British business schools are developing courses and qualifications, research projects and educational experience itself, which are specifically designed for the global economy and workplace.
Many international students are initially rather confused at the UK system of postgraduate study. This is perfectly understandable and you shouldn’t be worried about it. There is a reason why British postgraduate degrees are held in such high esteem the world over.

Each university and business school is slightly different, so this article just functions as a general introduction to the layout of an MBA course or similar Masters-level degree in the UK such as an MSc or MA.

Components of a taught course
Perhaps the title "taught course" is rather deceptive. British taught Masters courses are normally a combination of university teaching and independent study, as follows:
- lectures and classes, split into different teaching modules or units
- supervised essays, based on these teaching modules
- independent research, culminating in a dissertation.

The course will normally be examined by module-specific supervised essays, each of a few thousand words, and by a significant dissertation - explained below (depending on your university regulations, this is normally between 10,000 and 12,000 words). Some courses also include a set of exams to test how well you know specific course material. Exam questions may be shorter, or may be primarily essay questions, again depending on your particular institution. Individual classes may also require you to do presentations (sometimes working with other students to produce them), which may or may not be assessed.

The Modules
Modules / units are designed to focus on specific areas of your wider subject. Your MBA course may well consist of a combination of compulsory modules and optional modules, giving you some leeway to direct your own study.

The teaching of Module subjects will largely be lecture or class based, but you will also be expected to conduct your own supplementary independent reading on the topic, especially when you are doing a presentation or writing your essay. It is generally not deemed acceptable in your essays just to repeat what you have heard in lectures and classes. In postgraduate study, you are expected to have and to express your own thoughts and ideas, and show that you can base them on your own independent study. You will normally be allocated a supervisor for each of your essays, and they will be able to help guide you through the process.

The Dissertation
For many Master’s students, the dissertation may be the largest single document they have ever had to write. Universities and business schools will help guide you through the principles of writing a dissertation. A supervisor, probably a university academic, will most likely be on hand to help you and be a sounding board for your fledgling ideas.
Depending on your institution, you may be asked to come up with a topic that interests you, or there may be a group of topics to choose from.
You are normally given several months to research and write your dissertation. It needs to consist of specific and insightful academic research using a wide variety of reputable sources.
Your university, college or school will go into much more detail about what is expected of you once your course is underway.

What is Plagiarism?
Plagiarism is essentially copying another’s work with the intention of passing it as your own. British universities have very strict regulations. If you are deemed to have plagiarised work, whether in an exam, an essay, or a dissertation, you could be asked to re-write entirely, or you could even be expelled from your course. Plagiarism comes in many different forms such as copying work in its entirety, lifting sentences and paragraphs from someone else, not adequately referencing other’s work in your own (so someone else’s ideas are made to look like yours).

Before you start your course, why not see if you can get in touch with past MBA students from the university, college or school you are planning to go to? They may be able to give you more specific information about how the course works. But bear in mind these things can change from year to year. You may only be able to get the most accurate information about your specific course by contacting your institution directly.

We hope you’re excited about the challenge of Master’s level study in the UK. It is rigorous, but is a hugely rewarding experience. As well as teaching information relevant to Business, the British system teaches important life skills of research, presentations, team-work and good writing that will prove very useful later on and help you be better equipped for your future career.