Course description
Originally developed in partnership with nine leading charities, the MSc has been designed as a complete development programme for managers in charities and not-for-profit organisations.
The course is intended for highly motivated graduate-level staff with three or more years of management experience, and deliver immediate management benefits directly back into the organisation as well as providing valuable personal career development for the individual.
Significantly subsidised and therefore excellent value for money, the programme delivers:
* a broad understanding of the full portfolio of major charity functions, as well as deeper direct experience in one or two specialist areas relevant to your organisation
* up-to-date skills and techniques to apply directly to your day-to-day work with minimal time spent away from the office
* the opportunity to network, study and share ideas with peers from different but related backgrounds brings deep and immediately relevant insights into charity management
* recognition at the end of the course with a City University Business School Postgraduate Diploma or MSc degree in Voluntary Sector Management.
Modules
* Introduction to Learning
This module aims to enable the student to:
* map out their learning and development needs for the forthcoming 3 years
* set these needs within the context of the Masters (or Diploma) Programme
* learn new learning and study skills
Syllabus:
* The Theory of Learning
* Assessing your learning style
* Learning and polishing study skills
* Making use of all the available tools
* Drawing up a Learning Contract
* Voluntary Sector Policy
This module aims to enable the student to:
* develop an informed and critical understanding of the public policy environments in which voluntary organisations operate, to which they variously respond or help shape
Syllabus:
* Policy concepts and the contested nature of public policy
* Developments in new public management and public policy trends – marketisation, modernisation, joint working, partnerships
* Fissures, links and building blocks in public policy networks in and for voluntary organisations
* Policy actors in governmental and voluntary organisations and models of governmental/voluntary sector relations in UK and international contexts
* Structuring and restructuring policy problems; new and enduring responses (eg faith based provisions, cross sectoral working)
* Reputational impact on policy advocacy; the impact of mergers, alliances, closures and scandal on organisations’ policy roles
* Policy outcomes – the voluntary sector as provider, evaluator and critics
* Lesson drawing in public policy and forecasting public policy futures; the voluntary sector as provider of policy evidence, policy learner and policy leader and advocate
* Sectoral policy contributions to the development of civil society.
* Resource Management
This module aims to:
* provide students with an understanding of the principles of resource management within the specialist context of charities.
Syllabus:
* Definitions and the legal framework of charities and voluntary organisations
* The role of the Charity Commission
* Sources of finance for the charity sector
* Introduction to general accounting principles
* Charity accounts and regulatory framework
* Understanding, interpreting and analysing charity accounting statements
* Costing and budgeting in voluntary organisations
* Risk assessment
* Outsourcing
* Appraising, appointing and dismissing auditors and other resource consultants and experts
* IT Strategic appraisal and implementation
* The nature of Human Resource Management
* Human resource and personnel issues including training and development, reward and retention and effective selection and recruitment
* Marketing and Fundraising
The aims of the module are:
* to provide students with the concepts, underpinning knowledge, skills and techniques to plan and develop marketing and operations systems.
* enable students to analyse marketing needs, evaluate marketing plans, in the context of applying marketing concepts to their own organisation
Syllabus
* Effective Marketing Information Systems
* Development of a marketing strategy
* Product/Service policy and new product development
* Role of Communications
* Branding
* Pricing as a value-added marketing tool
* Capacity planning – resources planning and allocation
* Total Quality Management
* Stakeholder/Customer care
* Strategy, Diversity and Governance
The aims of the module are:
* to develop a broad knowledge and conceptual base in the field of strategy development, diversity and governance
* introduce practical tools to help improve the quality of an organisation’s strategic response to the changing environment
* introduce practical tools to help improve the ability of the organisation and its managers and leaders to build a diverse workforce
* an enhanced appreciation of the constraints and opportunities offered by the changing governance and service-delivery frameworks which affect voluntary organisations.
Syllabus
* Improving an organisation’s strategic response by use of strategy and diversity management and theory:
* approaches to developing strategy
* approaches to managing diversity
* the changing environment of the voluntary sector
* case studies on the application of strategic planning and diversity
* Shadowing/ Fieldwork Exercise
The aims of the module are:
* develop a different perspective on the role and environment at senior management level in a different organisation
* consider the ethical and environmental issues faced by a senior manager
* look at optional and compulsory roles when overseeing an organisation
* give opportunity to study at close hand the way change is managed in another organisation
* give the opportunity to apply theory in practice.
Syllabus
* Design of Shadowing/Fieldwork Exercise proposal linked to Learning Contract and negotiation with senior manager of shadowed organisation
* 5 days shadowing senior manager or fieldwork consultancy exercise – observing and learning from the experience
* reflections using all the theories and models learnt on the programme
* preparation of reflective report containing analysis and recommendations for improved effectiveness
* Organisation, Leadership and Change
This module aims to:
* Develop a broad knowledge and conceptual base in the field or organisation analysis, leadership and change
* Introduce practical tools to help improve organisational effectiveness and individual performance in the management of change
* Foster the development of analytical skills, the ability to apply theoretical models, and skills to understand, synthesise and evaluate the complexity of organisation functioning.
Syllabus:
* Theoretical models and frameworks for looking at organisations and management (macro and micro level, culture, structure, lifecycle, learning)
* Frameworks for looking at organisational change and learning, and improving organisation performance
* Leadership and management theory: trends, traits, definitions, skills and competencies
* Managing People and Quality
The aim of this module is to:
* Develop a broad knowledge and conceptual base in the field of quality management, people management and the management of multiple stakeholder needs
* Introduce practical tools to help implement quality assurance systems in a non-profit organisation
* Foster the development of project management skills and continue the process of developing communication and presentation skills
Syllabus:
* Different models and approaches to quality management
* Trends in human resource management – making the most of people resources
MSc Conversion
Upon successful completion of the diploma students will be given the option to continue to the MSc. This requires completion of the Research Methods for Managers module. This can be followed by a further six months of personal supervised research and the presentation of a 10,000 word dissertation. The alternative option of a taught Masters which allows the specialist modules from one of the other Charities programme to be chosen.
