How is the MSc structured?

Structure of the MSc in people and organisational development

What does working in a set involve?

The learning set is a vital component of the programme.  You will be working in a set of up to six people plus a Set Adviser – a member of Roffey Park’s faculty. Normally, you stay in the same set over the whole of the programme. The set meets monthly at a venue agreed by the set. The set’s role is to provide a forum for support or challenge where set members:

• agree standards.
• discuss and agree their learning objectives.
• assess each others work.
• explore issues around their learning, both in terms of content, and the experience of working together.

What happens at residentials?

In the initial residential you will spend some time building a learning community, learning about the study and thinking skills needed for the programme and starting to map the filed of personal and organisational development. Subsequent residentials are jointly planned with participants on the programme. They provide a mix of expert speakers, both practitioners and academics. We encourage creativity in designing the residential. There is also opportunity for discussion and learning from the process of being in a learning community.

What work will I have to produce?

Over the 2 years you will produce a comprehensive and varied portfolio of work covering both the theory and practice of personal and organisational development.

How will my work be assessed?

There are no written exams. However all your work will be peer reviewed in your set to make sure it is of masters standards. The set acts as the internal ‘examiners’ for the programme. This is no soft option. It is a challenging process that means that by the end of the programme you will have developed excellent feedback and assessment skills.

What does masters standards mean?

This will be something you will discuss and clarify in your set. It means that your work will demonstrate an ability to critically reflect

• on different theories and concept.
• on your own practice and the assumptions that underpin it.
• different methodologies and ways of data collection.
• the wider organisational and societal context within which personal and organisational development is carried out.

What is the time commitment?

Over the two years there are 5 residentials at Roffey Park, totalling 18 days, in blocks of 3 and 4 days. You will also attend 10 x 1 day set meetings each year of the programme at a venue agreed by the set. In addition you will need to commit study time to complete your assignments and review those of your set members. It is a significant commitment overall, especially as most participants continue to work full –time.

What does self-managed learning involve?

There are several components to self-managed learning. In the context of the MSc this various involves stages including the position paper, mapping the field, your individual syllabus (seminar paper, skills development, research assignment and dissertation) and the linking document.

The other key components of self-managed learning and MSc are the processes and  learning sets and community of which you are part. You will be actively involved in designing your own residentials for MSc cohort of which you are a member, you will be involved in agreeing standards, planning, assessing and critiquing your own and others’ work.

How will my work be assessed?

There are no written exams. However all your work will be peer reviewed in your learning set to make sure it is master’s standard. This is no soft option. It is a challenging process that means that by the end of the programme you will have developed excellent feedback and assesment skills.

External examiners read a selection of final portfolio of work and the quality and rigour of the assessment process.