18 July 2006 MBA to complete suite of Executive Study Programmes

Lincoln University will offer an MBA programme, beginning in early 2007.

The new programme will sit alongside Lincoln University's existing advanced management degrees, the Master of Professional Studies and Master of Property Studies, which offer a specialised course of study for senior practitioners in a range of industries.

Professor Clive Smallman, Director of the Executive Development Programme, says the development of an MBA programme will offer students the choice of obtaining a broadly based qualification which is widely recognised.

As with the Master of Professional Studies and Master of Property Studies, the MBA programme will be studied part-time and delivered off-campus through distance-learning and group learning workshops in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

However unlike the Professional Masters programmes, which are available to graduates with any degree, the MBA will be available to commerce graduates only. The entry criteria include a minimum score of 550 in the Graduate management admissions test.

Professor Smallman says the MBA will appeal to graduates and executives who intend to pursue their career as a strong generalist, rather than becoming a specialist in a particular field. With seven papers and a dissertation to be completed within three years, it has a higher overall workload than the M. Prof Studies or M. Property Studies.

“The MBA is an internationally recognised benchmark for the management generalist. The Lincoln MBA is based on the principle of action learning, which involves concrete experience and critical reflection. A second fundamental principle is the importance of practical experience. Overall, the programme offers a mix of formal learning, group and individual reflection and work-based learning.”

All of Lincoln University’s advanced degrees take a business-based approach, focusing on the industry or sector in which each student is working, and developing the negotiation and integrative skills that are valued by recruiters and employers.

Applications for enrolment in the MBA programme can now be accepted, and should be made online (www.lincoln.ac.nz).

About the Executive Development Programme

Formerly known as the Professional Masters Programme, Lincoln University’s Executive Development Programme (EDP) began in 2000 aimed at managers wishing to undertake further tertiary study and for whom full-time enrolment and an on-campus lecture schedule are not suitable. It has been developed around the industries and professional areas in which Lincoln University has extensive relationships and experience, and includes:

The Master of Business Administration – an advanced management qualification for high-calibre generalists.

The Master of Property Studies – a specialised degree designed for middle to senior managers in the property sector.

The Master of Professional Studies – an advanced management qualification aimed at middle and senior managers who wish to build upon their experience. It is offered in five industry specialisations: Agribusiness Management; Environmental Management; Forest Industry Management; ICT Management; and Transport Studies.

The EDP Manager, Ivo Wynn-Williams, says the strength of the Executive Development Programme lies in the relationship with professional and industry groups. “The M Prof Stud will remain Lincoln’s industry-specific advanced management qualification, offering higher-level training and development to managers in five specialisations. The M Prop Studies, with its particular concentration of four property-related subjects, will continue to be the advanced degree for property professionals.”

Sarah Hannan, Marketing and Communications Manager, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand