Postgraduate Certificate in Applied Management - SIT2LRN Distance Learning

Students must complete the following compulsory paper:           

MGT801 Management Practice

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.

Students must complete 45 credits from the following list of electives:     

MGT811 Business Analysis

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 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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
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

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.  

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). 2020 Cost (NZ$) $8.00 per credit + admin cost $50.00 per application (e.g. $800.00 for 100 credit course) - 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.

The Postgraduate Certificate in Applied Management is aimed at management practitioners wishing to undertake a short programme of study in order to extend and update their management knowledge and skills. Public and private sector organisations employing graduates of the Postgraduate Certificate in Applied Management will benefit from the knowledge and skills that the graduates have acquired during their programme of study.

Possible employers in the public sector include educational institutions, government departments, local government bodies and district health boards.  

Possible employers in the private sector include multi-national companies, not-for-profits, small and medium enterprises.  Industries include agriculture, banking, construction, distribution, electricity, finance, entertainment, fishing, forestry,health, hospitality, legal, manufactuing, retail, telecommunications, tourism and transport.

Students will have completed all requirements of a relevant bachelor degree or graduate 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 programmes 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 4 (Academic) b) Level 4 (Academic)
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 Postgraduate
Certificate within six 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.

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. 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 an 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 under, 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 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 under (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, attach a copy of your verified ID in the name you are enrolling under;
• 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 records 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 Postgraduate Certificate in 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 Postgraduate Certificate in Applied Management is 60 credits.

Please Note: Students failing to attend for 80% of timetabled programme hours may forfeit their Zero Fees entitlement.

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