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Higher Education Administration, Management & Leadership MSc

  • Level(s) of Study: Professional
  • Start Date(s): January 2025
  • Duration: 12 months part-time
  • Study Mode(s): Part-time
  • Campus: City Campus
  • Entry Requirements:
    More information

Introduction:

The MSc in Higher Education Administration, Management and Leadership is an innovative course that provides professional staff working in management and administration roles in higher education with a transformative experience to enhance their administrative, managerial and leadership capabilities.

Building on the PG Cert and PG Dip it provides a pathway for staff working in management and administrative roles in HE with a progressional route to support their career development. The course enables participants to develop their knowledge, skills and abilities as HE professionals, promoting excellence in management and administration in higher education.

From this course you will be able to:

  • Demonstrate a critical understanding of how contemporary issues, theories and ideologies in administration, management and leadership can be applied to improve current practice in your institution and the HE sector in general.
  • Evaluate the rigour and validity of published research and assess its relevance to the HE sector, synthesising existing research to identify alternative approaches.
  • Display proficiency in the use of techniques of research and enquiry to draw conclusions from critical evaluation of relevant issues.
  • Demonstrate a critical understanding of your role and organisation in the global HE context.

These courses are not only underpinned by academic rigour, but help participants to develop knowledge and skills that can be easily transferred to the workplace. Ultimately, the courses aim to develop excellent administrators who have the skills, integrity and commitment to make a positive contribution to the societies in which they live and work.

You might also be interested in:

  • Postgraduate Certificate Higher Education Administration, Management and Leadership
  • Postgraduate Diploma Higher Education Administration, Management and Leadership
  • This course enables you to develop your knowledge, skills and abilities as HE professionals, promoting excellence in management and administration in higher education.

Join our internationally accredited business school

Nottingham Business School is accredited to AACSB and EQUIS, the highest international standards for business school education. We are one of 47 global PRME Champions - a United Nations-supported initiative leading the way with sustainable and responsible management education.

  • EQUIS logo
  • PRME Champions Logo

What you’ll study

This MSc builds on the structure of the PG Certificate and Postgraduate Diploma in HE Administration, Management and Leadership.

Applied Research Skills

The purpose of the module is to acquire the knowledge and skills to be able to formulate, plan and conduct effective small scale research projects. In this respect, it acts as a research skills training module for the applied research project module, but also provides students with the research skills that will benefit their professional working life.

It will be in the following format:

  1. Identifying and framing research questions
  2. Conducting critical literature review and developing conceptual frameworks
  3. The choice, design and application of research and analytical methods
  4. Research ethics
  5. Planning a research project and writing a proposal
  6. Questionnaire design and analysis
  7. Interviewing and qualitative research methods

Management Research Project

The purpose of the module is to support participants to lead, implement and write up an individual research project that improves understanding of a significant managerial, business or organisational matter in HE, and which, if appropriate, provides recommendations for action or findings upon which action can be determined.

The module is likely to cover the following areas:

  • Research methodology
  • Reflection and reflexivity and critical thinking
  • Aspects of the research process
  • Locating and analysing secondary data sets
  • Undertaking a critical literature review
  • Developing conceptual frameworks

You will receive 5 hours of individual supervision spread over the module.

The assessments for this course are listed below:

Module 1: Applied Research Skills

  • Poster presentation
  • Research proposal

Module 2: Management Research Project

  • Academic research report
  • Research article e.g., Targeted towards Practical report - e.g. article in AUA Perspectives magazine

Don’t just take our word for it, hear from our students themselves

Student Profiles

Laura Roper

Higher Education Administration, Management & Leadership

The course has been such a fantastic thing to be able to do, it’s really inspired me. I understand the impact that the role I do has on my institution and other institutions and that has been really fulfilling for me, I really enjoyed that.

David Duell

I feel that my studies from the PGCert to the MSc have helped me better understand what roles I am looking for and what career trajectory I want to take in HE. It’s given me some broader understanding of HE policy and strategy.

Leanne Hunt

The PGCert taught me a lot about myself and the sector, the PGDip taught me more about how to apply my knowledge to the HE context and my role. The MSc helped me developed my writing and researching skills that I continue to use today.

Student Story: Laura Roper

Laura shares her experience on this course.
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How you’re taught

The courses follow a self-directed, supported work-based learning structure, designed to minimise staff time away from their institutions. The course incorporates a mix of classroom-based modules, independent supported learning and work-based projects.

You'll also use our virtual learning environment, NOW, which is a flexible web-based system that gives you 24-hour access to module learning materials and reading lists. It allows you to discuss work with tutors and submit coursework electronically from anywhere in the world.

ModuleDatesLocation
Applied Research Skills06 - 07 January 2025Nottingham
Management Research  ReportApril - September 2025Online (date to be confirmed)

Careers and employability

This course does not currently offer placements, but the course assignments are based on real-world issues.

Applicants must therefore be in employment, or be able to gain access to an organisation upon which to base assignments. You will need permission from the organisation to use their data during your course.

Career Development

Completion of the course will prepare managers and administrators for their future roles and responsibilities.

Re:search Re:imagined

To us, research is about more than writing papers and proposing new ideas. By daring to think differently, we’re disrupting the research landscape and finding the answers to the questions that really matter. From ethics, innovation and entrepreneurship to behavioural science, we’re inspiring the brightest minds to rise up and find solutions to some of the most significant global challenges facing society.

Find out more: ntu.ac.uk/research

Campus and facilities

We are continually investing in our facilities, and transforming our learning and teaching environment to create an inspiring and innovative atmosphere.

The School is based in the impressive Newton Building on NTU's City Campus.

Postgraduate Centre

A short walk from the Newton building and Boots library, the Postgraduate Centre facilitates on-campus teaching for Nottingham Business School’s postgraduate and executive education courses.

Dryden Centre

Benefit from the newly built NTU Dryden Enterprise Centre that provides dedicated support for entrepreneurs, start-ups, small and medium-sized enterprises.

Entry requirements

  • To have satisfactorily completed the PG Diploma in HE Administration, Management and Leadership (within the last five years), in accordance with the Assessment Regulations.
  • Possession of a relevant professional or academic qualification deemed to be equivalent and appropriate to at least 60 M level points.

Getting in touch

If you need more help or information, get in touch through our enquiry form

Unfortunately, we cannot accept International students onto this course. As a part-time course we are unable to accept applications from students that require a Student Route visa.

Fees and funding

Home fees for January 2025 entry

Study route

Home fees

One year (part-time)

£3,900

For details on course fees and any funding available please visit our fees and funding page for further information and any additional support.

How to apply

Ready to join us? Apply through our NTU Applicant Portal.

Make sure you check the entry requirements above carefully before you do.

Ready to join us? Apply through our NTU Applicant Portal.

Make sure you check the entry requirements above carefully before you do.

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