BA Honours Business Administration for Personal Assistants

Overview & facilities

This brand new degree is the only BA Honours available in the UK specifically aimed at busy personal assistants wanting to develop their career. 

This innovative degree has been designed exclusively for those already working as Personal or Executive Assistants.  Working with the Association of Personal Assistants (APA), which has accredited the programmes, the Business School has created a flexible programme of study which will fit within your busy schedule.

The course involves a combination of distance learning with work-based learning.  The distance learning components involve a blend of electronic learning and private study, whilst the work based learning components will involve you in learning from your professional work.  In this way you will economise on the amount of time that you devote to your learning, focus on learning that is directly applicable to your work, and be able also to give something back to your employer or principal.

The BA covers the full range of business disciplines, but does so in a manner that enables participants to apply these to their developing roles as PAs or ExecAs.  On completion of the course you will be able to lend valuable support to your line manager or principal in virtue of skills such as financial analysis, project management and market development.

If you wish to make an enquiry about this course please contact:

Olivia Cooper
External Programmes Co-ordinator, Middlesex University Business School
PA@mdx.ac.uk
Tel: 020 8411 4668

You can download the course brochure here.

Content & modules

This course has been designed to run in a flexible format. Teaching is sequential and material builds as you progress through the course. Depending on your academic background you may have joined the course in year 1 or at an advanced level (year 2 or 3).

Year 1
Module 1: MGT1200 Business Environment 
Module 2: STX1126 Business Statistics 
Module 3: MKT1115 Marketing 

Year 2
Module 4: ECS1130 Economics & Financial Aspects of Business   
Module 5: Work based learning Designated module * 
Module 6: HRM2010 Human Resource Management

Year 3
Module 7: ACC2010 Financial Performance Analysis for PAs
Module 8: WBS2832 Work Based Learning Project 
Module 9: Designated  option module** 

Year 4
Module 10: MGT3500 Process Management 
Module 11: MGT3124 Management of Projects
Module 12: WBS3832 Work Based Learning Project   
 
*Note - For students who enter the course in the second year they must take WBS2803 Recognition and Accreditation and WBS2812 Course Planning together as their first 30 credit block. All other students must take WBS2831 Work based learning project.
** Note - For students who enter the programme in the third year they must take WBL3002 Learning Review and Development. All other students must take one of WBS3831 Work based learning project or MGT3196 Business Simulation.

Work based Learning

The work based learning studies (WBS) modules within your programme provide you with an opportunity to gain academic credit for learning chiefly gained from your work. This offers you an important role in the management of your own learning as it develops certain abilities which make you a more effective work based learner, and hence a more insightful individual. You will be responsible for the work based focus of your study in partnership with the programme team.

There are core work based learning project modules within your programme. You will be given detailed guidelines on the structure and content of projects, and how to present the projects. Assessment criteria and detailed information on what assessors are looking for will also be provided. Please refer to module handbooks for further details.

Entry & applying

This course is unique in the UK, not only in focussing on the role of the PA but also in terms of its combination of distance learning with learning that arises within your professional work.  Individuals wishing to make an enquiry are advised to contact:

Olivia Cooper
External Programmes Co-ordinator, Middlesex University Business School
PA@mdx.ac.uk
Tel: 020 8411 4668

Entry requirements

You will need to have sufficient work based experience and the opportunity to undertake work based projects as well as meeting the following criteria:

Individuals may enter at any one of three points depending on their experience and prior learning.  Applicants wishing to enter at Level 1 should have A level or equivalent qualifications plus two or more years experience working in a PA role.

For entry with advanced standing to year 2 (or final year), candidates must have achieved both 120 credits at level one (or 240 credits including 100 at level two) and must have successfully met the relevant learning outcome and syllabus requirements of the programme. Some candidates may be eligible for entry at Level 2 on presentation of a portfolio of work, the APA Diploma with considerable experience in the role (5 years plus). It may be possible to enter at Level 3 if you have significant and senior expertise in the role of PA or an existing Degree in a related or relevant subject.

English language requirements

You must have competence in English language and we normally require Grade C GCSE or an equivalent qualification. The most common English Language requirements for international students are IELTS 6.0 (with minimum 5.5 in all four components) or TOEFL internet based 72 (with at least 17 in listening & writing, 20 in speaking and 18 in reading).

Middlesex also offers an Intensive Academic English course (Pre-Sessional) that ranges from 5-17 weeks depending on your level of English. Successful completion of this course would meet English language entry requirements. For more information on applying for the pre-sessional please email english@mdx.ac.uk.

Applying

Applications can be made by completing an on-line Application form form and forwarding to Olivia Cooper (PA@mdx.ac.uk). If you are seeking advance entry to year 2 or year 3 please refer to the 'Advanced Entry Form' before completing the application form.

Fees & funding

BA Business Administration for PAs

2011/2012

UK/EU fees: £29 per credit or £870 per 30-credit module

International fees: £88 per credit or £2,640 per 30-credit module

2012/2013

UK/EU fees: £75 per credit or £2,250 per 30-credit module

International fees: £88 per credit or £2,640 per 30-credit module