MA/MSc/PG Cert Professional Practice or Work Based Learning Studies

At a glance Prog. code:

Mode of study:
Distance/blended learning
Course length:
Flexible
Start dates:
February 2012 and October 2012
Course leader:
Dr. Abdulai Aburkari
Admissions:
Gifty Ohemeng

Overview & facilities

Professional Practice and Work Based Learning Studies courses are especially designed for those that want to develop their expertise within their current profession. Your existing work will become the subject of your studies to enable you to work more effectively as a professional practitioner in your field. If you are self-employed or work in an organisation, paid or unpaid and in any employment sector, these work-based courses enable you to gain qualifications through your work.

Making use of Middlesex’s innovative work-based approach to learning your course of study will enable you to enhance your effectiveness in your current work role whilst simultaneously working towards your qualification.  Middlesex work based learning courses are used by leading employers in the UK and internationally as they combine individual development with organisational and professional learning. Our courses in professional practice enable you to build upon existing higher education level study and professional qualifications to further your development and make an impact in your professional area. Our courses in Work Based Learning Studies take as the starting point your learning from experience and can be used to provide highly original and customised qualifications. The level of customisation is even reflected in the title of the qualification, e.g. MA Work Based Learning Studies (Leadership and Knowledge Management).

Our expertise is in supporting you to make the most of your potential in a rapidly changing and highly competitive knowledge driven economy. Professionals across a wide span of areas such as administration, construction, education, financial services, health, maritime, policing, retail, transport have already successfully used Middlesex work based learning. Take charge of your learning and career development by making Middlesex Work Based Learning work for you!
Depending upon your previous experience and learning, your course of study can be constructed to lead to MA/MSc Postgraduate Diploma or Certificate qualifications.

Professional Practice and Work Based Learning Studies courses are primarily supported through our on-line virtual learning environment, which means that you can gain your Masters degree or other qualification without having to find significant additional time to attend the University in person. However, there will be on-campus group based induction and workshop sessions available for all students to support your studies. In addition, on-line induction and workshop sessions will be held for those who cannot attend in person.


Benefits:

  • Enhance potential for career progression
  • Develop transferable work-based analytical and research skills
  • Develop expertise within your chosen field
  • Gain academic recognition for existing skills
  • Improve professional effectiveness 
  • Use your existing work as the subject of your study
  • Flexible study that builds on your current work and/or professional practice

Location & map

This course is based at our Hendon campus in north-west London.

Address: Middlesex University, Hendon campus, The Burroughs, London NW4 4BT UK

To find out how to get to the campus see Travel Directions to Hendon campus. The nearest tube station is Hendon Central on the Northern line.

Content & modules

The course is designed to meet your professional development needs and those of your organisation. Professional Practice and Work Based Learning Studies courses can include four kinds of modules: Review of Learning; Professional Practice; Practitioner Inquiry; Negotiated Work Based Learning Projects. Typically MA/MSc courses are constructed to include a combination of these modules.

Review of Learning
Review of Learning is a distinctive feature of Work Based Learning and supports a dynamic process of identifying, analysing and reflecting on your learning to date to develop and present a portfolio that demonstrates your prior learning. This portfolio can be assessed for academic credit that can then be recognised as part of your study course, consequently reducing the overall length of time and number of modules you are required to complete. In addition, this process will enable you to recognise and evaluate your existing work-based knowledge and skills as a platform for further professional development.

Professional Development
Professional Development modules are designed to both introduce and develop the knowledge and skills required to engage in the negotiated work-based learning process. They are also designed to enable you to develop a professional development plan and course agreement. This will define the focus of your studies including your proposed work-based projects and will be agreed in negotiation with your Academic Adviser and your employer (or other relevant party). These modules will also inform your plans for post course professional development and career enhancement.

Practitioner Inquiry
These modules are designed to enable you to learn about, and experiment with, methods of inquiry to inform your own work or professional practice. Module activities will enable you to gain inquiry-related skills including critical analysis, evaluation and appraisal. These skills help you to select, develop and apply appropriate methods of work-based inquiry to your work-based projects. This could include:

  • Analysis of the context in which a project is being undertaken including your role and position as worker/researcher and the ethical implications that arise from this
  • Devising and applying real-time work-based activity development processes  Critical appraisal of research/professional literature, organizational or national policy, professional standards or directives
  • Appropriate inquiry methodologies and approaches to data in relation to the specific contexts of your work/practice
  • Engagement with professional practice networks to inform the development and application of inquiry methods
  • Negotiated Work Based Learning Projects

Negotiated Work Based Learning Project modules are designed to address real-life work or professional practice issues and are designed to improve or inform areas of your own or others’ work or practice. The work undertaken can take a variety of forms relevant to your work and is negotiated with your Academic Adviser and your employer (or other relevant party) in order to be beneficial to you and to the organisation(s) you work with. Projects may also generate creative solutions to work-based issues or problems and so provide the opportunity to create new ways of thinking about particular areas of work or professional practice. All MA/MSc courses must contain a major (60 credit) Negotiated Work Based Learning Project module.

Entry & applying

Applicants will need to be engaged in (paid or unpaid) work and/or professional practice prior to and during their proposed course of study. This is because your work/professional practice will become the subject of your studies. Typically, applicants will have a bachelors degree or similar, however experienced practitioners without formal qualifications may be considered.

Step one – Book a personal consultation

The first step is to discuss your options with a member of the Institute for Work Based Learning advice team. They may then book a personal consultation with an academic advisor  who will give you the opportunity to explore the course's benefits in the context of your career history and aspirations. The Academic Adviser will be able to explain the course in detail and help you form a realistic picture of your likely workload. The academic adviser will also discuss with you the different titles: “Professional Practice” is appropriate where you already have formal educational or professional qualifications in the area, and “Work Based Learning Studies” is more appropriate if your prior learning is in the form of experience.   If you have undertaken previous certificated learning, we can advise you as to whether any academic credits could be recognised in your course from prior learning at work as well as other existing professional achievements. This will result in a course estimate, which will give you a rough guide as to the likely level of commitment required in both study time and fees.

Step two – Submit an application

Once you have received your course estimate, you will need to submit your application form, CV, a personal statement, and a copy of your drivers licence or passport. Unless the information on your application form and personal statement varies substantially from that provided during the personal consultation, we will send you a formal offer of a place within five working days.

 
Step three – Accept our offer of a place

We will send you a formal offer of a place and an acceptance form which you will need to complete and return within 14 working days.

Enquiries information
For further information please contact the Enquiries Manager.

The Institute for Work Based Leaning 
Middlesex University
College House
The Burroughs
London NW4 4BT

Phone: +44 (0)  208 411 5050
Email: Enquiries

Fees & funding

UK/EU
£50 per taught credit 

There is an assessment of portfolio fee of £610 for those entering at the course at Review of Learning stage.

 

 

Careers & placements

Professional Practice and Work Based Learning Studies courses at Middlesex are specifically designed to enhance your effectiveness as a practicing professional at work in your chosen field. You will have the opportunity to gain a qualification that is directly relevant to your field of work and the work-based projects you complete will also make a significant contribution to the achievement of your organisation’s work objectives. Combined, these benefits provide a powerful stimulus to career development and enhancement in your professional area.

Open days

University Open Evenings

Open evenings are a great opportunity to learn more about your chosen subject, meet academic and admissions staff, find out more about Middlesex and what life is like on campus. Open evenings for this course are held at our Hendon campus in London, for information on how to get here see our locations page.

Book Your Place Now

Book your open evening place now – make sure you select postgraduate, Hendon campus open days. The dates for open evenings are included in the booking form.

See the course for the day and find out more about open evenings at Hendon. 

If you can't make our open day, there are more opportunities available for you to come and visit us. Campus tours are available throughout the year if you would like to have a look around. Led by Student Ambassadors, they take place most Wednesday afternoons at 1pm. You will get a feel of the campus atmosphere, plus the opportunity to ask any questions about being a student at Middlesex University. Click here to book your campus tour.

Case Studies

Roger Coutain
Manager - Security & Crisis Management
BP Trinidad and Tobago LLC

When BP Security and Crisis Manager, Roger Coutain, was looking for an opportunity to upgrade his qualifications, he was drawn back to Middlesex, despite being based in the Caribbean. ‘My initial Middlesex Risk Management qualifications have been an enormous asset,  so I wanted a course that carried the same level of credibility, while allowing me to continue developing my specialism, and work at my own pace,’ said Roger. ‘The distance was not a problem, I developed a good working relationship with my academic advisors and the virtual learning environment provided everything I needed. ‘

One of the benefits of the work-based professional practice course, over a traditional postgraduate qualification, is that it gave Roger the opportunity to enhance his profile within BP.  Together with his CEO, Roger was able to plan and work on his corporate security projects to the benefit of BP, while gaining academic credits towards his degree.

Building on his existing postgraduate academic credits, Roger chose to commit 20 hours per week and complete his course in just 9 months.  Enjoying the challenge of his new management responsibilities, Roger plans to remain at BP for the foreseeable future. He is confident that he will continue to have a great deal to contribute to their regional success. 

John McLoughlin
Health and Safety Consultant
BSc Work Based Learning Studies (Offshore Health and Safety Training and Management)

After leaving school in the mid-seventies, John McLouglin gained his seafarers qualifications and spent a decade working on deep sea cargo ships before containerisation revolutionised the industry. Moving into off shore oil and gas, John completed his Officer of the Watch Certificate.  Undertaking the course led him to discover how much he enjoyed the personal challenge of study, as well as the career progression opportunities. Coming across the Middlesex University BSc Work Based Learning Studies through the Maritime Society, John found that work based learning offered both the flexibility and career focus that he required.

The bespoke nature of the course meant that John was able to design his work-based learning project around his area of professional interest, Health and safety training off shore, its relevance and value for money.   It has been instrumental in John being able to set up as an independent Health and Safety consultant. ‘As well as marine and offshore oil and gas, I now also work with renewable energy companies.  I have the professional freedom to choose the work that interests me, and balance it with my family life,’ he said.

Although the distance learning aspect of the course could be tough at times, especially having to rely on internet connections off shore, John enjoyed the experience. Learning about   research methods and self management were instrumental in helping him tackle his wide ranging research project. ‘Having good contact with my academic advisor made my learning experience a very rewarding one. I managed to go from struggling to understanding  what was required of me to gaining a first class BSc with honours in twenty months from start to finish.’

The rewards for John have been both professional and personal.  On a practical level the professional benefits in terms of the opportunities open to him have been substantial. On a personal level John sums up the work based learning experience as ‘rewarding, enriching, empowering’ and providing a real sense of ‘achievement.’

 

 

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