KEELE MANAGEMENT SCHOOL PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION PRINCIPAL PROGRAMME IN BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

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KEELE MANAGEMENT SCHOOL

PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION

PRINCIPAL PROGRAMME IN BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

Information for students: the programme specification is the definitive document summarising the structure and content of your degree programme. It is reviewed and updated every year as part of Keele’s Curriculum Annual Review and Development process. The document aims to clarify to potential and current students what you can expect from the study of the subject over the course of your programme.

Name of programme: Management

Name of award: BA (Hons)

Mode of study – full time or part time: Full Time

Single Honours/Dual Honours/Major-minor: Dual Honours

Framework of Higher Education Qualification (FHEQ) level of final award: 6

Duration of programme: Three Years

Details of professional, statutory and regulatory body (PSRB): N/A

External Examiner(s) names: Dr Patricia Lewis, Kent University

The Dual Honours Management Programme at Keele offers a broad insight into Management and is designed to promote the student’s ability to engage either in graduate employment in industry, alternative and public sector institutions or to undertake further postgraduate study in this and a varied number of related subjects (for example Human Resource Management, Accounting).

The Philosophy of the Programme

Management is an established subject in the Social Sciences providing both coherent overviews and intellectual challenges to the analysis of business and management. The subject engages with many other principal subjects at Keele, including law, human geography, finance, politics and psychology. A feature of the programme and its

pathways is the encouragement to students to think critically about what they learn; challenge received wisdom, and to think for themselves about the validity of the theories to which they are exposed and to seek evidence to support or refute them. This critical approach to thinking differentiates this degree from traditional ‘Business Studies’ programmes by placing emphasis upon social scientific and philosophical disciplines as they pertain to applied business issues and debates.

The Dual Honours Business Management programme is delivered by Keele Management School and draws upon the expertise of staff from across the School. The programme encompasses the study of organizations and their

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operations and strategies, and employees and their interrelationship with organizations. Students are accordingly exposed to concepts and debates in organizational behaviour, accounting, marketing, and human resource management and embrace the full range of managerial decision-making behaviour across the private and public sectors. The programme is academically rigorous, and delivered in a supportive and challenging learning

environment that provides sound foundations that enable students to acquire a range of skills that are highly relevant for either subsequent careers or further study. By enabling individuals to work with both real-life business problems as well as those of an academic nature, the Business Management degree programme provides a variety of experiences and challenges to help individuals to develop the knowledge, skills, confidence and

self-awareness to pursue their future goals.

What students on the Programme will know, understand and be able to do can be described under three main headings:

Subject knowledge and understanding Subject specific skills

Key or transferable skills (including employability skills).

Students who complete all three years of the Programme and graduate with a BA (Hons) will able to show: 1. Subject knowledge and understanding

Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of organisations, the external environment in which they operate and how they are managed

Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of markets and the agents that operate in markets, including the organisations and the people they employ, their operations, business policy and strategies

Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of issues affecting the business environment such as globalisation, innovation, corporate social responsibility and diversity

2. Subject-specific skills

Utilize a variety of theories to analyse developments in the management of organisations

Utilise a variety of methods of communicating ideas in management including graphical, poster-based, and essay exposition

Apply logical reasoning based on knowledge of management to a variety of theoretical and applied topics Organise, present and analyse data using an appropriate methodology to draw inference

Frame a research problem, deciding upon the factors that may be considered fixed for the purpose of the problem at hand

3. Key or transferable skills

Communicate using a variety of medium to a range of audiences

Work effectively both as an individual and as part of a group or a team, recognising and respecting the viewpoints of others

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Demonstrate effective skills in problem-solving

Demonstrate and sustain effective approaches to learning and study, including time management, flexibility, creativity and intellectual integrity

Keele Graduate attributes

Engagement with this programme will enable you to develop your intellectual, personal and professional

capabilities. At Keele, we call these our ten Graduate Attributes and they include independent thinking, synthesizing information, creative problem solving, communicating clearly, and appreciating the social, environmental and global implications of your studies and activities. Our educational programme and learning environment is designed to help you to become a well-rounded graduate who is capable of making a positive and valued contribution in a complex and rapidly changing world, whichever spheres of life you engage in after your studies are completed.

We hope that through full engagement with the Dual honours course students will be able to develop a range of attributes or skills that not only set them apart from other Management graduates but that stay with them for the rest of their working lives. These attributes include:

• An open and questioning approach to ideas; curiosity, independence of thought and the ability to appreciate the historical, sociological, political and economic contexts of Management.

• An appreciation of the development and value of ideas within Management scholarship and practice; their contexts, the links between Management and other disciplines, and the provisional and dynamic nature of theoretical advances in this field of research.

• The ability to gather, evaluate and synthesise large amounts of frequently conflicting information, ideas and data relevant to the study of Management.

• The ability to solve current problems in Management by applying a range of different theories, creative approaches and techniques, and to develop the judgement skills to choose between them.

• The capability to act as responsible managers and to perform leadership roles in developing sustainable and socially responsible organisations.

• The ability to communicate clearly and effectively about Management issues in written and verbal forms for different purposes and to a variety of audiences.

• The knowledge, skills, self-confidence and self-awareness to actively pursue future goals, whether they be Management-related or not.

• The ability and motivation to participate responsibly and collaboratively as an active citizen in the communities in which they live and work.

• A professional and reflective approach; qualities of leadership, responsibility, personal integrity, empathy, care and respect for others, accountability and self-regulation.

• The flexibility to thrive in rapidly changing and uncertain external environments and to update skills and knowledge as circumstances require.

Please refer to the programme webpages for a statement of how you can achieve the Keele Graduate Attributes through full engagement in the programme and other educational opportunities at Keele.

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How the Programme is taught

Learning and teaching methods used on the Programme vary according to the subject matter and level of the module. They include the following:

• Traditional lectures where the lecturer provides students with a framework for reading and independent study.

• Tutorials and seminars in groups of up to 20 students where key issues can be explored and discussed in more depth. Students are expected to play a full part, and often, to lead these discussions. Some tutorials and seminars consist largely of student presentations and many are based on the application of ideas to case studies drawn from the media and research.

• Independent study based on directed reading from text books, research monographs, and academic journals.

• Web-based learning using the University’s virtual learning environment (KLE). The KLE is used to give students easy access to a wide-range of resources and research tools, and as a platform for online discussions, quizzes and blogs.

• Independent research supervised and supported by a member of staff.

Apart from these formal activities, students are also provided with regular opportunities to talk through particular areas of difficulty, and any individual learning needs they may have, with their module, seminar and tutorial group leaders on a one-to-one basis.

These learning and teaching methods enable students to achieve the learning outcomes of the programme in a variety of ways. For example:

Lectures and independent study allow students to gain a systematic understanding of business management and how its methods of analysis may be used to investigate a variety of contemporary social problems.

Seminars, tutorials and online discussions provide opportunities for students to ask questions about, and suggest answers to issues and problems in a responsible way, and to present their own ideas to members of staff and other students using an appropriate medium of communication.

Seminars, tutorials and web-based activities encourage students to reflect on their own learning and take responsibility for its development by addressing areas of difficulty, perhaps by discussing them with their fellow students or by getting additional help from a member of staff.

Undertaking a research dissertation with the support of an experienced and active researcher allows students to formulate relevant research questions and devise a feasible and methodologically sound strategy for answering them.

Teaching staff

The Business Management Dual Honours degree is taught by Keele Management School, comprising three professors, one senior lecturer, and ten lecturers. The School maintains a strong commitment to excellence and innovation in teaching and research. All permanent staff have PhDs or other higher degrees in their subject area. All the part-time lecturers have higher degrees or professional qualifications. As members of the Research Institute for Public Policy and Management, the vast majority of staff actively-engage in research which is published in leading international journals. All staff members engage with continuing professional development as academic teachers. All established staff have substantial teaching experience and/or formal teaching qualifications. All probationary appointments receive an intensive training programme on Teaching in Higher Education.

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The Programme structure

An outline of the structure of the Programme is provided in the table. Students can choose to take electives offered by their programme or electives from elsewhere inside or outside the School, subject to satisfying any module pre-requisites. Students are encouraged to use this choice of electives to broaden their knowledge and skills throughout the three years of their degree.

Year Semester 1 Semester 2

1 Management in Context Introduction to International Business or Foundations of HRM or

Marketing Principles 2 Organisational Behaviour;

Social Theory at Work;

Critical Perspectives on Management Research

Operations and Quality Management;

Corporate Governance and Social Responsibility; The Practice of Professional Management 3 Business Strategy;

Leading Change and Entrepreneurship; Identity Culture and Organization; Comparative Business Cultures

Contemporary Issues in Management; International Business Strategies;

Management, Organisation and the Media; Managing Diversity;

New Business Plan (ISP)

The Programme is designed to deliver a progressive structure and the number of compulsory modules varies by level. All students must take two compulsory or optional core modules in Years 1 and 2: in Year 3 students must take at least one core module in Business Management each semester.

The programme offers a range of elective modules that support the core and allow students to develop their own interests in the subject pathway they have chosen to follow. Elective modules listed throughout the programme are subject to change depending on staff availability and may not be offered every year. These electives also include, for the International Business pathway, modules in a modern foreign language.

In addition to the elective modules listed in the table, students may choose to study modules which are offered as part of other programmes in the Management School, the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences or from across the University. These include:

Modules in related subjects in which they may have a particular interest such as Economics, Finance, History, International Relations, and Law.

Modules designed to help students for whom English is not their first language to improve their use of English for academic purposes.

Modern foreign languages modules at different levels in French, German, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish. Freestanding modules in subjects of general interest.

Freestanding modules related to student volunteering or studying abroad as part of the University’s exchange programme employability skills and personal development.

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Intended Learning Outcomes

The table below sets out what students learn in each year of the Programme, the modules in which that learning takes place, and the main ways in which students are assessed on their learning. These learning outcomes are achieved in the compulsory core modules which all students are required to take. Each assessment is linked to a set of learning outcomes informed by the General Business and Management subject benchmark established by the Quality Assurance agency which can be found on:

http://www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/benchmark/honours/GeneralBusinessManagement.pdf

Some of these outcomes may also be achieved in elective modules available across the programme together with other outcomes not stated here.

YEAR 1 (Level 4)

First year modules are designed to provide a solid foundation in business management as well as introduce students to the breadth of the subject through the opportunity to study a topic in related areas of business.

Subject knowledge and understanding Outcome

Students will be able to: Module Assessment

Explain how different aspects of management have developed historically

Management in Context Essay; presentation

Relate historical aspects of management to the contemporary workplace

Explain how they present enduring problems in terms of how to organise work and how to motivate and manage employees

Identify relevant research materials and apply their content to various aspects of management

Communicate, orally, theories and research materials in relation to a number of management related issues

Management in Context Presentation

Explain how different aspects of management have developed historically and relate historical aspects of management to the contemporary workplace

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Explain how they present enduring problems in terms of work organisation and the management of employees

Describe and explain key theories that underpin a range of pertinent business issues including marketing, law,

accounting and economic forces

All electives, specifically: Marketing Principles Business Law

Markets and Hierarchies British and Global Economics

Essay; unseen examination

Analyse marketing situations using appropriate marketing tools, research methods and theoretical concepts

Marketing Principles Quantitative Methods I and II

Apply marketing ideas to a variety of organisations and marketing settings

Marketing Principles Essay; unseen examination

Identify and compare the effects of differing perspectives on large-scale international business activity

Introduction to International

Business Essay

Describe the world view theories introduced and explain these in the context of individual and group views

Business Essay

Apply tutor and peer feedback on business activity resulting from student presentations

Management in Context Presentation

Explain relevant information and theory relating to the practical operation of large-scale business activities

Business Essay; tutorial exercises

Subject specific skills Outcome

Use appropriate bibliographic search tools to find relevant materials in hard copy and electronic formats

Management in Context Foundations of HRM Marketing Principles

Introduction to International Business

Essay; presentation; literature review

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Identify the main points of key texts and use them in

developing arguments and making judgements about management issues

Management in Context Marketing Principles

Introduction to International Business

Essay; presentation

Essay; unseen examination Tutorial Exercises

Present written work in a scholarly style using an appropriate system of citation and referencing

Management in Context Introduction to International Business

Essay; presentation Essay

Key or transferable skills (including employability skills) Outcome

Find and make use of information from closed and open sources using online search tools

Accounting Principles Foundations of HRM Marketing Principles British and Global Economy

Essay; presentation; literature review and annotated

bibliography

Reflect on and plan their own learning by acting appropriately on feedback

Essay; presentation; exercises Evaluate and make use of

theories in analysing and resolving problems

Essay; presentation; unseen examination; annotated bibliography

Communicate complex

arguments effectively supported by appropriate evidence both orally and in writing

Essay; presentation; unseen examination

Develop and sustain effective approaches to learning and study, including time management, creativity and intellectual integrity

Essay; presentation; annotated bibliography, exam; quantitative case studies; tutorial examples and structured discussion

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YEAR 2 (Level 5)

The second year of the programme sees students developing their technical and subject specific awareness, as well as engaging in a number of self-directed modules.

Describe and critically analyse the relevant issues in

organisational behaviour and theory

Organisational Behaviour

Social Theory at Work Essay; unseen examination Explain and critically evaluate

Taylorism and Human Relations Organisational Behaviour Unseen examination Explain and critically evaluate

labour process theory

Organisational Behaviour

Social Theory at Work Essay; unseen examination Explain and evaluate the role of

quality management as a

‘pervasive issue’ in organisations its contribution to the future development of such

organisations

Operations and Quality

Management Essay; tutorial

Integrate the theory and practice of operations and quality management and apply them in production and service contexts

Operations and Quality Management

Essay; tutorial; unseen examination

Identify and assess wider societal perspectives on quality and quality management

Evaluate the tools and processes available for delivering quality in a contemporary business context

Explain and understand the nature of contemporary business ethics

Corporate Governance and Social Responsibility

Case study exercises; examination

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Subject specific skills Outcome

Evaluate theories of

organisational behaviour, the operations of organisations and their methods of managing quality

Organisational Behaviour Social Theory at Work Operations and Quality Management

Essay; unseen examination Essay; unseen examination Essay; tutorial; unseen examination

Case study; examination

Assess the applicability of the theories studied to empirical studies of organisational behaviour, operations and quality management

Relate case studies of organisations to theories of organisations and their behaviour

Case study; examination Key or transferable skills (including employability skills)

Outcome

Demonstrate an ability to collate, prepare, evaluate and disseminate a variety of types of material

Develop ICT skills in utilising the KLE and using the Internet to access relevant module information

Develop written communication skills in completing both

assignments

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Develop time management skills to schedule study and meet submission deadlines

YEAR 3 (Level 6)

In the third year, students deepen their understanding of business and management by looking in depth at the key areas of strategy and operation and key case studies and current debates at the forefront of research in business and management. These modules may be augmented with a variety of taught elective modules including an

Independent Study Project (ISP) in Management which will involve a “hands-on” investigation of a management problem under the guidance of an experienced member of staff. Students are encouraged to select a topic which makes use of their choice of electives across the pathways.

Identify, analyse and critically evaluate business strategies in case study firms, institutions and industries

Business Strategy Essay; unseen examination

Identify a suitable case study for research and analyse the business strategy using

appropriate theoretical models and insights

Business Strategy Essay

Critically evaluate the implications of a chosen business strategy for a given firm

Business Strategy Leading Change and Entrepreneurship

Essay; unseen examination Essay

Critically explain the implications of a given theoretical model or insight for business strategy in practice

Business Strategy Essay; unseen examination

Explore and evaluate contemporary issues in organisational theory and practice

Contemporary Issues in Management

New Business Plan Identity Culture and Organisation

Presentation; Essay; exercises Independent Study Project Essay; unseen examination

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Apply knowledge of

management and organisation theory to explicate aspects of contemporary organisations

Contemporary issues in Management

New Business Plan International Business Strategies

Presentation; essay

Independent Study Project (ISP) Case study based exam

Reflect upon, assess and competently verbally present their own experience of work and organisations (including education institutions)

New Business Plan

Presentation

Independent Study Project Presentation (Group or individual)

Critically evaluate complex issues drawn from current research at the frontier of management analysis

New Business Plan Identity Culture and Organisation

International Business Strategies

Presentation; essay Presentation; ISP Essay; exam

Case study based exam Subject specific skills

Outcome

Describe and make critical judgements about

developments at the forefront of research in business

Business Strategy Contemporary Issues in Management

Communicate ideas informed by contemporary research and new developments in business strategy and organisation, specifically as they relate to both practical business and to lived experiences of managers and staff

New Business Plan Identity, Culture and Organisation

Comparative Business Cultures

Managing Diversity

Essay; unseen examination Presentations; essay

Project – which may be conducted alone or in a group

Essay; structured literature-based discussion exercise

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Explain the reasons for differences in business strategies and assess the strengths and weaknesses of different strategies

Business Strategy Leading Change and Entrepreneurship

Essay; unseen examination Essay

Key or transferable skills (including employability skills) Outcome

Work alone/with others to

create viable business projects New Business Plan Presentation; ISP Undertake appropriate further

training and personal

development of an academic, professional or practical nature, specifically to better appreciate and reflect upon the

management of inclusivity and diversity within organisations

New Business Plan Managing Diversity

Essay; unseen examination Presentation; essay Project

Extended essay

Awards

Students may leave the Management Programme with one of three final awards:

Honours Degree (360 credits): To be awarded a Dual Honours Degree in Business Management and their other Principal Programme Subject a student normally requires a total of at least 360 credits. The number of credits a student requires in Business Management depends on whether Business Management is taken as a Principal or Minor subject.

Where Business Management is taken as a Principal subject, at least 120 must be obtained in Business Management and 120 in their other Principal Programme Subject. Students must normally obtain at least 45 credits in Business Management and 45 in their other Principal Programme Subject at each level of study.

Where Business Management is taken as a Minor subject a student must obtain at least 90 credits in Economics and 225 in their other (Major) subject over the course of their three years of study. Students taking Business

Management as a Minor subject must obtain at least 45 credits in Business Management in FHEQ Level 4 and 45 credits in FHEQ Level 5.

Diploma in Higher Education (240 credits): To be awarded a Diploma in Higher Education a student requires a total of at least 240 credits. Of these 240 credits at least 120 must be obtained at FHEQ Level 5 or higher.

Certificate in Higher Education (120 credits): To be awarded a Certificate in Higher Education a student requires a total of at least 120 credits at FHEQ Level 4 or higher.

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How is the Programme assessed?

The function of the assessments listed in the table above is to test students’ attainment of the learning outcomes of the Business Management Dual Honours Programme. For example:

Unseen closed and open book examinations in different formats test students’ knowledge of economic principles and the findings of economic research and their ability to apply that knowledge responsibly in understanding social problems. Examinations may consist of essay, short answer and/or multiple choice questions.

Essays, including those based on case study material, also test the quality and application of subject knowledge. In addition they allow students to demonstrate their ability to carry out basic bibliographic research and to

communicate their ideas effectively in writing in an appropriate scholarly style using the Harvard, or recognised alternative, system of referencing.

Exercises, test a student’s ability to frame and solve analytical and numerical questions. They demonstrate student competence and familiarity with a range of mathematical techniques that form the everyday tool-kit of the modern economist.

Short research papers test student’s knowledge of different research methodologies and the limits and provisional nature of economic knowledge. They also enable students to demonstrate their ability to formulate research questions and to answer them using an appropriate strategy.

Oral and poster presentations and reports assess students’ subject knowledge and understanding. They also test their ability to work effectively as members of a team, to communicate what they know orally and visually, and to reflect on these processes as part of their own personal development.

Portfolios may consist of a range of different pieces of work but routinely include a requirement that students provide some evidence of critical reflection on the development of their own learning.

Marks are awarded for summative assessments designed to assess students’ achievement of learning outcomes. Students are also assessed formatively to enable them to monitor their own progress and to assist staff in identifying and addressing any specific learning needs. Formative assessment occurs throughout the programme and provided with feedback - on both the quality of their academic work and the development of their subject knowledge and understanding. Feedback, including guidance on how students can improve the quality of their work, is provided on all summative assessments and more informally in the course of tutorial and seminar discussions.

What are the typical admission requirements for the Programme?

The University’s general entry requirements are a minimum of two A-level passes or the equivalent in other qualifications, plus GCSE grade C or above in English Language and either mathematics or a science subject.

In addition to the University’s general entry requirements, study of Dual Honours Business Management requires in the region of 280-320 points. GCSE (or equivalent) Mathematics grade C or above is required.

Keele welcomes applications from students with qualifications other than A-levels including 14-19 Diplomas, the BTEC National Certificate and Diploma, the Scottish Certificate of Education (Advanced Higher Level) and the International Baccalaureate. Students with these qualifications are advised to contact the University’s Admissions Office before applying through UCAS. The University also accepts Access to Higher Education Diplomas and normally requires 60 credits of which 45 have been passed at Level 3.

Applicants who are not currently undertaking any formal study or who have been out of formal education for more than 3 years and are not qualified to A-level or BTEC standard may be offered entry to the University’s Foundation

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Year Programme. The Foundation Year includes a module specifically aimed at students intending to go on to study Management.

How are students supported on the Programme?

Support for student learning on the Programme is provided in the following ways:

Module and tutorial group leaders are responsible for providing support for learning on the modules and in the tutorial groups for which they are responsible. They also give individual feedback on in-course assessments and more general feedback on examinations.

The School operates a system of Year Tutors who assume responsibility for monitoring overall student progress through the subject, undertake progress reviews and provide a general point of contact for students in the subject-area. They may be consulted on a wide range of issues and, among other things, commonly may be approached to provide a reference for job and other applications.

There is a Programme Director responsible for all aspects of coordination of the undergraduate business and management programmes. S(he) may be consulted on a wide range of issues and, among other things, commonly may be approached to provide a reference for job and other applications.

The University allocates every student to a personal tutor who is responsible for reviewing and advising on students’ academic progress in their degree studies. Personal tutors act as a first point of contact for students on

non-academic issues which may affect their learning and can refer students to a range of specialist health, welfare and financial services co-ordinated by the University’s Centre for Learning and Student Support.

Additional help with University level study skills is available from the Learning Support Officer in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

All members of teaching staff on the Business Management Dual Honours Programme are available to see students during advertised weekly office hours and at other times by appointment.

Learning resources

Management is taught in modern teaching rooms across the University, all of which are equipped with computers, internet access and electronic whiteboards or projection equipment. Rooms may be arranged either in traditional lecture format or more informally to allow students to work together in small groups. Quantitative modules in the Programme are well-supported via computer laboratories located in the Library and the School multi-functional IT suite. These provide access to industry-standard software, such as Excel and Stata for data analysis.

The learning resources available to students on the Programme include:

The extensive collection of business and management materials relevant to undergraduate study held in the University Library. Built up over an extensive period of delivering business and management at this level, these materials include books, journals and government publications. Much of this material is also accessible online to Keele students from anywhere in the world with a University username and password.

The Keele Learning Environment (KLE) which provides easy access to a wide range of learning resources including lecture notes, electronic materials available in a repository maintained by the University Library and other resources – video, audio and text-based – accessible from external providers via the internet.

Datastream, an industry standard source of economic and business data, is available via a computer –link located in multi-functional IT suite. This, together with complementary cross-sectional datasets for individuals and households, provide a ready source of information for dissertation and other purposes.

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Other learning opportunities

Students on the Dual Honours Business Management Programme have the opportunity to spend a semester abroad in their second year studying at one of Keele’s partner universities in Europe, North America, Australia, South Africa or Hong Kong. Exactly which countries are available depends on the student’s choice of degree subjects. No additional tuition fees are payable for studying abroad but students do have to bear the costs of travelling to and from their destination-university and insurance. Grants may be available to cover some of these additional costs for students choosing to study elsewhere in Europe. Further information on studying abroad is available from advisers in the University’s Centre for International Exchange and Development (CIED) and at the annual Study Abroad Fair held in November.

Quality management and enhancement

The Management Programmes Director is responsible for the overall direction of learning and teaching on the Programme supported by the Management Programmes Board. The Programmes Board consists of student representatives plus all members of staff teaching on undergraduate and taught postgraduate programmes in Management.

The quality and standards of learning in Management are subject to a continuous process of monitoring, review and enhancement.

The Learning and Teaching Committee of the Keele Management School is responsible for reviewing and monitoring quality management and enhancement procedures and activities across the School.

Individual modules and the Management Dual Honours Programme as a whole are reviewed and enhanced every year as part of the University’s Curriculum Annual Review and Development (CARD) process.

The Programme is run in accordance with the standards set by the University Quality Assurance and Academic Audit Office.

Student evaluation of, and feedback on, the quality of learning in Management takes place in several ways:

The results of student evaluations of all modules are reported to module leaders and reviewed by the Programmes Board as part of the Curriculum Annual Review and Development (CARD) process referred to earlier.

Findings related to the Management Programmes from the annual National Student Survey (NSS), and from regular surveys of the student experience conducted by the University, are subjected to careful analysis and a planned response at Programme and School level.

Feedback received from representatives of students in all three years of the Management Programmes is considered and acted on at regular meetings of the Programme’s Student-Staff Liaison Committee.

In addition to this, the quality and standards of learning are regularly discussed and monitored by the Management Programmes Board and by the School Learning & Teaching Committee.

Senior members of academic staff from other universities are appointed by the University’s Senate to act as external examiners on the Business Management Dual Honours Programme. They are responsible for:

Approving all examination questions

Confirming all marks which contribute to a student’s degree

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External examiners see all work marked internally as a ‘fail’, or ‘first class’ standard or on the borderline between two classes (e.g. between a ‘2:1’ and a ‘2:2’). They also see work when there is substantial disagreement between internal markers and moderate a sample of work from all modules in Years 2 and 3. Each year External Examiners report their findings to the University and Programme Boards are required to respond.

The principles of programme design

The Business Management Dual Honours Programme described in this document has been drawn up with reference to, and in accordance with the guidance set out in, the following documents:

Programme Specification Template: Undergraduate, Keele University, 2009.

Guidelines for preparing programme specifications, Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, 2006.

The framework for higher education qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, 2008.

Subject Benchmark Statement: General Business and Management, Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, 2007.

Learning and Teaching Strategy 2011-2015, Keele University, 2011. Keele University Assessment Strategy, Keele University.

Educational Aims for Undergraduate Courses, Keele University, 2005.

Employability Skills Guidelines for Undergraduate Programmes, Keele University, 2010.

Version History Date CHANGES / NOTES

Date first created (if known) January 2008 Date last reviewed / revised July 2015 Last reviewed by

Date last approved at SLTC July 2015 Minor revisions