MDP
Management
Development
Programme
INFORMATION
Language medium
Broadening your career prospects in management
A team of lecturers with vast experience in different fields of
management, leadership, entrepreneurship, etc. present the
Management Development Programme in parallel medium of
English and Afrikaans.
The Business School in the Faculty of Economic and Management
Sciences at this University has established itself as a leader
in South Africa in the provision of management development
programmes. A relatively new and dynamic addition to this
spectrum of management programmes on offer is an excellent new
Management Development Programme (MDP). By adding more
relevant management disciplines to the curriculum of the previous
Management Development Programme emphasising leadership
development, the broadening of insight by exposure to the most
important management disciplines and its integration into a total
management approach, a tailor-made new qualification has
been designed that will assist institutions in both the private and
public sectors in developing employees in especially the middlemanagement group into enterprising and professional managers.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
• Grade 12
and/or
• 3 years’ management experience
and/or
• a manager’s recommendation
REGULATIONS
Rules and regulations available on request.
PROGRAMME STRUCTURE
Programme registration and fee
The programme fee is available on request and includes all
study material. The closing date for registration is November for
commencement the following year. Do note that the programme
can be customised and offered on an in-house basis for companies
across South Africa.
Acknowledgement
After the successful completion of the programme, a candidate
will receive a certificate issued and endorsed by the UFS. Awarding
of certificates will take place at a certificate ceremony. The MDP is
also credit-bearing towards our Bachelors Degree in Management
Leadership (BML).
CURRICULUM
Following the list of the modules that comprise the MDP
qualification and the outcomes related to the completion of each
learning unit:
Foundation Skills
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The generic programme is presented at the Business School on the
UFS campus.
Understand basic numeracy, specifically in relation to
accounting
Understand the nuts and bolts of academic reading
Understanding the elements of business writing and apply
the elements of a written report in the context of a businessmanagement theme
Duration
General Management & Communication
The duration of the programme is approximately 1 year and the
lectures are spread over 28 lecture days. Lecturing times are from
08:15 to 16:30. Contact sessions are scheduled, as far as possible,
on three to five consecutive days per month to accommodate
students and employers from outside Bloemfontein. Lecture days
excludes the days on which examinations will take place.
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Assessment
The MDP programme involves resource-based learning for adults.
This means self-study with the aid of course guides. Assessments
include assignments and open-book examinations.
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Understand and apply the four functions of management,
namely planning, organising, activation and control
Understand the importance of communication and be
introduced to techniques to help you improve your
communication skills
Financial Management & Cost Accounting
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Understand the nature and function of financial management
Interpret financial statements and data
Understand long-term financial planning and make financial
decisions
Evaluate projects and make investment decisions
Entrepreneurship & Innovation
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Have a proper understanding of entrepreneurship and the
critical success factors for new venture creation
Understand the role of the entrepreneur and the importance
of the entrepreneurial team in successful new venture
creation
Identify the resources needed and prepare a financial plan for
a new venture
Develop a business plan for own identified opportunities
Identify and assess a good opportunity
Identify the role of innovation in entrepreneurship
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People Management
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Project & Programme Management
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Understand what project management comprises
Acknowledge the importance of projects in the
implementation of organisational strategy
Comprehend the different phases of project management
Implement the management functions, planning, organising,
leadership and control when dealing with the management of
projects
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Business & Information Technology
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Understand the role of technology in your environment,
specifically in relation to CRM, sales management &
institutional memory
Demonstrate theoretical and practical knowledge regarding:
human resource planning, recruitment and selection;
the principles, content, processes and procedures in
connection with the training and development of employees;
the variables that have to be addressed in the compensation
of employees and the benefits which could be channelled to
them;
the nature, content and underlying principles of safety and
health programmes in organisations
Strategic & Change Management
Economics & Banking for Managers
Understand how the economy works and explain how interest
rates are determined, why there is an increase or decrease,
and when an increase or decrease can be observed
Explain how exchange rates are determined, and why and
when they can change
Think and reason about macro-economics
Understand globalisation and its effect on the SA economy
Identify factors influencing price sensitivity for a specific
product
Understand how the market forces of demand and supply
interact to determine price and output
Comprehend how market power and price regulation (such
as price ceilings and price floors) impact on price and output
levels of a specific product
Discern the functions and definitions of money and explain the
creation and control of money
Distinguish between the money and the capital market
Identify and discuss the financial instruments
Highlight and explain the various financial institutions and
their operations
Apply instruments of monetary policy in South African context
Explain important exchange rate determinants
Understand the political economy of SA
Understand e-commerce and the impact on business
Participate in the development and management of
e-commerce business models
Develop internet marketing strategies
Understand the major issues regarding implementation of
e-commerce business models
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Have a proper understanding of the overall strategic
management process
Formulate a strategic vision and mission as well as long-term
objectives for a business or a part thereof
Conduct internal and external environmental scanning for the
purpose of strategy formulation
Formulate business strategies
Plan, organise, activate and control the implementation of
strategies
Understand the balanced scorecard as a tool to execute
strategy
Understand change management and apply some of the tools
and techniques
Enterprise Risk Management
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Define risk and risk management
Identify reasons for the importance of risk management
Identify various types of risk
Describe a general risk management model
Identify steps in the risk management process
Take cognisance of certain general guidelines to management
regarding risk management
Describe certain general aspects regarding derivative
instruments
Marketing
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Have a proper understanding of the overall marketing
management process and marketing environment
Develop a market grid and positioning chart for a business
Analyse the product and service portfolios of a business
Have a proper understanding of the overall marketing plan
Formulate a promotional mix
Understand the workings and importance of a Customer
Relation Management (CRM) system
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Have a proper understanding of sales and sales management
Develop an advertisement for a magazine
Discuss the characteristics of a service and the extended
marketing recipe for services
Apply servqual: a conceptual model for service quality
Develop a service policy for an enterprise/organisation
Leadership Development
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Understand his/her role as a leader in the context of a 21stcentury workplace
Identify the relevant leadership processes and skills involved
in effective transformational leadership
Develop self-insight into his/her own leadership processes
and skills
Apply intra- and interpersonal leadership skills in order to
perform his/her role as a leader effectively
Effectively manage diversity in the work place
Labour Relations
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Understand and describe the concept of labour relations in
writing by reflecting on its nature as of cardinal importance in
modern industrialised society
Understand and apply the theory of unfair dismissal and unfair
labour practice in the organisation.
Understand and apply disciplinary and grievance procedures
Differentiate between types of bargaining and distinguish the
sub-processes of collective bargaining
Reflect on the personality and skills dimension a negotiator
should have
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competitive source in today’s organisations
Write a plan for the successful implementation of knowledge
management
Understand what the loss of institutional memory means for
an organization and learn ways to preserve it
Operations & Logistics Management
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Understand the elements of operations and logistics and
be introduced to the process of planning, organizing and
executing the efficient flow and storage of goods, services and
related information
Ethics & Governance
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Understand governance in SA, specifically in relation to the
legal framework
Have a proper understanding of corporate ethics and learn
how to avoid the high risk areas
CONTACT DETAILS FOR ENQUIRIES AND
REGISTRATION
Susan Bakema
Programme Coordinator
Institutional Memory & Knowledge Management
Tel: +27 51 401 3590
Fax: +27 51 401 3195
E-mail: bakemas@ufs.ac.za
www.ufs.ac.za/bus
www.ufs.ac.za/cbd
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Fully accredited by the CHE - Member of AACSB
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Understand and explain the importance of knowledge as a key