Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA)

Teaching

The programme is taught on campus, with teaching taking place on selected Fridays and Saturdays. Each module will have an associated pre-read/material, which will then be followed by the taught sessions that will leverage this pre-work to do meaningful work.

Typically, the taught sessions will include group discussions, interactive workshops, and case study analyses. Group discussions enable the development of understanding of topics that have been introduced as part of the pre-work. Interactive workshops take a variety of formats and are intended to enable the application of learning through small group activities. Case study analyses enable learners to apply theories, concepts and frameworks to real business situational challenges to bring content to life, to drive relevancy and engagement.

Outside of modules, you’ll be encouraged to set up discussion boards and interact with others in the cohort using the VLE.

Finally, our strong links with external events and the CMI will create opportunities for you to build your professional and personal networks. In addition, you will have a minimum of two meetings with your Personal Academic Tutors, timed to coincide withkey points, such as induction or assessment.

The University places emphasis on enabling students to develop the independent learning capabilities that will equip them for lifelong learning and future employment, as well as academic achievement. A mixture of independent study, teaching and academic support from Student Services and Library Services, and also the Personal Academic Tutoring system enables students to reflect on progress and build up a profile of skills, achievements and experiences that will help them to flourish and be successful.

Contact time

Year one has four 15-credit modules with two in each semester. For each module, you will be expected to attend an online 2-hour module introduction followed by the face-to-face on-campus workshops that will take place on a Friday and a Saturday starting at 9.15 and running until approximately 4.15 each day. Following the on-campus workshops there may be additional activities to engage with and will be directed learning to undertake. This delivery pattern will be replicated in year two which also has four 15-credit modules. Year three has a single 15-credit module and a 45-credit consultancy assignment

In a typical (15 credit) module you will have around 16 contact hours of teaching. Typically contact time could be structured around:

• 14 hours of interactive on-campus workshops
• 2 hours of live online workshop sessions

Typically, class contact time will be structured around a range of different activities to encourage inclusive and accessible learning opportunities, which can include:

• Information giving, facilitated discussions, small group work, and presentations.
• Practical skills – the opportunity to practise group facilitation, presentation, communication and listening skills.

Independent self-study

In addition to the contact time, you are expected for a typical 15 credit module to undertake:

• 50 hours or preparation for the module assessment (approximately 4.5 hours per week)
• 80 hours of guided independent learning (approximately 6 hours per week)
• 4 hours of seminar activity in groups working in action learning sets. (It is expected this will be undertaken online, via Teams or similar, or an alternative method the Action Learning Set agrees appropriate) 

Typically, this will involve completing online activities, reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects, undertaking research in the library and online, preparing coursework assignments and presentations.

Independent learning is supported by a range of excellent learning facilities, including The Hive and library resources, the virtual learning environment, and extensive electronic learning resources. In addition, students will be expected to participate in Action Learning Set activities and additional educational and support sessions provided by the teaching team to complement their learning and development. These additional support sessions may include external speakers/events, wellbeing sessions, or complementary certification opportunities.

Duration

• 2.5 years part-time
• Maximum registration period 5 years

Timetables

Timetables are normally available one month before registration. Please note that teaching will take place on a Friday and Saturday and suitable arrangements need to be in place to ensure that you are able to attend all of the class contact time.

Teaching staff

You will be taught by a teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course and who have direct experience of engaging with professional audiences. The team includes senior academics, usually with doctoral level qualifications, professional practitioners with industry experience, and other key contributors able to provide specific and specialised input to your learning.

Assessment

The course provides opportunities to test understanding and learning informally through thecompletion of practice or ‘formative’ assignments. Each module has one or more formal or‘summative’ assessment which is graded and counts towards the overall module grade. 

Assessment methods will include:

• Practical assessments
• Written assignments
• Presentations
• Projects
• Practical reports
• Research proposal

Programme specification

For comprehensive details on the aims and intended learning outcomes of the course, and the means by which these are achieved through learning, teaching and assessment, please download the latest programme specification document.