Scotland’s first three-year
honours business degree
S
COTLAND’S FIRST CONDENSED Business Management honours
degree programme is now being offered by QMU. The move will
appeal to money conscious and ambitious undergraduates capable
of undertaking higher workloads. The three-year BA (Hons) degree will start
in September 2012.
The course is open to all students and
will be particularly attractive to Scottish
students wishing to graduate faster and
to those from outside Scotland who will
save tuition fees.
Whilst accelerated business
management degree programmes are
available in other Scottish universities,
usually through entry at year two, QMU’s
three-year degree will provide a unique
package enabling undergraduates to
benefit from the full learning experience
by joining the full cohort in year one.
The three year degree will have higher
admissions criteria than its four year
counterpart which QMU will continue
to offer. The fast track students will
undertake additional credits in each
academic year.
Commenting on the successful
validation of its first three year honours
degree QMU Principal, Professor Petra
Wend, said; “This is a very exciting
development that widens opportunities
for students in an increasingly competitive
business environment. Not only will
they be able to enter the marketplace
or take up postgraduate studies a year
earlier, they will be able to enjoy the
full student experience from day one
instead of playing catch up which can
happen for students joining accelerated
courses in year two. There are also
economic advantages. Importantly we
have responded to demands for greater
flexibility and options for learners outlined
in the government’s post-16 education
report.”
The three year programme will operate
in tandem with the four year version and
will adhere to the standard university
academic calendar. Students will have
a dedicated intensive longitudinal
induction programme, dedicated student
handbook, tutorials and course work as
well as special events for the cohort each
semester.
QMU to train
International
Ombudsman
Institute
Q
MU HAS BEEN INVITED to
provide a three-day training
course for members of the
International Ombudsman Institute
in Vienna this autumn.
This news builds on recent successes
by QMU’s Consumer Insight Centre which
has demonstrated its ability to secure a
range of contracts to deliver complaints
handing courses to various ombudsman
organisations throughout the UK.
The training package, to be delivered
in Vienna, will cover complaint
diagnosis and assessment; operating
within legal frameworks; conflict and
managing challenging behaviour;
planning and carrying out effective
investigations; gathering and managing
evidence; investigative reasoning and
effective interviewing; critical thinking
and decision making; reaching and
acting on reliable findings; making
proportionate recommendations; effective
communication; producing clear written
documents and reporting persuasively.
This contract, alongside other recent
contracts with the African Ombudsman
Offices and the Public Services
Ombudsman for Wales, will not only
provide excellent knowledge exchange
opportunities, but will strengthen QMU’s
Consumer Insight Centre’s growing
reputation for the delivery of high quality
complaint handling courses.
First Business Gateway to be
based at Scottish University
B
USINESS GATEWAY East Lothian
will have a new base at QMU.
The service, which is geared
towards providing advice and support to
small business start-ups, will be managed
by East Lothian Council but housed within
QMU. This is the first time that a Business
Gateway service has been located within
a Scottish university.
The partnership between the Council
and QMU aims to be a one-stop-shop
for East Lothian businesses, providing
a business information service and free
impartial advice and assistance, as well as
free workshop and seminar opportunities
to a variety of businesses. It is envisaged
that the Business Gateway will be an
invaluable resource to small business
start-up companies but it also aims to
go beyond that by providing a variety of
support services for further developed
organisations.
Rosalyn Marshall, QMU’s Vice Principal
(Resources and Development) said: “The
new service will be easily accessible for all
East Lothian businesses. It will also draw
an increasing number of new business
people to the University, whilst in addition,
present outstanding opportunities for
graduating students who wish to develop
as entrepreneurs. It will also result in a
growing awareness of the University’s
specialist facilities and research expertise,
which we hope will only add value to the
Business Gateway offering.”
QMYOU / Sustainable Business
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