Master of Leadership and Management

This information is currently being updated. For current unit codes and names, click here to access the Postgraduate Handbook.

Course coordinator: Dr Peter Morey
Course code: 2045

The challenge of leadership and management in various types of organisations has become more demanding and complex. Adapting to rapidly changing business environments calls for a more sophisticated set of skills and abilities from leaders and managers. Church-related not-for-profit organisations and other organisations require effective leadership informed by the social sciences and a developing body of knowledge concerning management, leadership and organisations.

A Master of Leadership and Management focuses on providing advanced training in management theory and practice, emphasising the ethical, moral and spiritual dimensions of leadership and management. The emphasis of each award is towards improving the professional competency of practising and prospective leaders in church organisations, educational institutions and health related services.

The program allows students to specialise in one of the following:
  • General Administration
  • Health Services Administration
  • Education Administration

    Duration


    One-and-a half years full-time or the equivalent part-time. Part-time students typically progress at the rate of three or four subjects per year. Flexibility allows students to either ‘fast-track’ their course by taking overloads, or take fewer subjects in some years if necessary.

    Credit points


    72 credit points

    Mode of delivery


    Most subjects are delivered in mixed mode, comprising distance learning components and a residential session at Avondale College (Lake Macquarie Campus), or other designated centre, in the June–July period. The residential session provides opportunity for students to be involved in significant student-lecturer and student-student interaction.

    Students receive subject outlines, textbooks, readings, and a distance education study guide. Lecturers and the course coordinator are available to communicate with students by phone or email. Then, students attend a residential school designed to provide an integrating perspective to the subject. Personal contact with the lecturer/s and peers and library research is possible during this time. Finally students complete assignments designed to foster field-based reflection and application of the concepts encountered. Contact between students and lecturers is maintained via phone and email.

    Abbreviation of course title


    MLM

    Accreditation


    The degree is accredited by the NSW Department of Education and Training.

    Entry Requirements


    A Bachelor degree or equivalent or satisfactory completion of the requirements of the GradDipLM is required, plus at least two years’ employment experience in an appropriate leadership or management role. In exceptional circumstances students may be admitted on the basis of equivalent qualifications as assessed by the Research and Teaching Committee of the Faculty of Business and Information Technology. An official transcript must accompany every application form. Applicants whose bachelor degree was not undertaken in English must demonstrate English language proficiency by achieving an IELTS score of at least 6.5, with no individual band score less than 6.0. An official statement of IELTS results must accompany the application form.

    Enrolment


    As the MLM, MLM(Hons), GradCertLM and GradDipLM are nested courses, students enrol in the highest degree from which they expect to graduate. Students should not apply to graduate until the year in which they expect to complete all requirements for the degree in which they are enrolled. Students who do not complete all the requirements of the course, may exit with a lesser award by applying to the Academic Registrar and course coordinator. A student who has graduated previously from a lower award in Leadership and Management (eg GradCertLM) may proceed to study for a higher award—eg GradDipLM or MLM or MLM (Hons)—but on graduating from the higher award will be obliged to relinquish the lower award. This arrangement is depicted on the following Table. Unless advised otherwise, most students are encouraged to enrol in the MLM.

    Enrol in Undertake Endpoints possible
    MLM Master of Leadership and Management Graduate with MLM, or Proceed
    to the MLM (Hons) or Exit with
    GradDipLM or
    Exit with GradCert LM
    MLM(Hons) Master of Leadership and Management (Hons) Graduate with MLM(Hons), or
    Exit with MLM, or
    Exit with GradDipLM or
    Exit with GradCertLM
    GradDipLM Graduate Diploma in Leadership and Management Graduate with GradDipLM, or
    Exit with GradCertLM, or
    Proceed to MLM, or
    Proceed to MLM(Hons)
    GradCertLM Graduate Certificate in Leadership and Managemen Graduate with GradCertLM, or
    Proceed to GradDipLM, or
    Proceed to MLM, or
    Proceed to the MLM (Hons)


    Course structure


    All subjects are worth 6 credit points (unless otherwise specified) each with a notional workload of 170 hours over the semester.


    Pattern1


    A coursework and/or project structure involving 10 or 11 subjects each of six credit points and a 12 or 6 credit point project:

    • LE566 :: MAJOR THESIS (3)
    • Four Group A subjects 24 cr pts
    • Four subjects all from the same strand 24 cr pts
    • Electives or 18 cr pts
    • Project (12 cr pts) and elective (6 cr pts) 8 cr pts


    Pattern 2


    A coursework and minor thesis pattern involving seven leadership and management subjects and two research subjects,
    each of six credit points and a 18-credit point minor thesis:




    Group A - Generic Leadership and Management




    Group B - Context Specific subjects



    Research Methods subjects


    Students who elect to complete a minor or major thesis will be required to complete two subjects: LE507.1 Introduction to Research which introduces students to a range of research methods; and ED503.1 Research Methods which extends this knowledge, usually focussing in one particular type of research methodology.

    Electives


    Electives may be drawn from Group A, Group B or other disciplines (wit