International Master of Business Administration Victoria University of Wellington – New Zealand

	Welcome from the Vice-Chancellor
	Message from the IMBA Director
	Overview
	Your Programme of Study
	Course Descriptions
	Teaching Staff
	Admission Criteria
	Application
	Fee Schedule
	Class Schedule
	New Zealand Study Tour
	Professional Recognitions
	Contact Details

Victoria University of Wellington – a tradition of excellence
Victoria University is one of New Zealand’s oldest, largest, and most prestigious universities, with a proud tradition of academic excellence and an international reputation for the quality and range of its courses.

Victoria International MBA

The Victoria International MBA, available exclusively in Hong Kong, is a premium Masters programme offered by one of New Zealand’s top universities. We are currently accepting applications for our next intake which will commence in October 2008. The Victoria International MBA comprises a rigorous academic curriculum building from core functional business courses to strategic electives to integrative perspectives over a 24 month modular period. The IMBA programme, with administrative collaboration from The Asia-Pacific Institute of Business, will offer a quality overseas qualification in Hong Kong with minimal disruption to students' busy professional and family commitments. All courses will be taught by Victoria University academic staff during weekend modules at a convenient Hong Kong venue.

We invite you to consider the Victoria International MBA

• Victoria University of Wellington - A tradition of excellence since 1899; a heritage of innovation including Nobel Laureate Alan MacDiarmid.
• Excellence by International Standards - International MBA faculty, mostly with doctorates from world-class business schools, undertake on-going research with international reputations in their fields.
• Global Recognition - Accreditation from AMBA, an international authority to audit MBA programmes, puts us in a selected group of 152 business schools worldwide with this honour. IMBA graduates will also be exempted from ACCA and CIMA papers.
• Comprehensive Curriculum - From core functional business courses to strategic electives; from professional workshops to academic seminars.
• Course Exemptions from CUHK Programmes - Seamless transition from Diploma programmes of The Asia-Pacific Institute of Business / The School of Continuing and Professional Studies at The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
• Your Experience Counts - No GMAT/TOEFL/IELTS is required for application. Those holding a responsible, senior management position yet without a first degree will be considered.
• New Zealand Study Tour - While counting towards your required credits, the tour visits various corporates and immerses you in the New Zealand culture.
• Convenient Access to Lectures - Modular lectures on alternate weekends on CUHK campus to minimize work disturbance.
• Friendly Study Environment - Communal dining mixes all students and lecturers together.
• Competitive Tuition: HK $148,800.

 
Welcome from the Vice-Chancellor

Professor Pat Walsh MA Cant, PhD Minn Vice-Chancellor Victoria University of Wellington New Zealand

On behalf of Victoria University of Wellington, I would like to introduce you to the Victoria International MBA programme.  Its mission is to provide a quality education to business professionals, enabling advancement to leadership roles in society that foster growth and create high value-added.

This International MBA programme is designed to achieve a careful balance between intellectual rigour based on theoretical principles and practical application that recognises real-world experiences in the competitive environment of global business. To achieve this aim we have a dedicated staff of academic professionals, many of whom are “world-class” in academic reputation as researchers and teachers.

Our institution, Victoria University of Wellington, was established in 1899, more than one hundred years ago.  We have an international reputation for research and scholarship. Furthermore, our MBA programme is well established. In 2008 we celebrate its twenty-fourth anniversary.  We count amongst our MBA alumni, many business leaders, senior government officials and successful entrepreneurs, who are active not only in New Zealand, but across Australasia and beyond. 

I welcome your interest in the Victoria INTERNATIONAL MBA and am confident that your involvement will be a sound investment.

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Message from the IMBA Director

Dr Paul McDonald BEng (Civil) RMC, MBA Manit, PhD WOnt Victoria IMBA Director

Gaining an MBA will change your life.  It will open new doors of opportunity. It will give you increased professional confidence.  It will increase the value that you can add to present and future employers. It will empower you with new ideas and valuable information. Having had an MBA for more than twenty years, I speak from personal experience.

It gives me great pleasure to offer you the invitation to gain a quality overseas Masters qualification – the Victoria International MBA – while continuing to live and work in Hong Kong. A quality MBA education will not give you answers. The business world has become much too complex for standardised answers. But, it will teach you how to think.  It will teach you how to apply conceptual frameworks to address important business issues. Most importantly, it will enable you to come up with more answers, and more sophisticated answers, to complement your current intellect and practical business experience. I agree with the French philosopher Emile Cartier who said: “Nothing is more dangerous than an idea when it is the only one you have!”

Our aim in the International MBA programme is personal transformation based on the experience of stimulating lectures from leading Victoria University academics. Our programme is challenging, but the price will be well worth paying. We enable you to become knowledgeable across a wide-range of business functions. We provide networking opportunities and facilitate new friendships through class interaction. Further along in the programme, we offer interesting elective courses from which to choose based on your personal interest and learning goals. We teach you the skills and perspectives required for strategic management decision-making at senior levels.  In summary, we equip you with the skills and qualities you need to become a business leader within the global business context of our new millennium.

The Victoria International MBA is a valuable opportunity to build on your hard work having achieved a business diploma qualification.  In offering our programme in Hong Kong, we are indebted to our partners The Asia-Pacific Institute of Business (APIB) and The School of Continuing and Professional Studies (SCS) at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, who will be providing local administrative support and teaching facilities.

I invite you to join the 'Victoria International MBA' and welcome your enquires. Please feel free to contact me, either by email: paul.mcdonald@vuw.ac.nz or via telephone: (+ 64 4 463 5506).

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Overview

The Victoria International MBA programme, based on our very successful New Zealand MBA programme which has run for over 24 years, has been specifically designed for APIB and SCS diploma graduates. It recognises prior learning provided through the APIB and SCS Diploma programmes. It builds up from the APIB / SCS foundation in terms of strategic insight. Ultimately, it produces Masters Graduates with conceptual depth and the ability to integrate theory and practice over a wide range of managerial situations.

Completion of the degree requires 6Ps as follows:

• Part 1 - Six core courses;
• Part 2 - Four contemporary management courses;
• Part 3 - Four integrating perspectives courses;
• Part 4 - Two elective courses;
• Personal / Professional Development - an array of seminars and workshops;
• Pre-examination Tutorials

APIB / SCS graduates, dependent on the particulars of their course of study, will be allowed to cross-credit up to a maximum of 4 International MBA courses.

The mode of delivery is face-to-face lecture format by academic staff from Victoria University supported with a commitment to class discussion and debate.  All courses involve 24 hours teaching contact time (the same as New Zealand MBA programme).  Teaching interaction for each course will be organised over two visits to Hong Kong with an interim period of approximately four weeks for student assimilation and assignment preparation.  Distance technologies (email, Blackboard, etc.) will support the interim study period.  While the nature of this delivery mode will be demanding, it will enable students to gain an MBA from a quality overseas institution with minimal disruption to local work and family commitments. 

Students embarking on the Victoria International MBA programme of study will require four attributes:

• You will need a high level of personal commitment.  Given the mode of delivery, full attendance is a critical success factor. 
• You will require work experience in a relevant business setting.  Given the applied nature of the programme, contextual empathy is critical. 
• You will need strong communication skills in English, both oral and written.  Your ability to communicate must facilitate dealing with complexity and integrating concepts through class discussion and written work. 
• You will need to demonstrate academic competence.  Your ability to learn will be manifest by your standing in the APIB / SCS Diploma programmes, as well as prior undergraduate experience.
• In addition, Hong Kong Business Professionals who are not associated with APIB or SCS at CUHK are most welcome to apply for the Victoria International MBA programme.  Non-APIB/SCS applicants should have an undergraduate degree and a minimum of five years professional work experience.

“We will provide transforming and lifelong educational experiences to students from a wide variety of nationalities and backgrounds." Victoria University of Wellington Charter

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Course Descriptions

PART ONE: INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATIONS OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

IMBA 502 – International Business Law
Study of the implications of legal issues for international business organisations, including legal issues associated with corporate governance and commercial transactions. Examples will be drawn from legal regimes in the UK, USA, New Zealand and Hong Kong.

IMBA 503 – Economics, Global Organisations and International Markets
Conceptual appreciation of the economics literature in industry, organisation and applied microeconomics with emphasis on global organisations and international markets. Demonstration of how the economics literature can be used in thinking about a wide range of management issues.

IMBA 505 – Organisational Behaviour – Cross-Cultural Perspectives
Discussion of organisational behaviour and its relevance to effective management, including cross-cultural management issues. Specific topics include: individual, interpersonal and group performance; communication; leadership; organisational power and politics; design and structure; culture and change.

IMBA 507 – Information Systems within Global Networks
Examination of information technology as it applies to managers working within the environment of global business, including the management of data, information and knowledge. Includes the fundamentals of information technology, information systems types, as well as the uses and impact of information.

IMBA 508 – Multiple Perspectives in Management Decision-Making
Multiple-perspective approach to the framing and solution of management decisions, including cross-cultural considerations. Introduction to the role and impact of risk, uncertainty and ambiguity and the use and application of quantitative methods employed in managerial decision-making.

IMBA 509 – International Financial and Management Accounting
Conceptual understanding of accounting information: strengths and limitations, uses within international business organisations and in reporting to owners, and role in corporate governance. Focus on use and proper understanding of accounting information by managers and users outside the organisation.

 
PART TWO: MANAGEMENT ISSUES IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

IMBA 516 – Financial Management – An International Perspective
Theoretical explanation of the corporate finance literature from which a practical framework for managing in international business can be established. Includes an understanding of financial markets and financial institutions as well as coverage of the major functions of corporate finance.

IMBA 518 – Marketing Management in a Global Business Environment
Analysis of the marketing function within organisations competing to succeed in the environment of global business. Presents marketing processes in the context of key marketing management decisions in product and service policy, pricing, promotion and distribution.

IMBA 519 – Human Resource Management in International Business
Current issues in the management of human resources in international business organisations from a functional perspective. Topics include: job design, recruitment, selection and orientation, career management, development, managing performance and remuneration, health and safety, and employee retention, exit and retirement.

IMBA 520 – Operations Management for Global Competitive Advantage
Understand the major theories and concepts underlying the social science of operations management as it pertains to achieving global competitive advantage. Includes a toolbox of methods for measuring and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of organisational processes.

 
PART THREE: INTEGRATING PERSPECTIVES

IMBA 532 – Business Research Project
Consists of the supervised execution of an approved research paper or business topic. Participants study a topic of interest in depth, seeking to answer a research question using an appropriate design and methodology. The business topic option allows participants to negotiate access to a particular organisation and investigate an agreed topic or problem on its behalf. Project supervision will be provided, via distance education technology, by a member of academic staff teaching on the IMBA programme.

IMBA 534 – Strategic Management
Explores the strategic management paradigm from a variety of perspectives, including modernism and post-modernism. Draws from ongoing research to critique and extend the understanding of strategic issues facing the firm in light of projected environmental developments.

IMBA 560 – Leading Change
It is now widely recognised that the organisations that can quickly react and adapt with minimal disruption are the ones that will be most likely to survive and thrive in an increasingly globalized marketplace. Because of this, a proven capacity to lead change has become a crucial but frequently elusive competence for senior and middle managers to acquire and continually enhance. This course has been designed to develop that competence.

IMBA 565 – Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship will be studied in the form of the establishment of new independent businesses owned largely by those who manage them and the initiation of new enterprises having exceptional autonomy within larger organisations that finance and own them.

 
PART FOUR: ELECTIVE COURSES

IMBA 535 – Advanced Strategic Management
Relates knowledge in the functional areas of business and the behavioural sciences to the decision-making processes at the strategic management level. Policy formulation will be evaluated in a framework of the economic environment of the firm, its competitive market and product strategy, and its internal capabilities as a human and technological organisation.

IMBA 545 – Creative Leadership
Explores various facets of leadership to facilitate personal leadership development and insight. A creative exploration of the field of leadership emphasising an experiential, hands-on approach. Projects will involve introspection, personal challenge and reflective learning.

IMBA 549 – Systems Thinking and Creative Problem Solving
A systems approach provides a new way of looking at organisations and their management that encourages holistic thinking. It promotes learning organisations and enables managers to deal with the complexity of the tasks they face. Different aspects of systems thinking and different methodologies are taught individually and in combination.

IMBA 553 – Project Management
Theory and practice of the management of projects in organizations. Topics include: system development cycle; organizational and behavioural issues; systems and procedures for scheduling, resource allocation, control, and evaluation of projects.

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Teaching Staff

The Victoria International MBA draws on the expertise of more than 100 academic staff in the Faculty of Commerce and Administration.  Some of the staff contributing to the programme include:

	Professor John Brocklesby BA (Hons) Coventry, MSc (Econ) London, PhD Warwick Organisation theory, Systems methodologies
	Senior Lecturer Leslie Brown LL.B (Hons) Commercial law
	Professor Stephen Cummings BA (Hons) BCA, PhD Warwick Strategic management
	Associate Professor Urs Daellenbach BSc (Hons) Cant, PhD Purdue Strategic management
	Professor John Davies BSc (Hons) Wales, MA Lancaster Decision-making, Problem framing
	Senior Lecturer Palitha De Silva LL.B Sri Lanka, LL.M Monash Commercial law
	Mr Richard Meade BCA, BSc, BSc (Hons, First Class) Corporate finance
	Dr Arun Elias BTech, MSc Allahabad, MTech Ind Inst Tech, PhD Victoria Operations management
	Associate Professor Dai Gilbertson, JP BCom (Hons) Otago, MS Mississippi State, PhD, MIPMNZ, ANZIM Managing change and development in organisations, Innovation, Management consultancy
	Dr Beverley Hope BS, MBA Kansas, PhD Hawaii, Dip Tchg Information systems
	Dr Todd Bridgman BA/BCom Auckland, MCom (Hons) Auckland, PhD Cambridge Organisational behaviour and change
	Dr Paul McDonald BEng RMC, MBA Manitoba, PhD Western Ontario Organisational behaviour
	Mr Geoff Summers MBA(Distn.), MBS(Distn.), FNZIM, FHRINZ Human resources management
	Professor Brenda Porter BSc (Hons) Hull, BBS, PhD Massey, PGEdCert Bristol, FCA CA (Scot), FCIS Financial and managerial accounting
	Dr Jim Richard BSc (Hons) Trent, MBA Western Ontario Marketing management
	Dr Ofer Zwikael BSc Ben Gurion, MBA, PhD Tel Aviv, PMP Project management
	Professor Mark Ahn BA, MBA Chaminade PhD South Australia Leadership and organisational change Technology-based entrepreneurship
	Professor Neil Quigley BA, MBA Canterbury, PhD Toronto Money and finance, industrial organisation, competition, organisation of financial markets

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Admission Criteria ( IMBA Entry Paths Diagram)

The number of places on the Victoria International MBA programme each intake is limited, so great care is taken to ensure those admitted will be able to successfully complete the programme.  When considering applications, the International MBA Admissions Committee looks for:

INTERNATIONAL MBA ENTRY PATH ONE: APIB / SCS EXECUTIVE AND GRADUATE DIPLOMA GRADUATES *

• Completion of APIB Executive or Graduate Diploma / SCS Diploma in good standing and an undergraduate degree from an accredited university.
• On occasion, applicants without a first degree but with high achievement and a track record of success in the APIB Executive or Graduate Diploma / SCS Diploma programme will be considered.
• A demonstrated, successful professional experience of at least 5 years.
• A high level of motivation and commitment indicated by:
  • Being prepared to commit ample time to the programme and attend all lectures.
  • Clearly understanding how the International MBA would fit into personal career development.
• Leadership potential in management indicated by having:
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• A high degree of self-confidence and independent thinking.               
• A strong need for achievement combined with flexibility and adaptability.
• A willingness to participate in class discussions.
• Account will be taken of applicants’ overall achievement, professional experience, undergraduate records, referee reports, and areas of strength.

INTERNATIONAL MBA ENTRY PATH TWO: APIB / SCS DIPLOMA GRADUATES *

• Completion of APIB Diploma in good standing and an undergraduate degree from an accredited university.
• On occasion, applicants without a first degree but with high achievement and a track record of success in the APIB Diploma Programme will be considered.
• A demonstrated, successful professional experience of at least 5 years.
• A high level of motivation and commitment indicated by:
  • Being prepared to commit ample time to the programme and attend all lectures.
  • Clearly understanding how the International MBA would fit into personal career development.
• Leadership potential in management indicated by having:
  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
  • A high degree of self-confidence and independent thinking.               
  • A strong need for achievement combined with flexibility and adaptability.
  • A willingness to participate in class discussions.
• Account will be taken of applicants’ overall achievement, professional experience, undergraduate records, referee reports, and areas of strength.

INTERNATIONAL MBA ENTRY PATH THREE: EXTERNAL (NON-APIB / SCS) APPLICANTS *

• Completion of an undergraduate degree in good standing from an accredited university.
• A demonstrated, successful professional experience of at least 5 years.
• A high level of motivation and commitment indicated by:
• Being prepared to commit ample time to the programme and attend all lectures.
• Clearly understanding how the International MBA would fit into personal career development.
• Leadership potential in management:
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• A high degree of self-confidence and independent thinking.               
• A strong need for achievement combined with flexibility and adaptability.
• A willingness to participate in class discussions.
• Account will be taken of applicants’ overall achievement, professional experience, undergraduate records, referee reports, and areas of strength.

* For all routes, GMAT and TOEFL / IELTS scores may be required at the discretion of the IMBA Director.

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Application

An application zip package is available here. You may also download all application documents by clicking the following links:

1. IMBA Brochure 2008/10
2. Invitation Letter from Program Director
3. Application Form
4. Confidential Recommendation Form (Two recommendations are required.)
5. Scholarship Information Sheet and Application Form
6. Application Checklist
7. APIB / SCS Programmes Cross-Credit Schedule
8. Fee Schedule
9. IMBA Launch 2008 Powerpoint Presentation
10. Newsclippings

Please send your application package to:

APIB Alumni Association
The Asia-Pacific Institute of Business
2/F, Academic Building No. 1
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong

When your documentation is complete and your recommendation forms / letters have been received, your application will be considered by the IMBA Director.  Successful applicants will be notified after receipt and consideration of a fully complete application IMBA Programme Fees.

Application closing date: September 15, 2008
[please approach Mr. Jeremy Cheng at 3163-4387 if you fail to meet this date for special reasons.]

Committed class commencement: October 12, 2008

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Fee Schedule

Application Fee
A non-refundable application fee of HK$200 is due with submission of your application.

Programme Tuition Fee
The total tuition fee for this International MBA programme is HK$148,800.  The fee is to be paid in four equal installments of HK$37,200.  All students are required to pay the full fee regardless of subsequent cross-credit provisions.

CEF Reimbursement 
IMBA509 and IMBA516 have been included in the list of reimbursable courses for Continuing Education Fund (CEF) purposes.  Eligible applicants should enrol in and have passed both courses.  The maximum reimbursement amount is HK$10,000.  Please consult CEF Office at (852) 3142-2277 or http://www.sfaa.gov.hk/cef/cnapply.htm for enquiries.

Fee Payment
Payment will be made in HK$ by crossed cheque payable to APIB Alumni Association-CUHK.  Enrolment for each module will only be confirmed upon receipt of payment.

Withdrawals and Refunds
A full waiver of course fees will be granted only if you apply in writing within 4 weeks of the start date of the programme.  Waiver of fees will be granted outside this period only under exceptional circumstances.  Please refer to section 4.12 (c) of the Victoria University Fees Statute (http://www.victoria.ac.nz/home/about/policy/academic.aspx).  Non-payment of fees, ceasing to attend or verbally advising a VUW staff member or APIB administrative staff will not be accepted as notice of withdrawal.  Except where directly specified within this Schedule all provisions of the Victoria University of Wellington Fees Statute apply.

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Class Schedule

Classes will be scheduled on Saturdays and Sundays, usually every second weekend, avoiding public and national holidays when possible.   Typically the programme will run for 24 months.

* Complimentary communal meals will be provided for dinners on Saturdays and lunches on Sundays.

To graduate with the Victoria International MBA, students are required:

1. to complete, with a passing grade (C), all 16 papers comprising the curriculum, or to have received cross-credits to offset required papers;
2. to maintain a strong class attendance record;
3. to participate constructively in IMBA study group activities and group project assignments; and
4. not to engage in plagiarism or other negative behaviours such as copying from other individual assignments as defined under the VUW Code of Student Conduct.

It is important to note that any student who fails two or more courses during the programme cycle will only be allowed to continue with the written permission of the IMBA Director.  Permission in such cases will not be extended to students who have exhibited low commitment to the IMBA programme as evidenced by class attendance records and the quality of assessed work.  Students denied permission to continue will be required to immediately withdraw from the IMBA programme.

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New Zealand Study Tour

A highlight of the Victoria International MBA will be a one-week New Zealand Study Tour to be organised about the mid-point of the IMBA programme cycle. Students will have the opportunity to visit New Zealand including corporate tours at leading NZ corporations, visits to tourist and cultural attractions, as well as the opportunity to meet our New Zealand MBA students and visit Victoria University of Wellington.

Details of our 2007 IMBA Study Tour can be found on the IMBA Website:
www.vuw.ac.nz/vms/imba

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Professional Recognitions

	Our IMBA has been granted a program accreditation from the Association of MBAs(www.mbaworld.com) – an international authority to audit quality of MBA programmes.  This puts us in a select group of 152 business schools worldwide with this accreditation.  For the strategic importance of AMBA accreditation, please click here.
	The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants(ACCA) has exempted our graduates (2008/10) from 5 papers:  F1 Accounting in Business F2 Management Accounting F3 Financial Accounting F4 Business Law F9 Corporate Finance
	The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) has exempted our graduates from: C1 Fundamentals of Management Accounting  C2 Fundamentals of Financial Accounting C3 Fundamentals of Business Mathematics C4 Fundamentals of Business Economics C5 Fundamentals of Ethics, Corporate Governance and Business Law P4 Organisational Management and Information Systems

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Contact Details

The APIB Alumni Association:
Mr. Jeremy Cheng / Mr. Eric Yu / Ms. Lorinda Leung
APIB Alumni Association
The Asia-Pacific Institute of Business
2/F, Academic Building No. 1
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong

Telephone: (852) 3163-4387 / (852) 2609-8772 / (852) 2609-7423
Facsimile:  (852) 2603-5136
Email: apib@cuhk.edu.hk

Academic enquiries with IMBA Program Director:
Dr. Paul McDonald
Victoria Management School
P O Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand
Telephone: +64 4 463 5506
Facsimile: +64 4 463 5084
Email: paul.mcdonald@vuw.ac.nz

VUW website: www.vuw.ac.nz/vms/imba

Note 1: The International Master of Business Administration, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, is an exempted course under Section 8 of the Non-local Higher and Professional Education (Regulation) Ordinance, Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Reference No: 441124).  It is a matter of discretion for individual employers to recognise any qualification to which this course may lead.

Note 2: Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, reserves the right to not offer the International Master of Business Administration programme in Hong Kong in the event of insufficient student enrolments.

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