Fundamentals of senior management
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| 8 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) | |
| Examination | Includes residential school |
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This course is available for study in the countries shown. Fees may vary by country.
Summary
This is a challenging course combining rigorous analytical work with personal and professional development. It will give you a thorough grounding in management concepts and principles, familiarise you with a wide variety of techniques and approaches, improve your self-awareness and interpersonal skills and help you to develop reflective and critical thinking. The course will expose you to a wide range of managerial challenges – focusing on the context of management, the practice of management, improving performance, project management and managing change. Analytical and review material is complemented by function-specific study sessions, and the course includes a residential school (either face-to-face or online).
This course is offered with online tuition only. You may register for a combination of face-to-face and online tuition by choosing course code B713.
Course content
By the time you complete the course you should be able to:
- deal confidently with specialists (in finance, marketing, human resources, for example) and tackle complex cross-functional problems;
- evaluate your organisation’s practices and contribute to improved performance;
- appreciate the contribution of management theories, recognising when and how they can be applied in organisations;
- exploit the personal computer as both a tool and a rapidly developing medium of communication.
The course is presented in four blocks. Each block consists of a set of study materials that introduce and explain a range of management topics. These materials are specially written for self-study and present and summarise the views of management experts and practitioners from a range of backgrounds. The written materials are supported by audio-visual material, and the course has its own website. You will participate in online forums, where you will have the opportunity to discuss course issues with other students, tutors and members of the course team.
Block 1, The context of management, presents and discusses some of the fundamental models that underpin management theory and practice in the key functional areas of human resources, operations, marketing, information management, accountancy and finance. You may be familiar with some of these, but it is likely that in many areas the conceptual information will be new. The models are supported by examples from a range of commercial and non-profit sectors, and you are encouraged to carry out a number of activities that relate the analytical frameworks to your own work experience. The study sessions are linked by a Perspectives book that challenges some of the models and encourages you to engage in critical analysis. The block ends with a case study that brings together a number of the main themes from the block.
The structure of Block 2, The practice of management, is similar: a number of study sessions, linked with a Perspectives book, supported by audio-visual material and ending with a case study. In this block, however, the emphasis shifts to management practice, again supported by examples from a range of business and service contexts.
Block 3, Improving performance, builds on the material in the previous block, but here the emphasis is on strategies for improvement. This material is significantly more sophisticated and challenging than in the first half of the course. It will introduce a range of ideas that are new and that will stimulate discussion, and it will extend your management thinking.
Block 4 considers two related themes, Managing projects and change. It introduces frameworks for understanding and implementing change in organisations and managing projects. The block considers common drivers for change and approaches to implementing and managing it. It also looks at the management of projects, taking the human and political aspects into account as well as the technical aspects.
Vocational relevance
The course is related to N/SVQs in management at Level 4 and in operational management and strategic management at Level 5.
Residential school
Attendance at a residential school is compulsory for satisfactory completion of the course.
You can choose to attend either a four-day face-to-face residential school or an online version. The online activity runs over a period of three weeks. The cost of the school (or the alternative learning experience) is included in the course fee. See our Residential Schools website for more information.
Entry
This is the Stage 1 course in our OU Business School masters degree programme for holders of an honours degree in subjects other than Management or Business Studies. Applicants with a degree in either of the latter two subjects are recommended to study the Professional Diploma in Management by taking Managing performance and change (B700) as their route through Stage 1, which is designed to make use of their prior study in the subject. Normally, to register for BZX713 you must have a UK honours degree or equivalent professional qualification, and have a minimum of three years’ experience in a managerial, professional or technical role. Usually this means that you are at least 25 years old.
Exceptionally, very experienced managers who do not meet these entry requirements may be accepted. If you don’t have an honours degree or equivalent, the open-entry route is first to study The Professional Certificate in Management (B615) which qualifies you then to take the Diploma as your route through Stage 1. Bachelors degrees majoring in Business Studies or Management, awarded by a UK or EU university or other recognised degree-awarding body may give access directly to the Diploma. If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Qualifications
BZX713 is an optional course in our
- MBA (F02)
- Postgraduate Certificate in Business Administration (C66)
- Postgraduate Diploma in Computing for Commerce and Industry (C02)
- Postgraduate Diploma in Development Management (D37)
- Master of Public Administration (F44)
- MBA (Life Sciences) (F38)
- MBA (Technology Management) (F03)
- MSc in Computing for Commerce and Industry (F05)
- MSc in Development Management (F11)
- MSc in Human Resource Management (F40)
- MSc in International Finance and Management (F39)
- MSc in Software Development (F26)
- MSc in Strategic Management of Information Systems (F54)
Some postgraduate qualifications allow study to be chosen from other subject areas. We advise you to refer to the relevant qualification descriptions for information on the circumstances in which this course can count towards these qualifications because from time to time the structure and requirements may change.
Excluded combinations
Sometimes you will not be able to count a course towards a qualification if you have already taken another course with similar content. To check any excluded combinations relating to this course, visit our excluded combination finder or check with our Student Registration & Enquiry Service before registering.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
The course materials are available in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). Some Adobe PDF components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader. Large print versions of the course materials can be provided on request. Other alternative formats of the course materials may be available in the future. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.
You will need to spend extensive amounts of time using a personal computer and the internet. You may like to consider taking the conventional version of this course, B713.
If you are a new student, or new to courses using a computer or the internet, you will need to inform us of your particular needs as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Details of how to do this and our range of support services are described in our booklets Meeting Your Needs and Meeting your residential school needs, which you can download or request from our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
You can also find information about accessible course materials, financial support and the Disabled Students' Allowance, equipment and other services, on our Services for disabled students website. It also includes our contact details for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.
Course materials
What's included
Course materials include study guides, other printed materials, multimedia, website, and online forums.
You will need
Television and DVD player, CD player.
Computing
The personal computer plays an essential role throughout the course for both learning and communication. It is used to submit assignments, for financial modelling and analysis with spreadsheets, group work, discussion and online forums. After registration you will receive the necessary communication software, and an introductory forum will be held before the course begins. You will have access to a website that offers resources for the course. If you are not familiar with online forums and communication, you should allow yourself a couple of weeks to ensure that you will be able to make full use of the opportunities. Information and help will be available before the course begins.
Computing requirements
This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave.
You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new computer since 2002 it should meet your course computing requirements. Check our Technical Requirements section if your computer is older than this or is otherwise unusual.
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You will have a tutor who will help you with the course material, will mark and comment on your written work. You can also ask your tutor for advice and guidance. You will contact your tutor by email and online forums as well as by telephone or correspondence. On this version of the course, all the tutoring takes place online. Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.
Assessment
The assessment details for this course can be found in the facts box above.
You will be expected to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) online through the eTMA system unless there are some difficulties which prevent you from doing so. In these circumstances, you must negotiate with your tutor to get their agreement to submit your assignment on paper.
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
Future availability
The details given here are for the final course start in May 2010.
How to register
To register a place on this course return to the top of the page and use the Click to register button. For more information and advice about registration see OU Study Explained.
About this page
A postgraduate course in Business and Management.
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Student Reviews
This course has huge problems and I wish to warn fellow students who may be thinking of spending a large ...
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All tutors are trained to help with queries. If a student is dissatisfied with their tutor they should contact their ...
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The course gave me a general background into a whole range of management issues. I felt the materials were well ...
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