Student Handbook
September 2011
MBA Graduate
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Dublin Business School Campus
DBS is a city centre campus, the main building is situated on Aungier Street, behind St
Stephens Green Shopping Centre. Please refer to the Map for the location of our other
buildings.
Buses servicing Aungier Street directly are 16, 16A, 19, 19A, 65, 65B, 83 or 122. All Bus,
DART, Luas and Rail routes service the city centre with terminals close to the College.
Room Legend and Access Codes:
AS: 13/14 Aungier Street
BL: Bow Lane (Door Code 9214)
CH: Castle House, George’s Street
DS: 19/22 Dame Street (Door Code 1295)
BSA: 6/9 Balfe Street Block A (Door Code 6305)
BSB: 6/9 Balfe Street Block B (Door Code 6305)
DBS is city centre based with our main campus building situated on Aungier Street, behind
St Stephens Green Shopping Centre. Please refer to the Map for the location of our other
buildings.
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WELCOME TO DUBLIN BUSINESS SCHOOL
September 2011
Dear Student
Welcome to the School of Business at Dublin Business School. Our objective is to create
graduates with the knowledge, skills and confidence to meet the challenges of today’s
rapidly changing workplace in Ireland and abroad.
Our business programmes cover a broad spectrum of subject areas such as Accounting and
Finance, Information Technology, Leisure and Recreation Management, Marketing and
Management. All programmes at the School of Business are designed to provide you with an
appropriate grounding and understanding of all business subjects. However we know that
you will have your own career aspirations and that you may wish to specialize in your own
preferred area of study and all our programmes are designed to allow you that option.
The Business School is committed to providing you with a learning environment that
encourages you to meet your potential both personally and professionally. A wide range of
support services are available through the Business School to provide you with advice and
guidance needed to identify, achieve and excel in your chosen career. Full information on
our support services and relevant contact details are available in your student handbook.
Academic studies at this level will be thought provoking, challenging, interesting and
exciting. Your studies should prove beneficial for both your personal and professional
development and will prepare you for a life of continuous learning. We are confident that
you will find this experience to be highly rewarding.
Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact any member
of staff at the Business School. We look forward to talking with you in the future.
Dr Adrian Guckian
Acting Head of School of Business & Law
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WELCOME TO THE MBA GRADUATE PROGRAMME
September 2011
Dear Student
Welcome to Dublin Business School (DBS) and the MBA Graduate Programme.
The purpose of the handbook is to provide you with a ready and concise source of
information about the programme and the many learning and support facilities available to
you. The aim of the programme management team is to ensure that you derive maximum
benefit from your studies in DBS and at the same time, thoroughly enjoy the experience.
Academic studies at this level will be challenging, demanding, exciting and consequently
very beneficial for your personal development. We are confident that you will find this
experience to be highly rewarding in both personal and professional terms.
Should you have any queries and/or require clarification of any information in the handbook
please do not hesitate to contact Cian McHugh (Programme Administrator) or myself.
I wish you a successful and enjoyable year.
David Wallace
MBA Graduate Programme Leader
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PROGRAMME AND COURSE STRUCTURE
The programme contains a number of innovative features that are discussed elsewhere
within this document. It is designed to be academically rigorous and will require students to
develop learning skills quickly and apply these in an intensive programme. Assessment
methods vary but will concentrate on students managing the process themselves through
allowing as much choice as possible, for example through individually research projects,
group reports and oral presentations.
There are six modules on the programme. Each module has 15 credits each except for
International Management and International Business & Trade which have 30 credits each.
The masters’ stage comprises of a Dissertation (60 credits), which incorporates assessed
reflections on learning in line with the programme objectives. Total 180 credits (see
Appendix also).
The MBA programme will provide the following:

Exposure to rigorous academic foundation in core business disciplines

Establishment of strong analytical skills and critical faculty

Development of soft transferable skills

Ability to solve practical problems

Preparation for informed decision making
The specific objectives of the programme are:

The application of business knowledge required for students to perform as an effective
manager in any organisation,

The evaluation and application of important global management issues which impact on
organisational effectiveness and performance

The synthesis and application of cross-functional capabilities and transferable skills
within the business activities of private, public and not for-profit organisations, both
nationally and internationally
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
To develop students’ skills in the presentation and communication of information within
a problem solving ‘team’ environment under time pressure.

To critically evaluate the central role of Strategy for the growth, development and
sustainability of all organisations

The synthesis of management and business principles to facilitate personal, academic
and professional development

To synthesise and apply learning and skills in the production of an independent piece of
research work ( Dissertation)

To provide a basis for practice, continual personal development and learning throughout
students careers
On completion of the MBA students will be able to:

Make a professional contribution within a range of functional areas and general
business

Progress personally and academically,

Be competent to deal with the analysis of information when making important
decisions

Comprehend the importance of ICT within a business environment and to apply ICT
accordingly,

Reflect critically on self development and PDP issues arising from the programme,

Critically evaluate research methodologies and justify the most suitable method
appropriate for the business task at hand,

Be able to apply the skills acquired throughout the programme into developing their
future careers
The programme is designed as a one-year full-time programme or a two year part time
programme targeted at recent graduates from all disciplines.
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The current programme structure is outlined below and includes four core modules
followed by two optional modules:
TAUGHT STAGE – 120 Credits
Full Time:
Semester One
International Management (Core module) 30 Credits
*Research Skills Analysis – PDP (Core Module) 15 Credits
Choose one of the following optional modules:
Principles of Marketing (Marketing Stream) 15 Credits
Managing Resourcing Strategy (HRM Stream) 15 Credits
Theory of Finance (Finance Stream) 15 Credits
Project Management, Tools & Techniques (Project Management Stream) 15 Credits
Information Systems Development (IS Stream) 15 Credits
Semester Two
International Business & Trade (Core Module) 30 Credits
Strategic Management (Core Module) 15 Credits
*Research Skills Analysis - Proposal (Core Module) 15 Credits
Choose one of the following modules:
Integrated Marketing Communications (Marketing Stream) 15 Credits
Performance Management (HRM Stream) 15 Credits
International Financial Institutions & Markets (Finance Stream) 15 Credits
Project Management, Planning & Control (Project Management Stream) 15 Credits
Innovation & IT Management (IS Stream) 15 Credits
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* Research Skills Analysis is a module that is run over the two semesters.
MASTERS STAGE - (Dissertation) –Credits 60
Part Time:
Year One
Semester One
International Management (Core Module) 30 Credits
Semester Two:
International Business & Trade (Core Module) 30 Credits
Year Two
Semester One
Strategic Management (Core Module) 15 Credits
and choose one of the following optional modules:
Principles of Marketing (Marketing Stream) 15 Credits
Managing Resourcing Strategy (HRM Stream) 15 Credits
Theory of Finance (Finance Stream) 15 Credits
Project Management, Tools & Techniques (Project Management Stream) 15 Credits
Information Systems Development (IS Stream) 15 Credits
Semester Two:
Research Skills Analysis (Core Module) 15 Credits
Choose one of the following modules:
Integrated Marketing Communications (Marketing Stream) 15 Credits
Performance Management (HRM Stream) 15 Credits
International Financial Institutions & Markets (Finance Stream) 15 Credits
Project Management, Planning & Control (Project Management Stream) 15 Credits
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Innovation & IT Management (IS Stream) 15 Credits
MASTERS STAGE - (Dissertation) –Credits 60
Module Leaders:
Module
Module Leader
International Management
Bill Kirwan
Managing Resourcing Strategy
David Wallace/Enda Murphy
Marketing Principles
Jacklyn Tully
Project Management Tools & Techniques
Paul Taaffe
Theory of Finance
Margaret O’Keefe
Information Systems Development
Patrick O’Callaghan
Research Skills Analysis
Chris McLaughlin
International Business & Trade
Enda Murphy & Paul Taaffe
Strategic Management
Claire Devlin
Performance Management
Ann Masterson
Project Management Planning & Control
Paul Taaffe
Integrated Marketing Communications
Luciana Lolich/Sharon Harris Byrne
International Financial Institutions & Enda Murphy/Aidan Finnegan
Markets
Innovation & IT Management
Patrick O’Callaghan
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Assessment Objectives
The aims of the assessment procedure are to:

Ensure that the award is academically rigorous and an appropriate reflection of the
student's ability and his/her effort throughout the programme.

Provide the means to monitor students' progress for each module of the programme
and inform their development and aid reflection

Ensure the assessment workload on students is consistent with that placed on
students on similar fourth level programmes both internally and externally.
A variety of assessment methods are combined to ensure a wide range of student abilities
are assessed over the duration of the programme. These methods will include:

Individual and Group assignments.

Management reports.

Case studies.

Group activities.

Group and individual oral presentations.

Time constrained assessments( open and closed book)

Personal Evaluation Portfolio in Services Marketing module, applying services
theories and concepts to real life service experience.
Assessment Schedules
Assessment schedules are provided for all students for all modules at the beginning of the
academic year. These schedules are designed to limit the number of assignments students
have to submit at any one time. It is organised such that assignments are spread out across
the semester, where possible. This serves as a useful time management tool for students.
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OVERVIEW OF PROGRAMME ASSESSMENT
Module
Assessment method
International Management
100% Continuous Assessment
International Business & Trade
60% Continuous Assessment 40% Examination
Strategic Management
50% Examination 50% Continuous Assessment
Research Skills Analysis
100% Continuous Assessment
Performance Management
50% Examination 50% Continuous Assessment
Managing Resourcing Strategy
50% Examination 50% Continuous Assessment
Theory of Finance
50% Examination 50% Continuous Assessment
International Financial Institutions & 50% Examination 50% Continuous Assessment
Markets
Principles of Marketing
100% Examination
Integrated Marketing Communications
100% Continuous Assessment
Project Management Tools & Techniques
60% Continuous Assessment 40% Examination
Project Management Planning & Control
40% Continuous Assessment 60% Examination
Information Systems Development
33% Continuous Assessment 67% Examination
Innovation & IT Management
33% Continuous Assessment 67% Examination
Dissertation
100% Continuous Assessment
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PROGRAMME STAFFING
Head of Department :
Dr. Patricia Moriarty
patricia.moriarty@dbs.ie
Programme Leader:
David Wallace
david.wallace@dbs.ie
Business School Manager:
Emma Balfe
emma.balfe@dbs.ie
Programme Administrator: Cian McHugh
cian.mchugh@dbs.ie
PLEASE NOTE: All DBS email addresses are of the form firstname.surname@dbs.ie. Please
remember that lecturing staff will be lecturing during the day also, and thus may not reply
immediately.
MOODLE
DBS MOODLE is the Dublin Business School student website designed to provide you with a
range of course material which will enhance and support your learning experience with DBS.
MOODLE does not replace classroom activity but enhances and enables the provision of a
rich multi-media learning environment.
You can access MOODLE from any computer with Internet access. If you have a problem
logging-in you should contact moodleadmin@dbs.ie or ask any of the technicians in the labs.
To access course material self-enrolment may be requested. If so, you need the enrolment
key for the course - your module leader will give this to you if he/she wishes you to selfenroll.
A contact list of lectures and programme manager will available on the DBS MOODLE home
page. (http://student.dbs.edu/login/index.php)
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You will be provided with a DBS Moodle Student User Guide and account details at
induction. Support is provided by computerservices@dbs.ie
and IT academic staff
throughout the year.
Code of Practice for all users of DBS Moodle
All users of DBS MOODLE are bound by the Terms and Conditions of Use as outlined on the
DBS website Terms & Condition.
http://www.dbs.ie/TermsConditions/tabid/649/Default.aspx
Class Representative
Each Programme will be asked to appoint two class representatives. The function of class
representatives is to liaise between students and faculty and to co-ordinate student
feedback. and student input to the course review process. Class representatives should also
make contact with Student Services if necessary.
Participant Feedback
A number of feedback mechanisms are in place and include:

Opportunities for informal feedback to module leaders

Opportunities to meet programme leader

Institutional modular evaluation surveys

School evaluation surveys

Student representatives, to be nominated by peers, via class representative
meetings and attend Board of Study Meetings

Staff/Student forum
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Attendance
High levels of attendance at class are essential for academic success. In order to encourage
high attendance levels, the College invests a substantial time and resources in tracking and
following up on poor attendance. To achieve your potential at Dublin Business School, it is
imperative that you attend all your classes. The minimum required level is 80%; students
who have less than this level of attendance are hindering their overall performance.
Student Services and Facilities
Contact Details
International Students Officer Louise Butler-Norris
Education & Welfare Officer
Caitriona McGrattan
Sports & Societies Officer
Tony Peoples
General Queries
Tel: 01 4170603 louise.butlernorris@dbs.ie
Tel: 01 4178748 caitriona.mcgrattan@dbs.ie
Tel: 01 4177585 tony.peoples@dbs.ie
Tel: 01 4177680 student.services@dbs.ie
Introduction
The Student Services Office is concerned with assisting students in all non-academic affairs.
Working alongside the Student Council and the International Student Office, they deal with
a variety of issues faced by students.
Introduction
As part of the Library, Careers and Student Services Department, the Student Students team
aim to assist students during their time in DBS through a number of support services
including a counselling referral service, drop-in hours for international students and a
welfare office. Students are also encouraged to engage with the College and their fellow
students through a range of social and sporting opportunities.
Accommodation
The Student Services Dept has produced a number of guides and accommodation listings for
students seeking accommodation including a guide to the various student properties
available in Dublin’s City Centre, which is available on the Student Services website. There is
also an Accommodation Notice-board on the ground floor of Aungier Street.
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Welfare
The Education and Welfare Officer administers the College’s counselling referral service.
DBS provides crisis counselling to students in conjunction with the Elmwood Centre for
Counselling and Psychotherapy in Baggot Street. Students may avail of three sessions free of
charge and an additional three on the request of their therapist/counsellor. Students may
request a counselling referral letter, needed to cover the cost of the sessions, directly from
the Education and Welfare Officer. Students can be reassured that their decision to attend
counselling is kept private and that their name will only be noted by the Student Services
Officer who issues the letter for financial reasons.
Dublin Business School is linked to the Aungier Street Medical Centre (Phone: 01-4005708).
A reduced fee of €40 per consultation is charged on production of a valid DBS student card.
The Clinic is open from 8.30am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday and Saturday 11am – 3pm.
There is an appointment system in operation so please remember to make one. Urgent
cases will be seen without appointment. There is also a nurse in attendance who deals with
family planning, cervical smears, blood pressure screening, dietary advice and advice on
asthma and diabetes.
Please Talk
Please Talk is a national mental health awareness campaign, which urges students to
understand that talking is a sign of strength, not of weakness. And that if they experience
problems while at college, there are people they can talk to. At the centre of the campaign
is the PLEASE TALK website, www.pleasetalk.ie, which provides a list of support services that
are available to students at their college or university. DBS has a page on the PLEASE TALK
website, which lists the support services available to our students.
Student Complaints
Student complaints should be directed to your Springboard liaison in the first instance who
will direct your complaint onwards as appropriate. Academic appeals should be directed to
the Examinations Office. Further details can be obtained on DBS’s Examinations Office
webpage at: http://www.dbs.ie
Entertainment
During the term you will find many events organised by Student services. In fact there will
be celebrations for any excuse we can find during the year. Halloween and Christmas balls,
sports and societies nights are just some of the events you’ll expect to see. Upcoming
events will be advertised on notice boards in DBS buildings, so keep an eye out.
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Sports
At DBS we believe happy, healthy students do better in their study, that’s why we strive to
provide a wide range of quality sporting activities to suit everybody. DBS in recent years has
claimed National titles in golf, basketball, cricket and badminton. DBS offers sports
scholarships to outstanding athletes, which reflects the college’s desire to be amongst the
leaders of College sport in Ireland. DBS boasts some of the best sports coaches in Irish
College Sport, such as Richard Sadlier, Dave Baker and Jenny King. We hope more success
can follow this year, but more importantly that everyone gets involved in a sporting activity
to get fit, have fun and make friends.
Student Societies
Societies are organized by and for students and they exist because students want them to
exist. The popularity of DBS societies such as the Drama Soc, Paintballing Soc and Radio DBS
has seen more students than ever signing up to become members or even putting
themselves forward to sit on the committees that run the societies. If you would like to
setup a society and would like to know the procedures then contact your Societies officer
(below). Students at DBS realize that there’s more to college than exams, coursework and
lectures. To mark the college’s commitment to student societies DBS is a full member of the
Board of Irish College Societies (BICS) and this year travelled to Galway to compete against
the very best student societies in Ireland.
To mark DBS’s commitment to Sports and Societies, Tony Peoples is your Sports and
Societies Development Officer. Tony works in the student service department and you can
find him in the Aungier Street and Castle House offices. The big day for Sports and Society
Sign Up is all day Tuesday the 4th of October in the Reception area of Aungier Street. For a
full list of the 30 + Clubs visit www.dbs.ie/studentservices. So what are you waiting for, sign
up to your favourite society now.
Merchandise
Student Services have DBS-branded hoodies for sale. The hoodies are available in navy, grey
or green and in sizes small to x-large. They cost €20 and are available from either Student
Services’ Offices.
Lockers
Lockers are available to rent in Augnier Street and Dame Street. They cost €20 for the
academic year (including the exam period and a week’s grace to clear it out). Students
wishing to rent a locker in AS should contact Caitríona, while those looking for a Dame
Street locker should contact Tony or Louise.
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Computer Services
The Computer Services department offers support to the student body in College IT related
issues. E-mail, internet, online storage space, Moodle (intranet for notes etc) and course
related software are all provided for students at no extra charge. Students can contact the
Computer Services Department via the on-line form on the web link below, in person on the
first floor of the Aungier St building or by telephone on 01 4177573.
Visit the Computer Services website at: http://www.dbs-students.com/CompServ
Facilities
The Facilities Department maintain the fabric of the building and manage the many services
providers to the college such as cleaning, security etc. In conjunction with these, this
department is also responsible for Health & Safety and Timetabling
Visit the Reception website at: http://www.dbs-students.com/Reception
Library
The Library service at Dublin Business School comprises an Undergraduate Library at
Aungier Street and Postgraduate/Law Library at Dame Street.
DBS Library has evolved into a library without walls with a rapidly expanding e-book
collection, 45,000 full-text e-journals and an extensive portfolio of electronic databases. Off
campus access to all of the Library’s electronic resources is available 24 hours a day from
anywhere in the world. The Library Catalogue, e-books and EBSCO databases can also be
searched via handheld devices.
DBS Library collections comprise:




Print/Audiovisual Materials: The Library has a combined print and audiovisual
collection of approximately 50,000 items. All books and audiovisual items are listed
on the Library Catalogue which is available on the Library Website.
Print Journals: The Library subscribes to 205 print journals.
E-Journals: The Library provides access to 45,000 full-text e-journals searchable on
the Library Website via EBSCO’s A-Z journal software
E-books: The Library has a rapidly expanding e-book collection available via
Dawsonera which now contains 900 titles.
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
Online Databases: The Library subscribes to an extensive portfolio of databases.
Examples of databases that the Library subscribe to include: Academic Search
Complete, Business Source Complete, Computer and Applied Sciences Complete;
Emerald, Firstlaw, FT.com, Film and Television Literature Index with Full-text.
Hospitality and Tourism Complete, JSTOR, Justis, Lexis Nexis, LISTA Full-text,
Marketline, Mintel, Pep Archive, PsycArticles, PsycInfo, SOCIndex, WARC, Westlaw.
The Library offers:




Library inductions for all new students in the classroom setting.
Library tours for new and returning students.
Subject specific information literacy instruction in the classroom setting within the
academic timetable, as requested by faculty.
A selection information literacy classes are run on a weekly basis throughout the
academic year. These classes are open to all students, with separate classes for
Business, Arts and Law students. The selection of classes includes:
o Writing & Referencing Assignments (this class also covers ‘Avoiding
Plagiarism’)
o Finding Materials for Assignments
o Literature Research for Dissertation
o Using Zotero (Reference Management Software)
These classes are delivered supplementary to the academic timetable, and are run in
either a classroom or computer lab setting, depending on the session content.
Visit the Library Website at: http://library.dbs-students.com
Visit the Library blog at: http://dbslibrary.blogspot.com
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
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What logins do I need to access the Library’s electronic resources?
All the log-ins details that you need to access various Library and IT resources at DBS will be emailed
to you shortly after you register with the college. You must activate your college email account to
access this email. If you do not receive this email, please contact the Library or follow the following
format/procedure when logging-on to the various resources:
PCs: The first time you log in, enter your student number for both the username and password.
You will then be prompted to create your own password. Henceforth your log-in details will be as
follows:
o
o
Username: student number
Password: ‘password of your own choice’
 Library Account: via the Library Catalogue.
o
o
Reader number: student number
PIN: 4 digits (issued by the Library staff)
 Searching electronic resources (for off-campus only)
o
o
Username: student number
Password: date of birth – dd/mm/yyyy
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 E-Books
o
o
Username: student number
Password: date of birth – dd/mm/yyyy
What other facilities are available in the Library?
The Library provides access to:





PCs
A wireless network
Printing facilities including wireless printing
Photocopying facilities including colour photocopying
Study rooms for collaborative study
PCs and Study rooms can be booked via the Library Website.
How do I contact the Library?
Each Library site has a dedicated information point where staff can assist you with your enquiries.
You can also contact Library staff by phone, email or via the Library’s instant messaging service
called ‘DBS Ask a Librarian’ which is available on the Library website. DBS Ask a Librarian enables you
to chat live with Library staff via the Library Website. You can also follow Library developments via
the Student Blog, Facebook and Twitter, links to which are provided on the Library Website.
Key telephone numbers:
Information Desk, Aungier Street, Tel: 01 -4177572
Information Desk, Dame Street, Tel: 01 -4178745
Email: library@dbs.ie
Website: http://library.dbs.ie
How Can I learn more about using the Library?
 Library Classes: DBS Library employs a dedicated Information Skills Librarian, who provides
students with Library tours and inductions. She also runs a variety of classes on how to
evaluate and use information safely; essay writing, avoiding plagiarism and referencing.
Please consult the Library Website for further information.
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 Library Guides/Handbooks: guides on how to use various Library resources as well as guides
on essay writing, referencing, avoiding plagiarism, conducting a literature review, etc. are
available on the Library website and in hardcopy in the Library. The Library also produces its
own student handbook as well as a quick guide to Library Resources. These are also available
on the Library Website.
 Information Points: Each library has an Information point that is manned by professional
staff who are there to help you get the most from the Library resources and facilities. Please
feel free to approach the desk with any Library query… big or small. Alternatively you can
phone, email or instant message the Library.
 Ask a Librarian instant messaging: this is available via the Library website. Just type in your
question and a member of the library staff will message you back straight away.
 Online Database Tutorials: Various databases also provide users with online tutorials and
help guides on how to use their search and browse facilities and much more.
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Appendix
Credit Structure
The adoption of a system of credits is a key component of the development of the European Higher
Education Area under the Bologna process. ECTS is becoming a generalised basis for credit systems
in higher education, and it has a proven track record in facilitating student mobility and international
curriculum development, and is developing into a credit accumulation, as well as a credit transfer
system. Thus, in line with Ireland’s commitment to and participation in the European Higher
Education Area, the national approach to credit will be compatible with ECTS.
Under ECTS, one credit is assigned to learning outcomes achievable in 20-25 hours of workload. The
ECTS convention is that 60 credits measures the workload of an average full-time student during one
academic year. Workload refers to the notional time within which the average learner might expect
to complete the required learning outcomes. The structure and content of the programme is
outlined using ECTS credits where 7.5 ECTS equals 15 CATS.
Structure and Content

The course is made up of two parts. Part I is the taught element consisting of compulsory
and optional modules (ECTS: 7.5 (15 CATS) per module giving a total of 60 credits (120
CATS)). Part II consists of a dissertation (30 ECTS/60 CATS credits). There are a total of 90
ECTS/180 CATS credits for the course.

To be awarded their degree, students must pass both Part I and Part II of the scheme and
thereby accumulate 90 ECTS /180 CATS credits.

Candidates who complete Part I and accumulate 60 ECTS/120 CATS credits, but do not
complete Part II can exit with a Postgraduate Diploma. A Postgraduate Certificate is also
available to students who pass 30 ETCS/60 CATS credits or more in Part I.
A student will not be entitled to formally commence the Dissertation Stage until an examination
board has confirmed that the taught stage has been successfully completed and 60 credits awarded.
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