MBA Risk and Resilience

Why study this subject?

Businesses are faced with, and take, risks constantly. Only those organisations who understand and can respond to these challenges, as well as demonstrating resilience, are truly capable and competitive. These businesses need analytical, capable and knowledgeable professionals who are able to plan, operate, manage and ultimately succeed in the ‘VUCA’ world of Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity.

However, the job market for these specialist roles is very competitive and a masters in this area will really help boost your chances of employability (in some instances, it may even be a prerequisite).

There is also great flexibility in studying this course with our students coming from not just the UK, but all around the world.

Why study at Buckinghamshire New University?

This is a popular course within the University combining both risk and resilience, and in the UK we are the only higher education provider to offer this masters degree to students.

Throughout the distance-learning course, you will learn from skilled lecturers within the School of Aviation and Security who have a high level of working knowledge based on industry experience. Our tutors will give you the practical, managerial and intellectual skills that will help you to plan for and respond to risk and resilience challenges.

We offer students a supportive and flexible environment in which to develop and be able to apply this with confidence in their workplace. Whilst the course primarily consists of distanced-based learning, we do occasionally bring all students together and conduct some teaching at our High Wycombe campus where applicable. When away from campus, we utilise our Virtual Learning Environment meaning that students who are often deployed to remote areas have a comprehensive student experience, combined with a flexible approach to tutoring sessions.  

The University has strong links within the resilience sector and is a holder of the Silver Military Covenant Award. We recognise the value serving personnel (both regular and reservists), veterans, and military families contribute to our business and country. If you are a member of the Armed Forces, you may be able eligible to received funding for this programme under the UK Ministry of Defence Enhanced Learning Credits (ELC) scheme – our ELCAS number is 1682.

As a BNU student, you will automatically become a member of Bucks Students’ Union giving you access to a wide range of services that we offer for free. Upon graduation, you will become a member of the University’s alumni community giving you access to a wide range of benefits throughout your lifetime.

What will I study?

This MBA has been developed to address business risk and resilience in an uncertain world. It addresses issues that many organisations face in the present climate: operating in a global setting, ensuring business resilience and sustainability.

The content has been designed to match the needs of those who wish to specialise within a wider business context and will enable you to influence not only the content of your studies but also the process and outcomes.

This programme aims to:

• help you develop a strategic, integrated and holistic perspective on business capability through a study of management at:
  • an individual, group and organisational behavioural level
  • a functional, process and strategic level
  • a local, national and international level
  • as well as through reflection on prior experience (both personal and within the cohort)
• equip you with an advanced understanding of concepts, along with the current and pervasive issues in global business and management
• enable you to anticipate and address risks that may adversely affect your business, helping to ensure future business resilience and sustainability (where margins of time, resource and competitive advantage may be narrow)
• help you develop the critical thinking, analytical and research skills you need to make logical arguments and creative contributions to improve business and management practice
• help you develop advanced capability and knowledge in business-enhancing resilience capabilities.

This MBA is also designed to give those students from military backgrounds, as well as those with security, risk and related practitioner experience, the necessary skills and capability to develop parity of understanding and knowledge with that of mainstream business and wider organisational disciplines.

How will I be taught and assessed?

We've designed this course to make our expertise accessible even to those who are unable to attend on-site. We provide a high level of support both face-to-face and electronically using our Virtual Learning Environment. This online learning platform helps you make the most of your time studying and allows you to focus on the issues relevant to your company (as well as minimising your time away from work).

We also provide off campus access to library services, so you can borrow books from the virtual library and access peer reviewed journals as well as access to wider material via our interlibrary loan service.

The programme begins with an induction day, followed by a four-week pre-study phase aimed at building the critical writing and evaluation skills needed to complete the course. We then move into the course modules, which are delivered in 10-week blocks via weekly live sessions, recorded podcasts and online discussions. The live sessions are also recorded, meaning that students have the option of synchronous and asynchronous approaches to the delivery. Self-guided learning and personal tutor support completes the delivery programme. 

The assignments range from academic essays, reports and executive briefings. We have previously received positive feedback from our students on the approach we take to assignments being very pertinent to the workplace and helps in addressing real-world issues.