Category: Modules

My favourite things about studying MSc Management

By Abigail Cook, MSc Management

I am currently in my second semester of MSc Management and have particularly enjoyed a number of things about my experience so far.

One of the main things that I like about MSc Management is the variety of subjects covered by the modules. Having never studied anything related to Management before, I started the course with no knowledge of the subject whatsoever. However, in just the first term, I undertook modules in Accounting and Finance, Marketing, HR and many more. Now, in my second term, I am studying a whole new set of modules in an entirely different range of subjects, including Strategic Management, Economics and others. I feel that this has given me a broad overview of many different areas and allowed me to experience a wide variety of topics before I decide what I might like to pursue further or specialise in. I think this is a valuable opportunity that MSc Management offers, especially in comparison with many other courses which have a narrower, more specialised focus.

Another aspect of MSc Management that I have enjoyed is the opportunity to work in teams and undertake group assignments. For my undergraduate degree, I never worked as part of a team, so this has been a new experience for me. Working as part of a small group of students provides the opportunity to develop communication and teamworking skills, as well as the ability to compromise and co-operate. I think that these are valuable skills that will be beneficial in the future and help me to work with potential colleagues collaboratively and productively. It can also be fun to work as part of a group as it allows you to share your ideas and receive informal feedback and support from other students.

One final thing that I like about my course is the range of different assessment techniques. All of the modules are assessed in different ways, such as individual essays, presentations, group reports and exams. For one module, we even had to produce a video! This has given me the chance to experience new methods and techniques that I hadn’t previously experienced, as well as developing new skills and abilities. This also means that the workload is spread evenly across the year, which helps to relieve the pressure during exam seasons!

My favourite module – Accounting and Financial Management

By Jing Zhao, MSC Human Resource Management with CIPD Pathway

Starting my course, I already knew I would love the HR-related modules, such as ‘Managing People in Organisations’ and ‘Industrial Relations’, but what came as a shock to me was that one of my favourite modules in the first semester turned out to be ‘Accounting and Financial Management’.

While I was choosing where I would like to study for my Master’s degree, I did not just think about deepening my knowledge in my area of expertise but also broadening the horizon of my professional field, concerning marketing, consulting, information systems or finance-related topics. Thus, I was thrilled to find an accounting module within the Human Resource Management programme at Sheffield University Management School. You may wonder how accounting and financial management is relevant to HRM students. As a student with years of human resources experience, I have found that knowing how to read and interpret financial reports is a vital skill. It’s also beneficial to be able to grasp financial concepts, as this helps to provide an understanding of the company’s profitability and business model. If you’re hoping to eventually progress to HR Business Partner, or to be a professional external HR Consultant, all of this knowledge will be valuable.

So, why was this my favourite module? Firstly, the module leader, Barry Pierce, is committed to making sure that everything within his lectures is accessible for students with no prior knowledge of accounting or finance. The main accounting and financial management topics, such as business strategies, governance, and how to interpret accounting reports, are all covered in the module, and give you a really helpful basis on which you can build your learning. Both lectures and tutorials are used in order to impart information, and make sure that you know how to practically apply it to real-life situations. The module is assessed in two ways, with a group-based coursework and a final exam. Working on the group work was an inspiring experience. The report that we created was based on a real quoted company case in the UK, which was really interesting and gave us a lot to think about. As the module is made up of students from lots of different postgraduate Management School courses, carrying out group work gave me an amazing opportunity to get to know and make friends with students from outside of my course.

I am quite delighted to say that this module of Accounting and Financial Management completely exceeded my expectations, and was an enjoyable and informative module. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who has the option of taking this as an optional module!

My favourite Semester 1 module

nadiaHi all! I’m Nadia, a postgraduate student studying MSc International Management. I get asked a lot about what my course involves, especially from my friends in Malaysia, because it sounds really broad. Well, I am learning about management on a global scale, to gain a critical understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing both multinationals and SMEs in a rapidly evolving and dynamic global economy.

What first attracted me to the course were the modules listed on the university’s website prior to my application. I saw the words ‘Economics’, ‘Marketing’ and ‘Business Strategy’, and I was sold! My previous undergraduate studies in Analytical Economics mainly involved research and mathematical subjects, so I was thrilled to learn something different. I have always wanted to learn business skills and real-world solutions which I can apply later on within the workplace, from internationally-known experts in their respective fields. In my course, I am also exposed to case studies and lots of group work to develop intercultural collaboration with my course mates.

In my first semester of MSc International Management, my favourite module was Marketing. I fell in love with learning about core marketing concepts such as marketing mix, consumer behaviour, ethical issues and pricing strategies by companies. I particularly loved how the module organiser, Dr Nicki, approached the subject, as it was a very interactive module. At the end of the semester, there was a group film submission on ethical issues in marketing.

My group mates and I (who had never before had any experience in directing, filming, video-editing or script-writing) had the opportunity to write and produce a short film from scratch! We decided to create a film on behavioural advertising and privacy concerns. To put it simply, behavioural advertising is a practice carried out by companies to deliver adverts to web users which reflect their interests and preferences, based on their web-browsing behaviour information. We wanted to increase the public awareness on the latest EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which will be enforced across the EU from 25 May 2018 and will address some major privacy concerns online.

Before we began filming, the University of Sheffield CiCS Creative Medianadia-camera team was more than helpful in explaining the function of each piece of equipment before they loaned them to us. We turned our storyboard into reality by starting off our film with a fictional piece depicting the breach of online privacy, which was then followed by a quick talk show on behavioural advertising.

I wish I didn’t have to return any of the camera or lighting – I felt so attached to them! Although sometimes it did make me feel a little short…

nadia-awardsAnother great aspect was that the module team held an awards ceremony, giving out awards for various categories such as best on-screen talent, best sound effect and best film overall. Kudos to Nicki and Jesse, who made our learning experience a very rewarding one! Overall, they were impressed with the quality of the videos produced by the students. And my group did not go back empty-handed, of course! *clears throat*

Steve Jobs said “the only way to do great work is to love what you do”. I definitely think this has proved his point!