Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration
Build a connected understanding of business functions at postgraduate level.
About the course
Build a connected understanding of business functions at postgraduate level. You will practise analysing management problems and explaining how strategic, financial and people decisions influence organisational performance.
What you'll learn
Analyse a business problem across functional boundaries.
Interpret financial evidence for a management decision.
Evaluate options for marketing, people or operational improvement.
Apply governance and ethical reasoning to a case.
Present an integrated recommendation with measurable actions.
Requirements
Prepare with a relevant degree or approved equivalent and the ability to read research critically. BMIT must confirm admission, recognition of prior learning and any professional prerequisites.
Course content
The complete subject sequence below moves from foundations to specialist application. Stages show learning progression. Practical work and the final project draw together the subjects studied.
2 learning stages 11 subjects
1Stage 1: Foundations5 subjects
Subjects in this programme
The complete subject sequence below moves from foundations to specialist application. Stages show learning progression. Practical work and the final project draw together the subjects studied.
11 subjects are listed below with a short description of each. The Subject descriptions tab contains the learning outcomes, topics, practical tasks and assessments.
Stage 1: Foundations
- Managing Organisational Performance. Bring planning, leadership, organising and control into a coherent management approach. You will diagnose performance problems, compare response options and connect operational measures to organisational objectives. Cases develop judgement about resource allocation, accountability and the consequences of management decisions.
- Financial Management. Use financial information to support investment and financing decisions. You will evaluate cash flows, estimate funding needs and compare sources of finance. Decisions are examined alongside uncertainty, timing and organisational objectives, with clear separation between calculated results and management judgement.
- Marketing Foundations. Understand how organisations identify customers and design an offer suited to their needs. You will distinguish segmentation, targeting and positioning, then connect product, price, distribution and communication decisions. Cases include small enterprises, public services and regional consumer markets.
- People Management for Line Managers. Manage everyday employment responsibilities using fair, documented processes. You will plan staffing, define work expectations and respond to performance and relationship problems. Activities connect operational needs with employee development, wellbeing and the proper referral of complex employment matters.
- Organisational Behaviour. Study how individuals and groups behave at work. You will examine motivation, team relationships and organisational culture, then apply these ideas to practical workplace problems. The module treats behaviour as context dependent and asks you to distinguish observation from unsupported assumptions.
Stage 2: Core subjects
- Operations Management. Study how organisations transform resources into goods and services. You will analyse demand, capacity and workflow, then propose improvements using operational evidence. Examples from production and service settings help connect efficiency with quality, delivery reliability and safe working conditions.
- Strategic Analysis and Planning. Examine an organisation's position and develop a defensible strategic direction. You will connect industry conditions, organisational capabilities and stakeholder expectations, then compare options against explicit criteria. The module emphasises evidence, assumptions and choices rather than an uncritical use of planning frameworks.
- Leadership and Organisational Change. Compare approaches to leadership and examine how change affects people and work. You will practise diagnosing resistance, communicating a credible direction and distributing responsibility. Cases address leadership across hierarchy, culture and professional roles, with attention to power and ethical conduct.
- Management Analytics. Develop analytical evidence for complex management decisions. You will frame questions, assess data quality and compare modelling approaches before interpreting outputs. The module emphasises reproducible reasoning, appropriate visualisation and the limits of prediction when decisions involve changing behaviour, incomplete information and uncertain operating conditions.
- Research Methods and Evidence Analysis. Plan an enquiry suited to a specific social or organisational question. You will compare qualitative and quantitative approaches, prepare ethical data collection and assess evidence quality. The module connects research questions to sampling, analysis and clear reporting of uncertainty and limitations.
- Integrated Business Research Project. Investigate a defined business problem by combining knowledge from several management subjects. You will frame a useful question, gather appropriate evidence and compare feasible responses. The final report explains the recommendation, implementation implications and limitations of the enquiry rather than claiming certainty.
Assessment and practical learning
- Analytical case tasks and business calculations.
- Collaborative management exercises with individual reflection.
- An integrated business-improvement report.
Practical application
Prepare a proposed management portfolio addressing one organisation case across finance, customers, people and operations. Explain connections between recommendations and identify information needed before implementation.
Subject descriptions
Select a subject to read its learning outcomes, main topics, practical task and assessment.
Stage 1: Foundations
Managing Organisational Performance
Bring planning, leadership, organising and control into a coherent management approach. You will diagnose performance problems, compare response options and connect operational measures to organisational objectives. Cases develop judgement about resource allocation, accountability and the consequences of management decisions.
Learning outcomes
- Diagnose a performance problem
- Compare management alternatives
- Design a review process
Main topics
- Management systems
- Problem diagnosis
- Decision models
- Resource allocation
- Performance information
- Management review
Practical task
Produce a management review with prioritised actions and measurable follow-up.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Financial Management
Use financial information to support investment and financing decisions. You will evaluate cash flows, estimate funding needs and compare sources of finance. Decisions are examined alongside uncertainty, timing and organisational objectives, with clear separation between calculated results and management judgement.
Learning outcomes
- Appraise an investment
- Estimate financing requirements
- Interpret financial performance ratios
Main topics
- Time value of money
- Cash-flow estimation
- Investment appraisal
- Cost of capital
- Financing choices
- Financial ratios
Practical task
Prepare a funding and investment recommendation with sensitivity calculations.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Marketing Foundations
Understand how organisations identify customers and design an offer suited to their needs. You will distinguish segmentation, targeting and positioning, then connect product, price, distribution and communication decisions. Cases include small enterprises, public services and regional consumer markets.
Learning outcomes
- Identify a customer segment
- Develop a positioning statement
- Prepare a basic marketing plan
Main topics
- Customer needs
- Segmentation
- Targeting
- Positioning
- Marketing mix
- Marketing planning
Practical task
Design a marketing plan for a locally relevant product or service.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
People Management for Line Managers
Manage everyday employment responsibilities using fair, documented processes. You will plan staffing, define work expectations and respond to performance and relationship problems. Activities connect operational needs with employee development, wellbeing and the proper referral of complex employment matters.
Learning outcomes
- Draft a role description
- Conduct structured performance feedback
- Plan a staff development response
Main topics
- Workforce needs
- Job descriptions
- Recruitment participation
- Performance feedback
- Development planning
- Employee relations
Practical task
Compile a line manager's staffing and performance improvement file.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Organisational Behaviour
Study how individuals and groups behave at work. You will examine motivation, team relationships and organisational culture, then apply these ideas to practical workplace problems. The module treats behaviour as context dependent and asks you to distinguish observation from unsupported assumptions.
Learning outcomes
- Analyse a team problem
- Compare explanations of motivation
- Recommend a context-sensitive intervention
Main topics
- Individual differences
- Motivation
- Group dynamics
- Culture
- Communication and conflict
- Organisational change
Practical task
Prepare a team improvement proposal from a supplied workplace case.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Stage 2: Core subjects
Operations Management
Study how organisations transform resources into goods and services. You will analyse demand, capacity and workflow, then propose improvements using operational evidence. Examples from production and service settings help connect efficiency with quality, delivery reliability and safe working conditions.
Learning outcomes
- Map an operating process
- Calculate capacity requirements
- Recommend a measured process improvement
Main topics
- Process design
- Capacity
- Forecasting
- Scheduling
- Inventory
- Quality improvement
Practical task
Analyse a process bottleneck and prepare a practical improvement plan.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Strategic Analysis and Planning
Examine an organisation's position and develop a defensible strategic direction. You will connect industry conditions, organisational capabilities and stakeholder expectations, then compare options against explicit criteria. The module emphasises evidence, assumptions and choices rather than an uncritical use of planning frameworks.
Learning outcomes
- Analyse a strategic position
- Compare strategic alternatives
- Formulate measurable objectives
Main topics
- Industry analysis
- Capabilities
- Stakeholder expectations
- Competitive positioning
- Strategic options
- Strategic objectives
Practical task
Prepare a strategy proposal for an organisation using a supplied evidence pack.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Leadership and Organisational Change
Compare approaches to leadership and examine how change affects people and work. You will practise diagnosing resistance, communicating a credible direction and distributing responsibility. Cases address leadership across hierarchy, culture and professional roles, with attention to power and ethical conduct.
Learning outcomes
- Compare leadership approaches
- Analyse resistance to change
- Design a participatory change plan
Main topics
- Leadership theories
- Power and influence
- Change diagnosis
- Communication
- Participation
- Change evaluation
Practical task
Develop and present a change proposal with stakeholder responses and review measures.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Management Analytics
Develop analytical evidence for complex management decisions. You will frame questions, assess data quality and compare modelling approaches before interpreting outputs. The module emphasises reproducible reasoning, appropriate visualisation and the limits of prediction when decisions involve changing behaviour, incomplete information and uncertain operating conditions.
Learning outcomes
- Frame an analytical decision
- Compare model results
- Communicate uncertainty to managers
Main topics
- Decision framing
- Data quality
- Predictive models
- Scenario analysis
- Visualisation
- Model limitations
Practical task
Produce an analytical management report and a reproducible decision-support model.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Research Methods and Evidence Analysis
Plan an enquiry suited to a specific social or organisational question. You will compare qualitative and quantitative approaches, prepare ethical data collection and assess evidence quality. The module connects research questions to sampling, analysis and clear reporting of uncertainty and limitations.
Learning outcomes
- Formulate a research question
- Select a defensible research design
- Prepare an ethical data collection plan
Main topics
- Research questions
- Literature review
- Design choices
- Sampling
- Ethics
- Data analysis
Practical task
Submit a research proposal, instruments and a worked analysis of a pilot dataset.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Integrated Business Research Project
Investigate a defined business problem by combining knowledge from several management subjects. You will frame a useful question, gather appropriate evidence and compare feasible responses. The final report explains the recommendation, implementation implications and limitations of the enquiry rather than claiming certainty.
Learning outcomes
- Frame a researchable business problem
- Analyse relevant evidence
- Defend a feasible recommendation
Main topics
- Problem definition
- Research ethics
- Evidence collection
- Analysis
- Recommendations
- Implementation evaluation
Practical task
Complete an individual business investigation and present the resulting improvement proposal.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Instructors
