BU5044: PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE JOURNAL (2023-2024)

This course is only for MSc International Business Management (IBM) graduates from the University of Aberdeen.

The aim of the Professional Practice Journal is to provide an opportunity for these MSc graduates to reflect on the skills, knowledge and understanding obtained in both their MSc IBM courses and their additional MBA courses in light of their own workplace experiences.

On completion of the Professional Practice Journal should be able to:

[1] Locate theories in terms of their development and position in a defined body of knowledge

[2] Relate business theories to practice (the workplace)

[3] Analyse and Evaluate workplace practice through the lens of theory

[4] Use theory and reflection to recommend organisation action and personal development

As a guide for reflection students are required to:

1. Identify and locate key subject theories, models and frameworks etc. that relate to areas (courses) that they have studied and be able to summarise key elements and put them into context in terms of their place relative to other theories, models and frameworks and their historical development
2. Critically appraise the theories, models and frameworks etc. in terms of available evidence

3.  Critically appraise and reflect on the theories, models, frameworks etc. in terms of how they can either explain current practice in an organisation the student has recent experience of, and/or alternatively be used to inform practice in the organisation the student has recent experience in.

4.  

   Critically appraise and reflect on the theories, models, frameworks etc. in terms of how they can either explain current practice in an organisation the student has recent experience of, and/or alternatively be used to inform practice in the organisation the student has recent experience in. 

   Students can start their Professional Practice Journal in any semester after they have completed 2 of the additional MBA courses.

    

   The Professional Practice Journal runs over a full semester, with students allocated an academic’ supervisor at the start of the process. The role of the supervisor is to serve as a ‘foil’ for conversations regarding selection of theories, models and frameworks as well as to provide formative feedback on two draft Journal entries. Supervisor support takes the following format: MS Teams, Skype or Collaborate. The outcome of all meetings should be a summary of key points, including action points, compiled by the student and emailed to the supervisor for record.

    

   A typical Professional Practice Journal requires 6 substantive entries, each of circa 1500 words. As a preface to these journal entries students are required to complete a 1000 word review on reflective practice; What is it? How it can be done? What can the benefits of reflective practice be for an individual and an organisation?

    

   To achieve the 45 credits for the Professional Practice Journal students must achieve a D3 (9). In the event that a student fails to achieve CAS 9 (D3) or above they will be given one further opportunity to improve their journal, and will submit this at the end of the following semester. If they fail this further opportunity they will be deemed not eligible to be awards the degree of MBA as they will have failed to evidence that they have been able to translate their learning into a professional context.

   2. Critically appraise the theories, models and frameworks etc. in terms of available evidence

    

   3. Critically appraise and reflect on the theories, models, frameworks etc. in terms of how they can either explain current practice in an organisation the student has recent experience of, and/or alternatively be used to inform practice in the organisation the student has recent experience in.

    

   4. Review and reflect on their current own knowledge, skills, and competencies to develop a personal development plan. Here students are required reflect on their own knowledge, understanding, skills and competencies in terms of where these are now, and where these need to be developed, to enable them to get to their desired position over the short and medium term. In thinking about the now and the future students should relate their discussion to job roles (and look to provide evidence to support claims). The utilisation of a SMART framework is recommended.

    

   Students can start their Professional Practice Journal in any semester after they have completed 2 of the additional MBA courses.

    

   The Professional Practice Journal runs over a full semester, with students allocated an academic’ supervisor at the start of the process. The role of the supervisor is to serve as a ‘foil’ for conversations regarding selection of theories, models and frameworks as well as to provide formative feedback on two draft Journal entries. Supervisor support takes the following format: MS Teams, Skype or Collaborate. The outcome of all meetings should be a summary of key points, including action points, compiled by the student and emailed to the supervisor for record.

    

   A typical Professional Practice Journal requires 6 substantive entries, each of circa 1500 words. As a preface to these journal entries students are required to complete a 1000 word review on reflective practice; What is it? How it can be done? What can the benefits of reflective practice be for an individual and an organisation?

    

   To achieve the 45 credits for the Professional Practice Journal students must achieve a D3 (9). In the event that a student fails to achieve CAS 9 (D3) or above they will be given one further opportunity to improve their journal, and will submit this at the end of the following semester. If they fail this further opportunity they will be deemed not eligible to be awards the degree of MBA as they will have failed to evidence that they have been able to translate their learning into a professional context. 

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

More Information about Week Numbers

There are no assessments for this course.