Strathclyde Business School, Glasgow, Scotland

The Management Development Programme runs in each of the first three years of the BA degree at Strathclyde University. The entire class is driven by real business problems and is delivered by a team of lecturers from different departments who are supported by invited practitioners.

Why is the Management Development Programme important?

The Management Development Programme (MDP) has been introduced to develop business, management and personal skills. In consultation with employers, the programme focuses on those skills which are recognised as important for personal development in preparation for a future career in a professional or management role working in the public, private or voluntary sector.

Victor Dörfler, the Director of the Management Development Programme, talks about the purpose of the programme. He also explains why employers appreciate the benefits that MDP gives to Strathclyde Business School students.

Student Association Strathclyde Teaching Excellence Awards 2011
Three MDP lecturers were nominated for an award!

Increasingly, organisations are seeking flexible employees who can adapt to change, are effective in operating in interdisciplinary teams, have confidence in presenting and have well-developed interpersonal skills. The MDP develops these skills across three years, enhances employability and integrates with the knowledge of business acquired through other selected academic subjects.

The MDP is an integral part of the BA degree in the Strathclyde Business School. It is a compulsory class, which runs in Years 1-3, and students must successfully complete all three years in order to graduate with a BA degree or to progress to study at Honours degree level.

A 2009 Strathclyde University graduate who had just taken up a place on the Ernst & Young 2009 graduate programme said the following about MDP.

Why is MDP important?

MDP offers you the chance to experience and learn the necessary skills which employers value, the range of skills learned through the three years of MDP are crucial on applying for Graduate placements. MDP experiences are unique, they offer you the chance to stand out above other candidates at assessment centres and on application forms!

Skill I obtained?

To apply for graduate positions, most application forms and assessment centres come down to mostly competency based questions. MDP offered me the chance to improve my presentation skills, work as part of a team and improve time management. The very fact that you work within teams for most aspects of MDP, provides a variety of experiences which helped me on applying to EY.

Advice to 3rd year students?

I would say the most vital aspect of MDP 3 is to keep up with the workload and not under- estimate time, especially with the Business Research Proposal. By actively taking part in all areas of the class this will provide you with a good foundation not only for Honours year but also for applying for summer placements or graduate positions.

Management Development Programme Prizes

Three companies sponsor prizes for MDP students.

• Deloitte: award prizes to the three best MDP 1 teams for their Holiday Project report and presentation.
• Procter & Gamble: award prizes to the three best MDP 2 teams for their Decision Making project report and presentation.
• Ernst & Young: award prizes to the three best MDP 3 teams for their Business Ethics project and presentation.

The most recent prizes awarded were:

• Deloitte's prize for the best Holiday Project Report and Presentation in MDP 1 (May 2012). Congratulations to team 1D who were awarded 1st prize and to the runners up teams 7G and 13A. Photographs from the event can be seen on the Deloitte's Prize webpage.
• Procter & Gamble's Global Business Services prize for the best MDP 2 Decision Making project report and presentation (April 2012). Congratulations go to Team 9D. The two runners up were teams 7A and 8G. Photographs from the event can be seen on the Procter & Gamble prize webpage.
• Ernst & Young's prize for the best MDP 3 Business Ethics project(Janaury 2012). Congratulations to team 1G who were awarded 1st prize and the two runners up were teams 3J and 7A. Photographs from the event can be seen on the Ernst & Young Prize webpage.

Ernst & Young's prize for MDP 3 in February 2009

Ernst & Young made the following statement in relation to the 2009 presentations by MDP 3 students.

This year's MDP3 presentations were of an outstanding quality. The students took time to consider not only the ethical, social and sustainable issues as requested, but truly thought about these issues from a business context; and delivered their ideas and recommendations with clarity, style and substance. It is these core skills and abilities which Ernst & Young recognise as being vital to the development of students preparing themselves for the job market. We were delighted as ever to have played a role in the development of this year's MDP3 students.