NZIM Diploma in Management (Advanced) Level 6

Name of Qualification

The qualification shall by known as the NZIM Diploma in Management (Advanced). Its short title is Dip Mgt (Advanced).

Nature of programme

The NZIM Diploma in Management (Advanced) builds on the skills of the NZIM Diploma in Management (Dip Mgt) for those who wish to pursue a professional management career.

Normally entrants will have completed the Dip Mgt, or the New Zealand Diploma in Business (NZ Dip Bus), or their equivalence in other qualifications.

The programme also provides an entry-point into advanced qualifications for middle or senior managers wishing to provide conceptual rigour for their experiences. They may enter on evidence that they have practical competence, skills and experiences to enable them to benefit from the challenge provided by the programme.

The programme comprises eight advanced modules, most of which may be credited from the NZ Dip Bus curriculum (paper numbers in brackets). Two modules are compulsory:

930 Leadership (230 or 630)
936 Applied Management (236 or 636)

At least one further module explores management processes and is assessed through a workplace assignment. The workplace assignment may also be used for assessment of other content areas of the course.

Up to five optional modules may be chosen from a list of papers, many of which may be credited from NZ Dip Bus.
Each module represents a nominal 200 hours, or 20 credits.

Level

The qualification is registered at Level 6, and all the papers are assessed at Level 6.

Purpose

This qualification is designed for people who specialise or wish to specialise in management as a professional option. The programme has a focus on generic skills for professional managers. It serves as a link between management theory and practice for both students with little management experience and managers with little academic experience.

Goals

1. To provide capability in high level generic management and leadership skills appropriate for a professional manager. These skills include:

planning
organisational leadership
strategic leadership
systems management
economic and financial management
quality management

2. To ensure that people within positions of leadership and management enhance their professional capabilities.

3. To provide opportunities for strategic research, planning and evaluation of business opportunities.

4. To ensure that people in leadership and management positions have qualifications that recognise their capabilities here and overseas.

Development and ownership of the qualification

The qualification is owned by the New Zealand Institute of Management Inc. It has been developed in association with polytechnics, universities and business advisory bodies to meet the needs of people in or entering middle management positions.
Though the qualification is described in terms of outcomes rather than in terms of courses, it is anticipated that NZ Dip Bus papers and other management qualifications will credit into the programme where appropriate.

The qualification is based on appropriate papers taken from other qualifications and programmes offered by the providers. The accreditation process for providers of the qualification will involve an evaluation of the course of study being proposed to ensure it meets the outcomes and assessment parameters of this qualification. This process will be carried out by a suitably qualified person appointed by NZIM. For a copy of provider information on the qualification, click here.

Approval

The qualification has been approved by NZQA as a level 6 diploma.

Graduate profile

A Diploma in Management (Advanced) graduate will show:

the ability to undertake a range of management roles in an organisation
the ability to plan and implement marketing strategies
an understanding of systems development and management
an understanding of legal and financial constraints and requirements for running a business
the ability to anticipate, plan and strategise for the future

A graduate is likely to be working in middle or senior management or leadership roles in public, private or non-profit organisations.

Course Description

Students need to complete eight modules, most of which may be credited from papers from the NZ Diploma in Business, and others of which may be credited from other approved provider qualifications.

Two modules are compulsory (NZ Dip Bus paper numbers in brackets):

930 Leadership (230 or 630)
936 Applied Management (236 or 636)

In special cases, where these modules are unavailable to students, NZIM may approve different but equivalent programmes.
At least one module explores management processes. This module must be chosen from one of the following areas:

991 Health and Safety Management
992 Project Management
993 Quality Management
994 Strategic Management
952 Systems Development (252 or 652)
995 Management process topic

These processes are applied and the student’s competence assessed by means of an extended workplace assignment.

The management process topic constitutes a special topic provided with the agreement of NZIM.

Up to five optional modules may be chosen from a list of papers, many of which may be credited from the NZ Dip Bus.
Each module represents a nominal 200 hours, or 20 credits at Level 6.

Graduates of the revised NZIM Diploma in Management will have already completed the NZ Dip Bus papers 230 Leadership and 236 Applied Management, so will need to complete only 6 further modules to complete the qualification.

Entry requirements

For students without considerable management experience the minimum entry requirement is the Dip Mgt, or an equivalent course of study as may be defined by the teaching institution.

For experienced middle or senior managers wishing to upskill, the Leadership and Applied Management modules or their equivalent constitute an orientation to the course and to academic learning.

Adults over the age of 20 years who do not have the minimum entry requirements may enter on evidence that they have practical competence, skills and experience to enable them to benefit from the challenge provided by the programme.
Any of the core or optional papers already completed for the NZ Dip Bus may be credited to the Dip Mgt (Advanced).

Structure of the programme

List A Core modules

All students must complete the following two NZ Dip Bus papers or equivalents approved by NZIM (NZ Dip Bus papers in brackets):

930 Leadership (230 or 630)
936 Applied Management (236 or 636)

All students must also take a module in one of the following areas:

991 Health and Safety Management
992 Project Management
993 Quality Management
994 Strategic Management
952 Systems Development (252 or 652)
995 Management process topic

List B Optional modules

All students must choose five optional modules from the list below. The modules they choose may be from NZ Dip Bus papers or equivalents approved by NZIM. (Relevant NZ Dip Bus papers in brackets):

902 Management Accounting OR 903 Business Finance (203 or 603)
915 Advanced Small Business Management (215) OR 931 Strategic Planning for Small Business (631)
920 Managerial Economics (220 or 620)
925 International Trade and Finance (225)
932 Operations Management (232 or 632)
933 Human Resource Management (233 or 633)
935 Employment Relations (235 or 635)
942 Marketing REsearch (242 or 642)
948 Marketing Planning and Control (248 or 648)
950 Applied Computing (250 or 650) OR 955 Information Management (255)
960 Business Ethics
961 Environmental Management
962 Change Management
963 Strategies for the Future
990 Special topic

Transition arrangements

The NZIM Diploma in Management (Advanced) has been provided since the start of 2006. All students enrolled on the Advanced Diploma in Management at the end of 2007 will have the option of completing under the old or new requirements. They will also be able to use the current list of optional papers to complete the optional requirements for the new qualification. From 2007 all students enrolling in the Diploma in Management (Advanced) for the first time will conform to the new course requirements.
Any disputes will be resolved on the basis that students can normally choose the options that best suit their circumstances. However from 2008 all students will need to conform to the new course requirements, except in special circumstances.

Recognition of current competence

Processes for recognition of current competence may be applied by the providers of the programme. Students may gain credit for optional modules of the programme only through recognition of current competence.

Students applying for recognition of current competence will need to ensure that they meet the assessment standards of the modules, through portfolio, interview, and other attestation. Students will normally need to pay a fee for this service.

Credit into other qualifications

By arrangement the NZIM Diploma in Management (Advanced) may provide credit or determine entrance into other New Zealand and overseas qualifications.

Currency

Papers will have a ten year currency in terms of credit towards a qualification.
Students wishing to complete the qualification in more than ten years may do so provided they show evidence that they can adequately demonstrate to NZIM that they have maintained the currency of papers already completed.

Accreditation to offer the programme

Any provider wishing to offer this programme must have an agreement with NZIM that as providers they are able to meet all the outcome requirements for this qualification, either through their existing programmes or through specially designed modules. They must also show that they have the resources and systems capable of delivering management programmes to Level 6. Any provider who is accredited to teach the NZ Dip Bus may credit papers from that qualification into the Adv Dip Mgt.

NZ Dip Bus papers are offered by most polytechnics as well as many other tertiary providers. The qualification is also offered by distance learning through the Open Polytechnic of New Zealand.

Students may be limited in their choice of papers by what is offered by a particular institution.

Moderation

All modules for this qualification are subject to moderation.

The moderation of all NZ Dip Bus papers is undertaken by NZQA, most on a cycle of three years. For other modules not moderated through the NZ Dip Bus moderation process the provider needs as part of their agreement with NZIM to show robust processes of internal moderation as well as an arrangement of external moderation through NZIM.

NZIM will undertake to moderate any programmes not covered by other moderation schemes.

Registering papers

Registered providers of the programme will normally register student results with NZIM.

Students may register their results directly with NZIM at:

NZIM National
PO Box 67
Wellington 6035
Ph: 04-473 0470; Fax: 04-473 0479
national_office@nzim.co.nz .

The registration of each module by the student with NZIM costs $30.00 (inc GST). There is no further registration fee.

Each time students register modules with NZIM they receive a Statement of Achievement, which details the results they have registered with NZIM.

The student database contains results from all NZIM modules, papers and qualifications completed.

Qualifications

On graduation students receive an NZIM Diploma in Management (Advanced).

NZIM Membership

All students qualify for NZIM membership and its benefits at a reduced fee.

NZIM Qualifications Advisory Committee

The Qualifications Advisory Committee (QAC) consists of representatives from participants, providers and business stakeholders. An annual report of the state of each qualification will be made to the QAC. Any qualification development or review will also report to the QAC.

NZIM Training Managers Group (TMG)

The TMG is an internal NZIM committee that meets regularly throughout the year to consider all aspects of the running of NZIM programmes. The TMG guides the direction and development of the training and qualifications policies, and reports to the National Board and the Senior Management Team.

Module outcomes and descriptors

Short outcomes for all modules are described here.

Draft outcome statements for those papers not using NZ Diploma in Business descriptors are detailed here.

Descriptors for all NZ Diploma in Business papers are available on the NZQA website at: http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/qualifications/tertqual/dipbus/prescriptions-list.html

New Zealand Qualifications Authority
PO Box 160
Wellington
Phone: 04 802 3000

Courses