Programme Specification
A statement of the knowledge, understanding and skills that
underpin a taught programme of study leading to an award from
The University of Sheffield
1
Programme Title
Leadership and Management
2
Programme Code
MGTT168 (full-time), MGTT176 (part-time)
3
JACS Code (if applicable)
Not applicable
4
Level of Study
Postgraduate
5a
Final Qualification
Master of Science (MSc)
5b
Position in the QAA Framework for
Higher Education Qualifications
Masters
6a
Intermediate Qualification(s)
Postgraduate Certificate (PG Cert), Postgraduate Diploma
(PG Dip)
6b
Position in the QAA Framework for
Higher Education Qualifications
Masters
7
Teaching Institution (if not Sheffield)
Not applicable
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Faculty
Social Sciences
9
Department
Management School
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Other Department(s) involved in
teaching the programme
None
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Mode(s) of Attendance
Full-time or Part-time
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Duration of the Programme
One Year (Full Time), Two Years (Part-time)
13
Accrediting Professional or
Statutory Body
None
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Date of production/revision
November 2010/April 2011/ February 2012
15. Background to the programme and subject area
To succeed and to be competitive in today’s and future business, it is crucial to have an understanding of
how organisations and their leaders may be developed. It is important that managers are equipped with the
relevant competency, knowledge and skill set in this area in order to create real competitive advantage to
business. This programme is aimed at enabling current and future managers to become effective leaders by
understanding and developing human capital in organisations.
Through the programme participants acquire awareness of how leadership, management, human capital,
organisational development and competitive climate are inextricably linked and gain insight into the
challenges that tomorrow’s leaders face. Participants develop their own skills as leaders with a focus on how
they can facilitate superior organisational performance by bringing out the best in their subordinates and
peers. The programme further provides participants with the skills needed to make optimal decisions in
complex situations based on latest scientific evidence, and thus equips them to assume leadership in a
dynamically changing world. Unlike existing leadership programs, this MSc goes beyond the acquisition of
knowledge about classical leadership theory. It also provides a deep understanding of cutting-edge topics;
and it enables the development of skills to successfully navigate the complexities of modern organisations in
their current and future competitive environment.
The course is delivered by staff members at the University of Sheffield Management School – with staff from
the world renowned Institute of Work Psychology (IWP) in the lead. Academic staff work at the cutting-edge
of research topics that are relevant to next generation leaders, such as innovation, cross-cultural leadership,
and evidence-based management; they are regularly sought after by private, social, and public sector
organisations as advisors on these and other leadership topics. This ensures that students learn about the
latest developments in leadership-relevant areas. The University of Sheffield Management School in general
and the IWP in particular are widely accredited and known for their cutting-edge research and
groundbreaking thinking.
Further information about the Management School is available on our website at
http://www.shef.ac.uk/management
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16. Programme aims
The MSc in Leadership and Management programme aims to enable students to:
1. achieve an understanding of theories and practices of leadership and management in order to identify
and critically evaluate the strategies adopted by organisations in meeting the challenges imposed by
changing social, political and economic and environments, and capitalise on the human factor in
organisations.
2. achieve an understanding of the impact of leaders in complex and uncertain organisational
environments.
3. achieve an understanding of and ability to conduct rigorous research through independent work and
leading to the submission of a management report.
4. develop self-awareness and leadership skills.
5. develop knowledge and skills appropriate to commence or continue a career associated with the
management of organisational development and leadership.
17. Programme learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding:
On completion of the MSc in Leadership and Management, students will be able to demonstrate a critical
understanding of relevant knowledge related to:
K1
The principles and practices of leadership, teamwork and organisational development.
K2
The classical approach to leadership and its strengths and limitations.
K3
Cutting-edge topics in leadership and team work.
K4
The concept of human capital and the strategies and methods for developing that capital.
K5
The principles and practice of successfully building and leading teams.
K6
The principles and practice of organisational development and of the successful management of the
human side of organisational change.
K7
The role of the leader in planning and delivering strategic organisational development.
K8
The principal methods of research relevant to the management of organisations and their
environment; an ability to critically evaluate this research and where appropriate propose new
hypotheses.
K9
Selected theories and practices of management, depending upon the chosen elective modules.
K10
An advanced knowledge and critical understanding, displaying originality, depth and insight, of a
specialist area of study at the forefront of the field of leadership and organisational development.
Students who are awarded the PG Diploma will be able to demonstrate K1-K9.
Students who are awarded the PG Certificate will be able to demonstrate some of K1-K9 representing
modules with a rating of at least 60 credits.
Skills and other attributes:
On completion of the MSc in Leadership Management, students will be able to demonstrate ability to:
S1
Apply creative and critical methods of appraisal in the context of organisational development and
leadership.
S2
Identify and use relevant information for analysis and decision making in the context of leadership,
organisational development, and the management of the human side of organisations.
S3
Communicate effectively using a variety of forms within both individual and group-based assignments.
S4
Analyse problems relating to the management and leadership of organisations using appropriate
concepts, theories and techniques.
S5
Reflect on their leadership style and apply self-awareness in team situations.
S6
Complete successfully an independent research study in a specific area of leadership and
organisational development, involving the skills of designing a research study, choosing appropriate
methodology, conducting data collection and analysis of findings in a systematic and creative manner
leading to the production of a written report of the project.
Students who are awarded the PG Diploma will be able to demonstrate S1-S5.
Students who are awarded the PG Certificate will be able to demonstrate S1-S5 to a more limited extent
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18. Teaching, learning and assessment
Development of the learning outcomes is promoted through the following teaching and learning
methods:
Lectures are used to communicate subject-specific knowledge and understanding, to guide the general
direction of students’ engagement with each subject to develop analytical skills and to stimulate critical
reflection.
Web sites and handouts provide questions, activities and case-studies to enhance understanding through
exercises and illustrations and to promote critical reflection by students of the linkages between theory and
practice.
Seminars enable students to develop their understanding of the subject matter through discussion of review
questions and the analysis of case studies based upon real organisational challenges. Students also
prepare presentations on their case study analysis to develop communication and other transferable skills.
Group work allows students to develop transferable skills and understanding by debate and collaborative
working, and engage in self-reflection.
Tutor and self-directed private study and preparation for tutorials and assessment is a significant
component of each student’s personal development.
Tutorials are used to respond to students’ enquiries, to provide feedback on progress and to promote
reflection and analysis. Students have one-to-one supervision to help them prepare their management
project reports (S5). Students have one-to-one communication through the use of face-to-face meetings,
email and telephone contact.
Opportunities to demonstrate achievement of the learning outcomes are provided through the
following assessment methods:
Examinations are used to test knowledge and understanding of the theory and practice of leadership,
teamwork, and organisational development, and the skills of application to small-scale case studies.
Essays and reports are used to test knowledge and understanding and skills.
Case analysis presentations are used to test skills S1 to S4 and relevant knowledge and understanding.
The management project is used to test S6.
19. Reference points
The learning outcomes have been developed to reflect the following points of reference:
Subject Benchmark Statements
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/AssuringStandardsAndQuality/subject-guidance/Pages/Subject-benchmarkstatements.aspx
Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (2008)
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/Publications/InformationAndGuidance/Pages/The-framework-for-higher-educationqualifications-in-England-Wales-and-Northern-Ireland.aspx
University Strategic Plan
http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/strategicplan
Learning and Teaching Strategy (2011-16)
http://www.shef.ac.uk/lets/strategy/lts11_16
The School of Management Mission Statements.
The Faculty of Social Sciences and Management School Learning and Teaching Strategies
20. Programme structure and regulations
The programme has 90 credits of core taught modules and 45 credits of approved modules. The
dissertation counts for 45 credits. Students may only proceed to the dissertation with the permission of the
Board of Examiners: the Board will need to be satisfied, based on the results of the taught part of the
programme, that a student has a good chance of completing a satisfactory dissertation.
On the part-time route the same programme structure applies as detailed above. Part-time students may
exceptionally be allowed to start the project dissertation before completing all taught modules, in order to
allow sufficient time to complete the dissertation. This is conditional on students completing 105 credits of
the taught programme in a satisfactory manner.
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Detailed information about the structure of programmes, regulations concerning assessment and
progression and descriptions of individual modules are published in the University Calendar available on-line
at http://www.shef.ac.uk/govern/calendar/regs.html.
21. Student development over the course of study
The first semester is devoted to core modules, and covers the foundations of leadership and teamwork,
strategic management, and the management of the human factor.
The second semester enables students to integrate the knowledge and skills acquired in the first semester
into more complex situations, and to develop a deeper understanding of cutting-edge topics in the context of
leadership and organisational development. For example, in the first semester students acquire an
understanding of the principles of managing team processes, and develop their practical leadership skills
through experiential learning and self-reflection within group assignments. In the second semester, students
will apply this understanding to the management of organisational change processes. They deepen their
understanding by applying their theoretical knowledge to a complex real-life situation and prepare a case
study of an organisational change process.
Options allow a student to explore selected issues in greater depth, or to broaden the range of topics studied
in the MSc. This will enable students to prepare themselves for the demands of their chosen future career,
either by focusing on their area of specialisation, or by developing their knowledge base as a generalist.
The Masters stage enables students to demonstrate their ability to undertake a sustained investigation,
drawing on relevant aspects of the knowledge, understanding and skills gained in the earlier stages. This
stage is of crucial importance as students will learn how to answer questions and make decisions by
gathering scientific evidence. A scientific approach to complex situations will turn managers into analytical
thinkers, and equip them to critically evaluate evidence and make optimal decisions. These skills will be of
great benefit to students’ future careers.
The part-time route to study the programme follows the same rationale, although modules are necessarily
spread out over more semesters. In keeping with the logic outlined above, part-time students will study the
most integrative modules (MGT6231 and MGT696) in the fourth semester, in order to take advantage of
insights from prior learning and modules.
22. Criteria for admission to the programme
The normal entry requirements will be the holding of an honours degree (2.1 or above at Undergraduate
level) from an approved Institution. There are no particular subject requirements. Appropriate work
experience and other qualifications may be considered in lieu of the normal requirements.
Applicants whose first language is not English will also be required to provide an International English
Language Test Score (IELTS) of at least 7.0 with a minimum in any of the four categories of 6.0.
Detailed information regarding admission to the programme is available at http://www.shef.ac.uk/prospective/
23. Additional information
None
This specification represents a concise statement about the main features of the programme and should be
considered alongside other sources of information provided by the teaching department(s) and the
University. In addition to programme specific information, further information about studying at The University
of Sheffield can be accessed via our Student Services web site at www.shef.ac.uk/ssid.
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