Life
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Quality, Flexibility
Fit your learning around your life
That is how we view studying by distance learning at Durham and we have designed the Durham Distance Learning MBA programme with that thought in mind. The advantages of studying via distance learning are clear: learned skills and techniques can be put into practice immediately; you do not have to interrupt your career or forego your salary; and your organisation does not have to lose you. Better still, your organisation may sponsor you.
Distance learning is the study mode of choice of many international students: Durhams Distance Learning students include 80 nationalities and half are non-UK based. An MBA is a considerable investment in both time and money. With the proliferation of programmes available, the quality and reputation of your MBA must distinguish you from others. The Durham Distance Learning MBA is a serious contender, consistently featured in the Financial Times Top Distance Learning MBAs in the World, and comes from a highly regarded, international business school from Englands third oldest university. The Durham MBA will set you apart. World renowned academic teaching and learning, underpinned by world class faculty and research, AMBA and EQUIS accreditation, and a holistic programme are just some of the strengths of the Durham MBA. In addition to academic excellence, the Durham Distance Learning MBA gives you flexibility: flexibility to study at your own pace and place; flexibility between the modes of delivery; and flexibility, through elective choice, to continue the general management theme of the core modules or tailor your MBA to a particular specialism or employers area of interest. We understand that undertaking a distance learning MBA is a significant commitment the Durham Distance Learning team has 20 years of experience delivering Distance Learning Programmes, and we are dedicated to providing a high level of support throughout your studies with us. I look forward to sharing the Durham Experience with you.
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Flexibility Communication Critical thinking Networking Negotiation Problem solving Presentation Time management Questioning
Support
Programme Delivery The Durham MBA is offered via three delivery options to fit flexibly with your employment, lifestyle and commitments: full-time, executive (part-time) and distance learning. In addition, we also offer the Durham Executive MBA in Germany and Barbados. For further information on these external programmes, please visit our website: www.dur.ac.uk/dbs. Each delivery mode has been carefully designed to address the requirements of its students, building upon our experience and feedback from alumni. We recognise that your requirements and commitments may change during your studies and can assist you to transfer between different modes of delivery to suit your needs or even suspend your studies whilst you concentrate on different projects. The high quality of the Durham MBA programme is the same regardless of the route chosen: all our MBA students achieve the same learning outcomes and the same qualification - a Master of Business Administration from Durham University. Durham Distance Learning MBA Programme Structure The programme is divided into semesters of six months study (January to June and July to December), delivered in discrete learning modules and units. One unit is equivalent to a lecture session and represents roughly an evenings study. A core module has 14 units and an elective module 8 units.
The Durham MBA (Finance) The Durham MBA (Finance) has been designed to give you a more specialist grounding in key aspects of finance. It builds on the strength of finance teaching and research at Durham Business School: teaching was rated as excellent with the award of 24/24 in the 2001 QAA Subject Review; and research has been recognised as of international excellence with the award of 5A in the most recent HEFCE Research Assessment Exercise.
Career background
Nationality
General
Average age 37 Average work experience 12 years
ELECTIVES
Electives allow in-depth study and reflection and provide you with an opportunity to enhance and deepen knowledge and skills in areas of particular interest to you, and that are relevant to your future career. For a list of electives currently on offer, please visit our website: www.dur.ac.uk/dbs/degrees/mba/mba_dl/structure/ Electives are assessed using written assignments. Distance Learning MBA You choose six electives from a broad portfolio on offer. If you wish to tailor your MBA to a certain area, you could pick a number of electives dedicated to that subject area; alternatively, you may choose a diverse range of electives to continue the general management theme. One of the key features of the Durham Distance Learning MBA programme is the wide choice of electives. Distance Learning MBA (Finance) Three compulsory modules, designed to further develop specialist knowledge and skills in important areas of finance, build on the Managing Finance core: Corporate Finance Financial Planning and Control Financial Risk Management You also choose a further three electives from a broad portfolio on offer.
DISSERTATION
The MBA programme culminates in a 15,000-word dissertation on a business topic chosen by you, and overseen by a faculty supervisor with relevant academic/consultancy experience. The dissertation is an independent piece of research that should be regarded as an exercise in the analysis, interpretation and presentation of information, observations and ideas. Normally it involves the systematic study of a problem using an appropriate theoretical framework. This is a very rewarding part of the MBA learning experience. The Methods of Inquiry module provides insight into the research project and must be undertaken before starting the dissertation. If you are unable to undertake a dissertation you may, as a concession, be permitted to take two extra electives and submit an approved 8,000-word business report. In this case, you would not be required to study the Methods of Inquiry module.
Progression through the programme Each semester (January-June, July-December) you select the number of modules you wish to study: once you have enrolled and paid the appropriate fees (normally two months in advance of the semester start date), all course materials necessary to study those modules will be despatched to you. We supply you with specially-written module material (on paper, on CD-ROM and via DUO, Durhams web-based delivery platform) containing all the content, information and background detail you will need to complete the programme successfully; all essential textbooks are also provided. In addition, you can interact with other students through online seminars, discussion forums and residential seminars. You progress through the programme at a rate you decide, dependent on the number of modules you choose to study each semester, and satisfactory assessment. The minimum rate of progression is 3 modules per year, i.e. in 2 successive occasions of assessment. There is a flexible order to study and sensible time limits for completion. The order of study is as follows: 4 core modules must be attempted before electives Core modules and electives can be taken together when re-sitting core modules, or after 4 core modules have been attempted The Methods of Inquiry core module must be attempted before the dissertation can be started The dissertation (or business report) normally follows successful assessment in all core and elective modules You may choose to take a fast-track approach and complete the programme in 2 years (the minimum time allowed). In this case, should you wish, we can prescribe a timetable showing which modules to study in each 6 month study period. Alternatively, you may wish to extend your studies beyond 2 years (a maximum of 5 years is permitted). The average time to complete is 3 years - which represents four modules in each of the first three years (eg, two modules in each semester), followed by the dissertation in 6 months. The choice is completely yours. Overall, this offers flexibility for you to choose what to study and when.
DURHAM RACHEL SMART, DIRECTOR, RACHEL SMART LIMITED DISTANCE LEARNING MBA
The Durham MBA was my first choice as it allows huge flexibility in the way that you study, and so fitted with my commitments and own pace and style of learning.
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Residential Seminars Residential seminars are an important feature of the programme. They are held in Durham over a long weekend - Friday to Monday - in March/April and September. The seminars: Provide induction for new students Deliver teaching on core and some elective modules Facilitate research towards assessments and the dissertation Give you the opportunity to meet and exchange experiences, problems and solutions with tutors and other students This is the only part of the programme for which attendance is required. You are encouraged to attend seminars as often as possible, but in case of difficulty exemptions can be sought. Assessment Examinations take place in June and December each year, with examined coursework assignments, dissertations and business reports submitted to deadlines at or near the examination dates. Once enrolled on your chosen modules, you will be expected to undergo assessment at the next ordinary occasion, although a deferral opportunity exists in case of difficulty or a change in circumstances. Examinations are offered at approved examination centres, of which there are upwards of 200 worldwide. New examination centres can be approved if required. Module assessment takes two forms: Formative Tutor Assessed Assignments that provide feedback on a piece of work, but do not count towards the module mark Summative Core modules: Examination (50%) and Examined Coursework Assignments (50%); Methods of Inquiry and electives are assessed by assignment only It is possible to re-sit an unsuccessful module on one further occasion.
Awards Dependent upon achievement, it is possible to exit the programme early with a Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma or an MA in Business Administration. The MBA is awarded upon satisfactory completion of the whole programme. You will receive the same MBA award irrespective of mode of study, i.e. all MBA graduates are awarded The Durham MBA. An overall total of: Successful completion of 4 core modules is required for a Postgraduate Certificate Successful completion of 5 core modules and 3 electives (or 4 + 4) is required for a Postgraduate Diploma Successful completion of at least 8 modules (but less than 12) and the dissertation is required for an MA Successful completion of 6 core modules, 6 electives and the dissertation (or 5 core modules, 8 electives and the business project) is required for the award of MBA Graduation The finale to the programme is Congregation, a gathering of successful students, their families and friends, and members and friends of Durham Business School to witness and celebrate the conferring of degrees in the magnificent setting of Durham Cathedral. The 1,000 year old cathedral has been described as one of the great architectural experiences of Europe, and is renowned as a masterpiece of Romanesque (or Norman) architecture. Together with Durham Castle, Durham Cathedral was inscribed as one of Britains first World Heritage sites.
DURHAM KARA DALY, DIRECTOR OF REGULATORY AFFAIRS, SCIELE PHARMA IRELAND LIMITED DISTANCE LEARNING MBA
The MBA has opened up a new world and reconfirmed my ability to be disciplined and pursue high level objectives.
6 The Durham Distance Learning MBA
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Help
We will support you: studying an MBA is both a challenging and rewarding experience, and demonstrates a significant personal commitment. Here at Durham Business School we respect that decision and are committed to helping you achieve your personal and career goals.
In addition to providing high levels of support to help you concentrate on your studies, we take on board all comments raised by current and previous students. We are committed to continuously enhancing and improving our systems to ensure that your studies with us are as valuable as possible. Our dedicated IT service, library and administrative departments mirror your needs. Years of experience ensure that we can anticipate many of your requirements and meet them as they arise. Module Tutors You will be allocated a module tutor for each module to provide you with general academic support and feedback on the Tutor Assessed Assignments. These are experienced academics or practitioners, most of whom have completed an MBA. They form the first point of contact, usually by email, and are available to answer individual questions on the module material. After enrolment you will also receive a list of contact details of fellow students living in your geographical region. Durham University Online (DUO) DUO is Durhams online learning environment - an integrated solution to manage and facilitate your learning. As well as providing module material (which you also receive in hard copy and on CD-ROM), the DUO sites provide additional electronic sources for each module, links to relevant websites, and other mechanisms to support your learning, such as relevant online seminars. You will find that you make increasing use of DUO as you progress through the course. Via the Library tab in DUO you have access to Durham Business Schools online library which holds over 10,000 e-journals covering all aspects of business, management, finance and economics. Through the online library you can also access the following databases: Ebsco Business Source Premier, European Business ASAP Factiva, Lexis-Nexis Executive, FT.com, FAME, , OCLC Firstsearch and Web of Knowledge.
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The Durham Distance Learning MBA and your career Enhancing career prospects and broadening career options are important considerations for many MBA students, and here at Durham we regard career support as an integral element of our MBA programmes. As part of our commitment to you we offer a variety of facilities, services and resources to help you realise your career aspirations and goals. An in-house careers development service is available to all MBA students of Durham Business School, the objectives of which will of course vary to some extent for different students. We recognise that some students enrolled on the Distance Learning MBA programme may have little or no interest in the careers support services available, whilst others may be very interested. In addition, because of the geographical spread of students on distance learning programmes, many are not able to visit the School regularly to make use of some of the services on offer, apart from when they visit Durham for residential seminars or, perhaps, examinations. Services available to you as a Distance Learning MBA student include: Confidential, individual appointments to discuss any careers or personal development related issue, ranging from planning future direction within your current employment to compilation of your CV. Appointments can be conducted face to face, via telephone or video conferencing, or via email A briefing session during at least one of the residential seminars in Durham with an additional class presentation/ discussion session on a personal/career development issue of interest to the student group Advertising of vacancies, careers fairs/events and other careers related information received from employers, agencies, etc
Graduate Destinations Durham Business School MBA graduates are highly employable and on completion of their studies enter a wide range of occupations and sectors. A good indicator of the positive impact of the MBA on students post-graduation careers can be seen in the rankings achieved by the School in the annual MBA ranking surveys undertaken by the Economist Intelligence Unit and The Financial Times: 1st in the UK, 2nd in the world, for career progress (Financial Times MBA Survey, 2007) 3rd in the world for diversity of recruiters and 31st in the world for numbers in work 3 months after graduation (Economist Which MBA, 2006) 2nd in the world for aims achieved (Financial Times Executive MBA Ranking, 2006) Durham Business School has an excellent reputation among employers and many of our MBA students have gone on to excellent careers with either their existing employer or new employers across all industrial sectors, whilst others have chosen to establish their own businesses.
Career
8 The Durham Distance Learning MBA
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The Durham Distance Learning MBA 9
Alumni Service
Why Agora?
Cultural, political and economic life in ancient Athens rotated around the (Agora - the central square). The defined the space of democracy, an open space that served as a vibrant meeting place where the community could strengthen its network of relationships: transactions were carried out, gossip exchanged, conspiracies organised, knowledge created and friendships strengthened. The objective of Durham Business Schools alumni service is to recreate the network and community space of the Agora across the worldwide Durham community and help you retain the friendships and contacts made during your studies. Serving more than 11,000 alumni in over 100 countries, Agoras global network facilitates friendship and business connections out from the classroom into social and professional circles worldwide. Serving alumni and current students, Agoras global network is an inclusive, diverse community that sits very much at the heart of the Durham Experience. When you enrol you will join Durham MA, MSc and MBA graduates in an active alumni association. As a lifelong member of a worldwide network, linking fellow alumni across the world, we look to nurture your commitment to us through a broad range of services including: Active alumni service Networking opportunities Newsletters Social events Guest speaker seminars Job vacancies Interactive website - AgoraNet Local alumni associations
Lifelong Learning
Agora helps you maintain the value of your business education and qualification by providing the opportunity to update your knowledge with the latest business and management information. Through AgoraNet you have access to a wide range of online resources including: Virtual library containing publications and links to media and company information Access to online databases, eg, Business Source Premier Online discussion facility
11,000 Members
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QUALITY, FLEXIBILITY
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DUO - Durhams online learning environment - an integrated solution to managing and facilitating your learning.
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Employee Skills
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Development
QUALITY, FLEXIBILITY
Seminars
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There are both monetary and time resource implications in undertaking a distance learning programme, not simply in respect of the tuition fees and the time needed for study, but also associated with attending examinations for the core modules, and travelling to residential seminars.
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History, Quality
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Prestige
Founded in 1965, Durham Business School is recognised and consistently ranked among the worlds most highly regarded business schools. From the start we established an international reputation for our innovative approach to business education and enterprise development, and for the excellence of our postgraduate programmes. The most recent Financial Times European Business School survey placed us 6th in the UK and 18th in Europe. We are innovative, enterprising and forward-looking, and to consolidate and build on our strengths we have established a core of research groups and centres that are among the world leaders in their fields. Working closely in the business world with organisations from SMEs to MNEs through such initiatives as bespoke and open executive education programmes, knowledge transfer partnerships (KTPs) and business projects, allows us to reflect the business climate to keep our teaching and research relevant and at the cutting edge, and thus ensure your MBA is both contemporary and relevant.
The MBA experience at Durham Business School is about your learning and developing in a professional and friendly academic atmosphere. Purpose-built for postgraduate education, we are dedicated to facilitating the best learning experience possible, influenced by the most recent developments in the field, and delivered by experienced teachers, researchers and consultants. Our expertise, attention to quality, the attentiveness of staff and the rich diversity of students combine to offer you the best possible learning environment. Achieving both AMBA and EQUIS accreditation gives you the extra assurance that the Durham MBA programme and Durham Business School have been rigorously tested and proven to be of the high quality demanded by todays professionals. We dont pretend that the Durham MBA is anything other than challenging and demanding, as we believe that this is what you and employers alike expect.
Durham University
Durham Business School is an integral part of Durham University, one of the most prestigious academic institutions in the UK and the Sunday Times University of the Year in 2005.
Established in 1832, Durham University is the third oldest in England after Oxford and Cambridge, and currently has more than 15,000 students from over 120 countries. Your MBA will have a hallmark of quality not only from Durham Business School, but also from a university with an impressive history and track record.
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Applications
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Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) You may apply for APL in order to gain exemption from part of the study programme. You must provide demonstrable achievement of learning outcomes, normally in the form of an equivalent certified award at an appropriate level. APL can be awarded for full modules only, up to a maximum of five modules. You may apply for APL upon receipt of provisional offer, but your application must be submitted before enrolment is completed. APL is at the discretion of the University and is not a right. Guidelines on the Universitys policy can be found at www.dur.ac.uk/learningand teaching-handbook/1/6/2/ Please note that APL carries a fee that is offset against the module fee if the application for APL is unsuccessful. The Admissions Process 1. We acknowledge receipt of your application (this will be by automated email if you apply via the online system) 2. We will inform you of our decision (normally within 2 weeks of receipt of application and all supporting documents) 3 If the decision is to offer you a place on the programme, we will let you know by email; a formal offer letter will also be mailed to you 4. You should confirm acceptance of your offer as soon as possible and submit documentation and appropriate fees to the MBA Admissions office 5. Upon receipt of documentation and fees we will despatch your learning materials If you have any queries relating to the admissions process or to the Durham Distance Learning MBA programme itself, please contact the MBA Admissions Office; well be happy to help.
Fees and Scholarships Tuition fees cover all course materials (hard copy, CD ROMs), textbooks, tutor support, online access and registration with the University for the duration of the programme. For details of current tuition fees, please visit www.dur.ac.uk/dbs/degrees/mba/mba_dl/fees_finance/ For information on scholarships available, please visit www.dur.ac.uk/dbs/degrees/scholarships/dl-mba/. There are many additional sources of finance available to MBA students; for further information please visit www.dur.ac.uk/dbs/degrees/ mba/mba_dl/fees_finance/ MBA Admissions Office Durham Business School Mill Hill Lane Durham City DH1 3LB UK Tel: +44 (0) 191 334 5533 Fax: +44 (0) 191 334 5136 Email: pg.bus@durham.ac.uk
QUALITY, FLEXIBILITY
Choice
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Admissions