Giving life to innovative business education

Giving life to innovative business education

For many busy professionals, the desire to study a graduate degree is often deterred due to the inability to leave jobs or families to pursue it.

That’s why online or distance learning programmes have become increasingly popular, offering students the flexibility to achieve career growth and deepen business knowledge, without having to sacrifice personal commitments.

At Teesside University Business School, online business programmes are based on industry engagement. This school is a strong advocate of experiential learning and lasting knowledge acquisition.

Here, students are given the chance to learn from a faculty made up of experienced and research-active academics.

Business courses are designed to encourage real engagement with businesses through live projects, guest speakers, internships and other real-world learning experiences, blending theory with practice to give students the best of both worlds.

To be a successful contender in today’s globally connected business world, employees must be innovative, as well as able to make difficult decisions and take calculated risks.

By encouraging and educating learners in enterprise, entrepreneurship and employability, Teesside develops students with the appropriate skills, knowledge and mindset needed to become successful business leaders.

The state-of-the-art Business School provides the ideal setting for students, staff and businesses to collaborate, working together to create unique and effective learning experiences.

Flexible graduate courses

Teesside University has selected the Brightspace platform to provide a flexible, engaging learning environment for its online distance learners.

“As a university that is known for its innovative, forward-thinking approach to learning, it was important that we chose a cutting-edge platform to deliver our online distance learning courses,” said Professor Mark Simpson, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning and Teaching) at Teesside University.


“Brightspace offered a distinctive, high quality solution. The user experience is outstanding, particularly from a design perspective, and the Intelligent Agent feature, which automates communication between staff and students, is extremely valuable. Our students and staff are able to talk to each other and access materials wherever they are, which is crucial when face-to-face tutoring is not an option.”

Students may initially be daunted by doctorate-level business courses, believing it will either take them a long time to gain certification or that they don’t have the time to do so at their own pace.

The online Doctorate Business Administration (DBA) is a professional doctorate, equivalent to a PhD, but with a strong focus on applied research.

It allows students to contribute significantly to professional practice in business through the application and development of theoretical frameworks and perspectives, as well as driving positive change within their organisations.

It’s a flexible programme that can be completed in as little as 27 months or up to four years, suitable for students from diverse backgrounds. It costs £9,875 per year (£19,750 in total) for home/EU students, and £12,375 per year for full-time, 2 years 3 months. £6,187.50 per year for part time, four years for non-EU students.

The programme offers flexible learning for professionals who are ready to take their careers to the next level and push themselves to greater heights.

The course is also offered in a block delivery model, in which students spend approximately three days working on campus.

A postgraduate research-based degree allows students to not only further explore their areas of interest, but also increases their earning potential and self-confidence. It helps them develop transferable skills that make them competitive players in the graduate crowd.

The course structure enables students to gain knowledge and confidence in academic research at the start of the programme, followed by support from a supervisory team during the DBA Advanced Independent Work module.

Some examples of previous research done by students in this programme include studies of commitment to personal development, changes in public sector organisations and the impact of organisational culture on efficiency.

The DBA lecturers at Teesside University are research-active, and well-qualified to supervise and advise on a wide range of academic and practical research topics.

The programme allows students to build on their learning and experience in a particular area of business or management, further developing skills and knowledge in doctorate-level study.

Student Ahmad Aburayya, currently enrolled in the programme, said, “The best thing about my course is the flexible mode of study. I get on well with my classmates and my lecturers are all inspirational.

“My favourite module is Research Methods as it’s the most important part of any research degree. It’s important to have a comprehensive understanding of how to conduct a research project. I have an interest in this subject as it’s also part of my job.”

The DBA is tailored to those who have achieved or expect to achieve senior organisational positions, and who wish to further enhance their analytical and research skills and expand their knowledge.

With a focus on industry engagement and innovative teaching methods that allow flexibility, supplemented by a history of 85 years of educating, it’s no wonder students graduate with a clear pathway to succeed in business and develop to their full potential.

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