University of Cambridge: Programme Specifications
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this programme specification.
Programme specifications are produced and then reviewed annually by the relevant faculty or
department and revised where necessary. However, we reserve the right to withdraw, update or
amend this programme specification at any time without notice.
Further information about specifications and an archive of programme specifications for all awards of
the University is available online at: www.admin.cam.ac.uk/univ/camdata/archive.html
MASTER OF PHILOSOPHY IN MANAGEMENT SCIENCE AND OPERATIONS
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Awarding body
Teaching institution
Accreditation details
Name of final award
Programme title
JACS code(s)
Relevant QAA benchmark statement(s)
Qualifications framework level
Date specification was produced/
last revised
10 Date specification was last reviewed
University of Cambridge
Judge Business School
None
Master of Philosophy
Management Science and Operations
N200
None
7 (Masters)
October 2008
May 2011
Educational aims of the programme
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to give students with relevant experience at first-degree level the opportunity to carry
out focussed research in Management Science and Operations under close
supervision; and
to give students the opportunity to acquire or develop skills and expertise relevant to
their research interests.
By:
giving students the experience and guidance necessary for them to be able to
formulate a realistic research proposal, and to prepare written work based on such a
proposal to a strict timetable.
showing students how to marshal and get to grips with relevant bibliography
(including the use of computer technology), to broaden their appreciation of the
principal issues that shape a given field, and to encourage them to develop insights
which might form the basis of an original contribution to the debates in question.
giving students the experience of attending and contributing to a weekly graduate
seminar, and in particular of presenting their own work and discussing the issues
that arise from it with an audience of senior and junior members of the Faculty.
Where relevant,
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providing teaching in a range of technical/specialist subjects central to research
in the different branches of Management Science and Operations, and to give
students the opportunity to base some of their essay work on such teaching, or
alternatively to be examined formally on the knowledge acquired;
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providing students with the teaching necessary to bring their knowledge of
Mathematics to a standard adequate for understanding the technical literature in
Management Science and Operations and for their own research work, and to
give them the opportunity to take appropriate examinations;
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providing students with the teaching necessary to bring their knowledge of
Management as an academic discipline to a standard adequate for research in
Management Science and Operations, and to give them the opportunity to take
appropriate examinations;
The primary focus will normally be on one of the following research areas, which are
the subject areas around which teaching and research in Management Science and
Operations at the Judge Business School is organised:
(A) Operations Strategy
(B) Supply and Value Chain Management
(C) New Product Development and Innovation
(D) Revenue Management
(E) Energy and the Environment
(F) Health Care Management
(G) Theory and Applications of Mathematical Modelling
Programme outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding
By the end of the course students should have:
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developed a deep knowledge of their chosen area of Management Science and
Operations and of the academic debates within it;
a conceptual understanding that enables the evaluation of current research and
methodologies;
Teaching and Learning
(1) and (2) are developed through:
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lecture courses;
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personal study;
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opportunity for participation in research culture, e.g. research seminars;
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one-to-one supervisions.
Assessment
(1) and (2) are assessed though examination, coursework and a thesis.
Skills and other attributes
By the end of the course students should have:
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acquired or consolidated modelling, computational and mathematical skills appropriate
for research in their chosen area.
demonstrated independent judgement, based on their own research;
presented their own ideas in a public forum and learned to contribute constructively within
an international environment.
Teaching and Learning
(3) these skills are developed through;
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specialist subject classes;
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coursework
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one-to-one supervisions.
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(4) is developed through personal study and individual supervision for the thesis and essays;
(5) is developed through preparation for and feedback from presentation of papers in
seminars
Assessment
(3) is assessed by examination and coursework
(4) is assessed by thesis and coursework
Programme structure
Submit Thesis
March
Submit Coursework
Marked and feedback
given
Submit Coursework
Marked and feedback
given
Entry
First Class degree or equivalent
required in a subject that provides
adequate quantitative training
January
Assessed Seminar
presentations
June
October
Degree awarded
Requirements for the award of the degree
(i) The examination is divided into two parts:
• six module assessments, either as unseen written exam of through coursework, each
of which may be either an essay of not more than 4,000 words or an equivalent
exercise or exercises
• a dissertation of not more than 12,000 words in length
A fail mark on a part of the examination would not necessarily mean overall failure in the
examination, provided that the examiners judged it to be outweighed by the remainder of the
student’s performance.
(ii) No aggregate numerical mark for the entire M.Phil. is awarded.
(iii) The overall result in the M.Phil. is either a Pass, a Fail or a distinction.
For marking criteria see http://wwwintranet.jbs.cam.ac.uk/students/mphils/downloads/handbook_mphilmgtsci.pdf (local access
only)
Indicators of quality
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The Management Science and Operations faculty holds editorial positions in the major
international journals, including Operations Research, Mathematics of Operations Research,
and Editor-in-Chief of Mathematical Programming, Series B.
Learning Support
All students are members of a College as well as the Faculty and have access to learning
support from both College and University. Each student has an overall supervisor who gives
advice on planning the year’s work. Individual specialists may also help with preparation for
essays. Progress is monitored through the assessed coursework on which the Degree
Committee via the Academic Secretary will give feedback. The Faculty’s Academic
Secretary and the programme director can also offer advice. The College Tutor for
Graduates will also play a role in induction, support and guidance. An M Phil Handbook is
available, as well as an unofficial guide produced by students themselves. The Faculty’s
learning resources include a library which constitutes the main working collection for M Phil
students and a computer facility for graduate students.
See also: http://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/
Evaluating and improving the quality and standards of learning
The Faculty participates in the of the University’s quality assurance and enhancement
system:
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External Examining: the M Phil in Management Science and Operations has an external
examiner who submits a report which is considered by the Degree Committee
(responsible for graduate matters) and Faculty Board. Action in response to reports
includes, where appropriate, revisions or adjustments to the programme and its delivery.
The M Phil was the subject of internal Faculty reviews in 2003/04, and 2008.
Course approval: the Faculty is required to obtain the approval of the Board of Graduate
Studies and the General Board’s Education Committee before any significant changes to
courses are made:
Genera Board Internal Review: all the Faculty’s teaching activities, including the M Phil
were reviewed by the University’s General Board in 2008.
Following established departmental procedures, student feedback will be gathered, through
questionnaires and termly meetings, for each part of the course, including facilities such as
administration, library and IT. Course teachers, etc. are asked to comment in writing on the
feedback and address any concerns. This feedback and the staff response are routinely
discussed by the graduate teaching committee, which has student representatives.
Corrective action can then be implemented quickly. One MPhil in Management Science
student represents the interests of the students on the Faculty’s Graduate Teaching
Committee.
Employment and careers
Preparation for employment is provided in the opportunities for acquisition of relevant skills
outlined in Section 11. See the University policy of employment skills
(http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/education/learning/employers.html)
Most M Phil graduates carry on to read for a Ph D. In Cambridge continuation is dependent
on average First Class marks and a First Class thesis.
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General information
See also: GRADUATE STUDIES IN MANAGEMENT AT CAMBRIDGE:
http://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/programmes/index.html
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