MSc Corporate Governance

Delivered entirely online for GTA students (Channels Islands only) by Bournemouth University, this course will provide you with a specialised set of skills and develop your ability to appreciate and influence the factors governing corporate affairs.

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Delivery:
Part-Time

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Why study MSc Corporate Governance with BU?

Developed in close collaboration with the Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland (CGIUKI), you will be qualified with graduate status (GradCG)
Enjoy flexible learning with full online delivery
Develop your ability to appreciate and influence the factors governing corporate affairs
Undertake a significant piece of self-managed research in an area that interests you in relation to your course
Learn an employable mix of finance, law and governance focusing on the role of corporate administration
Graduate career ready with specialised skills in all areas of business and enter roles such as Analyst, Management Associate, Financial Consultant
Only applicable for GTA University Centre students (Channels Islands).

About the GTA University Centre, Guernsey

Since 2006 the GTA is proud to be awarded University Centre status by Bournemouth University. This recognises the joint belief that access to higher education should be widened and made available in ways that fully implemented equal opportunities and ensured that students were involved in educational experiences that gave rise to personal and social fulfilment; as well as looking to meet local needs for a better-educated and skilled population.

Course accreditation

Our MSc Corporate Governance course is accredited by The Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland (CGIUKI).

Next start date:

September 2023 (Direct entry only to Year 2); September 2024

Location:

Online, distance learning

Duration:

15 months (Part-time) - Direct entry to Year 2; 27 months (Part-time) - Full degree

Accreditations:

Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland (CGIUKI)

Relevant subjects:

All subjects considered

Entry requirements:

Only applicable for GTA University Centre students (Channels Islands).

Full Programme (September 2024 entry):

A Bachelors Honours degree, 2:2 or above, or equivalent.

If you lack the formal academic qualifications needed to enter a postgraduate or post-experience degree, there are several alternative routes to follow - some based on experience. Contact the Future Students Enquiry team for more information.

Fast Track Programme (September 2023 entry):

Applicants with CGIUKI member status (associate or fellow) will be granted exemptions of up to 60 level 7 credits. Applicants holding other appropriate professional qualifications (such as CSQS, CCAB, ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent) may be considered on an individual basis for exemptions of up to 60 level 7 credits.

These exemptions will normally only apply when the qualifications were obtained within 10 years prior to the start of the programme, or applicants can demonstrate they have undertaken continuing professional development since qualification.

English Requirements:

Applicants for whom English is not their first language, must offer evidence of qualifications in written and spoken English. Acceptable qualifications are IELTS (academic) 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component of writing, speaking, listening and reading, or equivalent.

Course details

Core units

Core units:

Year 1

Corporate Reporting & Financial Management: Learn the main principles involved in the production of financial statements and the techniques for the analysis and critical appraisal of corporate financial reporting; and understand the importance of the corporate finance function and frameworks in an internationally diverse corporation within a complex, dynamic and inherently uncertain external environment.
Company Law & Compliance: Learn the theoretical basis of corporate law, gain an understanding of contemporary corporate law, the role of company secretary in the effective administration of organisations, and evaluate key issues from theoretical and practical perspectives.
Strategic Management: Apply the concepts of corporate and business strategy by integrating theoretical and practical knowledge, and explore the managerial and organisational competencies required for companies to operate in global markets.

Year 2 (direct entry for 2023 entry)

Corporate Governance & Ethics: Understand the objectives, principles and methods of Corporate Governance practice within different economic environments, explore a range of frameworks to analyse complex ethical problems, and appreciate how corporate governance and ethics can aid managerial decision-making.
Enterprise Risk Management: Understand the different theoretical and practical aspects of identifying and managing risks, including how risk management links to compliance management and complements effective corporate governance in organisations, dependencies and complexities of several types of risks, and the need to establish a single framework, i.e. an Enterprise Risk Management system, within the organisation.
Boardroom Dynamics: Understand the importance of boardroom dynamics for organisations, and the impact on decision-making process, culture, diversity and other factors; and recognise the role of the company secretary/governance professional in supporting and influencing boardroom performance.
Research Project: This unit will provide you with an opportunity to undertake a significant piece of self-managed research in an area of particular interest, relevant to the course. You will be supported through an academic supervisor, who will be there to provide guidance and feedback/feedforward. You will also receive support through a series of research methods workshops.

Learning & teaching methods

Assessment methods & programme specification

Programme specifications provide definitive records of the University's taught degrees in line with Quality Assurance Agency requirements. Every taught course leading to a BU Award has a programme specification which describes its aims, structure, content and learning outcomes, plus the teaching, learning and assessment methods used.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the programme specification, the information is liable to change to take advantage of exciting new approaches to teaching and learning as well as developments in industry. If you have been unable to locate the programme specification for the course you are interested in, it will be available as soon as the latest version is ready. Alternatively please contact us for assistance.

Download the programme specification (pdf 292kb)

Your application

What we’re looking for

For Corporate Governance we are looking for applicants who:

Have an appreciation of corporate affairs
Can provide details of relevant work experience
Aspire to work within company secretarial, finance functions and senior management roles.

This course will suit people looking to move into an administrative, management role or aspiring to run their own business. Students will have a good understanding of all areas of business and will develop their knowledge using excellent research skills.

Selection methods

Entry requirements

General entry requirements

Only applicable for GTA University Centre students (Channels Islands).

For 2023 direct entry: In order to be eligible for this programme (ie. joining in year 2 of the full programme) you need to already hold full The Chartered Governance Institute CSQS, CCAB, ACA, ACCA or CIMA or equivalent.

For 2024 entry: A Bachelors Honours degree, 2:2 or above, or equivalent

If English is not your first language, you will need to provide evidence that you understand English to a satisfactory level. English language requirements for this course are normally:

IELTS (Academic) 6.0 with minimum 5.5 in each component, or equivalent.

View further information about our English language requirements.

Careers

The majority of career opportunities will lie within the company secretarial and finance functions, but the programme will also be invaluable to any aspiring senior manager or for those running their own company.

Typical starting job roles

Industries worked in

Further study

Costs and fees

You can find full information about the deposits required and how to pay your fees in our postgraduate fees and funding section, including details of the Postgraduate Loan (subject to fee status).

All fees are quoted in pounds sterling and are per annum. Fees quoted are for tuition only unless stated otherwise. Your tuition fees will be the same for each year of your course.

No hidden extras

What’s included in your tuition fee?

Your tuition fee covers expenses associated with your course including tuition materials, access to facilities, mandatory field trips and the following:

A range of student services – advisors, help desks, counsellors, placement support and careers service
The Library – access to a wide range of electronic resources (databases, e-journals and e-books), print and multimedia collections, subject librarians and study spaces
Access to Brightspace, our virtual learning environment, which offers a responsive and personalised learning experience with powerful learning analytics capabilities, integrated social media and advanced video features.
Disability and additional learning support
The BU Language Centre to help you develop/improve foreign or English language skills
Access to library resources of the Guernsey Institute.

Costs of living and other expenses you need to consider

Additional costs

We are committed to offering you value for money and ensuring there are no hidden costs while you are studying with us, therefore we have listed below any additional costs you may incur that are not covered by your tuition fee:

Laptops, tablets and mobile devices and any software used on personal devices. Access to a personal computer is strongly recommended for your study. If you are experiencing financial difficulty, visit our website for information regarding BU finanical support funds.
Text books, general stationery and other supplies. Our award-winning library is stocked with a large range of text books and online resources, free of charge. The Students’ Union shops stock a wide range of stationery supplies on both campuses
Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland (CGIUKI) ICSA Memberships required by CGIUKI in order to be registered as a student, and then a graduate fee once the programme is complete
Optional Chartered Management Institute (CMI) Membership enabling access to a CMI Level 7 Diploma upon successful completion of the course.

Repeat units

Deposits

International (not Rep. of Ireland) students need to pay a non-refundable £3,000 deposit to secure their place on a postgraduate course. You will need to pay your deposit by the date stated in your offer letter. The remainder of your fee will be payable on registration/enrolment. There are two exceptions to the non-refundable rule on the deposit:

You fail to meet the academic or English requirements of your offer
You are refused a visa to enter the UK, provided the reason for the refusal is not a fraudulent application.

Our staff

On this course you will be taught by staff with relevant expertise and knowledge appropriate to the content of the unit. This could include senior academic staff, qualified professional practitioners and research students, many of whom are actively engaged in research and/or professional practice which is integrated into the teaching of this course. Please note that teaching staff can change.

Dr Tony Abdoush - Senior Lecturer

Tony is a Senior Lecturer and joined BU in 2017 as a Lecturer in Accounting and Finance. Before that, Tony worked as a Visiting Academic/ Adjunct Lecturer (University of Southampton), an Associate Lecturer (Damascus University), and had 5-year work experience as a Chief Accountant.

Tony’s current research interests lie around Corporate Governance, Accountability and Corporate Disclosure, Sustainable Development & Corporate Social Responsibility, Financial Reporting and Analysis, Corporate Finance, Insurance, and Risk Management.

View Tony Abdoush's staff profile

Roger Fox - Lecturer

Roger is a Chartered Management Accountant and was elected a Fellow of the institute in 1993. Beginning his career in Management Accounting, Roger “cut his teeth” in the Midlands heavy engineering industry gaining down to earth costing experience before moving to work as a Corporate Analyst in the City of London.

As a Corporate Analyst with the British American Tobacco Group, he was involved in appraising new business developments within the UK. This was at an exciting time when borrowing rates were high, and Discounted Cash Flow was a comparatively new technique.

Roger subsequently worked in the oil business ( Gulf Oil ) as a Financial Analyst, where he gained managerial experience in addition to project management and on-site audits

In more recent years Roger pursued his career in Financial Services, which began with a position with Crown Life of Canada as Management Accountant and ended with American Life, where he was Financial Controller of a company with £1bn of premium income.

For the last 25 years, Roger had forsaken his corporate managerial role in favour of building his own accounting and training practice.

View Roger Fox’s staff profile

Dr Hany Elbardan - Principal Academic

Hany has a PhD in accounting (Brunel University), MSc and BSc (Hons) in accounting (Alexandria University). He is a Principal Academic in Accounting and Finance in the Business School within Bournemouth University. In addition to his university work, he acted as a consultant at GHEM consultants, UK (2015-2017).

His research interests include accounting, accounting information systems, ERP systems, internal and external auditing, internal control, risk management, managerial accounting and Corporate Governance. He has published his research in refereed international journals such as Information Systems Management, Journal of Enterprise Information Management and Journal of applied accounting research. Hany is a member of the editorial board of the International Journal of Management Science and Business Administration, Journal of Organizational Studies and Innovation and Organisational Studies and Innovation Review.

Hany teaches in a broad spectrum of both undergraduate and postgraduate levels as well as Executive MBA and PhD supervision. His teaching areas include financial accounting, accounting theory and practice, managerial accounting, auditing, environmental accounting and reporting and accounting information systems (ERP, Sage50).

View Dr Hany Elbardan’s staff profile

Frazer Ball - Senior Lecturer

Frazer is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Accounting, Finance & Economics, within the Bournemouth University Business School. Having graduated from BU with a BA (Hons) in Accounting, Frazer specialised in IT before becoming an academic member of staff. Having gained an MSc. in Finance & Risk Management, Frazer now specialises in Risk Management/Disaster Planning and is a Technical Specialist member of the Institute of Risk Management. Frazer is currently undertaking a PhD in Finance, focusing on Portfolio Management, with a particular focus on Bloodstock.

Frazer’s primary research interests lie in the multi-disciplinary aspects of large scale renewable energy projects and has several co-created publications in this area.

View Frazer Ball’s staff profile

Spencer Barnett - Lecturer

Spencer graduated from Bournemouth University in 2003 with a first-class honours degree in Accounting & Finance and have subsequently qualified as a chartered accountant.

Before starting at BU in 2000, he was an equity analyst and arbitrageur at a major European investment bank.

Spencer’s research interests lie within the field of equity arbitrage, particularly surrounding mergers and acquisitions.

View Spencer Barnett’s staff profile

Course changes

Changes for January 2023 entry

Date	Changes to this course
25/03/2022	Where the change was made: Key information Change: January intake removed, September 2022 intake added

Changes for January 2022 entry

Date	Changes to this course
19/08/2022	Where the change was made: Entry requirements Change: English language requirements added.
22/11/2021	Where the change was made: Course delivery & course details. Change: Course delivery now Online, distance learning & part-time. Core units updated and new learning and teaching methods.

Changes for 2019 Entry

Date	Changes to this course
01/05/2019	Where the change was made: course overview and course content Change: Following a course review the course unit content has been revised and updated for September 2019 onwards. Previous text: International Accounting & Analysis: This unit covers the main principles involved in the production of financial statements, outlines the theoretical and regulatory framework that financial accounting operates in and offers techniques for analysing corporate financial reporting. Corporate Law - Theory & Practice: Examining key issues in contemporary corporate law, you'll evaluate these from theoretical and practical perspectives. Corporate Management & Control: You'll be exposed to legal principles and specific areas of legislation affecting business transactions, which will allow you to merge theoretical and practical knowledge and use the corporate and business strategy. Corporate Stewardship: Gain a thorough understanding of the role of the company secretary in the effective administration of organisations. You'll be exposed to key issues in risk management. Corporate Governance & Ethics: The objectives, principles and methods of Corporate Governance practice in different economic environments. You'll show how governance and ethics can support managerial decision-making, particularly for risk management. International Corporate Finance: The primary aims of this unit are to address the critical importance of the corporate finance function within an internationally diverse corporation and to provide a framework to assist corporate decision-makers in a complex, dynamic and inherently uncertain external environment. Research Project: An opportunity to complete a significant piece of self-managed research in area that interests you.

Date

Changes to this course

01/05/2019

Where the change was made: course overview and course content
Change: Following a course review the course unit content has been revised and updated for September 2019 onwards.
Previous text:

International Accounting & Analysis: This unit covers the main principles involved in the production of financial statements, outlines the theoretical and regulatory framework that financial accounting operates in and offers techniques for analysing corporate financial reporting.
Corporate Law - Theory & Practice: Examining key issues in contemporary corporate law, you'll evaluate these from theoretical and practical perspectives.
Corporate Management & Control: You'll be exposed to legal principles and specific areas of legislation affecting business transactions, which will allow you to merge theoretical and practical knowledge and use the corporate and business strategy.
Corporate Stewardship: Gain a thorough understanding of the role of the company secretary in the effective administration of organisations. You'll be exposed to key issues in risk management.
Corporate Governance & Ethics: The objectives, principles and methods of Corporate Governance practice in different economic environments. You'll show how governance and ethics can support managerial decision-making, particularly for risk management.
International Corporate Finance: The primary aims of this unit are to address the critical importance of the corporate finance function within an internationally diverse corporation and to provide a framework to assist corporate decision-makers in a complex, dynamic and inherently uncertain external environment.
Research Project: An opportunity to complete a significant piece of self-managed research in area that interests you.

What our students say

Diana Giuliana

The course has taught me to be better in group work and communicate with other nationalities which is very important for companies which should enhance my employability.

Hear from our staff

Professor Steve Letza

The postgraduate framework consists of a number of elements at the heart of which are the Finance subjects themselves but around that sits a number of related topics.

Statistics shown throughout this page are taken from Unistats and BU institutional data unless otherwise stated.