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“Leadership is about having a long-term vision to direct an organisation and keep it going in the correct direction,” says Steve Wilks, head of department for business programmes at the University of Essex Online. “Management makes sure that the wheels stay on the organisation and that it works day-to-day. Leadership transcends management.”
The University of Essex Online has been working in partnership with Kaplan Open Learning since 2007 to offer high-quality, part-time degrees that are delivered fully online. The MSc Leadership instils in students the critical skills they need to be effective leaders with a vision. “They will have an intimate understanding of the critical need for far-seeing, long-term leadership,” Wilks says. “The University of Essex Online wants to shape the next generation of leaders by bringing a real understanding of leadership to the fore and working on the critical thinking skills that are necessary for leadership”, he adds.
The coursework for the programme includes a research report and six modules on practical topics, such as leading with impact and leadership in practice. “If you look at the suite of modules, it’s a pragmatic course focused on leadership skills and attitudes,” Wilks says.
The flexible nature of the course gives working students the freedom to complete the course at their own pace. “The vast majority of our students are already employed,” Wilks comments. “They already have experience under their belt and often either want to progress in their own organisations or move organisations.”
The course focuses on practicality and impact. “We concentrate on taking theory and making it relevant in the way it is taught and assessed,” he says. For example, assessments use real-world situations to evaluate whether students understand the concepts they’re being taught. The modules are designed to encourage and develop critical thinking, which is a vital skill in leadership.
To increase flexibility and widen participation, the University of Essex Online offers multiple start dates throughout the year, allowing students to start their studies according to their preferences. “Within reason, students can study at their own pace and in their own time,” Wilks says.
Even though students don’t have to study the modules in a specific order, the course designers ensure that online programmes offer them a coherent journey and that the different modules “talk to each other”. “We don’t want the course to be a collection of discrete packages of learning,” says Wilks. “We want there to be a connection between them.”
With a large group of educators informing the course content and development, the MSc Leadership keeps abreast of technological developments, including advancements in AI. “We’ve taken a positive view of AI and we want students to use it responsibly,” states Wilks. “There’s no doubt that when they leave their studies, they’ll be using it at work, so we would be foolish to ignore or ban it,” he concludes.
Find out more about the 2025 intakes for MSc Leadership at the University of Essex Online.
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