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The idea of managers who can 'bridge' between different areas is one that has been promoted by the British Computing Society (BCS) for some time. The 'bridger' has to have a wide perspective and be equipped with the organisational and people skills to break down the barriers between IT and business. The aim of this course is to develop you to be a leader in your organisation, enabling the full benefits of modern technology to be realised. The course is interdisciplinary and you will learn about information systems alongside the core areas of business and management which are at the heart of this course.
The course will prepare you to make critical high-level decisions and to back these up with the best information gathering and deployment methods. You will also develop your ability to analyse problems logically and apply appropriate decision-making skills and knowledge to reach feasible, realistic conclusions.
There is a widely-recognised shortage of managers who are knowledgeable about infomation systems but who also have a strong understanding of business. On successful completion of this course, you will be well-placed to start a career in general management or in areas requiring a strong foundation in information systems.
During the course you will:
Areas of study you may cover on this course include:
Assessment within this course is designed to recognise the diverse nature of the student background and experience, and to ensure there is alignment between the assessment strategy and the learning outcomes of this course. The assessment strategy will incorporate the blended learning approach coupled with a variety of assessment styles in order to make the most feedback opportunities in both formative and summative methods.
A range of assessment methods are used throughout the course. You will be required to undertake a variety of group and individually based assessments. These assessments include individual essays, reports presentations and examinations, and group based reports and presentations. The assessments are designed to test knowledge and understanding of the appropriate subject matter, but also to demonstrate the range of skills identified in section 3 above.
The assessment strategy underlines the programmes concern with research and independent thinking, critical knowledge of theory and practice, the ability to make information decisions and communicate these under time pressure and, finally, the all-important skills of teamwork and oral communication of ideas.
The written assignments and group reports contribute to the learning outcomes focusing on your ability to research and critically evaluate elements of the curriculum in depth. They generally allow you to use a variety of named sources to support your viewpoints.
The end of unit examinations focus primarily on critical discussion of theory and current practice and provide the reassurance of guaranteed student authorship, and a true measure of your own ability and understanding.
The time constrained tests will be more cursory in nature, generally assessing awareness, understanding and application of elements of the curriculum.
The significant weighting given to individual and group presentations stresses the primacy of team work and of effective oral communication based on research and creative, holistic thinking about organisational, media and stakeholder issues.
This programme of study aims to achieve the following:
Organisations where people do not work together fail. In most units you will find that group work forms a component of the activity. In some units this draws from in class discussions and in others it is a fundamental part of the assessment. We value the diversity of background that participants in the course bring. We try to capitalise on this in class by drawing from your knowledge and background in the in-class group activities and assessments. Tutors facilitate the group and provide feedback and support where necessary. Group working is so important that we use this as the starting point of your finishing point the Advanced Management Project. Here the group is presented with a significant management issue and the team scopes and defines the problem (with support). The team then collects appropriate information and shares this prior to their creation of an individual report and reflection.
A foundation degree will be of particular interest if you have completed a Modern Apprenticeship, vocational A levels, BTEC National or equivalent.
Foundation degrees are also particularly suitable if you want to qualify while working.
Many students studying for foundation degrees come to us through work-based routes so you can apply for a foundation degree even if you don’t have traditional academic qualifications.
We welcome applicants with relevant work experience.
We will consider you as an individual and take into account all elements of your application, not just your qualifications. We are looking for both breadth and depth in your current studies as well as enthusiasm for the subject you wish to study.
The general requirement is one of the following:
As a general guide, to apply for a place on an undergraduate course (BA/BSc) at the University you need to have completed your high school education and have the required English qualification.
We have students from all the European Union member countries so we are quick to make decisions on most qualifications.
(Please note that applicants on a full student visa are not eligible for part-time study)
We recommend that you apply directly to the University where possible, as this allows us to offer the quickest turnaround time for your application.
Please read the Direct application instructions before completing the course application form.
Application forms for accommodation in the student halls at Bedford campus and Luton campus are available in the Student life section
APL is available for international students applying for undergraduate (Bachelor degree) study. Please do not use this APL form to apply for postgraduate courses.
Use the APL form to tell us about any non-standard qualifications and/or work experience you have that you think should be taken into consideration with your application. `
The APL form should be submitted at the same time as the course application form.
We regret we are unable to process APL forms from students who have not submitted a formal course application form.
Return your completed application to:
University of Bedfordshire
International Admissions
Park Square
Luton
Bedfordshire
LU1 3JU
United Kingdom
T: +44 (0)1582 489326 (non-EU Students)
F: +44 (0)1582 743469
E: international-admissions@beds.ac.uk
Communication
The ability to communicate effectively is universally recognised as a key skill in an aspiring manager. We try to help you develop your communication skills in a variety of ways in all of the units that you study. There is a core unit in business communication which demonstrates how important we consider this to be. While communication is typically broken down to written and oral this broad classification in no way represents the diversity of opportunities that you will be give. To develop your written communication skills you will be exposed to a wide variety of applications. Business reports and essays (there are not too many essays) are obvious ones but you will also be completing briefing papers, keeping notes, writing proposals and plans. The oral side is equally diverse and you are encouraged to develop your oral skills through class discussions and presentation. A PowerPoint presentation combines both oral and written communication and you will become more experienced at using these.
Information Literacy
In the UK, information literacy is defined by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals as: "Information literacy is knowing when and why you need information, where to find it, and how to evaluate, use and communicate it in an ethical manner." Right from induction you are introduced to the sources that the university has. We invest heavily in electronic sources of information as well as paper based ones and you are introduced to the range and diversity of what is available to you. The majority, if not all of the units that you study will expect you to search out relevant information and so your skills will improve throughout the course.
To help with the development of this you will use of the Internet as a research tool; analysis of websites, SMS etc. as communication media; use of online data/journals e.g. Keynote, EBSCO; use of PowerPoint as a presentational medium
Research and Evaluation
Through the analysis, processing and justification of numerical data: budgets; brand equity; return on investment measurement e.g. AVEs; other technical formulae OTS, CPT, TVRs. Problem solving permeates much of the course. In most, if not all, units you will be expected to search out relevant information and academic literature. Identifying information and theory is only the start, you must assess the relevance of information and the applicability to the context at hand of the competing theories that you find. This requires critical assessment of the material that you have. Obviously, tutors will present their own critical evaluations of theory and the applicability of theory in particular contexts within class and you should learn from this to develop your own perspectives.
Creativity and Critical Thinking
If running a business were a simple thing then all you would have to do to succeed is read a textbook and follow the guidance given. Theories are a great basis for running organisations but the way that you implement them is critical to how well they can help you. This is where creativity comes in. You need to be looking for different and creative ways to apply what you learn on the course. Of course we give you ample opportunities to develop your creativity. You will find class sessions provide opportunities for discussion of case examples where other classmates have very different solutions to the ones that you have thought of, some more creative than yours and others less. Most of the assignments that you tackle will call for some degree of creativity and so you will get plenty of practice in developing and arguing creative solutions.
Critical thinking, on the other hand represents the application of logic and evidence rather than creativity. Again class discussions provide you with ample opportunity to present logical solutions to case problems and receive feedback on the strength of the argument. Indeed, the majority, if not all, of your assessments need logic and evidence to support your case, not least when you have come up with a creative solution.
We believe that being on a postgraduate course is very much like working as a professional in an organisation. We therefore expect that you will behave like an employee and we will do our best to behave as your employer. This has a number of imperatives:
