This is a one-semester programme aimed primarily at international students who subsequently plan to join a Masters programme at the University of East London or other UK institution who do not meet the entry criteria for those programmes. The aims of the programme are:

• To prepare  graduates who do not meet the admissions requirements for direct entry to be able to study at Masters level on business/management or related programmes
• To develop participants' language, critical thinking and analytical skills to enable them to successfully complete postgraduate study.
• To prepare students without an Honours degree but with alternative qualifications and relevant work experience for Master's level study
• To be a programme for any student who meets the entry criteria for a Master's but wishes to take the Graduate Certificate (Pre-Masters) as a preparatory course for study in a UK university

The programme will consist of three new 20-credit taught modules. Outline modular content is given in Table 1 for a more complete overview of the programme.

• Business English
• Study Skills for Business
• Contemporary Business and Management

This programme acts primarily as a bridge programme for our Business Masters provision, targeted for you if you do not meet the current entry criteria for those programmes. The Business School offers a portfolio of Masters programmes, all including study of the internationalisation of business, such as our MSc in International Marketing Management, MSc in International Business and Management, and the MA in International Human Resource Management.

This bespoke programme is specially designed to offer the best possible preparation in order to progress onto these masters programmes. The structure has been specifically designed to allow the integration of the Business English, Study Skills for Business and Contemporary Business and Management modules. This structure allows you to maximise your learning experience across the whole programme. A further advantage is that the Business English and Study Skills modules provide double the teaching hours of most standard modules, totalling 144 hours over the Semester. This is to give you the opportunity to improve your Business English and study skills and comfortably reach the levels required for Masters study. We draw upon a fund of well established expertise in international business management from our academic staff in both the Business School and our Cass School of Education.

This programme is delivered at our newly opened, award winning, Docklands campus, whose learning facilities have been rated amongst the best in London. The programme has built in flexibility, as there is a choice of start dates each academic year.

You can apply for this programme if you:

• have a   third class degree, or equivalent, in virtually any discipline
• have a 3-year Diploma in a business related area from a recognised university or college  with some relevant work experience for Master's level study, which could include experience gained from part-time work or from a placement/internship
• students who have successfully completed a non-Hons degree overseas
• meet the entry criteria for a Master's (see table below) but wish to take the Graduate Certificate (Pre-Masters) as a preparatory course for study in a UK university

Applicants will also require a recognised English language qualification  with5.5 in IELTS overall with a minimum of 5.5 in writing and speaking or its equivalent level English language qualification.  
If you have other qualifications, your application will be considered on its individual merits. Students with an IELTS score - or equivalent - lower than 5.5 may  be able to attend a pre-sessional English course before beginning the programme.
All of your international qualifications will be checked for appropriate matriculation to UK Higher Education postgraduate programmes.
Admission requirements for direct entry onto our Business Masters programmes are as follows:
(A good degree = UK Hons 2:2 or equivalent)

Please note that the entry requirements for the MBA programmes are significantly different from the other MA and MSc programmes. Candidates who follow the Graduate Certificate in Business (Pre-Masters) would not automatically qualify for entry onto the MBA programmes unless they fulfilled the entry requirements detailed in the above table. The English language entry requirement for the MBA is IELTS 6.5 or equivalent. If you wish to apply for the MBA, the English Language Centre will test your English, free of charge, following your Graduate Certificate (Pre-Masters) programme.

This full-time programme will last for one semester and consists of three 20-credit taught modules, in line with UEL's Academic Framework. There are three semesters in each academic year, beginning in September, February and June.

All the modules are compulsory and will be delivered in the following way:

The programme is designed so that you come to understand the integrated nature of business activity and functions, beginning with an analysis of the international business context and the managerial skills required to operate effectively within it.

The programme has been designed to be fully integrative. You are encouraged to view the modules not in isolation but to see the skills within and content of all 3 modules as interlinked. This is achieved through topics of study in the Contemporary Business and Management module informing and providing a focus for the language and skills provision in the other modules.

Upon successful completion of the programme, you will have reached the required IELTS, or equivalent, level English language skills to obtain entry onto a Masters programme. You will also have gained an appreciation of the context and practice of business and have developed the necessary study skills needed to pursue a Masters degree.

The programme is taught at the Business School, a new purpose-built facility in Docklands. The Business School is one of the largest schools at the University of East London, with over 2,000 students on campus, taught by some 60 academic staff. The University of East London itself is a diverse academic community with students from over 100 different countries.

There is a very high investment in appropriate technology and the Business School has extensive computing facilities.

The learning environment sets out to promote active and reflective learning by participants, with extensive scope for group work and problem-based learning, using case studies and analyses. This is achieved through four main forms of learning and study.

1. Lectures - which set the context for learning, introduce themes, and structure regular reading. The aim is an interactive experience in which programme participants can draw on - and challenge - module tutors.
2. Seminars and workshops - which offer scope for exploring case studies, group work in preparing presentations, and exploring the main academic literature of the disciplines.
3. Self-directed learning - based on a framework provided for each module, involving structured reading and problem-solving.
4. A Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) - your independent study is supported through the use of UEL Plus, which is our online learning tool.

There is a range of assessment methods on the programme. Each module is assessed separately, using different mixes of assessment - such as coursework assignments, a learning journal, group presentations and reports, and exams. The aim is to assess a range of skills.

Assessment takes place during the semester in which the module is taught, and, as a rule, there are three assessment tasks in each taught module.

Our programmes adhere strictly to the University regulations on assessment, designed to ensure fairness and maintain the quality of our awards. All work for assessment is internally moderated and monitored by external examiners.

Students who are unsuccessful at their first attempt will be allowed to retake the relevant assessment at the next available opportunity. This is usually the following Semester.

The learning outcomes of this programme reflect the approach taken by the UK Quality Assurance Agency in its guidelines for Level 3, pre-masters programmes in business and management. Pre-Masters programmes add value to first degrees by enabling individuals to develop in three ways that are central to a career in a commercial business or international organisation.

• Firstly, they develop an integrated understanding of the field: that is, they enable you to see business in its context, and in its relationship to other central dimensions of business life.
• Secondly, they require participants to become critically aware in their engagement with the subject; that is, they enable you to assess evidence for and against a point of view, to challenge the presuppositions of a theory, and to be equipped to engage in research to corroborate or refute an argument.
• Thirdly, you will develop a skill-set relevant to Masters level study, including recognised managerial competencies and the capacity to undertake both ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ analysis. Cross-cultural sensitivity will enable their application of these skills in multi-national and multi-cultural environment

These skills are central in fostering the mature, positive, yet critical approach which organisations need if they are to develop and thrive in a complex and rapidly changing economic, business and political context.

International students on this programme will be able to attend a comprehensive induction programme run by the International Office as well as the Pre-Masters programme induction. Furthermore, you will be invited to take advantage of day trips around the UK and various other social activities.

This programme provides the skills and knowledge to enable you to progress onto programmes of Postgraduate study and provides direct access to many of the Masters programmes in the Business School.

Graduates from the programme can be expected to progress to the Masters programmes.

Our graduates will be helped in their career progression as international managers and provided with a rich foundation for the development of their managerial and leadership competencies in the future.

The programme aims to provide consistent and continuing support for you through staff involved in teaching, administration and programme management. A key contact point is the Business School Helpdesk, which can help with a range of enquiries. Academic support will be provided by module leaders and the programme leader

In general support is provided through,

• a programme leader, who will normally be your personal tutor
• accessible and supportive module tutors
• student support centre with dedicated staff
• UEL's Student Services team of experts
• induction process that aims to develop key skills for UK study
• an ongoing parallel support programme of English language and study skills
• an on-line facility for learning skills
• large learning resource facility with on-line databases
• self-study areas

You will benefit from our modern Business School building and Learning Resources Centre at our Docklands campus, which is within easy reach of the City of London and very close to the rapidly developing financial centre of Canary Wharf. The campus and UEL are also at the heart of a vibrant and growing area preparing for the 2012 Olympics.