will be studied in detail.

Marketing in the Global Context (Examination)
Present day customers are sophisticated consumers of product and service offers, mobile, articulate and can discriminate between alternative offers, and consequently make choices that hitherto were unthinkable.  This rise of ‘globalisation’ in the marketing arena is a key focus of this module.  Individuals and organisations have significant switching power, can accept and reject offers quickly, and have portfolios of acquisition patterns that are unpredictable.  What was regarded as a market, segmented by socio-economic groupings, or benefits has to be re-defined in modern marketing.  The rise in cross-border consumer power is analysed in terms of its implications on the marketing strategies developed by companies.

Capstone Module (Integrated Case Study) 
The Capstone Module is designed to promote critical thinking and provide an opportunity for students to demonstrate some or all of the following in a practitioner environment:

• The ability to challenge and meaningful question issues in relation to their business and management specialisms, reflecting upon international business environments
• Depth of knowledge which may involve working at the current limits of theoretical, practitioner and or research understanding
• Awareness of and ability to develop solutions to ethical dilemmas likely to arise in their research or professional practice through reflection and application of International ethical and governance codes.
• The ability to draw meaningful and justifiable conclusions from information which may be complex or contradictory
• The ability to communicate these processes in a clear and effective manner.