Henley MA Board Practice and Directorship
The MA Board Practice and Directorship provides you with the knowledge and understanding to enhance your performance as a director and undertake applied research in governance.
At a glance
- The Henley MABPD is offered in stages through partnerships and networks
- To register interest in this programme, please contact our programme advisors: custom@henley.ac.uk
- Subject area(s)
- Leadership, Board Directorship
- Attendance
- Part-time
- Fee
- £10,000 per Stage
- Course length
- 24 months (full MA)
- Suitable for
- Senior leaders with directorship potential and experienced practising board members from across the private, public and third sectors.
Overview
The Henley MA Board Practice and Directorship (MA BPD) is a post-experience, practice-focused programme that aims to enhance your value as a board director.
Focusing on governance and strategic oversight as a board-level stewardship responsibility, the programme provides you with the knowledge and skills to support effective judgements in board-level decision-making and promote longer-term resilient governance.
Each board and the organisational context it faces is unique. As a result, the MA BPD considers what it takes to deliver highly effective boards, director behaviours and governance frameworks across different sectors and settings.
The programme is delivered by expert academic faculty, with insights from highly experienced board practitioners. It also draws extensively on the top-team governance research conducted at Henley Business School, which covers more than 19,000 boards across 37 countries.
The Henley MA Board Practice and Directorship is offered in stages with partner organisations in the UK and Europe. Please see the 'Our partners' section for more information.
To find out more about this programme, please contact a partner or Henley's programme advisors: custom@henley.ac.uk.
Key benefits
Develop your skills as a director, including your technical skills, soft skills and ability to handle risk
Understand board member roles and how to add value for highly effective board contributions
Make informed decisions for long-term competitive advantage
Engage with leading academic experts and industry practitioners
Apply rigorous research and frameworks to consider your own director skills and capabilities
The Henley MA BPD is a part-time programme consisting of one- or two-day workshops combined with self-study. It is expected that participants will be currently employed. It is offered in three stages:
• Postgraduate Certificate (Stage 1)
• Postgraduate Diploma (Stages 1 and 2)
• Henley MA Board Practice and Directorship (Stages 1, 2 and 3)
Initially, Stage 1 of the MA BPD is being launched by Henley in collaboration with partner organisations. Henley Business School may launch subsequent Stages (2 and 3)1 following a student's successful completion of the relevant PGCert / PGDip BDP. However, the running of future stages cannot be guaranteed and is subject to minimum student numbers being reached. 1all stages offered by ENVISIA see 'Our partners section'
Programme Content
Find out about the programme content here
Stage 1 Postgraduate Certificate (8 months)
The PGCert BPD (Stage 1) is focused on director development. Building a personal awareness of strengths, limitations, skills and capabilities. This stage draws attention a director's contribution and frames stewardship of the organisation, and your due diligence as a leader. You will learn how to work through ambiguous issues, engaging as a board to reach a consensus.
PGCert Module 1: Building Board and Director EffectivenessTopics include:
Workshop: 2 days |
PGCert Module 2: Investor Relations, Governance and InnovationTopics include:
Workshop: 2 days |
PGCert Module 3: Handling Risk at Board LevelTopics include:
Workshop: 2 days |
Stage 2 Postgraduate Diploma** (8 months)
The PGDip BPD (Stage 2) is designed to focus on board dynamics and emphasise quality communication and information sharing. It also highlights the importance of reputation and responsibility at board level. This stage supports your personal development, offering mentoring and coaching to enhance your director performance.
**Henley Business School may launch Stage 2 following a student’s successful completion of the PGCert BPD, this cannot be guaranteed and is subject to minimum student numbers being reached. A decision on whether to launch a future stage will only be made following the completion of the preceding stage.
PGDip Module 4: Board Information and CommunicationTopics include:
Workshop: 2 days |
PGDip Module 5: Board Reputation, Responsibility and Public RelationsTopics include:
Workshop: 2 days |
PGDip Module 7a: Mentoring and Coaching for Board DirectorsTopics include:
Workshop: 2 days |
Stage 3 Henley MA Board Practice and Directorship*** (8 months)
The MA BPD (Stage 3) develops your analytical and research skills to facilitate governance issues or dilemmas. It also gives more specialist sector expertise (private, public and third sectors), including an opportunity to put this learning into practice by responding to a real-world board-level business challenge.
*** Henley Business School may launch Stage 3 following a student’s successful completion of
the PGDip BPD, this cannot be guaranteed and is subject to minimum student numbers being
reached. A decision on whether to launch a future stage will only be made following the completion of the preceding stage.
MA Module 6: Research and Analytical Skills for Board DirectorsTopics include:
Workshop: 2 days |
MA Module 7b: Private, Public or Third Sector BoardsTopics include:
|
MA Module 8: Business ChallengeTopics include:
6 month research project |
MA Module 9: Board Annual ConferenceTopics include:
Conference: 1 or 2 days |
*The module or course content descriptions set out on this page are correct for those being taught in the current academic year. Modules or course content marked as optional are indicative and may be subject to change. Please note, constraints in timetable scheduling may mean you are unable to take some optional modules at the same time as others.
The programme is offered as three Stages, each awarded with a recognised qualification upon successful completion:
- Henley Postgraduate Certificate Board Practice and Directorship (Stage 1)
- Henley Postgraduate Diploma Board Practice and Directorship (Stages 1 and 2)
- Henley MA Board Practice and Directorship (Stages 1, 2 and 3)
Henley has partnered with several organisations to offer the Henley MA Board Practice and Directorship in Stages.
Initially, Stage 1 of the MA BPD is launched by Henley in collaboration with partner organisations. Henley Business School may launch subsequent Stages (2 and 3) following a student's successful completion of the PG Cert/ PG Dip BDP. However, the running of future stages cannot be guaranteed and is subject to minimum student numbers being reached.
The programme is also offered by Henley Finland, Germany and Denmark and delivered at Henley Business School, UK
Programme Director Dr Nadeem Khan lectures in governance, policy and leadership at Henley Business School. He completed his PhD research at Henley in the field of strategy and strategic behaviour of the firm. He gained professional experience in the UK and international multinational environments prior to running his own business.
The programme is delivered at Henley Business School's Greenlands campus and in Romania by our partner organisation Envisa.
Set in sweeping parkland on the banks of the River Thames, the Greenlands campus provides an inspiring and reflective environment for focused work and study.
To find out more, please contact our programme advisors: custom@henley.ac.uk.
- Good first or second class undergraduate degree (or equivalent)
- Organisational leadership/board experience, or at least three years’ senior management experience with board-level access
- Access to a live board-level governance challenge identified in your proposal
- English language proficiency (IELTS 7.0, with no element below 6.0 – see note below)
Applicants who possess exceptional organisational experience but do not meet the standard academic requirements are welcome to apply and may be considered for entry on to the programme on a case-by-case basis.
Note: If English is not your first language, you may be required to take an IELTS test and achieve an overall score of 7.0 with no less than 6.0 in each element. The University also accepts a number of other tests instead of IELTS. A full list of equivalent tests and scores can be found at www.reading.ac.uk/ad-Englishtests. Alternatively, a completed declaration i.e. the English proficiency at work form (confirming that English is the main language of the business and that you are required to work in English to a high level on a daily basis) from a current employer may also be considered acceptable in lieu of one of the acceptable official tests.
For participants who may require top-up courses for entry on to the programme, there is the potential to run two modules (subject to demand):
- Finance for Board Directors (two-day programme)
- Basic Governance for Directors (two-day programme)
Who is the programme for?
The programme is designed for experienced practising board members (chairs, chief executive officers (CEOs), senior independent directors (SIDs), chief financial officers (CFOs), non-executive directors (NEDs) and company secretaries) from across the private, public and third sectors. The programme may also suit senior managers with directorship potential, noting that at Stage 3 each participant needs access to a current real-world, board-level governance issue.
Credit for prior learning
No exemptions or credits for prior learning are available for this programme.
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For more information please contact custom@henley.ac.uk.
Why choose Henley?
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For 75 years, Henley Business School has developed confident and resilient business leaders. Executive Education at Henley is:
- Practical: we combine academic rigour with a strong practical focus, so you can immediately apply what you have learned back in your organisation.
- Relevant: Henley faculty are experienced practitioners who can support you in exploring solutions to your organisation’s challenges.
- Collaborative: Open programmes enable you to expand your network, gain new perspectives and share ideas with peers from a range of backgrounds and sectors.
- Personal: deliberately small learning groups allow you to benefit from individual attention and a confidential environment. We encourage you to understand your unique strengths, leadership style, and areas for development.