MBA Essentials

ONLINE CERTIFICATE COURSE

Enhance your managerial and leadership competencies

with an online course covering the key management skills
essential for the successful running of any organisation.
 ABOUT THIS COURSE
£2,500
The contemporary business environment is defined by
frequent and considerable change; in industry, markets,
and technological advances. The MBA Essentials arms
8-12 hours per
you with essential hard and soft business skills to not
week of self-
only react and adapt to such changes, but to excel in any
paced learning,
business context. Using an immersive, interactive and
entirely online
supported learning model, you’ll enhance your managerial
and leadership competencies at a fraction of the cost and
commitment of a traditional MBA. 10 weeks
excluding 1 week
This course balances the knowledge and theory orientation
which will enable you to think differently and make better
decisions with the practical skills and techniques required Note: this MBA Essentials online certificate

to achieve a greater impact within your organisation. You’ll course is not a credit-bearing course. It

also have the opportunity to expand your professional does not guarantee entrance into an MBA.

network by collaborating and engaging with an If you wish to apply for an MBA, you should

international cohort of like-minded business leaders on the be aware of the specific entry requirements

course. and prerequisites.

WHAT THE COURSE COVERS

This 10 week course focuses on three core pillar of business management and leadership:
The Strategic Environment, The Financial Toolkit, and The Human Element. Using a case
study-based approach, guided by LSE experts, you’ll learn to:

• Enhance your organisation’s competitive advantage through a better understanding of your

business context and environment
• Use technical business and finance skills to understand, analyse and optimise a business
• Use human behaviour insights and leadership frameworks to effectively influence at all levels
within your organisation, and externally - with investors and consumers

83% of businesses plan to hire business school

graduates in 2017 according to a GMAC employer poll.
MBA-ready skills not only set you apart as a professional
or MBA applicant, but also increase your earning and
career development potential.
Source: gmac.com
1

LSE MBA Essentials online certificate course

 This course is certified by the United Kingdom CPD Certification Service, and may
be applicable to individuals who are members of, or are associated with, UK-based
professional bodies. The course has an estimated 100 hours of learning.

Note: should you wish to claim CPD activity, the onus is upon you. The London School of Economics and Political
Science (LSE) and GetSmarter accept no responsibility, and cannot be held responsible, for the claiming or validation
of hours or points.

THIS COURSE IS FOR YOU IF:

You’re looking to You’d like to advance You’re preparing to You’re considering an

develop and improve
your effectiveness
as a leader, with
enhanced managerial
and business skills
your career, with transition into a new MBA – at some point
key MBA skills and role, organisation in the future – and
validation in the form or industry, and would like to build
of an LSE certificate are looking for the your foundational
inspiration and ideas to knowledge
make a positive impact
from day one

WHO SHOULD TAKE THIS COURSE?

This course is designed for anyone in a managerial or leadership position, or aspiring towards one,
as well as professionals and specialists who wish to gain holistic business knowledge to progress or
transition in their careers. Given the nature of the course, it is suitable for anyone who works within an
organisation, owns their own business, or plans to do so. There are no formal academic prerequisites
for the course, however some business experience and numerical proficiency are recommended.

Professor Paul Kelly

Pro-Director, Teaching and Learning, LSE

“ Online education allows the London

School of Economics and Political Science to make our
state-of-the-art social science research accessible to the
widest possible audience, in a format which is practical

”
and will have real-world application and impact.

LSE MBA Essentials online certificate course

 What is LSE?

Learn more about

The London School

of Economics and
Political Science (LSE)

WHAT
YOU’LL LEARN
This online program integrates rich, interactive media such as videos, infographics, and e-learning
activities, as well as traditional didactic components such as written study guides (course notes).
There are also opportunities for collaborative learning through discussion forums. The following
modules contribute to the holistic approach your learning path takes:

00 Orientation
 Module (1 week): Welcome to your Online Campus
You’ll be welcomed with a personal call and get introduced to your online teaching and
technical support network. Begin connecting with fellow students while exploring the
navigation and tools of your Online Campus. Be alerted to key milestones in the learning
path, and review how your results will be calculated and distributed.
You’ll be required to complete your student profile, confirm your certificate delivery address,
and submit a digital copy of your passport/identity document.

01 Leading
 with influence
Discover the principles and techniques to effectively influence at all levels of your
organisation, building your influence and impact with direct reports, organisational leaders
and other stakeholders. You’ll also learn to use nonverbal behaviour to increase your power
at work, improving your ability to influence others.

LSE MBA Essentials online certificate course

 SECTION I: The Strategic Environment

02 Economics
 for managers
Understand the key economic principles and market forces that underpin any
business as you learn about the interaction between supply and demand, and
the implications for making decisions about pricing. You’ll also investigate the
economic factors to be taken into consideration when determining what to produce.

03 Competitive
 strategy
Identify the importance of competitive advantage, and how this can be created
as you discover more about the industry value chain and value creation. In doing
so, you’ll learn how to use resources and positioning as sources of competitive
advantage, and how to respond to threats to that competitive advantage.

04 Corporate strategy
Explore how organisations can expand their business activities, investigating the
advantages and disadvantages of vertical integration and horizontal expansion.
You’ll apply these concepts to real-world examples and case studies, helping you
identify the different growth options available to a company.

SECTION II: The Financial Toolkit

05 Financial
 accounting
Improve your financial expertise as you explore the principles of financial accounting,
identifying how financial information is used by various stakeholders in making
business decisions, and learn how to compile and analyse income statements,
balance sheets and cash flow statements.

06 Management accounting
Explore how you can use financial tools such as budgeting, cost-volume-profit analysis,
costing methods, and investment appraisal techniques to make better business
decisions. You’ll be armed with vital, reassuring analytical techniques that also enable
you to build confidence and support for your ideas and activities within your organisation.
.

07 Analysing
 financial statements
Learn to interpret and analyse financial statements and annual reports, using ratio
analyses and financial insights to gauge the financial health and performance
of a business. You’ll also enhance your knowledge of corporate governance
– the foundation on which financial reporting is built – and how it is incorporated
into modern business practices.

section assesses relationships and shifts in power

LSE MBA Essentials online certificate course
between key international actors, as well as the
 SECTION III: The Human Element

08 In the
 mind of the manager
Gain awareness of the common decision traps that managers fall into and how to avoid
these to become a better decision maker. You’ll discover techniques for minimising
bias in judgements about people and finances in the workplace. You’ll learn about
heuristic and bias tendencies - increasing your self awareness with a view to
becoming a better intuitive decision maker.

09 “Nudging” behaviour
Learn how to influence your peers and the decisions made by consumers with
nudging techniques, as you explore the concept of choice architecture, which is
used to influence consumer behaviour by making it easier for consumers to make
decisions.

10 Organisational
 culture as a leadership tool
Investigate when culture change might be necessary to meet strategic objectives by
enhancing your knowledge of organisational culture, and the relationship between
culture and leadership. Examine the multi-layered and complex nature of culture,
and explore the advantages and disadvantages of a strong culture, as well as
exploring how an organisational culture is changed.

Dr Connson Locke
Course Convenor, Assistant Professor

“
of Management

The MBA Essentials online course will equip

students with the critical skills to be effective
managers and organisational leaders in the
21st century. The course will enable them
to improve their understanding of their own

”
organisation and think differently to make
improved business decisions.

LSE MBA Essentials online certificate course

 WHO YOU’LL LEARN FROM
YOUR FACULTY DIRECTORS
These subject matter experts from LSE guide the course design and appear in a number of course
videos, along with a variety of industry professionals.
DR CONNSON LOCKE
Course Convenor, Assistant
Professor of Management
Connson Locke is a Senior
Lecturer in the LSE Department
of Management. Connson joined LSE in 2008
from the Boston Consulting Group and her areas
of expertise are leadership, negotiation, decision
making and organisational behaviour. She is part
of the academic leadership team for the Executive
Global Master’s in Management, LSE’s cutting
edge alternative to an MBA, and also teaches
the School’s most successful executive course
on campus: Achieving Leadership Excellence.
Connson holds a PhD and MSc in Organisational
Behaviour from the University of California,
Berkeley and a BA in Sociology from Harvard
University. Her research interests include gender
and leadership, diversity, and organisational culture.
LSE MBA Essentials online certificate course
DR JORDI BLANES
I VIDAL
Course Designer, Associate
Professor of Managerial
Economics and Strategy
Jordi Blanes i Vidal is an Associate Professor of
Managerial Economics and Strategy at LSE and
teaches on LSE’s Executive Global Master’s in
Management. He is an expert in organisational
economics, leadership, human resource
management and the political economy. Prior
to joining the LSE academic team, Jordi was a
Prize Research Fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford
University and a visiting scholar at the National
Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). He studied
his economics Master’s and PhD at LSE.
 DR BARBARA FASOLO
Course Designer, Associate
Professor of Behavioural
Science
Barbara Fasolo is an Associate
Professor of Behavioural Science at LSE and
the Programme Director for LSE’s Executive
Master’s in Behavioural Science. An expert in
choice processes and choice architecture, she
has multiple publications in both peer-reviewed
academic journals and media outlets, such as
the Harvard Business Review. Barbara is the
head of the LSE Behavioural Research Lab
and is a member of various behavioural
science and decision making associations.
KHAMID IRGASHEV
Course Designer, Chartered
Accountant and LSE Lecturer
Khamid Irgashev is a
teacher in LSE’s Accounting
Department. He is an ACA and ACCA chartered
qualified accountant with considerable experience
in various industries, including financial services
(banking and insurance), retail, manufacturing
and publishing. Khamid also has a plethora of
experience in coaching and leadership. In addition
to his role at LSE, he is an Assistant Professor at
Hult International Business School and a Visiting
Lecturer at West London College.

GetSmarter, with whom LSE are collaborating to deliver this online course,

provide a personalised approach to online education which ensures you’re
supported throughout your learning journey.

YOUR SUCCESS TEAM

HEAD TUTOR SUCCESS MANAGER GLOBAL SUCCESS TEAM

A subject expert who’ll guide Your one-on-one Available 24/7 to solve your

you through content-related support available during tech-related and administrative

University hours (9am - 5pm queries and concerns
challenges
BST) to resolve technical and
administrative challenges

LSE MBA Essentials online certificate course

 A POWERFUL
COLLABORATION
The London School of Economics and
Political Science is collaborating with online
education provider, GetSmarter, to create a
new class of learning experience — one that
is high-touch, intimate, and personalised for
the working professional.
WHAT IS LSE?
The London School of Economics and Political
Science (LSE) is the world’s leading dedicated
social science university. LSE was founded in
1895 with the aim of understanding the causes
of things for the “betterment of society”. This
is still at the heart of LSE and we seek to
make our research and teaching practical and
relevant to the real world. The School counts
16 Nobel Prize winners and 34 world leaders
amongst its alumni and staff. The most
international of all British universities, LSE has
students from over 160 countries, and over
100 languages spoken on campus. Graduates
of LSE earn higher incomes, on average, than
those of any other university in the United
Kingdom, and the School has educated more
billionaires than any other in Europe.
LSE MBA Essentials online certificate course
WHAT ARE
LSE ONLINE
CERTIFICATE
COURSES?
LSE is dedicated to addressing global issues
through research and education, and is the most
international of all British universities. Offering
online certificate courses, designed by expert
LSE faculty members, the School aims to make
its state of the art social sciences research and
insights available to a wider global audience.
The supported, interactive online learning model
allows students to study from anywhere in the
world, at times of their convenience, whilst still
interacting with peers and teaching staff alike.
WHAT IS
GETSMARTER?
GetSmarter is an online education company
collaborating with leading universities to
present career-focused online short courses.
Their people-driven approach to online
learning — centered around the importance of
human support — has proved itself as a highly
effective educational model. This unique high-
touch approach has resulted in unprecedented
completion rates, and has successfully served
over 50,000 students to date.
 HOW YOU’LL
LEARN
This course is broken down into manageable,
weekly modules, designed to accelerate your
learning process through diverse learning
activities:
• Work through your instructional
material online
• Collaborate with your classmates on projects
via the discussion forum and online hangouts
• Enjoy a wide range of interactive content,
including video lectures, live polls, scenario
simulations, and infographics
• Investigate current, real-world case studies
• Apply what you learn each week to
quiz assessments and ongoing project
submissions, as you gain the key business
skills to thrive in any environment.
TECHNICAL
REQUIREMENTS
Basic requirements
In order to complete a course, you’ll need a
current email account and access to a computer
and the internet. You should be familiar with
using a computer and accessing the internet, as
you may need to be able to read documents in
Adobe PDF Reader, view Microsoft PowerPoint
LSE MBA Essentials online certificate course
presentations, and read and create documents
in Microsoft Word. In addition, you may need
to install Adobe Flash Player to view the video
lectures, resources and activities available in
each course module. Both Adobe applications
are available for download:
Click here for Adobe Reader
Click here for Adobe Flash Player
Browser requirements
We recommend that you use Google Chrome
as your internet browser when accessing
the Online Campus. Although this is not a
requirement, we have found that this browser
performs best for ease of access to course
material. This browser can be downloaded here.
Additional requirements
Certain courses may require additional software
and resources. These additional software and
resource requirements will be communicated to
you upon registration and/or at the beginning of
the course. Please note that Google, Vimeo, and
YouTube may be used in our course delivery, and
if these services are blocked in your jurisdiction,
you may have difficulty in accessing course
content. Please check with a Course Consultant
before registering for this course if you have any
concerns about this affecting your experience
with the Online Campus.
Learning online
Find out what it’s like
Take a tour of your
Online Campus
 MBA Essentials
ONLINE CERTIFICATE COURSE

Ready to elevate your influence?

REGISTER NOW

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EMAIL: admissions@getsmarter.com