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MBA Risk and Resilience

  • Study Mode: Part Time
  • Location: Distance Learning
  • Duration: Two or Three Years
  • Start Date: September 2022

*Please note this course is for continuing students who started in 2022-23 or earlier.

Our MBA in Risk and Resilience enhances the knowledge and capability of experienced professionals who are seeking to further their careers in risk, security and business continuity.
Led by our experienced and supportive academic team, the programme involves the study of both internal and external environments, as well as the challenges and opportunities with risk and resilience management. This course continues to be popular as we are the only higher education institution to offer this in the UK.

This programme is eligible for funding under the UK Ministry of Defence Enhanced Learning Credits (ELC) scheme – our ELCAS number is 1682

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Application guide

For information on how you can boost your career-prospects and apply for our postgraduate courses, follow our application guide.

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Postgraduate Open Days

Join us for a Postgraduate Open Day where you can discuss your options and chosen course with our course leaders.

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Fees and Funding

There’s a range of ways you can secure funding for your course, including sponsorship, scholarships and loans. And if you recently graduated from BNU, you may be eligible for a fee discount.

Why study this subject?

Businesses are faced with, and take, risks constantly. Only those organisations who understand and can respond to these challenges, as well as demonstrating resilience, are truly capable and competitive. These businesses need analytical, capable and knowledgeable professionals who are able to plan, operate, manage and ultimately succeed in the ‘VUCA’ world of Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity.

However, the job market for these specialist roles is very competitive and a masters in this area will really help boost your chances of employability (in some instances, it may even be a prerequisite).

There is also great flexibility in studying this course with our students coming from not just the UK, but all around the world.

Why study at Buckinghamshire New University?

This is a popular course within the University combining both risk and resilience, and in the UK we are the only higher education provider to offer this masters degree to students.

Throughout the distance-learning course, you will learn from skilled lecturers within the School of Aviation and Security who have a high level of working knowledge based on industry experience. Our tutors will give you the practical, managerial and intellectual skills that will help you to plan for and respond to risk and resilience challenges.

We offer students a supportive and flexible environment in which to develop and be able to apply this with confidence in their workplace. Whilst the course primarily consists of distanced-based learning, we do occasionally bring all students together and conduct some teaching at our High Wycombe campus where applicable. When away from campus, we utilise our Virtual Learning Environment meaning that students who are often deployed to remote areas have a comprehensive student experience, combined with a flexible approach to tutoring sessions.  

The University has strong links within the resilience sector and is a holder of the Silver Military Covenant Award. We recognise the value serving personnel (both regular and reservists), veterans, and military families contribute to our business and country. If you are a member of the Armed Forces, you may be able eligible to received funding for this programme under the UK Ministry of Defence Enhanced Learning Credits (ELC) scheme – our ELCAS number is 1682.

As a BNU student, you will automatically become a member of Bucks Students’ Union giving you access to a wide range of services that we offer for free. Upon graduation, you will become a member of the University’s alumni community giving you access to a wide range of benefits throughout your lifetime.

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What will I study?

This MBA has been developed to address business risk and resilience in an uncertain world. It addresses issues that many organisations face in the present climate: operating in a global setting, ensuring business resilience and sustainability.

The content has been designed to match the needs of those who wish to specialise within a wider business context and will enable you to influence not only the content of your studies but also the process and outcomes.

This programme aims to:

  • help you develop a strategic, integrated and holistic perspective on business capability through a study of management at:
    • an individual, group and organisational behavioural level
    • a functional, process and strategic level
    • a local, national and international level
    • as well as through reflection on prior experience (both personal and within the cohort)
  • equip you with an advanced understanding of concepts, along with the current and pervasive issues in global business and management
  • enable you to anticipate and address risks that may adversely affect your business, helping to ensure future business resilience and sustainability (where margins of time, resource and competitive advantage may be narrow)
  • help you develop the critical thinking, analytical and research skills you need to make logical arguments and creative contributions to improve business and management practice
  • help you develop advanced capability and knowledge in business-enhancing resilience capabilities.

This MBA is also designed to give those students from military backgrounds, as well as those with security, risk and related practitioner experience, the necessary skills and capability to develop parity of understanding and knowledge with that of mainstream business and wider organisational disciplines.

How will I be taught and assessed?

We've designed this course to make our expertise accessible even to those who are unable to attend on-site. We provide a high level of support both face-to-face and electronically using our Virtual Learning Environment. This online learning platform helps you make the most of your time studying and allows you to focus on the issues relevant to your company (as well as minimising your time away from work).

We also provide off campus access to library services, so you can borrow books from the virtual library and access peer reviewed journals as well as access to wider material via our interlibrary loan service.

The programme begins with an induction day, followed by a four-week pre-study phase aimed at building the critical writing and evaluation skills needed to complete the course. We then move into the course modules, which are delivered in 10-week blocks via weekly live sessions, recorded podcasts and online discussions. The live sessions are also recorded, meaning that students have the option of synchronous and asynchronous approaches to the delivery. Self-guided learning and personal tutor support completes the delivery programme. 

The assignments range from academic essays, reports and executive briefings. We have previously received positive feedback from our students on the approach we take to assignments being very pertinent to the workplace and helps in addressing real-world issues.

Useful Documents

MBA Risk and Resilience Programme Specification

What are the course entry requirements?

Applicants will normally hold a good honours degree (2:1 or above) or equivalent, although we have a flexible approach to our application process.

Applicants who are in employment may qualify for entry without holding a first degree and will be assessed through a recruitment process based on an interview, employment history or other evidence of achievement and ability to benefit from the course.

If your first language is not English, we will require evidence of English language proficiency to IELTS 6.5 or equivalent. For further details of our international English entry requirements, please visit our international pages.

 

Modules

This provides a guide of the modules that make up your course. You can find more information about how your course is structured on our Academic Advice section.

Year 1 Modules

Risk Management

Crisis Management and Business Continuity

Organisational Resilience

Project Management

Year 2 Modules

Strategic Leadership

Leading, Managing and Developing Talent

International Management of Finance

Digital Leadership in a World of Continuous Change

Research and Dissertation (can also be studied in Year 3)

Year 3 Modules

Research and Dissertation

What are the tuition fees

This programme is eligible for funding under the UK Ministry of Defence Enhanced Learning Credits (ELC) scheme – our ELCAS number is 1682.

 

Home

Home and EU, for those who started in Academic Year 2022 - 2023:

 

2-year programme

3-year programme

Year 1: £2,650

Year 1: £2,650

Year 2: £5,350

Year 2: £2,650

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Year 3: £2,650

Most courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees. You could benefit from financial support through a bursary or scholarship during your time as a student. For more details visit our financial support, bursaries and scholarships section.

Questions about fees?

If you have any questions about the fees above, contact our Enquiries team by calling 0330 123 2023 or emailing advice@bnu.ac.uk.

What are my career prospects?

On successful completion of this award, students from all backgrounds will find their employment prospects enhanced and their understanding of the multiple facets of risk and resilience significantly deepened.

Managers will have gained the requisite knowledge and analytical skills to enable them to perform at higher management levels within their organisations; recent graduates or people employed outside the sector are more likely to be able to obtain employment in relevant industries; and current employees will be better equipped to seek promotion.

All graduates will have also developed transferable skills that can be used in a wide range of employment roles.

Course leader

A head and shoulders photo of a smiling Beverley Griffiths, stood in front of a brick wall
Beverley Griffiths
  • Senior Lecturer
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