Strategy and a Strategic Mindset

Program Overview

Strategy and a Strategic Mindset

Course Overview

The aim of this module is to enable you to develop strategic approaches to leadership and innovation while equipping you for planning and systems thinking.

The module will help you grow a more strategic mindset and leadership attitude and will provide you with clear tools for the creation of professional business strategies. It will introduce some of the principles of war and game theory. The module will allow you to gain the necessary insights and tools to plan around position, intention and direction and introduce creative concepts for innovation.

In-line with the principles of transformational leadership, this course is designed to give you self-reflective as well as practical tools to help you lead your teams more effectively, strengthen your own leadership role and help you and your organisation reach your strategic goals.

Key Course Details

• Location: Blended Learning, Online
• Duration: Part-time, 12 weeks
• Start date: September, January, April

Module Overview

The module explores traditional theories of strategy together with current, professional approaches to strategic thinking, including a basic overview of game theory. You will be introduced to the concepts of strategic position, choices and action and will develop your own strategic thinking on the basis of real-life case studies and business challenges. It will include the comparison of different strategic directions such as:

• Cost-leadership strategy
• Focus strategy
• Differentiation strategy
• Hybrid strategy
• Interactive and co-operative strategies (building a strategic network)

The module will also look at external and internal forces impacting your decision-making, provide you with tools for the stages of analysis (PESTEL AND VRIO), planning and evaluation.

The module will help you identify the unique characteristics of intended, realised and emergent strategies. Throughout the module you will be challenged to consider stakeholder behaviour and the value chain as part of your strategic planning.

You will learn how to move from thinking strategically to executing strategy and how to align your teams and get their buy-in around your strategic goals.

Entry Requirements

• Have access to a suitable practice-based setting.
• Non UK degree candidates must be working at team leader or equivalent in industry. Naric database to inform equivalence to UK honours degree.
• Applicants with non-standard qualifications but substantial engineering experience may be invited to interview to present their portfolio of experience.
• If applicant’s 1st language is not English, English Language test to level of IELTS 6.5 (min 5.5 for each band) is required, or the UoC English assessment programme prior to joining the programme.

Application Information

Applications should be made online directly to the University using the link on this page, or contact for details and guidance.

Student Finance

We have a wide range of scholarships, bursaries, grants and funds available to support you throughout your studies with us. This includes the Cumbria Bursary - a non-repayable bursary designed to support first year students with a household income of less than £25,000.

Fees

The tuition fees for CPD and short courses vary based on the intensity and length of the course. Visit our finance page for more information.

Resources and Facilities

We place a high degree of emphasis on interactive learning within the Business School and provide a supportive environment in which you can develop academically and personally. Resources are available to students through the Library's One Search service. One Search is an easy to use, powerful discovery service that searches the university's journal collections, bibliographic databases and library catalogue from one search box. Additional resources will be made available through the university virtual learning environment.