BSc/BA Professional Practice (Maritime)

At a glance UCAS code:

Mode of study:
Distance learning
Starts:
February 2012 and October 2012
Programme Leader:
Abdulai Abukari
Admissions:
Maritime Society

Overview & facilities

This course has been developed in partnership with the Marine Society

The BSc/BA Professional Practice is a flexible undergraduate course designed for seafarers and shore based maritime professionals who are looking to top up their HND or foundation degree to an honours degree. It has been developed especially to allow you to integrate your existing qualification and professional experience with academic learning while you work.

Using Middlesex’s innovative work based approach to learning you can design your own course to fit around your current role, at sea or shore-based, without having to come to campus. Unlike many other distance learning courses, internet connection is not required as all materials can be supplied on a CD, and contact with tutors can be by phone as well as email. 

The Marine Society handles all of the administration on your behalf, leaving you free to complete your studies.  Additionally, the Marine Society provides financial support for UK domiciled participants.

Benefits:

  • Use your existing qualifications towards a degree
  • Reduced additional study time as your course dovetails with your current responsibilities
  • Possible to complete in 8 months
  • No internet access required

Award title

 The title of your qualification, BSc or BA in Professional Practice,  or  Work Based Learning Studies,  will  largely be determined by your choice of professional focus. This process, which includes negotiation with your academic advisor,  will form part of your  Professional Development module.   For example,  BSc Work Based Learning Studies (Offshore Health and Safety Training and Management)

Location & map

The Marine Society 
The Marine Society is the first point of contact for this course.  All initial enquiries about the course should go directly to the Marine Society.

The Marine Society
 202 Lambeth Road, London  SE1 7JW
The nearest tube stations are Waterloo and Lambeth North
Email enquiries: Marine Society education 
General telephone enquiries:020 7654 7050

The Middlesex University Institute for Work Based Learning
The course  leader and academic staff that deliver this course are based at the Middlesex University Institute for Work Based Learning  at our flagship Hendon campus. Although the academic team always welcome a visit from prospective participants or students, there is no need to do so as this is a distance learning course.

Address and contact details 
Middlesex University Institute for Work Based Learning, 
The Burroughs, Hendon
London NW4 4BT UK
The nearest tube station is Hendon Central.
Phone enquiries +44 (0) 20 8411 5050
Email enquiries: work based learning enquiries

 

 

 

Content & modules

Recognition of prior experience and qualifications

Work based learning coursers are based on the principle that all learning which can be judged to be at higher education level can be quantified in terms of academic credit.  A bachelors degree requires 360 credits.

Middlesex University recognises the rigor of traditional maritime professional qualifications, as well as the skills and knowledge you will have built up on the job. Therefore your HND or foundation degree, and the tasks and responsibilities of your current role, will be assessed and acknowledged through the award of academic credits which will contribute to your final qualification. Your HND or Foundation degree will be assessed at 240 credit towards the full 360 credits needed to gain your bachelors degree.

Course content

The course is delivered through the following modules (assuming that you already have 240 credits):

Professional Development - 15 credits

Professional Development modules are designed to both introduce and develop the knowledge and skills required to engage in the work-based learning process. You will put together a professional development plan and learning agreement. This will define the focus of your studies including your proposed work based projects. It will be agreed in negotiation with your academic advisor.

Practitioner Inquiry – 30 credits

This module enables you to learn about, and experiment with, methods of inquiry to inform your own 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 inquiry for your work based projects.

This could include:

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

Negotiated Work Based Learning Projects – 80 credits

This module is designed to improve or inform areas of your own or others’ work or practice. For example, managing personnel, health and safety or safe cargo storage. The work undertaken can take a variety of forms relevant to your work.

Entry & applying

To join this top-up course you should normally have a foundation degree or higher national diploma or equivalent in a related subject, and be working in the maritime sector.  If you have been working in the maritime sector for five or more years but don’t hold a foundation degree/HND it may be possible to join the course by taking an additional Review of Learning module.

To discuss an aspect of the course or to make an application, please contact the Marine Society

Email: the Marine Society education

Phone: +44 (0) 20 7654 7050

 

Fees & funding

January 2012

These fees are based on candiates already having 240 credits.

UK/EU

Fees with a Marine Society scholarship - £2980

Fees without a Marine Society scholarship - £3480

International

Marine Society scholarship not available- £5980

Fees for September 2012 will be published shortly

Careers & placements

The course is designed to  build on  your existing qualifications, skills and knowledge.  It has been designed to further your career within the maritime industry whether this is in a seafaring or shore based role.  Alternatively, the  bachelors qualification makes this a practical way of quantifying your employability in order to  move into a different industry at graduate level.

Open days

As a distance learning course, BSc/BA  Professional Practice Maritime course does not currently take part in University Open Days.  However, prospective students are very welcome to contact the Institute for Work Based Learning directly to arrange either a  fact finding phone call with the course leader, or a private visit. We are planning a series of webcast which will be advertised shortly.

Contact details

Email:Marine Society education
Phone: +44 (0) 02 7654 7050

Case studies

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 maritime courses through the Marine 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, 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 providing a real sense of “achievement.”

 

Daniel Wood, First Officer, Ruby Princess, Princess Cruises
BA Professional Practice (Marine Navigation –Voyage Planning)

South African Sub-Lieutenant Daniel Wood had always planned to take a nautical degree after secondary school but circumstances meant that his path took a different turn. After 7 years in the South African Navy, he and his family immigrated to the UK where he embarked on a career with P&O Cruises, achieving his Master’s Certificate and HND in Nautical Science.  After moving to Princess Cruises in 2008 he decided to top up his professional qualifications to a full bachelor degree with the Middlesex University Institute for Work Based Learning.

"I had always wanted the reward, experience and prestige of obtaining a university degree,” said Daniel, “so I was very interested to find out about the Middlesex University/Marine Society professional practice course.” Having made initial enquiries, Daniel found that the Marine Society not only provides seafarers with guidance and moral support but they also offer a range of financial benefits including interest free loans and scholarships. These benefits are available to all UK domiciled officers embarking on qualifications that will help prepare for a broader career in the maritime sector. The scholarship meant that Daniel could undertake his degree without impinging on his family commitments.

Daniel found the experience of undertaking the course, particularly the research, extremely rewarding.  “My whole perspective has changed. The way I learn, conduct my work, manage relationships and set goals has been extensively improved”.

“There are a number of specific challenges facing seafarers, inter alia, internet bandwidth and  finding the time to study when you are at sea doing 12 hour shifts,” however Daniel found that the support of the Marine Society made a real difference.  “Their staff provided invaluable advice and assistance every step of the way. Nothing was ever too much trouble.”

“I highly recommend the Middlesex maritime courses to any seafarer who is looking to upgrade their HND to a degree.”

Work based learning

Work based learning is a practical way of studying which integrates university level learning with your job. You  will  tailor your own course, in partnership with your employer and  your tutor, so that it dovetails with the deliverables of your current role, whilst supporting your career aspirations. This makes work based learning  an effective way of developing your professional skills at the same time as gaining a qualification. 

Work based learning qualifications at Middlesex University are fully quality assured by University validation, monitoring and external examiner procedures.  Middlesex University was awarded a Queen’s Prize in 1996 for the excellence of its work based learning courses.  The 2010 Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) audit found them to be innovative and rigorous.

Bookmark and Share