UCOL is bringing its Bachelor of Applied Management degree to the Whanganui Campus from 2019, opening up exciting opportunities for students and local businesses.
The Bachelor of Applied Management, which has been taught at UCOL’s Palmerston North campus since 2015, joins the New Zealand Diploma in Business and the New Zealand Certificate in Business (Level 3 or 4 in either Small Business or Administration and Technology) in the suite of Business programmes taught at the Whanganui Campus.
Students studying the degree in Whanganui will be able to major in Accounting, Operations and Production Management, or Project Management. There is also the option to double major in the latter two areas.
Students who have already completed the New Zealand Diploma in Business (Level 5) will be able to go straight into the second year of the Bachelor of Applied Management.
UCOL Executive Dean of Humanities and Business Dean Rankin says UCOL is proud to bring the Bachelor of Applied Management to Whanganui.
“There has always been a demand for a degree like this in Whanganui. Students and the community have been reaching out to us, so it’s great to be able to meet that demand.”
“The Bachelor of Applied Management should appeal to anyone with an interest in business and who wants to work towards a leadership or management position. It’s very accessible, with a mixture of in-class and blended/online learning.”
Mr Rankin says a great strength of the degree is that students get to hone their skills through industry projects and internships, especially in the final year of the degree.
“Third year students complete a major industry project or internship as part of their studies, which allows them to put theory into practice in a real business setting. First and second year students also have opportunities to work on smaller projects with businesses.”
In Palmerston North, student internships have in a number of cases led to employment. Recent graduates have completed internships and gained jobs with organisations such as
FMG,
MASH Trust, and
KSG Corporation.
Throughout next year, UCOL will be looking to strengthen its connections with Whanganui businesses to create project and internship opportunities for Year 3 students in 2020.
Whanganui Chamber of Commerce President Glenda Brown says she is delighted to see the degree taught in Whanganui.
“Not only will the region benefit from students moving to the city to study, but it also exposes UCOL to a wider group of people who are seeking training opportunities to consider Whanganui. Offering this degree will result in qualified graduates being available for employment in our region. It also gives Whanganui the opportunity to showcase our region for business excellence.”
People who have management skills and work experience, but not a related qualification, can make an application to
UCOL’s Assessment of Prior Learning service to test if their skills can be formally recognised and credited towards the Bachelor of Applied Management.