The assessment strategy for this course is designed in a way that will contribute to student development and will help you achieve your goals and enhance your employability. An essential element of this process is that feedback will be provided in due time so it is integrated in the learning process. When group work is required, the marks given will be individual following the University of Bedfordshire's regulatory scheme.

The different kinds of assessment are listed below, and in some cases they will be used in combination making sure, however, that there are no hidden tasks. In addition to the assessment strategies followed in each unit, your knowledge and skills will be also formatively assessed through problem solving sessions or case study discussions in order to ensure that development of your comprehension of the underlying concepts is appropriate to the level of studies and continuously supports your overall achievement. A full list of how each unit will be assessed is presented in the Course Specifications. Please refer to the relevant section of this form regarding academic integrity.

The underpinning philosophy of all assessments is to develop both your knowledge and skills to enter employment as a confident manager with a strong base from which to meet your own aspirations. This requires consideration of your own personal capabilities as well as looking outward at the business world. The aim is for you to become an independent and self-directed lifelong learner. Apart from the formal assessments, there will be an emphasis on self peer and group assessment. Tutors will provide feedback on formative assessments to support your development of good academic practice. All assessments are rooted in authentic and practical workplace scenarios to enable the integration of theory and practice in dynamic real-world work contexts. Exams are kept to a minimum.

To facilitate learning for all students, a range of assessment methods are used throughout the course including:

• Business Reports to demonstrate contextual insight and professional practice;
• Project Plans to demonstrate project planning skills;
• Seminar Papers to develop critical analysis skills;
• In-class tests of your knowledge of core concepts in context;
• Project Report integrates learning throughout the course independently applied in practice;
• Live Case Studies where you demonstrate the impact of your strategic decision making
• Research Dissertation.

Each block of study has 2 assessment points; the first assessment submission deadline is in week 3 of the block and the second in week 6. Assessments focus primarily on critical discussion of theory and its application in current practice and are designed to provide reassurance of guaranteed student authorship and a true measure of your ability and understanding. The PPP unit requires reflection on performance to date with a focus on action planning for enhanced performance in both forthcoming assessments and personal development. The Business Placement Dissertation Unit is completed once the academic taught studies have been successfully submitted assessed and moderated in accordance with the University Regulations.

Placement Experience: To qualify for the award designation 'with Placement' your Course Co-ordinator will be required to verify that the activities, hours and learning requirements as specified by the Business Placement Dissertation unit have been fully completed. The focus is on the impact of management education to management practice and later assessments require greater complexity and integration through independent study to support your successful transition into work. This is exemplified by two units at the dissertation stage: Management Practice (for Placement) and the MBA Business Dissertation on placement. These help you to consider your personal and professional development and the complexity of applying management education in practice once in employment.