About this course
About
All sustainable organisations must be able to adapt and to react to environmental change. This is the case for the private and public sector as well as the third sector. Central to success successful business management is the capacity to interpret key performance indicators (KPIs) and financial data. Business modelling frameworks are important tools for organisations because they create a structure for intentionally articulating, designing or creating a business model. The Business Model Canvas (BMC) has become an important tool for both sustainable business start-ups and also established organisations seeking to strengthen their business models in an operating environment characterised disruption. The course has been designed to equip participants with the skills to examine sector relevant KPIs in the context of key resources, cost structure and revenue streams.
Theme 1 (Day 1) Setting the scene - Strategic Management, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
- Strategic context and analyses
- Defining and understanding strategy
- External and internal appraisal of the strategic context
- Entrepreneurship, competitiveness and value creation
- The strategic management process
- Business Frameworks and Models
Theme 2 (Day 2) The Triple Bottom Line Framework
- Macro data analytics
- Review of necessary financial underpinnings
- Costs and their behaviour
- Cost volume profit analysis
- Pricing decisions
- Creating profit from costs
- Sectoral Key Performance Indicators - financial and non-financial
Theme 3 (Day 3) Business Sustainability and Management Accounting
- Ratio Analysis/Interpretation of Financial Statements
- Working Capital Management
- Managing Inventories & Trade Receivables
- Managing Cash
- Managing Creditors
- Capital Investment decisions
- Budgeting
- Cost Behaviour
- Decision making and behavioural issues in budgeting
Linked programmes
MSc International Event Management ,
MSc International Tourism and Hospitality Management ,
PgCertPD Professional Development
Assessment
100% Coursework
(1) Report (75%)
A management report based on a case study in which learners will analyse the financial performance and health of a business (3000 words).
The report will typically include the following elements:
- Executive Summary
- Introduction to the company and rationale for the analysis
- Findings and analysis
- Conclusions and Recommendations
(2) Presentation (25%)
Group Presentation (30% of the presentation mark is based on individual contribution)
This will comprise of a twenty-minute group presentation (maximum of four per group) focusing on the application of Osterwalder's Business Model canvas to a business.
Each member of the group is expected to contribute fully to the development and delivery of the presentation. The team will pitch a new business model of their choice to the company CEO. The pitch will outline the reasons that support their choice of innovative business model. This business model will articulate the value proposition (value creation) and the strategy to exploit (value capture). Participants will utilise Osterwalder's Business Model canvas to guide the development of their business model.
Attendance
The course requires attendance online on three individual consecutive days from 9.15am to 4.15pm on 3, 4 and 5 March 2021 plus three additional ‘Learning Set’ days from 10am to 1pm on 10, 24 March and 14 April 2021 to meet with the tutors and student groups to develop assessed work. Attendance is usually only required on one of the Learning Set dates.
Entry requirements
Any undergraduate degree.
English Language Requirements
Applicants whose first language is not English must meet the minimum English entrance requirements of the University and will need to provide recent evidence of this (certified within the last two years).
Most of our courses require a minimum English level of IELTS 6.0 or equivalent, with no band score under 5.5. Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement.
International applicants will also require a short-term study visa. Further information is available at https://www.ulster.ac.uk/international/visa-immigration
Start dates
Content
The content for each course is summarised on the relevant course page, along with an overview of the modules that make up the course.
Each course is approved by the University and meets the expectations of:
Attendance and Independent Study
As part of your course induction, you will be provided with details of the organisation and management of the course, including attendance and assessment requirements - usually in the form of a timetable. For full-time courses, the precise timetable for each semester is not confirmed until close to the start date and may be subject to some change in the early weeks as all courses settle into their planned patterns. For part-time courses which require attendance on particular days and times, an expectation of the days and periods of attendance will be included in the letter of offer. A course handbook is also made available.
Courses comprise modules for which the notional effort involved is indicated by its credit rating. Each credit point represents 10 hours of student effort. Undergraduate courses typically contain 10- or 20-credit modules (more usually 20) and postgraduate course typically 15- or 30-credit modules.
The normal study load expectation for an undergraduate full-time course of study in the standard academic year is 120 credit points. This amounts to around 36-42 hours of expected teaching and learning per week, inclusive of attendance requirements for lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical work, fieldwork or other scheduled classes, private study, and assessment. Part-time study load is the same as full-time pro-rata, with each credit point representing 10 hours of student effort.
Postgraduate Master’s courses typically comprise 180 credits, taken in three semesters when studied full-time. A Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) comprises 60 credits and can usually be completed on a part-time basis in one year. A 120-credit Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) can usually be completed on a part-time basis in two years.
Class contact times vary by course and type of module. Typically, for a module predominantly delivered through lectures you can expect at least 3 contact hours per week (lectures/seminars/tutorials). Laboratory classes often require a greater intensity of attendance in blocks. Some modules may combine lecture and laboratory. The precise model will depend on the course you apply for and may be subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. Prospective students will be consulted about any significant changes.
Assessment
Assessment methods vary and are defined explicitly in each module. Assessment can be a combination of examination and coursework but may also be only one of these methods. Assessment is designed to assess your achievement of the module’s stated learning outcomes. You can expect to receive timely feedback on all coursework assessment. The precise assessment will depend on the module and may be subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. You will be consulted about any significant changes.
Coursework can take many forms, for example: essay, report, seminar paper, test, presentation, dissertation, design, artefacts, portfolio, journal, group work. The precise form and combination of assessment will depend on the course you apply for and the module. Details will be made available in advance through induction, the course handbook, the module specification and the assessment timetable. The details are subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. You will be consulted about any significant changes.
Normally, a module will have 4 learning outcomes, and no more than 2 items of assessment. An item of assessment can comprise more than one task. The notional workload and the equivalence across types of assessment is standardised.
Calculation of the Final Award
The class of Honours awarded in Bachelor’s degrees is usually determined by calculation of an aggregate mark based on performance across the modules at Levels 5 and 6, (which correspond to the second and third year of full-time attendance).
Level 6 modules contribute 70% of the aggregate mark and Level 5 contributes 30% to the calculation of the class of the award. Classification of integrated Master’s degrees with Honours include a Level 7 component. The calculation in this case is: 50% Level 7, 30% Level 6, 20% Level 5. At least half the Level 5 modules must be studied at the University for Level 5 to be included in the calculation of the class.
All other qualifications have an overall grade determined by results in modules from the final level of study. In Master’s degrees of more than 200 credit points the final 120 points usually determine the overall grading.
Academic profile
The University employs over 1,000 suitably qualified and experienced academic staff - 59% have PhDs in their subject field and many have professional body recognition.
Courses are taught by staff who are Professors (25%), Readers, Senior Lecturers (18%) or Lecturers (57%).
We require most academic staff to be qualified to teach in higher education: 82% hold either Postgraduate Certificates in Higher Education Practice or higher. Most academic staff (81%) are accredited fellows of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) - the university sector professional body for teaching and learning. Many academic and technical staff hold other professional body designations related to their subject or scholarly practice.
The profiles of many academic staff can be found on the University’s departmental websites and give a detailed insight into the range of staffing and expertise. The precise staffing for a course will depend on the department(s) involved and the availability and management of staff. This is subject to change annually and is confirmed in the timetable issued at the start of the course.
Occasionally, teaching may be supplemented by suitably qualified part-time staff (usually qualified researchers) and specialist guest lecturers. In these cases, all staff are inducted, mostly through our staff development programme ‘First Steps to Teaching’. In some cases, usually for provision in one of our out-centres, Recognised University Teachers are involved, supported by the University in suitable professional development for teaching.
Figures correct for academic year 2019-2020.
Fees and funding
Prices
Northern Ireland & EU: £675.60
England, Scotland, Wales and the Islands: £675.60
International: £1,609.00
Fees information
Information about how to pay for a course including different payment options is available at
https://www.ulster.ac.uk/finance/student/tuition-fees-payments
Additional mandatory costs
Tuition fees and costs associated with accommodation, travel (including car parking charges), and normal living are a part of university life.
Where a course has additional mandatory expenses we make every effort to highlight them. These may include residential visits, field trips, materials (e.g. art, design, engineering) inoculations, security checks, computer equipment, uniforms, professional memberships etc.
We aim to provide students with the learning materials needed to support their studies. Our libraries are a valuable resource with an extensive collection of books and journals as well as first-class facilities and IT equipment. Computer suites and free wifi is also available on each of the campuses.
There will be some additional costs to being a student which cannot be itemised and these will be different for each student. You may choose to purchase your own textbooks and course materials or prefer your own computer and software. Printing and binding may also be required. There are additional fees for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines. Additional costs vary from course to course.
Students choosing a period of paid work placement or study abroad as part of their course should be aware that there may be additional travel and living costs as well as tuition fees.
Please contact the course team for more information.
