REGULATIONS FOR THE MASTERS OF COMMERCE IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE DEGREE
1. PREAMBLE
1.1 These regulations shall be read in conjunction with the Faculty of Commerce Regulations and General Academic Regulations for Postgraduate Degrees offered by The Midlands State University.
1.2 The degree shall be awarded to candidates who have successfully completed the programme and passed the examinations in accordance with regulations set in the Faculty Regulations.
2. OBECTIVES
2.1 The Master of Commerce (Strategic Management and Corporate Governance) degree at the Midlands State University is a two – year programme for students with an undergraduate background in accounting, management, human resources and other equivalent qualifications. The programme is for students interested in careers in all facets of strategic management and corporate governance. The programme provides an opportunity to obtain a more comprehensive foundation in strategic management and added knowledge in specific business-related areas.
2.2 The programme aims to develop the sound conceptual, technical, analytical and communication skills that are required to succeed in the strategic management and corporate governance. To this end the programme employs a rigorous case analysis approach, which requires students to exercise their analytical abilities and develop effective verbal and written communication skills.
2.3 The programme also aims at instilling a deep appreciation and respect for the crucial role managers play in a free enterprise economy and ever-changing business environment.
3. ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
3.1 To qualify for entry into the Master of Commerce (Strategic Management and Corporate Governance) degree programme a student should have a good Honours degree in management, accounting, human resource management and/or other tertiary qualification approved by the Department.
3.2 Before the commencement of the programme, the department will offer one week bridging module sessions covering the following areas: Financial Accounting, Statistics, Information systems, Management overview and assignment research and presentation
4. GENERAL PROVISIONS
The programme shall be completed over four semesters.
5. ASSESSMENT
5.1 Formal examinations will normally be held at the end of each semester.
5.2 For a student to be admitted to the examinations they must have:
5.2.1 Satisfactorily attempted approved modules of study including submission of required written assignments and term papers.
5.2.2 Attended compulsory classes.
5.2.3 Participated in prescribed seminars, tutorials and practical classes.
5.2.4 Paid the prescribed fees in accordance with the General Regulations. Formal examinations will normally be written papers, but in some cases the examiner may test the candidate orally.
5.2.5 Continuous assessment shall account for 30% of the overall assessment, while the final examination will account for 70% of the overall assessment.
5.2.6. The aggregate pass mark shall be 50% and the candidate must have obtained at least 50% in the examination.
6. SUPPLEMENTARY EXAMINATIONS
6.1 A student who fails to satisfy the examiners and obtains a mark less than 50% or fails the examination but not by less than 40% may, on the recommendation of the Board of Examiners and subject to the approval of the Senate, be permitted to sit for a supplementary examination(s) in the respective module(s) failed in the fourth semester.
6.2 Overall assessment of the Supplementary examination will not incorporate continuous assessment. Supplementary exanimations shall be marked as “Pass” or “Fail” and the overall maximum mark awarded in a supplementary examination shall be 50%.
6.3 No student shall be allowed to sit for more than two supplementary examinations in the final semester.
7. PROVISION FOR PROGRESSION
7.1 A student must pass eight modules in a level for them to progress to the next level.
7.2 A student who fails three modules in the level will repeat the failed modules.
7.3 A student who passes less than 25 percent of the modules in a level will discontinue studies.
8. DEGREE WEIGHTING CLASSIFICATION
For purposes of degree classification, the parts of the degree programme will be classified as follows:
| Level 1 | 35% |
| Level 2 | (Semester 1) 18% |
| Level 2 | (Semester 2 )7% |
| Level 2 | (Dissertation) 40% |
9. CLASSIFICATION
The following marking scheme shall be used for all the modules and grading of the degree.
| 80% | 1 | First Class |
| 70% – 79% | 2.1 | Second Class (upper) |
| 60% – 69% | 2.2 | Second Class (lower) |
| 50% – 59% | 3 | Pass |
| 40% – 49% | F | Fail Supplementable |
| 39% and less | F | Fail |
10. NOTIFICATION OF RESULTS
Results lists shall be published in accordance with the provisions of the General Regulations.
11. PROGRAMME STRUCTURE
| Level 1 Semester 1 | ||
| Code | Module Description | Credits |
| MBM701 | Organisational behaviour | 4 |
| MBM702 | Management Accounting | 4 |
| MBM703 | Strategic Management | 4 |
| MBM704 | Business Ethics | 4 |
| MBM705 | Change Management | 4 |
| Level 1 Semester 2 | ||
| MBM706 | Production &Operations Management | 4 |
| MBM707 | Corporate Financial Management | 4 |
| MBM708 | Total Quality Management | 4 |
| MBM709 | Learning Organisation | 4 |
| MBM710 |
Corporate Entrepreneurship |
4 |
| Level 2 Semester 1 | ||
| MBM711 | Research Methods | 4 |
| MBM807 | Strategic Leadership | 4 |
| MBM801 | Systems and Decision Making | 4 |
| MBM802 | Corporate Governance 1 | 4 |
| MBM804 | Financial Statement Analysis | 4 |
| Level 2 Semester 2 | ||
| MBM803 | Dissertation | 24 |
| MBM805 | Advanced Strategic Management | 4 |
| MBM806 | Corporate Governance 2 | 4 |
12. MODULE SYNOPSES
MBM 701 ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR
The module seeks to instruct students on the management of people in an organisation with special emphasis on culture, groups and group dynamics, teamwork, motivation theories and learning organisations.
MBM 702 MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING
This module introduces the basic concepts of managerial accounting for internal decision-making. Major topics included are product costing, emphasizing costing approaches used in today’s business environments, relevant costs for decision analysis, variance analysis, divisional performance evaluation, and transfer pricing.
MBM 703 STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
Enables the students to develop, fine tune skills in the analysis of strategic and organisational problems and issues.Business policy is with those aspects general management that have material effects on the survival and success of business enterprises. It will cover the company’s vision, external environment, environmental forecasting, internal analysis,objectives, strategy and implementation of strategy.
MBM 704 BUSINESS ETHICS
This module aims to show that ethics are becoming the defining business issues affecting corporate profits and credibility as well as personal security and the sustainability of a global environment. From price fixing to bribery to toxic waste dumping, companies are engaging in unethical practices and increasing the cost of doing business. It will further look at responses to unethical practices by the government, media, and private watch groups, competitors and employees, and how organisations can be ethical to increase profits.
MBM 705 CHANGE MANAGEMENT
The aim of this module is to give students a comprehensive and integrated overview of the field of change management or organisational development and to demonstrate that students have developed analytical, diagnostic and intervention skills.
MBM 706 PRODUCTION AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
This module is meant to instruct students on the challenges encountered in the management of production of goods and services, materials requirement planning, queuing theory, factory layout and production systems. An analysis of problems and issues faced by production and operation managers in manufacturing and service industries will also be undertaken.
MBM 707 CORPORATE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
Includes analytical and decision making approaches to challenges confronting financial management. Areas such as planning,control and financing of current operations, and long term capital commitments, management of cash flows, evaluation of income, production property and expansion, capital budgeting and long term financing.
MBM 708 TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT
The module seeks to highlight the importance of TQM in organisational competitiveness in a global environment and emphasises the concept of continuous learning, and product and services improvements. It will also emphasize on the current trends in this area of study.
MBM 709 LEARNING ORGANISATION
This module will explore the dynamics of how organisations learn through the empowerment of individuals in the organisation. It goes beyond the incidence of mistakes as a punishable offence and treats these as opportunities to learn and enhance organisational performance. It will also examine the leadership regimes necessary for such organisational learning.
MBM 710 CORPORATE ENTREPRENEURSHIP
This module seeks to study how entrepreneurship can be fostered in an organisation to make it relevant to a changing business environment and to exploit opportunities in the environment thereby ensuring organisational growth.
MBM 711 RESEARCH METHODS
The aim of this module is to introduce the formal development of the student’s master research project. It explains the research process and provides characteristics of a good research project. The module covers topics such as research study methods, impact of the project on profession and society, methods of searching literature, determining the research design,data gathering and data analysis approaches, proposal format requirements and writing up a report.
MBM 807 STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP
This module emphasizes the role of leaders in the twenty first century organisation and their role in leading strategy formulation and implementation, role modeling, mentoring, training and performance management.
MBM 801 SYSTEMS AND DECISION MAKING
This module seeks to examine organisations as systems and how activities in one area will affect the others. The tools to be used in decision-making will be examined and how the organisation as a whole can benefit from these approaches.
MBM 802 CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
This module will examine how corporate entities should be managed in a way that meets the interests of all stakeholders of a corporate business entity.
MBM 804 FINANCIAL STATEMENT ANALYSIS
This module is designed for those who expect to read, interpret, and analyse financial statements. The course adopts a modern approach to the topic of financial statements analysis. Although some attention is devoted to the mechanics of dissecting financial statements, the primary emphasis lies on development of an understanding of the market environment in which financial information is used.
MBM 805 ADVANCED STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT 2
The module will cover strategic issues in public enterprises reform and privatisation management of project, business level strategies, competitive strategy and industry environments, strategies in global environment, corporate strategy, corporate, governance and ethics, implementing strategies, competitive advantage, issues of strategic leadership in the 21st century.
MBM 806 CORPORATE GOVERNANCE 2
The module would address issues concerned with disclosure and transparency, and owners and stakeholders, Board practices and board procedures, the corporate governance strategy and evaluating strategy delivery and executive directors’ performance,effective chairing of boards.
MBM 803 DISSERTATION
The dissertation shall constitute the second semester of level two. Each candidate is required to submit a dissertation of approximately 20 000 words on a topic relating to his/her area of managerial interest and approved in writing by the dissertation supervisor. There will be four graduates’ seminars during the last semester of the student’s studies.
Session 1
This will be a three-day residency period intended to introduce the formal development of the student’s masters’ thesis. Topics to be covered will include research study methods, problem statement, research questions, hypothesis to be tested, samples and populations, the intended impact of the Project on the profession and society. The outcome is a prospectus (Blueprint) that articulates a specific goal and plan that evolves into the learner’s Masters Thesis proposal.
Session 2
This is another residency period designed to focus on the Masters Thesis Proposal for approval. During this session the prospectus from the first session will be fine tuned for formal approval. Topics to be covered during this session will focus on literature review, statistical and qualitative tools, data gathering and data analysis approaches, past research and
current theory, proposal format requirements, and submission timelines.
Session 3
This is another three-day residency period designed to facilitate the dissertation writing process from an approved masters’ thesis to final submission of the project. Chapters 4 and 5 requirements from the dissertation are explored for content and format. An approved dissertation proposal is required to earn a passing grade this session.
Session 4
This is a mentorguided session. It is the last session where the candidate completes the formal Oral defence of the Masters Dissertation and then prepares and submits the dissertation for University approval. An approved dissertation is required to complete this session.