Overview
Course Summary
This two year programme seeks to provide suitable students with the skills, knowledge and understanding to operate effectively with the uniformed public services. The course shares modules with the FdA Business Management programme providing the benefit of a wider range of teaching expertise and being part of a wider group of students. The course will examine several key areas of management and public services, including emergency incident planning and response, teamwork and leadership skills, human resource management and work based learning.
The degree should positively assist entry to a career in the public services or general management and for those already working in the sector, enhance career and professional development opportunities. Successful students may also progress directly to the final honours year of BA(Hons) Professional Studies or, after completing further modules, the final year of BA(Hons) Business Management.
Course Aims
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To give students a broad overview of the role and function of public services
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To facilitate a career in public service by developing relevant knowledge and skills
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To develop the student’s awareness of the social, cultural and ethical dimensions to management within the public services
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To facilitate the students ability to recognise the workplace as an arena for continual lifelong learning
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To develop the student’s personal reflective skills and ability to apply learning to a workplace setting
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To stimulate learning through the use of appropriate public services centred experiences
Learning Outcomes
These course aims are broken down into sets of related skills, which are known as learning outcomes.
A. Knowledge and Understanding
By the end of the course you should be able to:
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knowledge and critical understanding of the well-established principles in their field of study and the way in which those principles have developed
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knowledge of the main methods of enquiry in their subject(s), and ability to evaluate critically the appropriateness of different approaches to solving problems in their field of study and apply these in a work context
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an understanding of the limits of their knowledge, and how this influences analyses and interpretations based on that knowledge in their field of study and in a work context.
B. Mental and Cognitive Skills
By the end of the course you should be able to:
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successful application in the workplace of the range of knowledge and skills learnt throughout the programme
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ability to apply underlying concepts and principles outside the context in which they were first studied, and the application of those principles in a work context
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use a range of established techniques to initiate and undertake critical analysis of information, and to propose solutions to problems arising from that analysis in their field of study and in a work context
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effectively communicate information, arguments, and analysis, in a variety of forms, to specialist and non-specialist audiences, and deploy key techniques of the discipline effectively in their field of study and in a work context
C. Subject Specific and Practical Skills
By the end of the course you should be able to:
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undertake further training, develop existing skills, and acquire new competences that will enable them to assume responsibility within organisations
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qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment and progression to other
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qualifications requiring the exercise of personal responsibility and decision-making
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the ability to utilise opportunities for lifelong learning
D. Key Skills
Key Skills, also known as graduate key skills, transferable skills or general skills, comprise communication, information technology, problem solving, numeracy, working with others and improving own learning.
Module Framework
Year 1: all Level 1; 20 credits per module
Principles and Functions of Management
Contemporary Uniformed Public Services
Personal Development
Social, Cultural and Ethical Dimensions of Business
Teamwork and Leadership in the Public Services
Work Experience as a Resource for Learning
Year 2: all level 2; 20 credits per module
Human Resource Management
Human Behaviour, the Context for Public Services
Accounting for managers
Emergency Incident Planning and Response
Skills in Research and Problem Solving
Work Experience as a resource for learning 2
Teaching, Learning and Assessment
Case Studies
Essays and Examinations
Presentations and Seminars
Reflective Analysis
Negotiated Assessment
Lectures
Seminars
Academic Tutorials
Other Students
Work Placement
Virtual Learning Environment
Enrichment opportunities
Timetable
The teaching is divided into two semesters, semester one runs from September to January and Semester Two from February to June. A full time student is expected to take three modules each semester, making six modules in one year. A part-time student will take one or two modules each semester. Students can expect to have to attend College for four to five hours per module for the twelve weeks of the semester and to spend at least an equivalent amount of time per week in independent study. Students will be provided with timetables when they join the course.
Course Delivery
UCS Bury St Edmunds
Suite of rooms in the Suffolk School of Management Centre of Vocational Excellence
Placements/Work Based Learning/Work Experience
Two modules of work placement based learning. Learning outcomes attached to respective modules.
Tutorial and Study Support
Personal Tutor System
Each student registered for the FdA Management (Uniformed Public Services) programme is allocated to a personal tutor. The personal tutor will normally teach on the programme for which the student is registered and is expected to:
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Be allocated up to 12 tutees
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Arrange to meet each allocated tutee formally on a one-to-one basis at least once per semester
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Make themselves reasonably contactable and available to offer advice and support to their tutees on an ad hoc basis
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Be aware of specialist services available at the College to which the tutee may be referred to if necessary.
Student Welfare and Pastoral Support
The West Suffolk College Student Welfare section provides a comprehensive range of advice/counselling services. Specialist staff are available 09.00 -17.00 Monday-Friday to provide help with:
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welfare
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accommodation
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financial assistance
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counselling
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preliminary careers advice
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Specific learning needs – diagnosis and support
Opportunities on Completion of the Course
The degree should positively assist entry to a career in the public services or general management and for those already working in the sector, enhance career and professional development opportunities. Successful students may also progress directly to the final honours year of BA(Hons) Professional Studies or, after completing further modules, the final year of BA(Hons) Business Management.