All e-Learning MBA students will be offered the opportunity to complete a fast-track optional Academic Skills Development module.

This module is designed for students requiring academic skills enhancement prior to commencing their studies. The focus is on developing and refining the skills required for postgraduate study. All students will have the chance to develop their communication and research skills through the course, including as part of the Research Methods module. This optional course is intended to ease students into the learning strategies needed for the successful achievement of an MBA.

The course takes place over four weeks, twice a week (for a total of four hours per week). All classes will be recorded and will be available for students to go revisit on MOTI.

• Delves into key management theories that result in organisational effectiveness, efficiency, and human resource development.
• Addresses issues such as workforce motivation, incentives, team building and office environments and how we can best manage the dynamics of organisational change.
• Examines contemporary principles, techniques and research findings in management and organisational behaviour that are driving high performance and continuous improvement in business today.
• Provides deep understanding of management and organisational behaviour concepts associated with continuous improvement in individual and group processes.

• Emphasises value and process of strategic management.
• Helps students integrate and apply their prior learning to strategic decision making in organisations.
• In-depth examination of an organisation’s vision and mission and of principles, techniques and models of organisational and environmental analysis.
• Explores theories and practices of strategy formulation and implementation.

• Enables students to understand business research, offering an in-depth understanding of relevant approaches and elements of undertaking a research enquiry.
• Provides students with the necessary skills and knowledge to determine the information necessary to address identified research problems.
• Helps students develop critical core competencies and skills including: defining research questions; setting appropriate research objectives; study design that incorporates research objectives and budgetary constraints; secondary and primary data collection and instruments; sampling and analysis methods; and effective reporting of results; as well as the importance of ethical conduct in conducting research in both a domestic and in international business contexts.

• Provides students with a solid foundation in the principles, practices, and techniques of financial and management accounting, with particular relevance to the maritime and shipping sectors.
• Develops students’ ability to critically interpret and apply accounting information for strategic decision-making, performance evaluation, and financial analysis, while understanding the limitations and assumptions inherent in accounting data.

• Provides an understanding of the historical context and main players in maritime economics and their roles in shaping global shipping markets.
• Explores the organisation of the shipping market, key market structures, and the supply-demand dynamics that influence freight rates and shipping operations.
• Examines the economics of different shipping markets (freight, shipbuilding, sale & purchase, and demolition markets) and their interrelationship.
• Analyses shipping cost structures, economies of scale, and their impact on different types of vessel trades (bulk, tanker, and containership).
• Evaluates the future challenges facing maritime transport, including environmental regulations, decarbonization, and technological innovations, and their effect on global trade policies.

• Provides students with a foundational understanding of the general principles of maritime law, with particular focus on the law governing the carriage of goods by sea, while introducing the legal context in which marine insurance operates.
• Encourages a structured and analytical approach to the study of maritime law through the application of real-world case studies and industry scenarios.
• Develops students’ ability to interpret and apply legal concepts by engaging with case law, statutory provisions, and international conventions relevant to maritime commerce.

• Equips students with the analytical and practical skills required to interpret and apply standard clauses used in the London Market, particularly in Hull, Cargo, Liability, and Offshore Energy insurance contracts.
• Encourages a systematic and structured approach to learning through the examination of real-world case studies and insurance disputes.
• Develops students’ ability to engage with the legal foundations of marine insurance by analysing relevant case law, statutes (such as the Marine Insurance Act 1906), and international conventions, and applying them to complex commercial scenarios.

• Provides students with a comprehensive understanding of logistics and supply chain management concepts within the context of maritime transport.
• Equips students with the skills to evaluate and analyse the impact of globalisation on multi-modal and intermodal transport systems.
• Develops students’ ability to assess the integration of maritime logistics components and their role in global trade and supply chain networks.
• Enhances students’ knowledge of the key factors that influence mode and route choices in shipping logistics, enabling them to tailor solutions to business needs.
• Explores sustainable logistics practices, focusing on green logistics, container fleet management, and environmental impacts in the shipping industry.

• Critically analyses various corporate financing options, including equity, bank financing, and joint ventures, within the context of shipping industry dynamics.
• Evaluates and compares alternative sources of funding, considering the unique characteristics of shipping investments and the economic conditions of the global shipping market.
• Assesses the advantages and disadvantages of different financing methods, with particular emphasis on the shipping industry’s high volatility in freight rates and ship prices, and their impact on investment decisions.

• Provides students with an advanced understanding of logistics and supply chain management concepts, specifically within the context of maritime transport.
• Equips students with the analytical tools to critically evaluate the impact of globalisation on multi-modal and intermodal transport systems and their strategic implications.
• Develops students’ ability to assess the integration of maritime logistics components and their strategic role in global trade and supply chain networks.
• Enhances students’ capacity to identify and analyse the key factors influencing transport mode and route choices, empowering them to design tailored logistics solutions for complex business environments.
• Examines sustainable logistics practices, focusing on green logistics, container fleet management, and environmental considerations within the maritime industry.

• Synthesises student learning in a single practical real life project that demonstrates the fulfilment of the programme’s learning outcomes.
• Enables a demonstration of business research with a potential real-world outcome and integrates student academic knowledge with experiences beyond the virtual classroom and combine developing knowledge, skills, and personal interests.

Capstone projects may take a wide variety of forms, but most are long-term investigative projects that culminate in a final product, presentation, or performance. For example, students may be asked to select a topic, profession, or social problem that interests them, conduct research on the subject, maintain a portfolio of findings or results, create a final product demonstrating their learning acquisition or conclusions (a paper, short film, or multimedia presentation, for example), and give an oral recorded presentation on the project to a panel of instructors, experts, business persons and broader community members who collectively evaluate its quality.

Capstone projects are generally designed to encourage students to think critically, solve challenging problems, and develop skills such as oral communication, public speaking, research skills, media literacy, teamwork, planning, self-sufficiency, or goal setting—i.e., skills that will help prepare them for modern careers, and adult life. The projects are also interdisciplinary and may require students to apply skills or investigate issues across many different subject areas or domains of knowledge. Capstone projects also tend to encourage students to connect their projects to community issues or problems, and to integrate “outside-of-school” learning experiences, including activities such as interviews, scientific observations, or internships.