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SCMP Reporter

Interaction is a strong point in the Henley course

Henley Management College has been providing postgraduate education to business executives since 1945, and  considers itself a leader in  executive development and MBAs.

Henley was the first business school in Britain and has enjoyed high rankings as a provider of executive education.

Last year, the Financial Times ranked the college among the top 30 business schools worldwide and the top three in  Britain.

In Hong Kong, Henley focuses on distance-learning programmes and has offered an MBA through this  mode since 1986. It also works with numerous corporations to design and manage tailored programmes to meet the identified needs of those companies.

While the MBA is a distance-learning programme, Henley strongly believes in face-to-face interaction with tutors and fellow students.

At the beginning of each  programme, students are required to attend a starter workshop to evaluate their  development needs and learning plans, as well as to form local study groups.

Operations manager Veronica Chan Yuk-mei  says the study groups are valuable opportunities for distance learners to meet and share experiences.

'The companionship and support of fellow students and expert faculty members  motivate distance learners to complete the course in  a reasonable time period,' Ms Chan says.

The course has three structures - foundations of management, managing financial resources, and strategy direction and business transformation.

Students are required to take  exams and complete a dissertation.

Henley believes its programme gives students true career benefits  and encourages them to integrate their studies with their career.

To complete the programme in a two to three-year timeframe, students should devote about 10 hours a week to studies.

The programme provides additional support  to students by way of a library, Internet access, alumni events and Henley staff.

Ms Chan says the needs of distance-learning students have  evolved with changes in the local community  and in technology. She says students no longer seek a course that offers primarily management knowledge.

The programme offers quality and in turn expects quality in the participants.

Prospective students should note that the programme calls for interaction between students and tutors, the application of knowledge to practice and networking capability.

Henley's MBA in project management is an example of a response to changing needs.

The school has been offering the course for several years.

'More and more organisations are adopting a project-orientated approach to management, especially in the construction and information technology sectors and financial, law and consultancy services sectors,' Ms Chan says.



Study groups help motivate and offer mutual support