MBA distance-learning programme regulations

Definitions
'Credit' is defined in accordance with the Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS) in which a Masters programme comprises M level 180 credits. The credits allocated to each module are specified in the Student Quick Reference Guide.

'Module' refers to a part of the programme with learning outcomes, syllabus and assessment, which carries a defined number of credits.

'Element' refers to an item of assessment (i.e. an item of coursework or an examination). The assessment for a module may be based upon one or more elements.

'Formative' assessment does not carry any marks but provides feedback but may in some circumstances be a requirement for the summative assessment to be submitted and marked.

'Resit' refers to any reassessment, whether of examination or coursework.

'Session' refers to the periods of study either January - June or July - December.

'Summative' assessment mark(s) refers to assessments where the grade constitutes the final assessment for a module.

'Foundations of Management' is made up of two parts and counts as two modules for teaching and assessment purposes.

1 Authority
These regulations are made under the University's Academic Regulations and are as validated with the programme leading to the award of MBA. Those regulations apply and, in the event of conflict of regulation and unless the Academic Board itself has specifically approved the variant regulation before its introduction, the University's general Academic Regulations take precedence. The University regulations can be found at: http://www.brookes.ac.uk/regulations/acadregs1.htm!

2 Conditions for Admission without Credit
Applicants should possess the following qualifications:

2.1
English language as a mother tongue or IELTS level 6 (including achieving a minimum of level 6.5 in the reading and writing components) or other appropriate evidence of English language skills, which meet the University and programme requirements.

2.2
Normally 3 years' relevant managerial or professional experience together with a second class honours degree or relevant postgraduate/post experience qualification from a recognised University, Polytechnic, or College, or a professional qualification from an approved and recognised professional body that is recognised as equivalent to a degree.

2.3
Applicants may be required to take the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) to support their application. Normally a score of at least 550 would be expected.

3 Dispensation
3.1
Exceptionally, applicants who can show that they have qualifications, experience or both, that demonstrate that they have the knowledge and capabilities equivalent to those possessed by holders of qualifications listed above, may be admitted with dispensation from the requirements to possess these qualifications. Where applicants do not have formal academic qualifications normally seven years relevant managerial and professional experience is sought.

4 Conditions for Admission with Credit
4.1
Applicants will normally have a minimum of three years professional or managerial experience and hold full membership of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). Such applicants will be eligible for 40 M level credits on entry only for the distance learning mode.

4.2
ACCA applicants who achieved membership ten years or more ago are required to submit the following for assessment to be considered for admission with 40 M level credits:

• a professional reference from an ACCA member or equivalent to verify experience since gaining full membership and
• a reflection on the learning outcomes of the papers for which credit has been given and
• a statement of CPD activities since gaining membership plus supporting evidence where available

This route to admission is only available to ACCA members.

5 Examination Committee and External Examiners
5.1
The Examination Committee will be appointed each year on behalf of the Academic Board by the Quality and Standards Committee. Its composition shall be as follows:

• The Dean of the Business School or nominee (Chair)
• Internal Examiners - academic staff contributing to the programme and the MBA Course Manager
• External Examiners appointed by the Quality and Standards Committee on behalf of the Academic Board in accordance with the procedures laid down currently
• The MBA Programme Director(s)
• The Chair of the MBA Board.

5.2
The Examination committee shall be responsible for maintaining the academic standard of the MBA award and, in particular, for the following:

• publishing a calendar of examinations, deadlines and other appropriate matters at the beginning of each year;
• setting and marking such coursework and invigilated examinations as may contribute to the entitlement to proceed from stage to stage or to qualifying for the award;
• compiling results and communicating them to the Academic Board, which shall have no power to alter the results save as provided for in the University's Regulations for the Review of and Appeals against a Decision of an Examination Committee.
  http://www.brookes.ac.uk/regulations/acadc213.htm!

5.3 The Proceedings of the Examination Committee
The Examination Committee shall establish its own standing orders including provision for the taking of decisions between regular meetings and reporting them to the next regular meeting and, as required by the Academic Board under the University's Academic Regulations, make suitable arrangements for recording its decisions and the factors taken into account in reaching them. These records shall normally remain confidential.

5.4 Duties and Powers of the External Examiner(s)
The duties and powers of the External Examiner(s) shall be in accordance with their rights and responsibilities as laid down for the time being by the Academic Regulations of the University.

6 Assessment Regulations
6.1
The programme is assessed in a variety of ways which may include a combination of coursework, examinations, seminar participation and a dissertation or consultancy project.
6.1 .2 - Transfer between modes of study.
Students wishing to transfer between modes of study must discuss transfer arrangements and agree these with the Programme Director in advance. If students wish to transfer between modes, all elements of assessment for the equivalent module must normally be completed before the transfer takes place. Assessment may vary between modes of study.

6.2
The pass mark for each module is 50%. Assessed work is marked as a percentage. The pass standard is 50%.
Marks are graded as follows:

70-100% Distinction
60-69% Merit
50-59% Pass
0-49% Fail (a resit may be permissible – see section 8)

6.2.1
The assessment for Foundations of Management comprises 2 parts, Part A and Part B. Both parts are assessed separately. All students must achieve a pass in both Part A (Marketing and Operations Management) and Part B (Strategic Information Management & Organisation Analysis). A student who fails only Part A must resit Part A, a student who fails Part B must resit Part B.
6.2.2
In the Accounting and Finance module there are two assessments. Students must achieve a pass in both assessments, but need only resit the failed assessment.

6.3
On commencement of each Session on the programme a student will be notified of deadlines for the submission of coursework for formal assessment. For Distance Learning, examinations will take place in June and December at designated ACCA examination centres world wide (the locations of centres may vary from time to time).

6.4
Students are scheduled to take assessments in the Session in which they start the module. A student who fails to attend an examination or submit a coursework assessment on the date for which they are scheduled, without valid evidence (illness or other exceptional circumstances), or prior written approval from the Programme Director or Course Manager, will normally fail that assessment and receive a zero. They will normally be permitted to resit unless 8.6 and/or 11 are breached.

6.5
A student on the distance learning programme who wishes to change their examination centre must make this change on their personal pages on the website normally between mid February and mid April for examinations held in June or between mid August and mid October for examinations held in December. The exact dates can be found under 'preferred centre' on the website.

6.6
Students undertaking the full 180 credits will choose their elective on entry to the programme. A change of elective may be possible, but is not guaranteed and will be dependent for non distance learning electives, on number constraints.

7 Duration of the Programme
7.1
Students will be registered for a period of 5 years for the distance learning programme; but will be scheduled to complete the programme in 21 months for ACCA members or 30 months for the full 180 credit distance learning programme. The time taken will depend upon progression.

7.2
To qualify for the award of MBA students must fulfil all the assessment and programme requirements within a maximum of five years from the start date of their programme. This includes periods of deferral.

7.3 Deferral of Studies
Students wishing to defer their studies must contact the MBA Course Manager in writing, stating which modules they wish to defer, why, and the date they wish to resume their study of the deferred module(s). A deferral fee of £150 per module per session is normally payable. Deferral is granted for no more than one session (that is six months) at a time.

8 Progression
Resits of an examination or a formal assessment

8.1
The term resit refers to all forms of reassessment.

8.2
When a resit grade is awarded for the module, two further attempts to pass the module are permitted (providing that 8.6 and 11 are not breached), except for the dissertation or consultancy project, where students are permitted to resubmit their dissertation or consultancy project on ONE further occasion only.

8.3
A student who has not satisfactorily completed a module after three attempts, (or in Foundations of Management, three attempts in each of Part A and Part B); apart from the dissertation or consultancy project (where two attempts are permitted), must withdraw from the programme.

8.4
Students normally take two modules for the first time in each session. Students will not normally be permitted to participate in more than two modules and be assessed in more than three modules in any session. Foundations of Management counts as studying two modules.

8.5
Where a mark is allocated for participation in seminars the resit will be assessed as 100% coursework or examination.

8.6
The maximum number of resits permitted is 10 on the full 180 credit programme, and 8 on the admission with credit route for ACCA members, excluding the dissertation or consultancy project proposal.

8.7
Following reassessment the maximum grade that can be recorded and carried forward is 50% (although the actual grade achieved will be indicated on the feedback sheet).

9 Dissertation Proposal or Consultancy Project Proposal
9.1
As part of the dissertation students are required to submit a dissertation proposal or consultancy project proposal. This will be marked as a pass or fail.

9.2
A student who passes will be notified of their dissertation or consultancy project supervisor's name and contact details.

9.3
A student who fails will be required to resubmit their proposal. This may involve either a) revising the proposal, or b) submitting a proposal on a different topic. Three attempts in all are permitted, but these are not counted as resits under 8.6. Resubmissions are not tied into the examination timetable and a date for resubmission would normally be four weeks from receiving feedback.

10 Conditions for the Award of MBA
10.1
The degree of Master of Business Administration will be awarded to students who, within the maximum permitted duration of five years from starting the programme, have passed all the required modules and the dissertation or consultancy project and met all the programme requirements.

10.2 Conditions for the award of MBA with a distinction or merit
10.2.1 Distinction
Distinctions shall be awarded for postgraduate certificates, postgraduate diplomas and masters degrees.

A Distinction shall be the equivalent to 70% or above. The Examination Committee may recommend an award with distinction if the following condition is met: normally the student must have passed all modules and achieved an average of 70% or more over the whole programme and for a masters degree this must include a mark of at least 70% in the dissertation or consultancy project.

Students who have been admitted to a masters programme through an APEL or APL route will only qualify for the award of a distinction if they have achieved a minimum of 60 credits taken at Oxford Brookes University. (This will apply to students who entered on the distance learning accelerated route.)

10.2.2 Merit
Merits shall be awarded, where appropriate, for postgraduate certificates, postgraduate diplomas and masters degrees.

A merit shall be equivalent to a mark between 60% and 69%. The Examination committee may recommend an award with merit if the following condition is met: normally the student must have passed all modules and achieved an average of between 60% and 69% inclusive over the whole programme and for a masters degree this must include a mark of at least 60% in the dissertation or consultancy project.

Students who have been admitted to a masters programme through an APEL or APL route will only qualify for the award of a merit if they have achieved a minimum of 60 credits taken at Oxford Brookes University. (This will apply to students who entered on the distance learning accelerated route.)

11 Failure
A student will be deemed to have failed the programme and will be required to withdraw immediately if:

• they have failed a module after three attempts
• in the case of the ACCA members' route they have had 8 resit attempts but progression would require a ninth attempt. Or in the case of students studying the 180 credit programme they have had 10 resit attempts but would require an eleventh attempt
• they have failed the third submission of the dissertation or consultancy project proposal
• they have failed the dissertation or consultancy project after resubmission.

12 Withdrawal from the MBA Programme
12.1
Withdrawal from the MBA programme may be voluntary or necessitated by failure.

12.2
Students withdrawing from the programme will, on request, after completion of their studies, be given a transcript recording all modules passed and the credits gained.

12.3
A student who has gained a total of 120 M level credits (including transferred credits, if any) at least 60 of which have been gained by study on the programme, will be awarded the Diploma of Business Administration.

12.4
A student who has gained a total of 60 M level credits (but less than 120 credits, including transferred credits, if any) at least 30 of which have been gained by study on the programme, will be awarded the Certificate of Business Administration.

13 Attendance
13.1
Students are expected to participate in the Virtual Seminars and participation will be monitored.

13.2
Students are normally expected to attend the equivalent of 120 contact hours, made up of face to face sessions, synchronous online sessions and asynchronous seminars during their programme. Mitigating circumstances must be discussed and agreed with the Programme Director or Course Manager when alternative provision may be made.

14 Fees for Deferral, and Reassessment of the Dissertation or Consultancy Project Module
14.1
The procedure for deferral of students is set out in 7.3 together with the fee normally payable, £150 per module per session.

14.2
If a student is required to resit the dissertation or consultancy project, a fee of £400 is payable. However, if the requirement is to choose a different topic and a new proposal is required, a fee of £800 is payable.

15 Special needs arrangements
Distance learning students use ACCA's examination centres worldwide, and for special needs arrangements to be made you must contact the MBA administrators by 15 March for examinations in June, and by 15 September for examinations in December. Please note that medical evidence, confirming the nature of the disability, must be submitted by these deadlines.