BE850-7-FY-CO:
MBA Project
2020/21
Essex Business School
Colchester Campus
Full Year
Postgraduate: Level 7
Current
Thursday 08 October 2020
Friday 02 July 2021
40
10 October 2019
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
MBA N20012 The Essex MBA,
MBA N200JS The Essex MBA,
MBA N200MO Business Administration,
MBA N20E24 The Essex MBA,
MBA N20E36 The Essex MBA,
MBA N20EJS The Essex MBA
The MBA Project is a significant, self-directed piece of work involving a 'hands on' live project that enables you to consolidate and deepen your MBA learning while pursuing avenues of personal or professional relevance.
The MBA Project is led by a suitable management issue, problem or business opportunity which is critically discussed or evaluated with reference to existing research and primary, as well as secondary data. An understanding of the academic debate and critical application of existing research (and the student's own research) to a case, are key to the MBA Project.
The outcome of the MBA Project is a written report of no more than 10,000 words in length, based upon a comprehensive understanding of the relevant literature and elements of primary as well as secondary data research that you have conducted yourself
The aim of the MBA Project is to consolidate your MBA learning and demonstrate an ability to design, plan, lead and manage a significant, self directed piece of work of relevance to an organisational setting.
On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
• Show an appreciation of current business and global issues
• Design, lead and manage a project aimed at addressing a clearly identified business and/or management issue
• Scope the project and design a proposal
• Understand methodologies to help structured thinking, and the techniques for effective project management.
• Make a reasoned and critical selection of information sources, analytical tools and techniques appropriate to the specific issue being investigated
• Identify and understand ethical issues in management research
• Synthesise and apply knowledge from multiple course modules to a business problem
• Analyse, evaluate, and present a coherent extended argument
• Evaluate and recommend appropriate courses of action
• Manage relationships with a client – including managing risk, productive relationships, expectations, handling problems, barriers to implementation, evaluation. Understand the protocols, expectations and outcomes of engaging with organisations as clients.
Skills for Your Professional Life (Transferable Skills)
* The research and distillation of current information.
* The ability to carry out primary research based on a justifiable method to find out new information.
* The ability to write clearly and concisely to convey ideas to others.
Indicative Lecture Programme
The MBA Project is supported by 5 one-day workshops in the Spring and Summer terms, each focusing on a particular aspect of the project
Spring term
* Negotiating and scoping your project (2 days)
* Generating Insights through research methods (2 days)
Summer term
* Writing for impact and evidencing value (1 day)
Additionally in the Summer Term there are one-to-one supervisory meetings tailored to each student for their specific project.
Director's Workshops (see above) will help students decide on, focus and plan their research topics.
Students will be allocated a supervisor and each student should expect about 10 hours with their supervisor.
- Biggs, David. (c2010) Management consulting: a guide for students, Andover: Cengage Learning EMEA.
The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course. The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students. Further reading can be obtained from this module's reading list.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
MBA Project Proposal |
|
30% |
| Coursework |
MBA Project |
|
70% |
Additional coursework information
Assessment is by a 2,500 words project proposal (30%) and a 10,000 words dissertation or consultancy report or business plan (70%).
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
100 per cent Coursework Mark
Reassessment
100 per cent Coursework Mark
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Prof Nicolas Forsans, email: n.forsans@essex.ac.uk.
Nicolas Forsans, Hardy Thomas, Supervisors as allocated according to project need
n.forsans@essex.ac.uk
No
No
No
Dr Bidit Dey
Brunel University London
Senior Lecturer
Available via Moodle
Of 817 hours, 6 (0.7%) hours available to students:
811 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s).
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The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications and module directory.
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