UGB 103 CORE BUSINESS

SKILLS

Module Leader:
Mr. Kevin Gallagher
Module Facilitator:
Michelle Thong

WELCOME !
There are 3 parts to module:

Study Skills

Personal Development

Quantitative Methods

DELIVERY PATTERN
One lecture
Plus two workshops per week

ASSESSMENT
Type of Assessment

Weight age

Personal Development Plan

Individual

30%

Skills Presentation

Group

30%

Skills Report

Individual

40%

INTRODUCING THE CONCEPT OF

SKILLS
The definition of skill:

The ability do
something well
(Compact Oxford English
Dictionary for Students, 2006)

WHY ARE SKILLS IMPORTANT?

Carl Gilleard, Chief Executive Officer of the

Association of Graduate Recruiters says:
A degree on its own is not enoughToday
employers look for a good degree plus a
combination of skills, understanding, experience
and personal attributes as well
13th October 2006, The Independent

Employers are likely to be looking to graduates

who can demonstrate softer skills such as teamworking, cultural awareness, leadership and
communication skills, as well as academic
achievement
Kate Hilpern, 11th September 2006,The Independent

Sir Alan Sugar and Donald Trump make

leadership look as easy as shouting at people until
they cry. But when youre not on television,
management isnt so much about personal
charisma as it is about learning the skills to help
you unpick the tasks that come with seniority
Clare Dight, The Times (Oct 5th 2006)

SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
FRAMEWORKS AT DEGREE LEVEL

There are now a range of skills frameworks

following on from the influential Dearing Report
(1997) which carried out an investigation into
Higher Education within the UK with a
particular emphasis upon what employers were
looking for in graduates. The Report itself
recommended Key Skills of :
communication
numeracy
the use of information technology
learning to learn

YOUR MODULE GUIDE

TITLE:
CORE BUSINESS SKILLS
CODE
UGB103
CREDITS
20
LEVEL
1
FACULTY
BUSINESS AND LAW
PRE-REQUISITES
None
CO-REQUISITES
None

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Upon successful completion of this module students will be able to:
Knowledge
K1
Outline basic study skills methods
K2
Explain basic statistical methods
K3
Identify appropriate report writing and presentation
mechanisms
Skills
S1
Prepare, structure, reference and write reports using one of
the standard formats
S2
Prepare, structure and present presentations effectively
S3
Access various forms of information for the purposes of
research
S4
Analyse statistical data using software
S5
Manage own time, including setting own goals and targets
for Progress Files

LANGUAGE
Written Essay, Report, Structure References,
Spelling, Grammar
Spoken Presentations (Preparation and
doing)
Reading
INFORMATION
Library books, journals, university websites
IT WebCT, Spreadsheets for calculations

NUMERACY
Describing situations Mean, Median, Mode,
Standard Deviation. Bar charts.
Use of software (eg Microsoft Excel). Histograms
& monitoring data.
Collecting Data samples, questionnaires
Forecasting

SELF MANAGEMENT
Time Management,Healthy work/ life balance,
Setting goals (tie in with Progress Files)
Awareness of Learning Styles and implications
for study
Preparation for Career Planning

CREATIVITY SKILLS
Using various senses, working in groups,
Brainstorming, mindmaps

READING LIST:
Gallagher, K. (2007) Skills Development for
Business and Management Students. Oxford:
Oxford University Press
Cottrell, S. (2003) The Study Skills Handbook.
2nd edn. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan
Cameron S. (2005), The Business Students
Handbook, 3rd edn, FT Prentice Hall
Whigham, D. (2007) Business Data Analysis
using Excel. Oxford University Press

WISHING YOU SUCCESS IN

THE MODULE!
Michelle Thong