Management (Advanced Standing) MA

Study level: Postgraduate
Designers working on a large piece of paper with highlighter pens

Designed to deepen your knowledge of management as a discipline, and enhance your professional skills, this flexible course allows you to convert your prior learning into a master’s qualification upon successful completion.

Year of entry

2024-25

Location

Coventry University (Coventry)

Study mode

Part-time

Duration

6 months part-time

Course code

FBLT097

Start date

September 2024
January 2025


Course overview

Aimed at professional managers with at least two years of professional experience and prior learning to PGDip level.

  • This course covers the production of a research project, developed in collaboration with your employer, which will look to investigate a ‘live’ management issue.
  • This project will cover a written component, as well as a digital artefact, such as a web page, which can allow your findings to be easily shared with your employer and colleagues.
  • Delivered flexibly by practice focused academics, successful completion of this course can enhance your knowledge of management theories and how to apply them, which could help you to develop as a manager and learn the skills needed to progress in your career.
Hand selecting a user icon in a coloured circle.

Joint Top Modern University for Career Prospects

Guardian University Guide 2021 and 2022

Five stars in a speech bubble.

5 QS Stars for Teaching and Facilities

QS Stars University Ratings

City buildings next to a tree.

Top 5 UK Student City in England (Coventry)

QS Best Student Cities Index 2024

Why you should study this course

  • Learn from practice focused academics, with a range of academic and professional experience
  • Benefit from a flexible delivery schedule, with a small number of face-to-face teaching days (usually 3) followed by research project supervision sessions which can be conducted remotely via Skype or a similar platform
  • Conduct a relevant project into a ‘live’ management issue, with your recommendations easily shared with your employer through the production of a digital artefact
  • Study at Coventry Business School, which was ranked as ‘excellent’ in 2022 by Eduniversal, an annual ranking of business schools in over 150 countries
  • Aims to provide a deeper understanding of management theory, and how it can be applied to real problems

Accreditations and professional recognition

This course is accredited1 and recognised by the following bodies:

European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) logo

European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD)

Coventry Business School are currently active members of The European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD), Europe’s largest network association in the field of management development.


Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS) logo

Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS)

We also currently continue to be an active participant in the Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS). Our experiences and involvement with these organisations could help to enhance the quality of your educational experience.



What you'll study

The main study themes covered on the course are;

  • Management Research Skills: The course aims to develop problem definition and management research skills in designing and applying management research, data collection, data management and analysis methods in order for you to produce a full management research report/dissertation with recommendations.
  • Current Management Thinking: Through the supervision of a practice focused academic, the course aims to educate and inform you as a manager, leader and organisational member in original and current thinking about management in support of your own professional management practice.
  • Management Practice and Theory: Throughout your time on the course, we aim to develop your critical thinking skills and creative approaches to current management practice and theory.
  • Professional Skills Development: The course aims to provide an environment where professional skills can be developed to enhance self-direction, communication, decision-making, innovation, communication and collegiality.

The course allows you to conduct an in-depth research project on a management problem supported by your employer. The module ‘Management Research Skills’ aims to prepare you for the production of the project.

Modules

  • This module equips students with the research skills required to successfully execute a management research project. Students will examine quantitative and qualitative approaches to data collection and consider a range of issues which determine the development of their research strategy. The module is assessed by a research proposal of 1750 words.

    Compulsory

  • In this module students will scope and carry out a substantive piece of individual research of a management issue within an organisational context, drawing from knowledge acquired on the Management Skills module and their own professional experience. This module is assessed by the presentation of a 10000 word dissertation and a digital artefact.

    Compulsory

We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.


How you'll learn

Teaching on the course has been designed to be delivered flexibly, to minimise disruption to you and your employer, as such is taught on a part-time basis.

In the first semester, there will usually be two full days of face-to-face teaching, covering induction to the course and an introduction to the methods and skills needed to conduct the course’s research project module, alongside working with others on the course to frame the development of your research problem.

A third full day of attendance is then usually scheduled for the second semester of study and aims to help to further build support networks with others on the course, and to consolidate the research design after you have submitted your research proposal. A variety of supporting course materials are designed to support and enhance the face-to-face element of the course, which should allow you to direct your study effectively so it fits in with your work.

After submitting your research proposal, you will be allocated a supervisor who will continue to provide you with support as you begin to conduct your research and write your project. This supervision can be conducted face-to-face, or can be conducted remotely via Skype or a similar service, increasing the flexible nature of the course’s teaching schedule.


Teaching contact hours

Designed for those currently working as professional managers, this course is offered on a 6-month part-time basis only and is structured to try to minimise disruption to you and your employer.

You will undertake an initial two-day face-to-face session, during which you will be inducted into the programme of study and introduced to the module on Management Research Skills.

After those two days, there is another full day of attendance at a later date, to help shape the design of your research project after submitting a proposal.

After proposal submission, and during the production of the research project and digital artefact, you will be allocated a supervisor who will continue to provide support through approximately 5 hours of supervision, which can be conducted face-to-face or remotely, via Skype or a similar platform. While producing your research project, you will be expected to conduct a significant amount of self-directed study.

As an innovative and enterprising institution, the University may seek to utilise emerging technologies within the student experience. For all courses (whether on-campus, blended, or distance learning), the University may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via online technologies and methods.

Since COVID-19, we have delivered our courses in a variety of forms, in line with public authority guidance, decisions, or orders and we will continue to adapt our delivery as appropriate. Whether on campus or online, our key priority is staff and student safety.


Assessment

This course will be assessed through the outputs of the modules studied – firstly, through assessment of a research proposal, followed by assessment of a dissertation and a related digital artefact.

The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards the achieving the intended learning outcomes.


Entry requirements

Typical offer for 2024/25 entry.

Applicants to this course should hold a PG Diploma level qualification in a subject which contains relevant management content.

Qualifications can be derived from professional body qualifications, such as those administered by the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development, the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, the Chartered Institute of Marketing or the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply.

In addition, applicants should be able to demonstrate at least two years professional experience, with evidence of management responsibility. This experience will be judged on a case by case basis by the course team.

For further information on acceptable qualifications, including to enquire about appropriate levels of professional experience, please contact us using our request information form.

We recognise a breadth of qualifications, speak to one of our advisers today to find out how we can help you.

Chat with us

Select your region to find detailed information about entry requirements:

You can view our full list of country specific entry requirements on our Entry requirements page.

Alternatively, visit our International hub for further advice and guidance on finding in-country agents and representatives, joining our in-country events and how to apply.

Typical entry requirements

Applicants to this course should hold a PG Diploma level qualification in a subject which contains relevant management content. Qualifications can be derived from professional body qualifications, such as those administered by the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development, the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, the Chartered Institute of Marketing or the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply.

In addition, applicants should be able to demonstrate at least two years professional experience, with evidence of management responsibility. This experience will be judged on a case by case basis by the course team.

Our International Student Hub offers information on entry requirements for your country, as well as contact details for agents and representatives should you need more advice.

English language requirements

  • IELTS: 6.5 overall, with no component lower than 5.5.

If you don't meet the English language requirements, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course. 

For more information on our approved English language tests visit our English language requirements page.

Chat with us


Fees and funding

2024/25 tuition fees.

Student Full-time Part-time
UK Not available £3,733
International Not available £6,200

For advice and guidance on tuition fees3 and student loans visit our Postgraduate Finance page and see the university's Tuition Fee and Refund Terms and Conditions.

We offer a range of International scholarships to students all over the world. For more information, visit our International Scholarships page.

Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessments, facilities and support services. There may be additional costs not covered by this fee such as accommodation and living costs, recommended reading books, stationery, printing and re-assessments should you need them.

*Irish student fees

The rights of Irish residents to study in the UK are preserved under the Common Travel Area arrangement. If you are an Irish student and meet the residency criteria, you can study in England, pay the same level of tuition fees as English students and utilise the Tuition Fee Loan.

**EU support bursary

Following the UK's exit from the European Union, we are offering financial support to all eligible EU students who wish to study an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree with us full-time. This bursary will be used to offset the cost of your tuition fees to bring them in line with that of UK students. Students studying a degree with a foundation year with us are not eligible for the bursary.

  • We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Your fee status determines your tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available to you. The rules about who pays UK (home) or international (overseas) fees for higher education courses in England are set by the government's Department for Education. The regulations identify all the different categories of student who can insist on paying the home rate. The regulations can be difficult to understand, so the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) has provided fee status guidance to help you identify whether you are eligible to pay the home or overseas rate.

    If you meet all the criteria required by any one category, including any residence requirements, your institution must charge you the home rate. You only need to find one category that you fit into.


Facilities

This course is taught on a part-time basis, with the majority of work being done in your own time off-campus. While on campus for contact days you will use our College of Business and Law facilities4.

As a Coventry University student, you will have access to a range of facilities if you choose to use them. These can include:

People walking in front of a building which has a big library sign

The Library

You will benefit from our support designed to help you succeed and our industry-relevant teaching and resources. These include our modern library and computing facilities, dedicated careers advice and Your Students’ Union.

Beautiful building surrounded by trees on a sunny day

Jaguar Centre

The Jaguar Centre has been specifically designed to provide facilities and services to support our postgraduate students including social spaces, computer suites and separate areas for small group study.

Glass modern building with a spire in the background

The Hub

The Hub is the centre of student campus life. It's also home to the Health and Wellbeing Centre, the Spirituality and Faith Centre, the Tank Studio, Student Success Coaches and the Enterprise Hub.


Careers and opportunities

On successful completion of the course you will be able to:

  • Identify and clearly specify management problems in order to determine the effects that they have upon an organisation.
  • Critically review relevant, contemporary academic and practitioner literature relating to management and the organisational context.
  • Systematically and creatively execute appropriate research design using selected research methods to ethically examine defined management problems.
  • Demonstrate effective management of a project, recognising and adapting to change throughout.
  • Effectively and consistently present, evaluate and analyse data in the investigation of management.
  • Reach well-researched conclusions and articulated judgements based upon management research, to create a range of recommendations.

By being designed to build upon your professional expertise, and enhance your knowledge and skills in management, this course aims to give you the opportunity to further your career progression within management roles across a range of sectors.

Focusing on a relevant and authentic research project, upon successful completion of the course, your research could mean that the benefits of the course can be experienced by your employer, who should be able to gain access to the completed project and its recommendations through a digital artefact, such as a website.


How to apply

  • Coventry University together with Coventry University London, Coventry University Wrocław, CU Coventry, CU London, CU Scarborough, and Coventry University Online come together to form part of the Coventry University Group (the University) with all degrees awarded by Coventry University.

    1Accreditations

    The majority of our courses have been formally recognised by professional bodies, which means the courses have been reviewed and tested to ensure they reach a set standard. In some instances, studying on an accredited course can give you additional benefits such as exemptions from professional exams (subject to availability, fees may apply). Accreditations, partnerships, exemptions and memberships shall be renewed in accordance with the relevant bodies’ standard review process and subject to the university maintaining the same high standards of course delivery.

    2UK and international opportunities

    Please note that we are unable to guarantee any UK or international opportunities (whether required or optional) such as internships, work experience, field trips, conferences, placements or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be unpaid and/or subject to additional costs (which could include, but is not limited to, equipment, materials, bench fees, studio or facilities hire, travel, accommodation and visas), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable travel, public authority guidance, decisions or orders and visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand any visa requirements, please contact the International Office.

    3Tuition fees

    The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated in the above table for the first Academic Year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, the University may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation.

    For international students, we may increase fees each year, but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation. If you defer your course start date or have to extend your studies beyond the normal duration of the course (e.g. to repeat a year or resit examinations) the University reserves the right to charge you fees at a higher rate and/or in accordance with any legislative changes during the additional period of study.

    4Facilities

    Facilities are subject to availability. Access to some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) may vary from those advertised and/or may have reduced availability or restrictions where the university is following public authority guidance, decisions or orders.

    Student Contract

    By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the university. A copy of the current 2023/2024 contract is available on the website for information purposes however the 2024/25 Contract is currently being updated so please revisit this page before submitting your application. The Contract details your rights and the obligations you will be bound by during your time as a student and contains the obligations that the university will owe to you. You should read the Contract before you accept an offer of a place and before you enrol at the university.