New masters announced at Said Business School
A new MSc in Major Programme Management, offered by the BT Centre for Major Programme Management at Said Business School, will begin in October 2008.
- There is a growing need for professionals who are skilled in major programme management (MPM)
- The skills and competencies required for managing major programmes are distinct from the traditional practices of project management
- The new MSc in Major Programme Management is the only masters degree currently available to focus solely on major programme management
Janet Smart, Director of the BT Centre, said: ‘This is a completely innovative and exciting course. It is the first such programme in the world to be delivered by a leading business school and we believe it meets a pressing and significant need among practitioners. Major programme management currently lacks formal development opportunities for its practitioners. This new programme will address this and will help shape best practice, and build much needed networks in the specialism.’
- A part-time modular masters-level degree programme, designed to allow programme managers to continue working while they study.
- Consists of ten, week-long residential modules delivered over a two-year period, with private study between modules.
- Programme was developed with careful consultation with a number of major programme practitioners to ensure its relevance for working professionals. Visiting speakers will contribute to the teaching.
- The curriculum for the MSc will be informed by current research, enabling participants to benefit from the latest understanding of best-practice in the area.
Further details about the MSc
The MSc in Major Programme Management is made up of eight core courses which help participants develop a critical and reflexive approach to their professional work:
- Induction “Gateway” (half course)
- Designing and managing successful programmes
- Systems engineering
- Financial management
- Managing performance
- Research methods
- Contract management
- Globalization and major programmes
- Conclusion “Capstone” (half course)
Two electives chosen from the Oxford MBA, EMBA or MSc in Financial Economics will help participants develop their individual skills and specialisations. Finally, participants will complete a 10,000-word dissertation.
A range of innovative and stimulating teaching methods will be used to encourage the students to contribute to discussion, such as mini-projects, extended reports, role-playing, site visits and panel discussions.
About the BT Centre for Major Programme Management
The BT Centre is the world’s first research centre for major programme management. It will carry out a programme of leading-edge and multi-disciplinary research, drawing together the expertise within the Said Business School and the broader University of Oxford (within departments such as engineering, computer science and law) and eminent practitioners from the global business community. The Centre will consolidate knowledge around this emerging and dynamic field, which has considerable significance economically and often politically, and will foster a practical approach to the effective management of large scale programmes. The BT Centre will create a community of knowledge and will provide a resource for practitioners to locate the latest thinking on specialist topics. As well as carrying out research in this field, the Centre will also develop a ground-breaking teaching programme.
About Said Business School
Established in 1996 the Said Business School is one of Europe’s youngest and most entrepreneurial business schools with a reputation for innovative business education.
An integral part of Oxford University, the School embodies the academic rigour and forward thinking that has made Oxford a world leader in education. The School has an established reputation for research in a wide range of areas, including finance and accounting, organisational analysis, international management, strategy and operations management. The school is dedicated to developing a new generation of business leaders and entrepreneurs and conducting research not only into the nature of business, but the connections between business and the wider world. In the Financial Times ranking of MBA programmes (Jan 08), Said is ranked 19th in the world. This achievement follows the School’s success in HM Treasury’s 2005 ranking of the top 50 MBA programmes in the world, where it finished number one out of all the UK business schools. In the university league table published by The Guardian (May 2007), Said ranked first of all UK universities for undergraduate business. The University of Oxford also ranked top for business studies in The Times report published in August 2007.
For more information, see http://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk
