Our Graduates
Why did you choose to study this course?
After having successfully completed the Senior Management Development Programme (SMDP) at the University of Stellenbosch Business School in South Africa, I obtained credits towards enrolling for a BA Honours degree in Business Management from the University of Lincoln in the United Kingdom. My successful completion of the SMDP programme allowed me to be recognised for 240 credits towards my BA Honours degree in Business Management and I therefore decided to register with the University of Lincoln for the outstanding 120 credits.
Why did you choose to study with the University of Lincoln? Are you pleased you made that decision?
I consider myself to be an effective independent learner that is self-motivated, able to manage my time and personal learning process effectively according to my personal development plan. The Work Based Distance Learning approach (WBDL) used by the University of Lincoln perfectly supports my part-time learning style approach. Together with the flexibility and online / virtual infrastructure (Blackboard) that the University provides for communicating, the WBDL approach towards learning makes for a perfect recipe for a full-time employed individual like me to develop myself further and still be able to perform my daily functions as a full-time employee. When things become pressurised at work I am able to take a study break / holiday when it suits my circumstances. This type of flexibility alone is worth its weight in gold.
What are you enjoying/did you enjoy most about your chosen course?
I enjoyed the fact that all the units in the WBDL programme made provision for real time application of theory in my work environment. As I was progressing through each unit, immediate direct benefits were derived for me and my organization. I cannot even begin to start describing how much satisfaction such an experience provides. This approach is tremendously stimulating especially when it comes to solving real-time issues in the workplace.
What are/were the positive aspects of your course on you and your career?
The most positive aspects relate to the direct and immediate application of lessons learned in my place of work from the various modules that made up the course. As a result of this course I am now much better empowered and positioned to be able to assist my organisation to manage our ever changing environment more effectively.
Have any of the modules you have undertaken had particular impact on your role or your employer? If so, how?
All the modules impacted me and my employer positively. The one aspect that requires highlighting is my learning regarding the study of reflection. Before my study of reflection, I was using the term relatively loose to describe how I perceive/experience a situation. After my learning of what reflection really is, I was able to engage my environment in a much more structured manner with the help of reflection logs and be able to reflect and learn from any situation no matter how intense. The change management module impacted my employer positively. I was able to contribute in collaboration with our Organizational Development partner in HR towards developing a change management framework which my employer used to manage the change effectively in one of our biggest ever IT projects, called TITAN.
What advice would you give to someone else looking at this course?
Taking into account the flexibility and the high quality structured modular content, I would advise anyone, especially full- time working individuals, to seriously consider including a course like this in their personal development plan. There are similar courses available but when it comes to quality, integrity and international recognition, it is extremely challenging to find a better match. Potential international students can now obtain a credible internationally recognized business degree qualification that won’t cost them an arm and a leg. Now that is truly exciting!
Do you have any further comments about the course or the University?
Tutor contact is very professional and timeous. Tutors engage and respond timeously ensuring that students are always making progress. The monitoring efforts of the progress panel are very effective. The online platform referred to as the Blackboard is a very effective medium for the distance learning students, it provides as sense of being on virtual campus.
For further details please contact wbdladmin@lincoln.ac.uk