Course Information Form (CIF) CIF1314
The CIF provides essential information to students, staff teams and others on a particular course of study and is designed to meet the University’s own expectations and those of external bodies such as the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) in respect of programme specifications.
Please refer to the University’s Guidance notes on completing Course Information Forms before completing the details below
SECTION 1 - General Course Information Qualification (award type) MSc
Course Title Logistics and Supply Chain Management
Intermediate Qualification(s)
Awarding Institution University of Bedfordshire
Location of Delivery UCMK
Duration of Course
Full time – 12 months (October start) Part time – 2 years
Professional, Statutory and
Regulatory Body accreditation Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Accreditation Renewal Date
(Month and Year) June 2019
Route Code (SITS) MSLSMADF (FT, UCMK, Oct Start) MSLSFADF (FT, UCMK, March Start) UCAS Course Code
Relevant External Benchmarking
QAA Subject Benchmark: Master's Degrees in Business & Management 2007
SECTION 2 – Entry Requirements, Student Support and Further Opportunities Entry requirements
Standard:
Standard entry requirements for UK students – http://www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/ukugentryreqs
Students from the European Union - http://www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/eu/guides
International students - http://www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/international/apply
Additional:
Consideration will be given to mature applicants with lower level qualifications, but with substantial (> = 3 years) relevant management experience.
Student Support during the course
It is anticipated that some international students may not be familiar with the UK and the UK’s higher education sector. We have designed the below strategy to provide you with information and support. You will attend a comprehensive induction on arrival. Structured as a one week intensive course, it provides details on course content and information on university support systems. At induction, you participate in workshops on course content that incorporate classroom teaching with group exercises. An introduction to research methods is also provided as these skills assist in the completion of unit
assessments such as literature reviews and reports. You are also introduced to the university’s support systems through meetings with the Academic Librarian and the Language support team.
The University has a number of formalised and specialised support structures and departments. These support areas are listed at http://www.beds.ac.uk/studentlife/support.
You will have access to the full range of student services and support offered by the university including: Careers; Chaplaincy; Counseling; Financial Advice and Student Housing.
You can seek advice and support from the Professional and Academic Development dept., with respect to study skills, such as academic writing.
You will be advised to raise any course specific issues with their Unit Tutor in the first instance. In the event that the Unit Tutor is unable to satisfactorily resolve the issue, it will be brought to the attention of the Course Leader for appropriate action.
You will have an elected student representative, who can raise issues formally at course management boards.
For overseas students, additional support can be accessed from the international students’ support team in areas, such as English language, health care, insurance and safety. More detailed information is provided at http://www.beds.ac.uk/studentlife/current/international
Students with disabilities
The course team is aware of the requirements of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 and seek to ensure that, the practices the Act seek to encourage, are followed.
Concerning special educational needs (e.g. dyslexia) special provision is made for assessment for course work depending on your individual needs.
All formal teaching and learning is undertaken on premises that provide reasonable access.
Advice on the nature of specific disabilities and the reasonable adjustments which can be made to accommodate disabled students is available from the Disability Advice Team. Further details can be obtained from http://www.beds.ac.uk/studentlife/support/disabilties
Distinctive Features of the course
Vocational, with a focus on current practice in logistics and supply chain management;
Highlights the contemporary concepts, theories, and practices in logistics and supply chain strategy and operations;
Opportunity to take PRINCE2 professional exams (Foundation and Practitioner) included in the course; The course is located within the Bedfordshire Business School based at Putteridge Bury which is a dedicated management conference centre catering for the needs of modern businesses;
Use will also be made of the innovative Centre for Teaching and Learning with its state of the art learning spaces and expert staff.
Career/further study opportunities
On completing this course you are likely to progress within the following areas: Career:
Logistics Management, Supply Chain management, Procurement management, Inventory Management, Consultancy, Quality Management
Further study:
Graduates could pursue a PhD in the area, or seek further professional qualifications through, for example, the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS).
SECTION 3 – Teaching, Learning and Assessment Educational Aims
The management of contemporary logistics and supply chain can be challenging and requires a multi-disciplinary skill set, including operations management, information systems, financial management, planning and resource management, and also need critical awareness of legal, social and environmental issues. The course will cover a range of study areas to reflect the responsibilities of today’s professional logistics and supply chain manager.
The course aims to develop your knowledge and skills, to manage contemporary logistics and supply chains effectively in various industry sectors, whilst evaluating the issues in managing logistics and supply chains within the trend of globalization. It also aims to ensure you have a critical awareness of legal, social and environmental issues faced by modern organisations.
The course is delivered with an emphasis on current practices in logistics and supply chain management such as:
A range of significant methodologies, tools and techniques such as JIT, TQM, Six-sigma, and Lean and Agile supply Chain;
A range of relevant examples and contexts;
Research findings, giving insights into current logistics and supply chain management issues;
Tutors’, students’ and external speakers’ own experience of logistics and supply chain management. In addition, the course will provide you with access to PRINCE2 training, providing an additional professional qualification, which is attractive to employers.
The course prepares and/or develops you for a range of careers in management, or specifically logistics management, procurement management, supply chain management, and inventory management.
The design of the course largely reflects the university CRe8 education strategy which emphases personalised learning, effective curriculum design, realistic learning experience, employability of the curriculum, and assessment for learning. For further details see www.beds.ac.uk/learning/curriculum/structure/cre8. Course Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course you should be able to:
LO1: Demonstrate a systematic understanding, application and critical evaluation of a range of relevant supply chain management, logistics, operations and project management theories, methodologies and techniques applied in the context of a range of organisations;
LO2: Demonstrate a systematic understanding of the relationships between specific areas, that impact upon the logistics and supply chain management functions, such as Finance, Information Management,
Communication, Legal, Social and Environmental issues, and the ability to critically analyze those areas in relation to logistics and supply chain management.
LO3: Develop a critical insight into current logistics and supply chain management practice within a variety of environments, and how supply chains are managed locally, nationally and over international boundaries; LO4: Taking a lead role in analysing and planning supply chain operations, selecting and applying various methods of procurement management, inventory management, process management, and quality management, and critically evaluating their results and effectiveness;
LO5: Be aware of the relevant professional codes of conduct and corporate social responsibility issues, demonstrating responsibility for personal and professional development;
LO6: Professional communication skills appropriate to working with a range of internal and external personnel and stakeholders, being able to justify, respond, and present the outcomes/results in a manner appropriate to the audience;
LO7: Deploy information literacy skills to adapt and effectively utilise a range of strategies and resources to explore, research and analyse a topic;
LO8: Independently evaluate of current research, advanced scholarship and associated methodologies and practices in logistics and supply chain management to support critical thinking and maximise research effectiveness;
LO9: Apply creative and innovative skills to autonomously analyse logistics and supply chain operations to plan and develop solutions.
Teaching Strategy
enough to support an interactive learning environment, with input and activities, supporting group discussion.
All units will be supported by our on-line learning environment, BREO, providing access to course materials and discussion groups. Underpinning research and business experience will be used to enhance teaching and learning wherever possible. The course team has strong links with industry, through external consultancy work and professional body links. Current research in logistics and supply chain management is undertaken by staff active in research, and through a Research Informed Teaching project which has produced a
literature review base made available to you and the course team.
‘Real’ case studies will be used to evaluate logistics and supply chain management practices through discussion in seminars and workshops. Through the interactive teaching and learning environment, you will enhance their knowledge through an improved understanding and appreciation of the logistics and supply chain management experiences of tutors and other course members.
You will work, for example, individually, on group projects, research exercises, presentations, case study analyses, taking responsibility for a significant amount of study outside class times. The course is designed to encourage you to develop as an independent and analytical learner and to adopt a holistic and inter-related perspective to the study of Logistics and Supply Chain Management.
Teaching and Learning is designed to support the University’s Education Strategy, Cre8: Personalised learning
Multiple strategies of learning are used to support you in achieving a rich learning experience. Multiple assessment strategies are used to support you through formative feedback and summative assessment. You have opportunities to carry out self-reflections and get feedback on your strengthes and weaknesses to enhance learning.
Curriculum
The design of the curriculum reflects the progressive learning requirement from semester 1 to semester 2 and 3. You will get a detailed introduction to the course at induction and will be informed of the
expectations of the course and the respective units. For all the units, you are informed of the marking criteria before engaging in assessments. All the units will be supported by online learning technologies such as BREO to enhance your learning experience.
Realistic learning
Relevant case studies will be provided to help you gain a better understanding of best practice in the area. You will have the opportunity to interact with industrial practitioners through guest lecturers and site visits. In-class group discussions and role plays in various units will help you better engage in classes and gain collaborative learning experiences.
Employability
The design of the curriculum supports your skills development and career management. The course is informed by a recent research informed teaching project, and by the current research of the course team. You will gain relevant knowledge and practical ideas which will benefit your practical skills in the area. Design of respective units also considers the realistic context of the area acknowledging issues such as social, ethical environmental and political.
Assessment Multiple strategies of assessment will be used. You will get detailed briefings of the assessment and the marking criteria. Self assessment and peer assessment will be used in respective units to help you develop assessment/appraisal skills. Apart from summative feedback, formative feedback will be provided in units to support your learning and to give you the opportunity to enhance your performance.
You are expected to make use of the journals, professional bodies and the media in order to keep up to date with information, examples, debates, discussions and events in logistics and supply chain management
practice.
You will also be encouraged to attend networking groups and more formal lecture/seminar sessions organised by the Knowledge Network within the University – more information can be obtained on
www.beds.ac.uk/knowledgenetwork .
Through University membership of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), you will be encouraged to make use of the professional body’s resources including publications and local seminar events.
The semester 3 will be the dissertation stage. You will develop your research skills through lectures and workshops in the Business Research Methods unit. You will be introduced to various research methods, such as survey, interview, focus group, and action research, as well as various quantitative and qualitative
analytical techniques. Through the Applied Management Project in Logistics and SCM, you will be able to apply some of these methods and techniques to carry out research independently.
You will have access to the literature review, a substantial database of journal articles, with the assistance of a literature menu tool produced by the Research Informed Teaching project, reviewing Contemporary Development in Logistics and Supply Chain Management.
Assessment Strategy
A range of assessment methods are used across the course, including coursework and exams. Coursework will include case study analyses, writing reports, planning and review exercises, research, presentations and group work enabled assessments. 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. You will experience a wide range of increasingly complex assessment activities designed to support the development of your knowledge and skills. There will be formative assessment in all units. The purpose of formative assessment is to enable you to monitor and improve your performance. For example, you will have the opportunity to discuss a report structure before completing the report, to present
concepts/findings through formative presentations and receive feedback before producing a final report or presentation. In preparation for exams, you will consider revision questions to support your learning with guidance on how to approach questions.
The assessment strategy underlines the course’s concern with research and independent thinking, 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 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 viewpoint.
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.
Curriculum Structure, Assessment Methods and Learning Outcomes Note: * Dissertation stage
The final “masters” stage of the course is made up of the project and Business Research Methods.
Unit Code Level Unit Name Credit Core (C)
Option (O)
Assessment Methods*
Contributing towards the Learning Outcomes (Taught (T), Practised (P) and/or Assessed (A))
1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 BSS004-6 7 Logistics Management 15 C RE EX TP A TA TP A PA TP PA TP A TP A TP A BSS007-6 7 Operations Management 15 C PR /O T EX TP A TA T TP A TP PA TP A TP A TP A
AAF001-6 7 Financial Analysis 15 C IT RE TP
A PA TP A BSS024-6 7 Project Management 15 C RE OT / PR TP A TA TP A TP PA TP A PA TP A
BSS006-6 7 Supply Chain Management 15 C RE EX TP
A TP A TP A TP A TP PA PA PA TP A BSS026-6 7 Sustainable Logistics and Supply
Chain Management 15 C RE PR /R E TP A TP A TP A TP A TP A PA PA PA PA
BSS013-6 7 Digital Business Management 15 C RE IT TP
A TP A TP A TP TP A TP A PA
BSS014-6 7 Contract and Procurement
Management 15 C RE OT TP A TP A TP A TP A TP PA PA PA TP A *
BSS017-6 7 Business Research Methods 15 C RE RE PA
TP A TP A TP A TP A BSS045-6 7 Logistics & Supply Chain
Management Project 45 C RE DI PA PA PA
TP
A PA PA
TP
*The following codes for assessments methods apply:-
AR Artifact PC practical
CB computer-based PF performance
CS case study PL placement
DI dissertation or project PO portfolio
EX Exam PR presentation
GR group report RE individual report
IT in-unit test OR oral
SECTION 4 – Learning and Employability
Skills Development Strategies Communication
To help with the development of this you will:
Develop your negotiation skills in the Supply Chain Management Unit;
Enhance your communication skills throughout the course, through, for example, working in groups, managing group works, giving presentations, writing reports/essays, expressing your views, reviewing work, negotiation and shaping decisions, with formative and summative feedback to develop communication effectiveness;
Through your Applied Management Project, enhance your academic writing skills. Information Literacy
To help with the development of this you will:
Research sources of information available on logistics and supply chain management, both on-line and in hard copy, to support your studies, under the guidance of the Business Subject Librarians;
Use a range of resources to support coursework, being aware of the authority, validity, accuracy and reliability of the material used;
Seek out academic journals and refereed papers to support independent research. Research and Evaluation
To help with the development of this you will:
Develop the cognitive level of work expected at masters level explaining the requirement for critical thinking, critical analysis and evaluative skills;
Enhance your information literacy and research skills in the Research Methods unit to provide an understanding of how to undertake research at masters level and to start to develop your research idea;
Undertake a significant evaluation of secondary research to complete the Applied Management Project.
Creativity and Critical Thinking
To help with the development of this you will:
Develop the cognitive level of work expected at masters level explaining the requirement for critical thinking, critical analysis and evaluative skills;
Use creative approaches in class activities and coursework, for example, through problem solving and working with your peers;
Undertake assessments understanding the need for critical thinking and evaluation. Team Working
Team working is fundamental to a career in logistics and supply chain management and hence, the course seeks to develop excellent inter-personal skills, including leadership and negotiation skills. You will have the opportunity for team work in most units, and are expected to develop and enhance skills in self and peer assessment. You will work in groups on complex case studies, and need to solve business problems and issues, make decisions and anticipate future challenges. You will also have the opportunity to reflect on their group work and critically evaluate their group’s performance.
Improving Learning and Performance
benchmark in Induction, to enhance your understanding of the requirements of studying at master’s level and to support those of you who are returning to learn as a mature student.
You will have the opportunity to assess their own learning style, for example using Honey and Mumford and/or the Effective Lifelong Learning Inventory. This will support you in the transition to becoming a more independent autonomous learner.
Career Management Skills
You will be able to access resources available within the University to help with your continued career management. Over the duration of the course you will network with their peers, the course team as well as have opportunities to go to presentations and lectures provided by the Knowledge Network which is a vibrant and lively meeting point for business people to share their knowledge and opportunities. More information can be obtained on http://www.theknowledgenetwork.co.uk/ The Centre for Personal and Career Development is available to support and advise you and more information can be obtained on http://www.beds.ac.uk/careers. The Careers Advisors will meet you in Induction, to introduce the Careers Service. At masters level, you are encouraged to take greater responsibility for their career management, with the support of the Careers Service, which offer one-to-one career coaching. However, the course will include career development and management, and, as ‘professional learners’ you will feel better equipped to make more informed decisions and career moves in line with your personal and career goals You are encouraged to use the various Career Management on-line tools available for self-assessment and identification of career opportunities. Progress Files
You will receive transcripts of their results at the end of each semester, for their records.
You are encouraged to make use of the range of support within the university, such as careers advice and study skills support. As indicated above, these elements are central to the course objectives and key to supporting students in their Personal Development Planning.
Professional Standards
The course is informed by the codes of conduct and professional standards of the following professional bodies:
Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) Chartered Management Institute (CMI)
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) Chartered Institute of Management Accounting (CIMA) ) Logistics and Supply Chain Management Society
Association for Operations Management Institute of Operations Management Association of Project Management
Drawing upon these codes of conduct, students will be expected to demonstrate the following behaviours:
To work with professional integrity at all times;
To abide by the Code of Conduct as stated in the University’s Student Regulations;
To self-manage and demonstrate good time management skills;
To manage relationships using effective communication strategies to successfully engage with others;
To be a respectful and listening manager/team player who is open to other’s perspectives and evaluate ideas constructively and positively;
To be mindful of the ethical implications of activities through dialogue with peers, clients and mentors, and adhere to professional ethical standards at all times;
To be committed to continuing personal development (CPD) and promote the CPD ethic within your profession;
Strategy for Developing and Embedding the Professional Standards
The Professional Standards for the course, identified above, will be shared with all new students and reviewed and developed annually in the induction period.
The course team will seek to encourage you to adhere to the above course professional standards. You will be made aware of codes of practice and professional body standards, to support students’ personal development and in order to recognise the skills, values and behaviour required of professional practitioners.
With the focus on career management and lifelong learning, you will be made aware of the professional courses available, such as PRINCE2 and through CILT, CIPS, and CMI.
SECTION 5 – Administrative Information
Faculty Business School
Field Business Systems
Department/School/Division Management and Business Systems
Course Leader Qile He
Version Number 4/14
Body approving this version University Approval Date of University approval of this
version (dd/mm/yyyy) 02/06/2014
Form completed by:
Name: Qile He Date: July 2014
Authorisation on behalf of the Faculty Teaching Quality and Standards Committee (FTQSC) Chair: ……… Date: …..……….
Course Updates Date
(dd/mm/yyyy) Nature of Update FTQSC Minute Ref:
Dec 2013 Change of Location to Luton and UCMK and Comliance with QA requirements on group work.
