COURSE: MBA in International Business Practice

COURSE INFORMATION
The MBA in International Business Practice, structured around a group of core modules, a number of electives and a Management Project, is delivered in two parts.  Part I of the degree, containing four core modules, is completed over a twelve-month academic year in New York.  Candidates complete four core modules during this period.  These are: Management Principles and Practices, Managing People in Organisations, the International Business Environment and Strategic Management.  In addition, candidates also follow a module in Research Methodology. 
Part II of the degree is completed over a four-month residential term in Bangkok.  During this period, candidates take two modules from the following four electives: Principles of International Finance and Accounting, Global Marketing, Managing Change and Operations & Supply Chain Management.  Following on from the Module in Research Methodology undertaken during Part I, candidates will also complete a Management Project (dissertation).  This is expected to be approximately 15,000 words in length.
Classes for each Part I course in New York are delivered via 50 contact hours of evening and weekend seminars, supported by on-line learning. (Total of 250 in-class contact hours over the entire internship year.)
Interns are required to commit to the following as part of their MBA requirements:
• To attend weekend seminars and evening tutorials (50 hours per course);
• To complete the assignments as required (approximately 7.5 hours of preparation and writing time per week);

MBA Part I Course Sequence, New York:

Management, Principles and Practices
This course aims to develop a detailed appreciation of the functional areas that underpin the study of Management and to provide a developmental framework for critical review. The course seeks to examine the discipline of management from both a theoretical and practical perspective, as well as equipping students with a sound understanding of the business environment within which commercial and non-commercial organisations operate. Particular emphasis will be placed on examining the interaction between organisational strategy, values and ethics in the process of management.

Managing People in Organisations
This course seeks to examine the nature of organisational behaviour and human resource management from both an individual and corporate prospective and will provide students with a comprehensive appreciation of the importance of work psychology. The course will provide students with a detailed understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of organisational behaviour as well as appreciating the interface of ethics and human psychology in the work place. Includes the self-assessment component of the internship year.

International Business Environment
The aim of this course is to critically review the key elements in the international business environment and, by employing a comparative framework, develop a detailed appreciation of the principles and practices arising from international management. The course aims to equip students with a detailed appreciation of current globalisation issues and the strategic context of cross border transactions.

Strategic Management
This module analyses the operation of strategic management from initial analysis to implementation.  The module provides students with a comprehensive appreciation of the formulation and development of strategy from both an organisational and individual perspective.  Particular emphasis is placed on developing the candidate’s facility for managing strategy in the international business context.

Research Methods
This module equips students with the skills necessary to carry out a body of sustained, advanced research in the field of International Business Management.  Students increase their knowledge of the nature of research from both an academic and practical perspective and develop a broader understanding of the methodology of research.

MBA Part II Course Sequence, Bangkok:

Electives (Students choose two):
Principles of International Finance
This module provides both a theoretical and a practical understanding of corporate finance theories and a practical awareness of how these theories are applied to the business world.  It further provides comprehensive knowledge of how businesses and corporations utilise financial resources and financial markets across the globe, including an evaluation of macro- and micro-economic influences in order to achieve the goal of maximum organisational value.  The module also seeks to evaluate the theories and practices of financial risk management.

Global Marketing
This module provides students with a high-level understanding of the principles and practices of marketing in global markets.  The importance of ethical, legal, cultural and political norms are reviewed with a particular emphasis on North American, European, and Asian markets.

Managing Change
This module develops a critical appreciation of the complex factors contributing to organisational change.  It takes both a practical and theoretical approach to the issue of organisational change.  It promotes evaluation of the implications of change, particularly in relation to individuals, groups, organisations and society, and provides students with the necessary analytical tools to define, plan and manage change situations.

Operations and Supply Chain Management
The aim of this module is to critically examine the nature of operations management from both a theoretical and a practical perspective.  Students are equipped with a detailed understanding of both operating strategies and the use of process technology.  The module emphasises the application of supply chain management techniques within the context of outsourcing relationships and diverse trend networks.

Management Project
This Management Project provides students with the opportunity to review the general principles of research methods and then to put them into practice by developing a body of independent research under supervision.  Students are encouraged to base their Management Project on an international dimension of the various aspects of business practice, which have been covered during the course.  The international residential component of the degree provides opportunities to conduct research in the emerging markets of Asia and gain additional and varied knowledge of international business practice.  Preparation for the Management Project, however, will begin during Part I when the student is interning in New York and it is hoped that many students will undertake this Study as a consulting project in cooperation with their internship sponsoring company in New York and/or its international affiliates.