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Business Strategy (BUSA90026)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5Dual-Delivery (Parkville) and On Campus (Parkville)
From 2023 most subjects will be taught on campus only with flexible options limited to a select number of postgraduate programs and individual subjects.
To learn more, visit COVID-19 course and subject delivery.
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
April
Overview
Availability(Quotas apply) | April - Dual-Delivery April - Dual-Delivery July - On Campus September - On Campus |
---|---|
Fees | Look up fees |
Formulating, or contributing to the formulation of, the business strategy of the firm is one of the key roles of a General Manager or Chief Executive. It involves not only integrating and coordinating the activities of different functional areas, such as marketing, operations management, accounting, human resource management and finance, but also a conscious building and sustaining of the firm’s competitive advantage (s), and making critical choices as to which products, markets and segments the firm should compete in. As a result, the manager needs to have a clear understanding of the factors and forces which shape the success (or failure) of the firm and the industry. This subject provides an introduction to the frameworks and tools commonly used in developing and assessing business strategies. It is also intended to develop the student’s decision-making skills from the perspective of top management.
Intended learning outcomes
Desired outcomes right after taking Business Strategy:
- The student should be able to competently analyse a firm's competitive strategy: articulating the firm's competitive environment, how the firm is positioned relative to competitors/collaborators in the market and along the value chain, how the firm creates and sustains competitive advantage (or fails to do so), how the firm develops and/or acquires new resources and capabilities in order to remain competitive.
- Based on the analysis, the student should be able to offer recommendations for how the firm could be strategically positioned/repositioned if necessary, as well as to propose ways in which it might need to change internal resources/capabilities and external linkages in order to fit with the proposed strategy.
Desired outcomes after completing the MBA:
- In addition to the above, the student should be able to link strategy to other areas of management, including marketing, operations, finance, managing people, and innovation.
- This could be reflected in the student having a whole-firm view of strategy, both at the business unit level (business strategy) as well as at the corporate level (corporate strategy).
- One application of this outcome is that the student should be able to demonstrate familiarity when using the relevant concepts/frameworks from Business Strategy to the analysis of cases such as those used for recruitment by consulting firms and other potential employers.
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
Option 1
62.5 credit points from
Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
BUSA90480 | Leadership |
April (On Campus - Parkville)
September (On Campus - Parkville)
March (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
June (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
6.25 |
BUSA90481 | Managerial Ethics & Business Environment |
March (On Campus - Parkville)
July (On Campus - Parkville)
September (On Campus - Parkville)
April (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
6.25 |
BUSA90060 | Data Analysis |
September (On Campus - Parkville)
July (On Campus - Parkville)
April (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
BUSA90193 | Managerial Economics |
January (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
April (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
July (On Campus - Parkville)
September (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
BUSA90224 | Managing People |
September (On Campus - Parkville)
July (On Campus - Parkville)
April (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
BUSA90001 | Financial Accounting |
January (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
September (On Campus - Parkville)
April (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
July (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
Note: the two subjects below can be taken concurrently.
25 credit points from
Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
BUSA90243 | Marketing |
April (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
July (On Campus - Parkville)
January (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
September (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
BUSA90093 | Finance |
April (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
July (On Campus - Parkville)
January (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
September (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
Note: these subjects can be replaced by their equivalent in the following subject codes: BUSA90480, BUSA90481, BUSA90061, BUSA90194, BUSA90226, BUSA90002, BUSA90245, BUSA90094
OR
Option 2
106.25 credit points from
Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
BUSA90482 | General Management 1 | September (On Campus - Parkville) |
62.5 |
BUSA90483 | General Management 2 | January (On Campus - Parkville) |
43.75 |
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Assessment
April
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Case preparation and discussion
| Throughout the teaching period | 20% |
Syndicate assignments and presentations (up to 3)
| Throughout the teaching period | 20% |
Final examination
| End of the teaching period | 60% |
June
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Case preparation and discussion
| Throughout the teaching period | 10% |
Review questions
| Throughout the teaching period | 10% |
Syndicate assignments and presentations (up to 3)
| Throughout the teaching period | 30% |
Final examination
| End of the teaching period | 50% |
September
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Case preparation and discussion
| Throughout the teaching period | 15% |
Syndicate assignments and presentations (up to 3)
| Throughout the teaching period | 35% |
Final examination
| End of the teaching period | 50% |
Additional details
Geoff Martin: (April)
- Case preparation and discussion (20%)
- Equivalent to 500 words
- Throughout subject
- Syndicate assignments and presentations (up to 3) (20%)
- Equivalent to 2,500 word assessment
- Throughout subject
- Final examination (60%)
- Hurdle requirement
- 2 hours
- End of subject
Kwanghui Lim: (June)
- Case preparation and discussion (10%)
- Equivalent to 500 words
- Throughout subject
- Review questions (10%)
- Syndicate assignments and presentations (up to 3) (30%)
- Equivalent to 2,500 word assessment
- Throughout subject
- Final examination (50%)
- Hurdle requirement
- 2 hours
- End of subject
Brandon Lee: (September)
- Case preparation and discussion (15%)
- Equivalent to 500 words
- Throughout subject
- Syndicate assignments and presentations (up to 3) (35%)
- Equivalent to 2,500 word assessment
- Throughout subject
- Final examination (50%)
- Hurdle requirement
- 2 hours
- End of subject
EMBA:
- Class participation and discussion (15%)
- Throughout subject
- Quiz (15%)
- 1 hour
- Midway through the subject
- Syndicate Project (30%)
- Report (equivalent of 750 word assessment)
- Presentation (equivalent of 750 word assessment)
- Midway through the subject
- Final Exam (40%)
- Hurdle requirement
- 90 minutes
- End of subject
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Quotas apply to this subject
Dates & times
- April - Dual-Delivery
Mode of delivery Dual-Delivery (Parkville) Contact hours Total time commitment 140 hours Teaching period 11 April 2022 to 12 June 2022 Last self-enrol date 18 March 2022 Census date 29 April 2022 Last date to withdraw without fail 27 May 2022 Assessment period ends 12 June 2022 - April - Dual-Delivery
Mode of delivery Dual-Delivery (Parkville) Contact hours 30 hours Total time commitment 140 hours Pre teaching start date 4 April 2022 Pre teaching requirements students are required to complete approximately 15 hours of readings to prepare for the subject during pre-teaching period Teaching period 11 April 2022 to 17 June 2022 Last self-enrol date 6 February 2022 Census date 22 April 2022 Last date to withdraw without fail 27 May 2022 Assessment period ends 24 June 2022 April contact information
- July - On Campus
Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours Total time commitment 140 hours Pre teaching start date 27 June 2022 Pre teaching requirements students are required to complete approximately 15 hours of readings to prepare for the subject during pre-teaching period Teaching period 4 July 2022 to 9 September 2022 Last self-enrol date 24 April 2022 Census date 15 July 2022 Last date to withdraw without fail 19 August 2022 Assessment period ends 16 September 2022 - September - On Campus
Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 30 hours Total time commitment 140 hours Pre teaching start date 19 September 2022 Pre teaching requirements students are required to complete approximately 15 hours of readings to prepare for the subject during pre-teaching period Teaching period 26 September 2022 to 2 December 2022 Last self-enrol date 17 July 2022 Census date 7 October 2022 Last date to withdraw without fail 11 November 2022 Assessment period ends 9 December 2022
Additional delivery details
This subject is only available to students admitted to GD-BA, MC-BAPT, MC-BAPTME, or students with permission of the MBA Course coordinator
This subject is a quota subject and places are limited. Students may provisionally enrol via the Student Portal, but places are not guaranteed until selection is completed. You will be notified in writing by the Student Centre if you are selected.
The students will be selected on the first come, first served basis. If any student is approaching the course completion date, s/he will get priority in enrolment.
This subject is equivalent to BUSA90027 in MC-BAPTME
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
There are no specifically prescribed or recommended texts for this subject.
- Subject notes
This subject is only available to students admitted to GD-BA, MC-BAPT, MC-BAPTME, or students with permission of the MBA Course coordinator
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Course Master of Business Administration Course Graduate Diploma in Business Administration Course Master of Business Administration - Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
This subject is available to students studying at the University from eligible overseas institutions on exchange and study abroad. Students are required to satisfy any listed requirements, such as pre- and co-requisites, for enrolment in the subject.
Last updated: 31 January 2024