Master of Applied Management - SIT2LRN Distance Learning

Master of Applied Management students will undertake a coherent programme of 180 credits approved by the Programme Manager and will follow one of two pathways:

The first pathway 

This is designed for students who want to undertake more course work and consists of four compulsory components plus an approved selection of papers worth at least 90 credits from the list further below.

Compulsory Papers

MGT801 Management Practice (15 credits)

MGT802 Researching Management Issues and Trends (15 credits)

MGT803 Research Proposal (15 credits)

MGT901 Research Project (45 credits)  

+ electives worth 90 credits

The second pathway 

This is designed for students who want to undertake a more substantial research and consists of four compulsory components plus an approved selection of papers worth at least 45 credits from the list further below.

Compulsory Papers

MGT801 Management Practice (15 credits)

MGT802 Researching Management Issues and Trends (15 credits)

MGT803 Research Proposal (15 credits)

MGT902 Research Thesis (90 credits)  

+ electives worth 45 credits

MGT801 Management Practice (15 credits)

The student will critically examine key aspects of management practice: evaluate the roles of management, leadership and governance in small, medium and large organisations; assess the effectiveness of different change management strategies; analyse the skills required for successful negotiation and conflict resolution; and, critically examine the corporate social responsibility issues that managers may have to address.

MGT802 Researching Management Issues and Trends (15 credits)

The student will develop knowledge and skills in critiquing and undertaking research, assessing social impacts of business practices and analysing ethical issues in management practice: distinguish and critique research paradigms and types of research; compare and contrast research methodologies commonly used in management research; assess the trends and social impacts (past, present and future) of business and management practices; and, identify and evaluate ethical issues in management practice and develop strategies for minimising harm.

MGT803 Research Proposal (15 credits)

The student will develop expertise in preparing research proposals, including reviewing relevant literature, selecting a methodology and exploring ethical issues: critically review literature in an identified management research area and select a suitable research question or questions; choose suitable research methodologies for addressing specific research questions; identify, analyse and address ethical issues that may arise in management research; and, develop and refine comprehensive proposals for management research projects.

MGT810 Applied Project (30 credits)

This paper requires special approval

Applied Project Proposal form 

The student will undertake a practical management or marketing project: scope management or marketing projects in terms of feasibility of completion by a given deadline with the available resources; develop and evaluate formal specifications for management or marketing projects, including the objectives to be met; conduct critical reviews of the research and professional literature in order to identify the most suitable approach for undertaking a specific management or marketing project; develop detailed project plans, present them to interested parties for critique, and refine them in the light of feedback; and, complete practical projects and critically evaluate the results of completed projects, taking into account the views of interested parties.

This paper is for applicants who are already involved in a project at work and requires special approval. To apply for this paper, you are required to already be undertaking a “hands-on”, real-life, applied project in the organisation in which you are currently employed. When you apply for this paper you will need to submit an outline of the project and upload a 5-minute video presentation. The outline and presentation must include (but is not limited to) an explanation of why the project is of interest to you, the value it has for other stakeholders, the objectives of the project, how this project will give you scope to apply the skills you are developing through your course of study, activities involved in the project, the resources you have available, obstacles and risks and how you plan to address these. The project must be able to be completed within a 17-week timeframe that fits with the intake dates). 

MGT811 Business Analysis (15 credits)

The student will develop knowledge and skills in analysing the strategies, structures and functioning of organisations, in order to improve efficiency and productivity: compare, explain and evaluate the roles of business analysis and process analysis in business contexts; identify and analyse the tasks involved in business analysis; evaluate techniques and tools used in business and process analysis; and, present a business case and change management approach for implementing a new strategy, organisational change or a new product/service  in an organisation.

MGT812 Globalisation and International Management (15 credits)

The student will develop understanding of managing business in a global environment, will be able to identify and evaluate trends of globalisation and recommend a strategy for international business expansion: critically evaluate trends, business practices and strategies in globalisation and international management; conduct a rigorous analysis and comparison of international business management practices and strategies in different cultural environments; critically assess global business opportunities and formulate appropriate international business strategies for development of opportunities; critically evaluate local business strengths for global strategy development and advantage; and, critically analyse potential risks and problems in managing international business and recommend global risk management strategies and tactics.

MGT813 Project Management and Governance (15 credits)

This course aims to develop the knowledge, skills and competencies that will enable participants to explain the practice and application of project management in various contexts, identify and apply the principles of successful project management and governance, and examine the role of projects in achieving business strategy: characterise project environments, the role of projects in the achievement of business strategy, and critically examine the issues involved in project planning and control activities; assess and evaluate the key project objectives of cost, quality, and time-frames, and analyse the associated interactions and trade-offs between these objectives; illustrate the use of project management tools and techniques and critically appraise their use throughout the project life-cycle and within differing project contexts; and, critically appraise the skills, knowledge and competencies needed by project and portfolio managers, for creation of appropriate project structures, leadership of effective project teams, mitigation of project risk, project governance, management of governance and ethical frameworks, and cultural issues in order to meet stakeholder expectations.

MGT814 Strategic Management (15 credits)

The student will develop knowledge and skills in undertaking strategic analysis, formulating strategy appropriate to an organisation’s internal and external environment and measuring the impact of the implemented strategy: identify the main developments and approaches in the field of strategic management and apply appropriate approaches in practice; critically assess approaches to analysing the external environment of an organisation and apply appropriate approaches in practice; critically assess approaches to analysing an organisation’s resources and capabilities and apply appropriate approaches in practice; formulate strategic options and implementation plan; review approaches to measuring strategic organisation performance and formulate appropriate measures in practice.

MGT815 Strategic Marketing (15 credits)

The student will develop knowledge and skills in developing, organising, leading and monitoring marketing operations in an organisation for long term profitability, growth and sustainability: critically assess strategies and processes for the creation and further development of value, beneficial engagement and sustainable relationships with customers: conduct a critical analysis and review of the processes for the collection, processing, utilisation, and management of marketing intelligence to gain insights into customers and their buying behaviour; critically evaluate marketing strategies and processes for the identification, design, implementation, and monitoring of appropriate customer value-driven marketing mix programmes; analyse the key principles for creating and managing successful long-term profitable and sustainable competitive advantage; and, compare and critique key emerging patterns in modern day marketing strategies for developing new and growth markets, in particular digital and social media marketing.

MGT816 Special Topic (15 credits)

This paper requires special approval

MGT816 Special Topic Proposal Form

The student will critically examine current developments and emerging issues in a specified topic area. The special topic paper is used to explore current issues and make use of the particular expertise of individual staff members, including visitors. Each time a special topic course is offered, learning outcomes, content and context, teaching and learning approaches, assessments and key references will be approved by the programme committee.

MGT821 Business Communications (15 credits)

The student will develop knowledge and skills in professional business communication: critique a variety of communication models, identify barriers to effective communication and evaluate methods for overcoming the barriers; assess how environmental factors and individual characteristics influence communication; analyse the positive and negative impacts of information and communications technologies (ICT) on business communication and critically assess the effectiveness of selected ICT communication tools and application; and, critically analyse communication issues in management and devise strategies for resolving such issues in particular contexts.

MGT822 Business Entrepreneurship and Innovation (15 credits)

The student will develop knowledge and skills required to apply entrepreneurial attitudes, attributes and innovative practice to the development and strategic management of business enterprises: evaluate, contrast and compare successful entrepreneurial ecosystems; analyse the ways in which entrepreneurs perceive opportunity, manage risk and organise resources over the life-cycle of the business; critically examine the characteristics, key skills, behaviour patterns and processes associated with successful innovation and entrepreneurship; and, critique an innovative strategic management plan for a small to medium size enterprise.

MGT823 Business Finance (15 credits)

The students will develop financial knowledge and skills required for the management of a business venture: evaluate the theory and principles of sound financial management including interpretation of complex financial data and financial analysis; critically analyse financial statements to gain insights into financial performance and direction and to manage assets in business ventures; and, plan, formulate and review a series of budgets relating to the various elements and stages of a business venture.

MGT824 Business Human Resources (15 credits)

The student will critically evaluate the human resources needed for a business enterprise: critique the role of planning in human resource management; plan a process that attracts talent to an enterprise to ensure that the enterprise has the correct human resources for today and to allow strategic growth in the future; create a system that will manage an enterprise’s talent to create an innovative high value workforce, which will result in competitive advantage and the ability to meet enterprise strategic business objective; and recommend human resources needs (people and practices) for a business so that it can achieve its business goals.

MGT825 Business Marketing (15 credits)

If you have no business planning experience then we recommend you first complete MGT826 Business Planning before you enroll in MGT825 Business Marketing.  

The student will develop knowledge and skills in developing, implementing and managing marketing strategies that are effective in creating customer value: explain the nature and purpose of the marketing process and critically assess of the role and importance of marketing to the success of a business venture; critically appraise the internal and external marketing environments of business enterprises and evaluate the role and value of market research and analytical techniques in establishing effective marketing strategies; design and critique an effective customer-driven and competitive marketing strategy for a selected business venture and justify decisions relative to best practices; utilise appropriate marketing techniques and tools to generate an integrated marketing plan and critique the extent to which the plan ensures customer value and equity; and analyse and evaluate the effectiveness of marketing management processes, planning, organising, implementing, and controlling of marketing programmes, in order to ensure return on marketing investment

MGT826 Business Planning (15 credits)

The student will acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to develop a business model and plan and to set up an ongoing planning process to update the business plan: compare and contrast models of business management and entrepreneurship and evaluate methods for the collection and analysis of feedback from stakeholders related to proposals for new business ventures; assess suitable strategies to pursue in order to achieve sustainable growth and create value for the customers of the proposed business; identify and evaluate the key resources, processes, costing structure and revenue models to create the business value proposition for the proposed business; and, critically analyse the essential elements of a business plan including its purpose and value and develop a business plan for the proposed business which includes a process for monitoring and updating the plan. 

MGT901 Research Project (45 credits, 17 weeks)

The student will develop expertise in conducting applied research that informs professional practice in management: select and justify a suitable research methodology in order to answer specific research question(s) of interest to management practitioners; gather, analyse and interpret data, draw valid conclusions from the data and make appropriate recommendations based on those conclusions; evaluate the results of research conducted and relate them to management practice and to other published work in the research area; and, conduct a critical analysis of the research process and identify possible refinements and further applications.

MGT902 Thesis (90 credits, 34 weeks)

Pre-requisities MGT801, MGT802, MGT803 (normally a minimum grade of B- in each; variations may be approved by the Board of Studies).

The student will develop expertise in conducting publishable research about applied management: compare and critique research methodologies that might be employed to answer specific research question(s) of interest to management practitioners and researchers; select and justify the most suitable methodology; gather, analyse and interpret extensive data, draw valid conclusions from the data and make appropriate recommendations based on those conclusions and justified by reference to the research literature; critically assess the results of research conducted and relate them to management practice and to other published work (including advanced concepts and theories) in the research area; and, conduct a critical analysis of the research process and identify possible refinements and further applications, based on reference to the research literature.

For this paper, you will be assigned a primary and secondary supervisor.

The Zero Fees Scheme applies to this course, so there are no tuition fees as long as you are a New Zealand citizen, resident/permanent resident (residing in NZ), BUT there is a student direct material cost per credit of study undertaken, plus a non-refundable administration cost of $50.00 for each application processed, and the required textbook/s listed below. You must maintain satisfactory academic progress to retain your Zero Fees Scheme entitlement.

Zero Fees Scheme – applies to NZ citizens and residents/permanent residents (residing in NZ). 2019 Cost (NZ$) $8.00 per credit for the Level 8 papers, $1000 for MGT901 Research Project, $1800 for MGT902 Research Thesis + admin cost of $50.00 per application - includes GST.

International Students $100.00 per credit

Payments must be paid by the due date shown on the invoice.

Withdrawals & Transfers

• Early withdrawals within the first week of the intake starting are entitled to a full refund of the Student Direct Material Costs but not the non-refundable administration cost of $50.
• Withdrawals have to be requested within 75% of the intake, withdrawals after the early withdrawal date are not eligible for a refund.
• Transfer requests have to be within the first two weeks of the intake starting and will incur a $50 transfer cost. Transfers can only occur to a subsequence intake within the same calendar year.

All SIT2LRN courses are approved by Studylink. Any queries regarding Studylink allowances, loans, and terms and conditions should be made directly to Studylink on 0800 88 99 00 or www.studylink.govt.nz.

For graduates who know they want to become business leaders, the Master of Applied Management can be a way to start achieving your career goals more quickly.  This Masters programme will give you the tools to advance your management, decision-making and problem-solving skills, so you can move into senior managerial positions.

The variety of sectors and organisation types this qualification can apply to is huge – almost every type of organisation has scope for management careers. Graduates may opt to become self-employed practitioners, or pursue domestic and/or international professional careers in roles such as general manager, operations manager, international manager, human resource manager, marketing manager, or management consultant.

Graduates of the Master of Applied Management will be able to:

• Design, carry out and communicate the results of significant research projects in the field of management studies and relate the findings to professional and research literature
• Analyse and critique professional and research publications in management studies and related subject areas, identify practical applications and relate findings to their own research
• Evaluate the positive and negative impacts of business and management practices on society and address related ethical and professional issues
• Demonstrate mastery of complex concepts and theories in the field of management studies and their application in solving practical problems
• Apply their analytical, managerial and research capabilities to unfamiliar situations involving the application of management practices
• Think critically and act responsibly when confronted with academic or professional challenges
• Demonstrate high levels of skill in a management or research role in an organisation

Students will have completed all requirements of a relevant bachelor degree, graduate diploma, postgraduate certificate or postgraduate diploma with at least a B grade average at Level 7 or higher.

For students wanting to complete MGT810 you will need to download and fill out the Applied Project Proposal and submit this with your application. 

Special Admission
Notwithstanding the above admission criteria, in exceptional circumstances a mature aged applicant who can show evidence of ability to succeed in the programme may be considered for admission, provided the applicant has successfully completed an approved course or programme, or has relevant work experience which is deemed to meet the required standard for entry.

Provisional Part Time Admission
An applicant who does not meet academic criteria, may be provisionally admitted to enrol in one or more papers. Upon successful completion of the paper(s), the student may apply for special admission.

English Language Requirements

Applicants, whose first language is not English, or who come from a country where the language of instruction in schools is not English, are required to provide evidence of having achieved one of the following

NCEA Level 3 with University Entrance, or

an International Baccalaureate Diploma or Cambridge A- level qualification for which the teaching and assessment was conducted in English; or

Cambridge Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA),or Trinity College London Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CertTESOL);or

Successful completion of all primary education (being the equivalent of New Zealand primary school years 1 to 8) and at least three years of secondary education (being the equivalent of three years from New Zealand secondary school years 9 to 13) at schools in either New Zealand,,Australia,Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States one of the countries listed in Rule 18.5 where the student was taught using English as the language of instruction; or

Successful completion of at least five years of secondary education (being the equivalent of New Zealand secondary school years 9 to 13) at schools in either New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States where the student was taught using English as the language of instruction; or

Successful completion of a Bachelor's Degree, Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, Bachelor Honours degree, Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma, Masters' Degree or Doctoral Degree, the language of instruction of which must be in English and which must be from a tertiary education provider from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom or the United States or

Successful completion of one of the following internationally recognised proficiency tests listed below to the level required of the programme of study and with all scores achieved in a single test during the two years preceding the proposed date of enrolment

IELTS test - Academic score of 6.5 with no band score lower than 6
TOEFL Paper based test (pBT) - Score of 590 (with an essay score 5.5 TWE)
TOEFL Internet based test (iBT) - Score of 79 (with a writing score of 21)
Cambridge English Examination - C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency with a score of 176. No less than 169 in each skill.
OET- Minimum of Grade C+ or 300 in all sub-tests
NZCEL - a) Expiring Level b) Current: a) Level 5 (Academic) or (Professional) b) Level 5
Pearson Test of English (Academic) - PTE (Academic) score of 58 with no band score lower than 50
Language Cert - C1 Expert IESOL (LRWS) with HIGH PASS and no less than Pass in each skill or C2 Mastery IESOL (LRWS) with PASS and no less than Pass in each skill
Trinity ISE- ISE III with no less than pass in any band

* New versions of some NZCEL qualifications, and in some cases new qualifications, were published on 13 June 2017. These are intended to replace pre-existing versions and qualifications, which have been given expiring status until discontinued on 31 December 2019. (a) denotes expiring (b) denotes current

Intakes will be 17 weeks long.

Full time study 
Full time study is completing 60 credits per intake. Students studying full time will complete the Masters of Applied Management within 18 months. Full time acceptance into the programme is at the programme manager’s discretion.

Part time study 
The number of credits selected per intake will depend on work, family, and other commitments. The recommended maximum number of credits per intake, compared to working hours, are

• Working 37+ hours per week = enrol in a maximum of 30 credits per intake
• Working 20 – 37 hours per week = enrol in a maximum of 45 credits per intake
• Working fewer than 20 hours per week = enrol in a maximum of 60 credits per intake (full time study)

This is a guide only and will differ depending on individual circumstances.

Students from the Postgraduate Diploma in Business Enterprise with B- above in all papers and dissertation are eligible to credit this study into the Master of Applied Management. These students still need to complete MGT801 Management Practice (15 credits), MGT802 Researching Management Issues and Trends, MGT803 Research Proposal and either MGT901 Research Project (45 credits) or MGT902 Research Thesis (90 credits).

For students wanting to progress to a PhD or Doctoral Studies later on it is recommended that they enrol in the MGT902 Research Thesis.

All SIT2LRN courses require you to have a computer and internet access. Students are required to use their SIT webmail only for all SIT2LRN communications. All course materials and information, including assessments and due dates, are located on the online Blackboard system. Once you have been accepted into a programme you will receive an Important Information Booklet that includes information that you can use to familiarise yourself with our online Blackboard learning environment. From the intake start date you will have access to the online course materials to work through.

Facilitator Assistance:  During the enrolled intake period, students have email access to Facilitators, who endeavour to respond to emails within 48 hours (week days only).  All students are required, within the first two weeks of an intake, to send an email to their Facilitator confirming their start on the programme of study.  Students who have not emailed their facilitator or embarked upon their course of study by the end of the 2^nd week of an intake, will be Faculty Withdrawn from the programme.  Such withdrawals may impact on future access to SIT Zero Fees Scheme and Student Direct Material Costs are still liable for payment.

Progress reports are sent out 6-8 weeks after the end of each intake.

We recommend students new to SIT2LRN read through the Frequently Asked Questions section of our website for further study and enrolment information.

Please use the following checklist to ensure that all relevant information and documentation has been included. Remember, your application will be assessed based on the information that you provide us with. Processing of your application will be delayed if we need to come back to you for missing information.

• I have read all sections of the Programme Information on this page
• I have read the SIT2LRN Frequently Asked Questions section
• I have met all admission criteria for the programme (found under Application Criteria)
• I have met all the criteria for individual papers (found under Course Content).
• I have selected the paper(s) I wish to study
• I have selected intake(s) (I have selected alternate intakes rather than overlapping intakes)
• I know my intended payment method
• If my organisation/company is paying for my studies, I have a completed and approved purchase order to attach to my online application.  I am aware that should my organisation or company not pay my fees, these will become my responsibility.
• I have completed and attached a cross credit form (if applying for a cross credit)
• New students – I have provided an active NSN in the name I am enrolling in or I have verified ID and will attach it to my online application.
• New students – I will attach academic documentation (NZQA record of achievement/academic transcripts/certificates).  These do not need to be verified. (If you do not have any academic documentation to support your application, please attach a comprehensive CV outlining your education and work experience).
• I acknowledge that the study I am undertaking will require access to, and/ or knowledge of a business, organisation or club/group and that I may be required to submit evidence from a business, organisation or club/group confirming my participation in meetings, teams and/or projects
• I have computer access, an Internet connection and access to software to create electronic documents e.g. Microsoft Word or Open Office

What is the Zero Fees Scheme?

The Zero Fees Scheme means we do not charge tuition fees. However, there is a Student Direct Material Cost that you need to pay and a non-refundable administration fee. The administration fee is for processing your application and the Student Direct Material Cost gives you secure access to Blackboard® our online learning environment and to student support services throughout your study with us.

Who qualifies for the Zero Fees Scheme?

• A New Zealand citizen completing the full qualification or 
• An Australian citizen/New Zealand Resident or Permanent Resident who will be residing in New Zealand for the duration of your enrolment.

Instructions to help you with your application:

1. Read the Programme Information on this page and the SIT2LRN Frequently Asked Questions and find out if you meet the application criteria for both the programme and the unit/s you wish to study.
2. Check your eligibility for Zero Fees. If you are not eligible to study under this scheme, please call
   0800 748 257 for further options.
3. Complete your online enrolment checking that:

If you are a new student …

• Provide an active NSN number in the name you are enrolling in (contact NZQA on 0800 697 296 to get your NSN number if you do not know it);
• If you do not have an active NSN, then attach a copy of your verified ID in the name you are enrolling in.
• If you are a Resident or Permanent resident of NZ, please provide a copy of proof of residency;
• Attach all academic documentation to support your application including copies of any certificates of courses you have undertaken / NZQA record of achievement / transcripts / CV;

Attach supporting documents as required and outlined on the previous page.

1. Please check that you have included all the required information and supporting documents.  Your application will be assessed based on the information that you provide.  Missing information will delay the processing of your application.
2. Please scan and email all additional documentation to sit2lrn@sit.ac.nz.

What happens next?

• You will receive an automatic email confirmation when we receive your online application. Processing may take up to three weeks. However, we will get in touch with you sooner if we require further documentation.
• Once your application has been accepted you will be sent a conditional offer of acceptance with an invoice and instructions on how to make payment.
• Once we have received your payment (or if you have opted to pay by Credit Card, Student Loan or Purchase Order) you will be sent an Enrolment Confirmation Letter and Important Information Booklet. Closer to the start of the intake you will receive a Time To Get Started Letter which will give you all the necessary information, tools and guidance to start your study with us.

To be awarded the Master of Applied Management, students will have been credited with all required papers and electives as specified in the schedule of papers. The total credit value of the Master of Applied Management is 180 credits.

For more information on required and recommended textbooks for this course please refer to the textbook list here. 

Please note that textbooks need to be ordered at least 3-4 weeks prior to the commencement of your study