Master’s Degree – Prerequisite To A Successful Career!

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We live in exciting times: from home automation and autonomous cars, to all-screen phones and artificial intelligence, technology is making our lives easier and more productive.

With advancements in automation and telecom, companies are getting leaner and more centralised. There is pressure to be able to make quicker and more informed decisions, becoming more efficient and profitable and being able to provide higher returns to their shareholders. As a direct result of this, companies are looking for a more skilled and qualified workforce.

With jobs that are available in organisations moving up the value chain, companies are looking for specialised, proficient candidates to fill specific roles within the organisation. In today’s global market, one’s citizenship hardly matters to a world class employer looking for the best talent. With options ranging from working remotely to traveling to any destination within 24 hours or simply relocating, companies more often than not find the people they are looking for.

Today, a master’s education is rapidly becoming the entry degree in many professions. This has come about in part because the degrees are specific and utilitarian. A company looking to hire in project management or public healthcare will look to hire candidates with Master’s degrees in either Project Management or Public Health Management.

A Master’s degree implies that a candidate has taken the extra step in getting qualified, gaining extra skills, and specialisation. Having worked on projects, assignments, and dissertations, candidates tend to be more disciplined, structured, and task oriented.

They tend to be trusted with more responsibilities and will bring that experience and knowledge to the company. Such candidates will be an asset to the company and very seldom a liability.

In 2014-15, in the United States, there were nearly 800,000 Master’s degree graduates, a number that has been growing exponentially. In this scenario, most of the candidates applying for any above entry level position will already have at least one Master’s degree, if not more specialised qualifications. A Bachelor’s degree alone would disqualify them in the first stage of recruitment.

Explore the number of specialised Master’s degrees offered by Robert Kennedy College in exclusive partnerships with top British universities.

Robert Kennedy College Students attend Residential Week in Cumbria

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Robert Kennedy College in an exclusive partnership with the University of Cumbria, held the residency programme for our online MBA students. Held at the University of Cumbria’s picturesque Ambleside Campus, the residential week covered the module “Tackling Global-Local Challenges in Ethics, Responsibility and Sustainability.”

The residential week gave the students an opportunity to complement their online learning with a conventional classroom experience. And the diverse group of students coming together from different countries, cultures and backgrounds and professional experiences, made the week all the more enriching. The residency was attended by more than 25 international students from countries like Canada, United Arab Emirates, Nigeria and South Africa, to name just a few, for a face-to-face opportunity to enhance their learning experience.

The students participated in various activities and classroom sessions in this action-packed week as well as learning about research methodology for their dissertation. The unique experience left them feeling invigorated and inspired to put the techniques learned during the week into practice. And more importantly, the week gave them an opportunity to connect with their classmates, to forge new friendships and establish relationships with faculty and directors.

“The residential week is an integral part of the course. It’s the only chance the students get to meet one another face to face as opposed to engaging with each other online. The week is really varied. We have a number of education sessions from different guest speakers and faculty throughout the programme. We also have a number of experiential activities and we spend a day enjoying the landscape.” said Emma Watton, Senior Teaching Fellow, (Lancaster University), MBA Leadership and Sustainability Programme graduate.

Students also had the opportunity to explore the idyllic settings of the Cumbria campus and participate in various outdoor team-building activities.

Professor Jem Bendell, Director of the Institute for Leadership and Sustainability, commented, “The residency brings professionals together from around the world. We went with the students on a trail walk that William Wordsworth took and heard about his poem where he talks of letting nature be our teacher. This is something quite unique, a heritage we can explore and find ways of building that into our teaching practice”.

With students from every continent, it was a truly international experience and an opportunity to network with colleagues from all over the world. This unique learning experience left every student with lifetime memories.

 

RKC Student wins PMI 2017 Student Paper of the Year Award

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The Project Management Institute’s Education Foundation (PMIEF) has awarded Neil C. Robinson, a postgraduate student at Robert Kennedy College, University of Salford, its 2017 James R. Snyder International Student Paper of the Year.

The award was presented to Neil at the annual PMI Global Conference in October, held in Chicago, Illinois, USA, for his research paper titled Life is a Project: Project Management as an Enabling Life Skill in Cross-Cultural Transition.

Neil’s paper was inspired by the outcomes of the Life is a Project (LIAP) education initiative, teaching project management life skills to a group of ESL (English as a Second Language) adults in London.

During the course of five volunteer-led workshops, participants were assisted to articulate and develop plans for personal life projects as well as collaborating as a project team in the planning and delivery of a practical community-based project initiative – a fund-raising event in support of the British Refugee Council. Neil and the LIAP programme were also featured in a local UK news article.

Neil’s paper introduces the concept of project management as an enabling skill for individuals in the process of cross-cultural transition. He explores theoretical models of cultural adaptation, research into psychological and socio-cultural impacts of cross- cultural transitions, the challenges of being a non-native English language speaker.

The paper concludes with a view on the merit of project management skills in a cross-cultural context and thoughts on further development of the concept.

On receiving this award, Neil said “It’s a great honour and validation of the effort expended to have this work recognised by PMIEF.” In an email to the university, Neil also thanked the university and Robert Kennedy College for equipping him “with the requisite academic research and writing skills to produce this piece of work!”

As a mature student himself, Neil believes it is never too late to learn, “Education really can “open doors” and with programmes like this (Online MSc Project Management), it’s never too late to “follow the dream”. Just do it.”

Celebrating 19 Years of Swiss Quality Education

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Prof. Dr. iur. David Costa, Dean Robert Kennedy College and Stefano Costa MBA, Finance Director Robert Kennedy College (RKC), visited NASDAQ New York to commemorate the success of RKC for providing Swiss Quality Education in partnership with top British Universities since last 19 years.

“Having the name of Robert Kennedy College at the center of Times Square, New York was mesmerizing and surreal but more imperative was this unique opportunity to extend thanks to our staff, students and graduates throughout the world”

During the 19 years the college has served thousands of students across over 130 countries. Thanks to proprietary state of the art technology, outstanding teaching and superior student care, the college has pioneered the concept of blended and online learning throughout the world. #RKC instructors are graduates from some of the best universities worldwide. With over 5,000 students from 130 different countries, we are a truly international establishment.

Our online masters’ programmes combine Swiss quality education at a distance with residencies at the college’s premises in Zürich, Switzerland and in England at the campuses of our exclusive partners, the University of Cumbria, University of Salford and York St John University. Thanks to the unique blended learning format, students are able to experience face to face live classes during the one week residential without disrupting their busy careers.

At RKC you are not just a student number. You are part of our online learning community engaged with faculty members and other students. Get more information about our programmes here.

 

Robert Kennedy College celebrating 50 years of the University of Salford

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Robert Kennedy College recently celebrated 50 years of the University of Salford and was pleased to welcome to Zürich Prof. Helen Marshall, Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. David Spicer, Dean of the Business School and Eileen Roddy, Associate Dean International.

The university has had a venerable history, from getting the Royal Charter from Her Majesty the Queen constituting the University of Salford ‘for the advancement of knowledge’ 50 years ago to having Chancellors the likes of the Duke of Edinburgh (1967-1991), the Duchess of York (1991-1995) and Sir Walter Bodmer (1995-2005) and playing host to Margaret Thatcher, The Smiths, New Order and Happy Mondays that played at Maxwell Hall.

And while the university continues to grow, opening new campuses, laboratories and student accommodation quarters, it also won Business School of the Year and been named in the QS World Rankings of Top 50 global universities.

In an exclusive partnership with Robert Kennedy College #RKC, the university is taking high quality British education global with Swiss ingenuity. With an ever-growing portfolio of online Master’s Degree programmes (click to download the course catalogue), the University of Salford is leveraging the nearly two-decade expertise of #RKC in online education.

To mark the occasion for our residential students, Robert Kennedy College hosted an exclusive live masterclass conducted by Prof. Spicer and Richard Dron, Technical Innovation Officer at Salford Business School. The celebrations continued through to the evening and concluded with a gala dinner that also included our residential students.

MALIC Graduation 2016 – a great success for RKC, YSJ, and all of you, our students!

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17th November 2016 – amazing graduation in York

It’s that time of the year again – graduation time! I’ve set out from Switzerland on Tuesday 15th, eager to meet with our newest graduates and my friends from YSJ. Graduation is really a time of celebration, and you can feel it in the air – everyone is excited.

Somewhat relieved that my ePassport still granted me access to the UK (sorry, could not help it, but I promise this is the first and last #Brexit reference), I rushed towards York and eagerly waited for Wednesday’s ceremony.

As luck would have it, I missed the “unofficial official” photo in the Quad, a tradition for MALIC graduates and the teaching team – I was promised I would be photoshopped in but until that version is produced, here’s the real one!

MALIC Graduates 2016

A few people missing from the photo – but look at those smiles!

Graduation in the Minster cannot really be described – and although video does a better job than just words, it still does not fully allow you to make an idea of the atmosphere, unless you have been there and lived it – in which case, you are working with memory rather than imagination. Here are our brave MALICs on center stage – really really well done guys!

So sorry for those who could not make it this year, and in particular our MALIC programme prize AND dissertation prize winner, Jelly Offereins!

What an occasion! The frames of the Minster, all gowns and hats, in an wonderful mix with the British warm humor. A special thank you to Radu, Irene, George and all the others at MALIC; it has been a journey of hard work, ups-and-downs, a great learning experience, an academic journey and a practical study indeed, so many good tools to use in the daily work. To all of you; thank you for these years! ~ Else

Graduation day was special, many thanks. It has been an interesting journey, and well worth it! ~ Etienne

Looking for the future MALIC graduates!

The MALIC teams on both sides of the channel are extremely excited to be able to accent new applicants again. We would love it for you to have a look around the programme website and see whether you could fit MALIC in your life – you will not regret it. Frank, a MALIC Alumni, recently wrote to a prospective student who wanted to get some first-hand feedback on MALIC:

I can only say that the course is wonderful and what makes it meaningful is that you can apply each course module to the work environment you are currently working in or another of your choice which simply makes the course far more interesting and relevant from the outset. As I said I did not do the course for further advancement in my career as I was already at a senior level within my profession as an election management adviser and considering I am a freelance consultant I was not looking for further advancement. What I can tell you is that this course gives you the skills to look at situations within any work environment with objectivity and clarity and allows you to analyse situations in a much clearer and structured manner. That is not to say that the course participants do not already have these skills only that MALIC fine tunes them and improves them enormously. ~ Frank

What are you waiting for? Applications are open!

Why an Online Master’s in Leading Innovation and Change?

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As many of our readers are asking what makes our Online Master’s in Leading Innovation and Change stand out from the rest, I prepared a short video to explain the most important reasons for joining this programme offered in an exclusive partnership between Robert Kennedy College and the York St John University.

If you have any questions about the programme, feel free to get in touch with our educational advisers. You can apply online by clicking here.

MALIC Residency April 2016 in York #malic #malic2016

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It seems that every time I write a blog post I am either on a plane, a train, or other means of transport, but somehow this is the best time to write about and reflect upon the recent events. Reflective thinking is important not only for our students, as an invaluable tool for learning, but for everyone really, whether a MALIC student or not.

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Cross-cultural exchanges

At the end of a week charged with exchanges and thoughtful discussion, I am coming to terms with the fact that these 20 brilliant individuals I finally got to meet in the flesh after one or two years of online interactions are now going back their own separate ways, richer in experience, friends, and understanding of what the next stage, the dissertation, requires them to do. We have ended the week in a round-table discussion of their initial thoughts on the dissertation – some have a clear idea already, some are still looking for it. Sure, there are leadership, innovation and change issues everywhere, from government agencies to pharmaceutical commercialisation companies, and although their heart tells them what they’d like to do, we also need them to be pragmatic about it.
The group is a great mixture of geographical locations, from Colombia to New Zealand and Japan, and Zambia to … Glasgow, all in all 15 countries. But above all, an amazing variety of backgrounds, with school directors, health and safety professionals, IT security consultants, creative directors, and healthcare professionals to name just a few. at the risk of repeating myself, just an amazing group.

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Impressions from the MALIC residency

We have used this time together to collect some of their thoughts on the programme, on their experiences both online and on the residency, and we will be posting some of their thoughts as soon as the videos are ready.

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In the meanwhile, catch-up with the atmosphere via Twitter from the students directly – thanks for contributing guys and gals.

Stay tuned for the interviews, and as Erich says, see you in the Minster in 2017!
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