You understand that the world is increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous.
You have at least three years of professional or managerial experience where you have held a position of responsibility and can share your experience with others.
You are aiming high and are prepared for a challenge – that’s why you’re reading this.
The Director’s MBA – work with, for, and on boards
Born of Westminster Business School’s 30 years’ experience of delivering MBA programmes, the new Westminster MBA is designed to support your aspirations.
It prepares you to work with, for and on boards, as a professional and versatile director.
It prepares you to lead, to innovate, and collaborate.
You will experience:
- being a strategist, steward and a change agent
- advocating for people, ideas and technologies
- being an entrepreneur and a mentor.
By the time you graduate, you will understand your board-level strengths and know how and where you wish to apply them.
Course content:
The Westminster MBA builds on your existing professional experience, skills and capabilities using self-directed and experiential learning. The programme incorporates action learning, and runs within our Directors’ Community: a physical board room and a virtual space where you interact with faculty, peers, real organisations and MBA alumni.
You will design your own learning journey using the learning and teaching formats offered by the MBA team in a way that best suits your learning style, your strengths, and your career needs.
You will experience four different roles on four shadow boards, working with different kinds of host organisation.
When you graduate you will be able to provide tangible evidence of your ability to perform as a professional board member.
Modules:
The following modules are indicative of what you will study on this course.
The programme is divided into three components
- Preparing for the Board: starter knowledge, skills and competencies
- Route to the Board: a transformational pillar of support throughout the MBA which includes comprehensive action learning and reflexive research
- Experiencing the Board: work with four different host organisations – international, corporate, entrepreneurial and not-for-profit – in four different roles.
The three elements of the Westminster MBA are designed to help you gain the skills, knowledge and competencies to
- understand the scope of business and organisational problems
- reflect on and develop your own journey as leader and potential board member
- experience real organisational contexts and demonstrate you have what it takes to perform well.
Learning methods will include
- seminars, practical sessions/workshops, masterclasses and lectures
- online resource-based learning journeys
- working with academic subject expert tutors and your supervisor
- regular contact with your university-based tutors/supervisor
- action learning sets and client meetings
- use of diagnostic tools
- short courses, conferences, other training and learning events relevant to your needs and negotiated as part of our programme
- self-managed inquiry research and journaling.
These methods and processes will be introduced and explained during Preparing for the Board.
Preparing for the Board
This element comprises two modules:
- Board Roles and Decision-Making (20 credits)
- Board Level Research and Consultancy (20 credits)
Designed to ensure participants gain an overall appreciation of the holistic nature of organisations, Preparing for the Board provides the core skills and foundation-level knowledge that enable you to handle every business challenge you face. Two modules make up this space, Board Roles and Decision Making and Board Level Research and Consultancy.
This element of the Westminster MBA will require you to identify and apply key areas of relevant theory as these emerge in response to the demands of the contexts, challenges and people you encounter throughout your MBA journey.
You will build on this foundation, developing a comprehensive and detailed knowledge base as you experience working as a member of a Shadow Advisory Board in each new board context. The Preparing for the Board modules provide the intial theories and concepts to get you started on your journey.
These modules are designed to ensure you understand, and can contribute to the bigger organisational picture. You will also become competent in using project management tools, research and analytical techniques, so you can apply valuable consultancy skills.
Route to the Board
This element comprises three modules:
- Board Mindset (30 credits)
- Space for Risk (0 credits)
- Action Learning for Professional Life (30 credits)
With on-going support from a mentor, these three strands of the Westminster MBA give you the space and time to evolve an action learning plan that helps you develop as a leader throughout the MBA and beyond.
Board Mindset
During this module you will plan for your personal action research, exploring how you can develop as a professional board member and grow your leadership capabilities.
Space for Risk
This module encourages you to extend your boundaries by taking on, for example
- a specialist learning experience
- study with an international partner, or
- work with a professional body
It is designed to free you up to leave your comfort zone, try something different, and risk failure. That’s why it carries no credits.
Action Learning for Professional Life
During this module you will learn and apply the theories, tools and techniques of action learning. At its conclusion, you will deliver a reflective piece that traces your action learning journey throughout the programme and includes analysis of your performance during the four Board Experiences.
Experiencing the Board
This element comprises four modules:
- Corporate Board Experience (20 credits)
- Entrepreneurial Board Experience (20 credits)
- International Board Experience (20 credits)
- Not for Profit Board Experience (20 credits)
Experiencing the Board is the heart of the Westminster MBA. It ensures that when you graduate you can demonstrate your board-level capabilities to employers, clients and/or potential investors.
During your MBA you will work on four complex strategic issues and shadow advisory boards in four different
- host organisations
- contexts – international, corporate, entrepreneurial and not-for-profit
- director-level roles – CEO/Managing Director, Human Resources / Organisational Development Director, Finance and Resources Director, Marketing and Operations Director.
You will take on a different role with each shadow advisory board.
Experiencing the Board is designed so you occupy a variety of perspectives, enabling you to gain insight into the contexts and roles you prefer, and the circumstances in which you perform at your best.
