EQF/MQF Level 5 – Undergraduate Higher Diploma in SME Management

The Undergraduate Higher Diploma in SME Management is a certified 90 ECTS credits programme delivered in the English language both online and as blended learning. The online programme is delivered on a part-time basis over a period of 74 weeks, whilst the blended learning programme is delivered on a full-time basis over a period of 52 weeks with residential in Malta. The programme seeks to equip owners/senior managers, junior managers and executives within the SME sector with the necessary skills, tools and techniques to advance their own personal performance as managers and leaders of SME organisations. It also focuses on translating theoretical knowledge to practical work situations. It provides students with the necessary knowledge and skill-sets to apply SME management best practices to develop an SME business.

The MQF/EQF Level 5 Undergraduate Higher Diploma in SME Management is a certified 90 ECTS credit programme delivered in the English language both online and as a blended learning programme.

It seeks to equip owner/senior managers, junior managers and executives with the SME sector with the necessary management skills, tools and techniques to advance their own personal performance as managers and leaders of SME organisations

The programme focuses on translating theoretical knowledge to practical work situations. It provides students with the necessary knowledge and skill-sets to apply SME management best practices to develop an SME business. The programme serves as a framework for more effective SME management practice or as a foundation for further studies in the field.

This 90 ECTS Level 5 Undergraduate Higher Diploma in SME Management is delivered online for students studying on a part-time basis over a period of 74 weeks whilst the duration of more intensive blended learning option is for 52 weeks.

The 8 ECTS Level 5 accredited certificate courses are offered in the English language can be delivered as an individual online course with a duration of 12 weeks or as part of the Undergraduate Higher Diploma in SME Management which then each module will be delivered over 6 weeks either online or blended learning. These courses comprise various learning objects, including:-

• Audio visual presentations
• PDF presentations to accompany the audio visual presentations
• Frequently Asked Questions with references
• Self-Assessment Test Questions
• Forum Questions
• Live weekly tutorial/workshop classes
• Additional course materials such as reading lists, articles or case studies

This programme was launched in July 2019 for both the online and blended learning options, with subsequent Intakes commencing every quarter.

As from August 2019, all student applications are accepted and processed through www.aea.academy.

Upon selection, suitably qualified and experienced applicants will be issued with a fee note to cover the required course deposit.

As part of the application process, students are requested to complete a Pre-programme coursework as presentation. Once successfully completed, an offer of place will be issued for the full Award programme.

In addition to providing these certified on-line courses for individual access, Advenio eAcademy is able to provide special arrangements for collaboration with commercial partners who are able to attract group intakes.

Integrative & Evaluation Components

Level 5 accredited courses include an integrative and evaluation component which is critical for the certification process. This component serves as the basis for the collaborative element of the courses providing various opportunities for interactive participation. It includes the forum discussions, the weekly workshop tutorial sessions and allows for downloading of case studies and uploading of student case evaluations.

The forum discussions call for students to review and comment on the forum question set by the Tutor, as well as commenting on the relevance and validity of the other posts being submitted by fellow students.

The course Tutor reviews and comments on the students’ submissions, providing general direction to the debate. In this way, the Tutor is able to keep the debate more focused on the key issues identified in the various posts submitted.

The weekly tutorial/workshop sessions are a vital part of the programme as they provide the opportunity for students to raise academic issues with the Faculty. It also gives Faculty the chance to get to know each of the students and their motivation for participation in the course. These sessions call for preparation by the students. They need to review the relevant course materials to be discussed and prepare their own issues for discussion.

The course requires students to work on assignments or case studies in each subject module. These are set to present particular situations which students need to address. Some are set for individual completion, whilst others are set as group assignments. The latter require collaboration between the different members of the group for the review and analysis of the issues at hand. Students may use the elearning platform’s inbuilt video conferencing facilities to organise on-line group sessions to review and discuss best practice solutions. A formal assignment report or case study analysis is to be submitted by the students as individuals or as a group, for Tutor evaluation.

To earn the Certificate credit, students must actively participate in a minimum of two forum sessions, must submit evaluations to assignment / case studies per subject module. Students need to achieve at least a pass in their evaluation scores on both of these activities. The case study assignments, forum participation and workshop/tutorial attendance serve as the assessment for the course.

The programme is driven by a team of professionals determined to harness state-of-the art online technologies and higher educational institution partner networks to develop and deliver top quality programmes at very cost effective prices in formats that meet the needs of the more discerning students.

The policies, partnerships with key partners and systems are defined within key documents for each programme, and each is reviewed to ensure that the high standards are maintained to reflect the ECTS accreditation of the programme.

Programme Overview

The online programme is designed to cater to the needs of part-time students. It allows for the delivery of each of the programme stages in sequence over a period of 74 weeks as per schedule shown below for the attainment of the required 90 ECTS credits at Level 5.

The blended learning programme is designed to cater to the needs of full-time students. It allows for the delivery of different stages simultaneously over a period of 52 weeks as per schedule shown below for the attainment of the required 90 ECTS credits at Level 5.

The following online and blended learning subject module courses have been level-rated at MQF Level 5 by the Malta Qualifications Council and accredited at 8 ECTS according to the European Credit Transfer & Accumulation System ECTS. Each course is delivered over a period of 6 weeks for both the online programme and the blended learning programme in Malta.

The following is a list of the core modules which are mandatory. It includes outlines of the course content and learning outcomes related to each module. The content shown is indicative and is subject to change as this is updated regularly.

Entry requirements

An applicant must satisfy the general entrance requirements and the programme specific requirements for each programme which is delivered in English. Applicants must posses:-

• A recognised test of proficiency in English which is the language of study and assessment - IELTS Level 5 or equivalent for Level 5 courses
• Academic standard – minimum undergraduate level of education – level 4 & 5 certificates OR
• Work experience of the level set by the programme – 2 years in junior/middle management position.

Students are notified of the status of their registration upon application, submission of documentation and settlement of fees. In the event that application is rejected, students have the right to ask for their personal details to be removed from the system. Alternatively, student details and documentation are kept as per NCFHE requirements.

Registration & Fees

Once a student is deemed to have registered for a particular course once he or she has requested the particular course and confirmed acceptance of these Terms & Conditions, including the charges for the relevant course/s. A notification, via email, of the acceptance to the programme will be provided to the student. A student is required to pay the set fees for the programme in full prior to the commencement of the course or in accordance to the stipulated dates if the payment is made in separate tranches.

Standard tariffs for individual students are:-

• Undergraduate Higher Diploma in SME Management delivered online/blended learning: Eur6,190 / Eur7,890

Payments:

The standard terms of payment of the programme fees are the following:-

• 50% of fees due to be paid upon registration
• 50% of fees due to be paid within 30 days of commencement of studies

Collaboration:

Advenio eAcademy is able to provide special arrangements for collaboration with commercial partners who are able to attract group intakes. These arrangements include covering costs of on-site tuition sessions as well as financial incentives on student registrations for the programme. In addition, the courses can be customised further with the involvement of flying faculty to travel to the designated location and provide blended learning components to such courses.

On-site Support Services

The dramatic COVID-19 pandemic which struck in 2020 has impacted travel arrangements between different countries for years to come. Malta has taken a very disciplined approach to combatting this pandemic. Travel restrictions were lifted for flights to and from a number of countries as from July 2020.

On the basis of current guidelines by the relevant authorities, Advenio eAcademy plans to host students in Malta for the blended learning programmes as from October 2020. Due to the possibility of a second COVID-19 wave in Autumn and the expected re-introduction of travel restrictions, arrangements are in place for students to commence their studies on-line in October 2020. On-site classes will be held at the Centre in Malta later in the year once travel restrictions are lifted. Applications for the blended learning programmes will be processed accordingly and the relevant offers of place issued would be for the blended learning programmes in Malta with the proviso that the students may commence their studies online should there be any travel restrictions in place to prevent the student attending classes in Malta.

The Level 5 on-site support classes component is delivered at Advenio eAcademy’s on-site location in Sliema, Malta. This is an accredited educational centre located within the popular English Communication School premises in San Piju V Street in Sliema. The entrance to Advenio eAcademy Centre is through the Lawrenz Street entrance.

You can access this link to submit your application: https://aea.academy/online-uhd-programme/

Programme FAQ - L5 Undergraduate Higher Diploma in SME Management

Programme Type & Duration:

1. Is this programme available online?

Yes, the programme is available inOnline (Part-time basis) mode andBlended (Full-time basis for students travelling to Malta to study).

2. What is the duration of this programme?

The duration of Online (Part-time basis) programme is 74 weeks and Blended (Full-time basis) is 52 weeks.

3. How many intakes are available for the programme?

There are four intakes commencing in January, April, July & October.

4. When is the start date for next Online Intake?

Next online intake will commence on 19/07/2021.

5. When is the application deadline for this programme?

The application deadline for the programme is 14/07/2021.

6. In what language is this programme taught?

English

7. How many European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) credits the programme offers?

The MQF/EQF Level 5 Undergraduate Higher Diploma in SME Management is a certified 90 ECTS credit programme.

8. Which are the modules of the programme?

Core Modules-

·Essentials of Management

·Essentials of Marketing & Sales

·Essentials of Human Resources

·Essentials of ICT

·Essentials of Financial Management

Specialist Modules-

·Concepts & Practices of Developing an eCommerce Business.

·Concepts & Practices of Digital Marketing

·Concepts & Practices of Strategy and Management Practice through Business Simulation

Research Project-

·Research and academic/business report writing for research project or business development report based on embedded internship.

Tuition & Fees:

9. How much does this programme cost?

The Online programme costs Eur 6,490 and the Blended Learning programme costs Eur 7,890.

10. Is there any application fee or registration fee charged from applicants?

No, apart from the programme cost no other fees are charged to the applicants.

11. Can I pay for this programme in instalments?

Yes, The standard terms of payment of the programme fees are the following:-

50% of fees due to be paid upon registration.

50% of fees due to be paid within 30 days of commencement of studies.

12. Is the programme cost refundable at any chance?

In Blended course the programme fees is refundable in case of Visa Rejection. Apart from this, once paid, fees are not refundable. (For those students having participated in online modules prior to receipt of refusal of visa, refunds will not include fees for such online modules).

13. What other funding options do you have for this programme?

Early bird discount of 10% applies for applications submitted at least one month before the starting date of the intake.

Study Buddy Scheme: a 20% reduction in programme fees is provided to applicants that apply for the programme along with a friend/study buddy. In the application below, you need to input the name and email address of your Study Buddy to be eligible and your study buddy will also get the Study Buddy incentive. Both applicants must pay the initial deposit in full, with the study buddy incentive being deducted from the last payment due.

Local Students: Applicants in Malta will be eligible to get a 70% tax rebate on the programme fee through the Get Qualified Scheme (Click here for more details).

How to Apply:

14. What is the admission process for this programme?

Application form can be obtained in the link https://aea.academy/online-uhd-programme/. Upon receipt of the completed application form a member of the Advenio eAcademy staff will revert back to schedule an online interview for the applicant. Required documentation for the application will be confirmed during the interview. After the interview, successful applicants will be informed of their suitability for the programme and will receive an invoice to pay 50% of the fee. Once this amount is credited to the Advenio eAcademy bank account in Malta, the offer of place will be issued, and students will be informed about further schedules and details of the course.

15. What are the entry requirements for the programme?

A recognised test of proficiency in English which is the language of study and assessment - IELTS Level 5 or equivalent for Level 5 courses. AND

Academic standard - minimum undergraduate level of education – Level 4 & 5 certificates OR

Work experience of the level set by the programme - 2 years in junior/middle management position.

16. Which documents are required to apply to this programme?

Applicants need to submit send orupload soft copies of the passport (both sides of the main personal data page are required), English language proficiency certificate, scanned copy of qualifications, scanned copy of curriculum vitae, letter of reference and a motivation letter.

Place of Study

17. Where is this campus located?

Advenio eAcademy is situated in Ta Xbiex, Malta. The blended learning programme option comprises the full online learning programme in addition to weekly support classes. These classes are delivered at Advenio eAcademy’s on-site location in Sliema, Malta.

18. Does the campus provide an accommodation facility for the blended course students?

Accommodation facilities are not offered for the students on campus. Advenio eAcademy uses third party accommodation services to host students and assistance for such accommodation will be provided if requested.