Decision of the FIBAA Accreditation Commit- tee for Programmesstatic.fibaa.org/berichte/progakkred_k2h/M_Prag_JA_Komenski_U_198… · Decision of the FIBAA Accreditation Committee

Decision of the FIBAA Accreditation Committee for Programmes © FIBAA-Assessment Report Seite 1

Decision of the FIBAA Accreditation Commit-tee for Programmes

94rd Meeting on January 29st, 2015 Project Number: 13/058 Higher Education Institution: Jan Amos Komenský University Prague Study Programme: MBA (Focus: Human Resources Management and the EU) (MBA) The FIBAA Accreditation Committee for Programmes has taken the following decisions: According to § 7 (2) in conjunction with § 10 (1) in conjunction with § 10 (2) of the “Special Conditions for awarding the FIBAA Quality Seal for Programmes”, the study programme is accredited with three conditions. Period of Accreditation: October 1st, 2013 until the end of summer semester 2020 Conditions:

1. The HEI has to implement reliable and adequate rules of grading – pointed out in the diploma supplement - in respect to the ECTS based on a relative reference group, in the study and examination regulations for the programme.

(chapter 3.1)

2. The HEI has to implement a quality management system regarding the programme, which helps to underpin the good practice. This could be shown in a quality handbook for the programme, which contains the main processes, the quality assurance instru-ments and their use, the main development targets and the parties involved in the development process. (chapter 5.2)

3. The questionnaire for course evaluation has to provide a question related to the work-load of a particular course, in order to be able to check, whether the actual workload of the whole course corresponds with, is lower or higher than the estimated workload.

(chapter 5.3)

The conditions are fulfilled. FIBAA-Accreditation-Commission at February 26th, 2016.

The FIBAA Quality Seal is awarded.

Assessment Report © FIBAA-Assessment Report Seite 2

FOUNDATION FOR INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION ACCREDITATION FIBAA – BERLINER FREIHEIT 20-24 – D-53111 BONN

Assessment Report

Higher Education Institution (HEI): Jan Amos Komenský University Prague Master programme: MBA (Focus: Human Resources Management and the EU) Qualification awarded on completion: Master of Business Administration (MBA)


Brief description of the study programme: The basic objectives of the MBA (Focus: Human Resources Management and the EU) programme are to educate individuals as managers and business specialists who are able to orientate themselves in the economic and administrative environment of the European Union both from an internal perspective as well as from an external perspective. Date of opening of the procedure: April 25th, 2013 Date of filing the self-documentation: May 30th, 2014 Date of the site visit: September 9th/10th, 2014 Type of accreditation: Re-accreditation Type of Programme: further education Intended length of programme: 18 months Mode of study: part-time Initial Start of the programme: September 2009 Student intake: 15-20 Programme cycle starts in: Winter semester Speed (planned number of parallel years): 1 Number of ECTS point assigned to programme: 60 Hours (workload) per ECTS point: 25 For re-accreditation: Statistical data is to be found on the pages 7 and 8 Date of the Meeting of FIBAA-Accreditation Commission: November 21th, 2014


Resolution:

Recommendation of the panel members: The re-accreditation of the programme is under conditions and is valid for seven years.

Duration of Accreditation period: October 1st, 2013 until the end of summer semester 2020 Conditions:


(chapter 3.1)

2. The HEI has to implement a quality management system regarding the programme, which helps to underpin the good practice. This could be shown in a quality handbook for the programme, which contains the main processes, the quality assurance instru-ments and their use, the main development targets and the parties involved in the development process. (chapter 5.2)

3. The questionnaire for course evaluation has to provide a question related to the work-load of a particular course, in order to be able to check, whether the actual workload of the whole course corresponds with, is lower or higher than the estimated workload.

(chapter 5.3) Proof of meeting these requirements is to be supplied by October 29th, 2015.

Project Manager: Ass.jur. Nora Winckel Panel members:

Prof. Dr. Hans-Hubertus Bleuel University of Applied Sciences Düsseldorf Professor for International Business Administration (International Business Administration, Corporate Finance, Controlling) Ass. Prof. Ph.D. Pavel Zufan Mendel University in Brno Associate Professor at the Department of Management (Operations Management, Quality Management, Strategic Management) Tim Ackermann PAREXEL International Senior Director Talent Acquisition (Pharmaceutical Industry, Human Resource Management) Stefanie Henriette Fecher University of Erlangen-Nurnberg Student of “Organisation and HR Development” (M.A.) Completed: Business Administration (B.A.) at the University of Applied Sciences RheinMain

Summary © FIBAA-Assessment Report Seite 5

Summary

The panels’ assessment takes into account the self-assessment report, and the results of the on-site visit and the statement of the HEI to the assessment report. The MBA programme MBA (Focus: Human Resources Management and the EU) of the HEI Jan Amos Komenský University fulfils the FIBAA quality requirements for Master pro-grammes with three exceptions. This includes also the fulfilment of the European MBA-Guidelines. The programme can be re-accredited by the Foundation for International Busi-ness Administration Accreditation (FIBAA) under three conditions. It is in accordance with the National and the European Qualifications Framework in their applicable version valid at the time of opening of the procedure. It has a modular structure, has been assigned ECTS points and leads to the academic degree of Master of Business Administration. The degree is awarded by the higher education institution.

The panel members identify need for action regarding the study and examination regulations, the quality assurance and development of programme content, processes and outcomes and the evaluation by students. Therefore they recommend the accreditation on condition of meeting the following requirements:


(chapter 3.1) 2. The HEI has to implement a quality management system regarding the programme,

which helps to underpin the good practice. This could be shown in a quality handbook for the programme, which contains the main processes, the quality assurance instru-ments and their use, the main development targets and the parties involved in the development process. (chapter 5.2)

3. The questionnaire for course evaluation has to provide a question related to the work-load of a particular course, in order to be able to check, whether the actual workload of the whole course corresponds with, is lower or higher than the estimated workload. (chapter 5.3)

Proof of meeting these requirements is to be supplied by October 29th, 2015.

The further not fulfilled quality requirement (Advisory Body, see chapter 4.2) is not an aster-isk criterion, so further condition is not necessary and the measures the HEI takes to solve the identified problems are to be considered in the context of the re-accreditation. The panel members identify furthermore development potential for the programme in:

• Logic and conceptual coherence (s. chapter 3.2.1) • Reasons given for programme description (s. chapter 3.2.3), • Methodological competence and academic work (s. chapter 3.2.6)

The measures the HEI eventually takes in order to implement the recommendations of the panel members are to be considered in the context of the re-accreditation. Furthermore a set of criteria exists, which exceed the quality requirements:

• Teaching staff`s academic qualifications (s. chapter 4.1.2), • Provision of students support (s. chapter 4.1.6)

For the overall assessment please refer to the quality profile at the end of this report.

Institutions Details © FIBAA-Assessment Report Seite 6

Institutions Details

The Jan Amos Komenský University in Prague, established 2001 with the State Permit as the Jan Amos Komenský College of Higher Education, is the first and the largest Czech pri-vate institution of Higher Education with full university status granted from 2006 by the Ac-creditation Commission of the Czech Republic (member of INQAAHE, CEEN, and ENQA).

Today with about 8.000 students UJAK offers the following fully accredited study pro-grammes:

All diploma (Bachelor, Master’s, PhD.) courses have been accredited by the Accreditation Commission of the Czech Republic in both, the attendance (daily, face-to-face) and the com-bined (blended) forms. The distance learning form of some of the courses (Adult Education, Special Education, and Social and Media Communication, in particular) have been devel-oped and piloted through the European Social Fund grant projects.

The Jan Amos Komenský University in Prague, established 2001 with the State Permit as the Jan Amos Komenský College of Higher Education, is the first and the largest Czech private institution of Higher Education with full university status granted from 20 © FIBAA-Assessment Report Seite 7

Furthermore, UJAK offers life-long learning courses, cooperates on several research, devel-opment and innovation projects as well as numerous main research and development pro-jects presently carried out under the umbrella of the EU body. From the viewpoint of the internal university’s structure, the MBA programme is placed alongside the European Economic and Public Administration Studies in the Department of Economic Studies. The focus of the MBA programme (i.e., Human Resources Management and the EU) derives also from the UJAK expertise in adult education, andragogy, personal management, and managerial studies with all the areas mentioned being also accredited as tertiary education diploma studies.

Further development of the programme, implementation of the recommendations from previous accreditation, statistical data and evaluation results The study programme is offered by the HEI since 2009 and was accredited by FIBAA for the period 29th July 2008 until the end of summer semester 2013 under two conditions, the ac-creditation period was provisionally extended until end of summer semester 2014. The HEI had to ensure that a reference library with adequate endowment is available and literature and newspapers are geared to the programme contents and are up to date, especially inter-nationally oriented and English references. Furthermore, the HEI had to implement ECTS-grades. Both conditions were fulfilled within the prescribed time. The University took among others the following measures to develop the programme: UJAK was recommended to raise the number of foreign teachers. To meet this requirement, two new teachers from Slovakia and Australia have been involved in Study Area 1. On the initiative of the last two intakes of students the structure of the course Crisis Management has been changed. In order to secure appropriate education within this subject UJAK ap-pointed a new teacher who has experiences with crisis management in the business compa-nies as well as public agencies. With respect to the desirable stability of the curriculum the Programme Content has changed only in a minimal way like changing the content of the subject crisis management in the pub-lic sphere to corporate crisis management. Instead of the elective subject “Transition Eco-nomics and the EU”, the new subject “The United States and European Economic Integra-tion” was incorporated into the curriculum. The following table shows statistical data of the MBA programme:

Appraisal © FIBAA-Assessment Report Seite 8

Regarding the low enrolment numbers in the last few years the HEI points out that the finan-cial crisis negatively affected not only the Czech industry but also the education sector. Even students that are interested in studying an MBA programme often are no longer supported by their companies.

Appraisal

The panel considers the measures taken as reasonable. The difficult economic situation of many companies in the Czech Republic in the last few years is reflected in the low enrolment numbers. Further information on the promotion strategy of the programme is provided in chapter 1.2. The panel appreciates that the HEI took results of the student evaluation into account. Yet the panel members state that the development of the content of the programme could increase during the following accreditation period.

Description and appraisal in Detail © FIBAA-Assessment Report Seite 9

Description and appraisal in Detail

1. Strategy and Objectives

1.1 Logic and transparency of programme objectives (Asterisk Criteri-on)

Aims of the MBA (Focus: Human Resources Management and the EU) programme are to educate individuals as managers and business specialists who are able to orient themselves in the economic and administrative environment of the European Union both from an internal perspective as well as from an external perspective. The MBA programme, properly inte-grated into the Jan Amos Komenský University’s portfolio of degree and life-long learning programmes should also improve the quality of management as a profession. Basic objec-tives of the programme are:

• general knowledge and skills in business administration.

• additional knowledge and skills in human resources development and management.

• additional knowledge and skills in business administration with a focus on business administration in the European Union countries.

• knowledge of economics, human resources management, structures of the European Union and legal aspects of economics, management and administrative activities.

• competence in interpreting economic phenomena and processes while making use of the most up-to-date terminology and making decisions in the real-world situations

Furthermore, the HEI wants to introduce students to the current theoretical and practical re-search methods, which should help them to deal with problems they may encounter as a manager of the public sector. They will also be capable to apply ethical standards when tak-ing their strategic or daily business decisions.

After the first five years of the accreditation of the programme at UJAK, the HEI monitors further development of its graduates through feedback from both the employers and the alumni. The feedback is secured by periodical questionnaires and/or direct contact with em-ployers/alumni representatives as well as the international or national surveys. Appraisal: The objectives of the programme are explained in an intelligible manner and set out consist-ently in relation to the occupational area of management. They are based on subject-specific and generic learning outcomes, which are in line with the academic state of the art and the level of the qualification to be awarded on completion. The panel also comes to the conclusion that the areas empowerment, employability, aca-demic ability and personality/personal development are taken into account by the objectives of the programme. The University analyses the findings of alumni tracking studies. The findings of the studies are considered within the development process of the programme.


Quality Ratings Exceptional Exceeds quality

requirements Meets quality requirements

Does not meet quality requirements

not relevant

1. STRATEGY AND OBJECTIVES

1.1* Logic and Transparency of Programme Objectives x

1.2 Positioning of the programme

In the Czech Republic, the MBA studies have a rather short history. That is the main reason why the “MBA” title has not yet been recognized as a full-fledged academic degree. The Czech educational institutions offering the MBA programmes have various statuses. The position of the studies is at odds with a great demand for the programme, especially from the part of adult students who have already been active in business administration but due to past ideological restrictions on economic and business administration studies, as well as due to the character of the Czech economy itself, they did not have chance to pursue such a study. The very existence and functioning of the Czech Association of MBA Schools (CAMBAS) and newly (in 2013) established Association of Institutions in Managerial Education (AIMV – the Jan Amos Komenský University Prague joined it in 2013) clearly indicates that there is a market for the studies in the area. The competitors of the UJAK’s MBA Programme within the Czech educational context and the local MBA market are as follows: the MBA schools associated in the abovementioned Czech Association of MBA Schools (CAMBAS), the MBA Programme at the University of Economics, Prague (public university), and the MBA programmes at the foreign educational institutions that are active in the Czech Republic. The promotion of the programme is rather difficult due to various low-quality MBA pro-grammes. The HEI clarifies that these programmes use all kinds of sales promotion measures and are omnipresent in the higher education market, particularly in the area of MBA programs. By contrast, the key benefits of the UJAK’s MBA Programme in comparison to the competi-tors are as follows:

• the integration of the programme in the university profile including the permeability between the MBA programme and the related university study programmes;

• the cost of the programme which is moderate given the FIBAA accreditation;

• the membership of UJAK in the Association of Institutions in Managerial Educa-tion (AIMV) which aims at associating prestige and quality MBA schools in the Czech Republic;

• the permanent demand for the UJAK’s MBA Programme particularly from the part of CEOs and middle to senior management of Czech and international institutions (educational institutions including universities, large companies, health care insti-tutions, state administration, public service, etc.);

• the teaching staff who has valuable experiences in work with the civil officers, employees of large companies as well as experiences in public administration, business, and also academic environment.

The placement of the graduates on the job market is determined by the fact that all students already work in good positions. The main objective of the programme is to increase the chances of its graduates have to take the next step in their already started careers. After the Czech Republic’s joining the European Union Czech managers have greater opportunity to assert themselves at the (non-)European job market.


The MBA programme fits with the overall (educational) strategy of the HEI which is focused upon education of mainly adult students. Up to 60 per cent of the overall student population of UJAK are part-time students already having jobs. The MBA programme is complementary to several academic programmes of the HEI as a post-experience and broadening pro-gramme which partly shares the theoretical component with the accredited academic pro-grammes, but has a clear content on its own and carries itself with strong emphasis on prac-tical knowledge and skills in business administration. The further development of the MBA constitutes one out of 27 main strategic goals. Appraisal: The panel was informed about the difficult situation of MBA programmes in the Czech Re-public. The HEI analysed its competition in the MBA market and explained the situation of the UJAK programme in an intelligible manner. The panel came to the conclusion that the programme can compete on the educational market because of the maintained international quality standards. These standards appear as the reason why students choose to study the MBA programme of UJAK. This was confirmed by both students and alumni during an inter-view on-site. With regard to the low numbers of students and alumni (see chapter “Further development of the programme”) the panel recommends to review the promotion strategy to ensure that the number of applicants and students is always high enough to safeguard pro-gramme cost recovery of the current and the start of the next cohort. Regarding the placement of the graduates on the job market the panel agrees with the HEI that the students increase their attractiveness to employers through studying the programme. By reference to a list of the graduates and their actual positions in companies and organisa-tions the panel acknowledges the programme’s good positioning as warranted. In the largest Czech private of HEI the MBA programme only forms a small part of the whole academic offer. Nevertheless, the HEI cares for the programme as a representative of the HEI regarding internationalisation, mobility of students and teachers, co-operation with prac-tice and life long learning based on international standards. The classical MBA programme enriches the portfolio of the UJAK without question.

Quality Ratings Exceptional Exceeds

quality re-quirements

Meets quality requirements


not relevant


1.2 Positioning of Programme

1.2.1 Positioning of the Programme on Edu-cation Market x

1.2.2 Positioning of the Programme on Job Market (Employability of Graduates) x

1.2.3 Positioning within HEI's overall Strategy x

1.3 International orientation of the programme (Asterisk Criterion)

The MBA programme as focused upon the EU institutional and economic environment has an important international dimension from the point of view of the HEI. Great majority of the teaching staff are fluent in English and/or other international languages. The programme concept presupposes international comparative studies in economics, law, human resources


management, and other disciplines. Lectures, seminars, and assignments in foreign lan-guages, in particular English, are indispensable part of the programme.

The international content of the programme is apparent from the programme’s orientation to business administration in the EU countries, international economics and human resources management (alongside the general business administration subjects globally). At least 15% of the lectures and 25% of student workload are in English. Appraisal: The programme objectives and strategy are geared to ensure internationality in teaching and graduate employability. This can be seen in international components of certain modules, the international orientation of the teaching staff and modules partially taught in English.





not relevant

1.3* International Dimension of the Pro-gramme X

1.4 Gender equality and equality of opportunity

The Jan Amos Komenský University Prague puts emphasis on the equality and equal oppor-tunity issues throughout its academic activities as well as throughout its staffing policy. The following aspects that are present in all university’s activities carry over to the MBA Pro-gramme: The HEI

• observes all European and national rules for equality and equal opportunities in re-spect to both students and teachers and other staff. The concept equally applies to the MBA Programme.

• realizes specialized study programmes focused upon disabled and socially excluded, e.g., Special Education or Adult Education.

• runs Academic Advisory Centre to help students with special needs. • allows so-called individual study plans available to students who find themselves in

non-standard life situations. Appraisal: The panel members came to the conclusion that gender equality and the implementation of general bans on discrimination are promoted by the faculty. A claim for overcoming disadvantages for disabled students with regard to time and formal requirements on the programme as well as for evidence of performance at the end of the course or during the latter (e.g. through alternative forms of examination and events) and as part of procedures to determine suitability are ensured.


requirements



not relevant

1.4 Gender equality and equality of oppor-tunity x


2. ADMISSION (ADMISSION PROCESS AND PROCEDURE)

Specific admission requirements for the MBA programme at the Jan Amos Komenský Uni-versity are as follows:

• A state accredited Bachelor degree. • A minimum of two years of employment in a managerial position. • A structured interview including a motivation statement passed. • A standard general university admission test passed. • A language interview passed or an internationally recognized language certificate

supplied (level TELC B2 – Certificate in English or higher).

• Application documents required: 1. Official application form filled. 2. Certified copies of university degree. 3. CV and proof of work experience. 4. Letters of recommendation. 5. Foreign language certificate (if any).

After the verification of the above mentioned documents and in case that all documents are accepted, the applicant is invited to an interview. The interview is based upon topics like Character of the present managerial position held by the applicant, debate based upon the motivation statement, the letters of recommendation and the language interview. In accordance with the Czech Higher Education Act, the Rector of the university decides over the admission of an applicant. The decision is based on the applicant’s educational back-ground and his/her overall personal profile (as given in the documents supplied and the re-sults of the interviews). The decision on admission is communicated to the applicant by a Letter of Admission. The letter is signed by the Rector and includes the decision on admis-sion based on the applicant`s meeting the admission requirements. The conditions of admission are declared in the Examination Rules of the programme and published at the UJAK’s website. Appraisal: The admission requirements are well defined and transparent. The required professional experience of two years is adequate for an MBA programme. The selection procedure con-tains an interview, which serves to approve the motivation and qualification for the pro-gramme. The admission requirements are documented for and accessible to internal and external communities. The admission decision is based on transparent criteria and is com-municated in written form. In addition, the admission decision contains detailed information regarding the results of the admission procedure.



requirements



not rele-vant

2. ADMISSION (REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURE) AND OBJECTIVES

2.1* Admission Requirements x

2.2 Selection Procedure (if available) x

2.3 Professional Experience (* for Master Programmes of the "further Education" Type)

x

2.4* Ensuring Foreign Language Compe-tence x

2.5* Transparency of Admission Procedure x

2.6* Transparency of Admission Decision x

3. Implementation

3.1 Structure

The MBA programme provides a three semester part-time education with a total of 60 ECTS-Points, each semester consists of 20 ECTS-credits. The Master Thesis is written in the third semester during four months and comprehends 12 ECTS-Points. Each credit is based on a notional 25 hours of student study time. The module structure is shown in the following illustration: Semester 1 / Study Area 1 European Union

Compulsory Subjects Guarantees ECTS Hours 1) Genesis, Actual Problems and

Future of the EU – Comparison of Political and Economic Sys-tems of the EU Countries

Doc. (Ass. Prof.) PhDr. Martin Kovář, Ph.D., Ryan Scott, BA

2 50

2) Legal Systems in the EU Countries (including the Czech Republic)

Prof. JUDr. Jan Kuklík, DrSc. (Ph.D.) Doc. (Ass. Prof.) Jozef Kudla, Ph.D.

2 50

3) Company Law and Contract Law in the EU Countries

Mgr. Lukáš Zahrádka 2 50

4) Labour Law and Problems of Welfare State in the EU Coun-tries

Doc. (Ass. Prof.) PhDr. & JUDr. Jakub Rákosník, Ph.D.,

2 50

Electives* A) “Thatcherism” and “New La-

bour”: Case Study – Key As-pects of Economic Develop-ment of Contemporary Great Britain

PhDr. Jaromír Soukup, Ph.D.; Doc. (Ass. Prof.) PhDr. Martin Kovář, Ph.D.

1 25

B) “Mixed Economy”: Case Study – Development of West Ger-many and its “Economic Mira-

Doc. (Ass. Prof.) PhDr. Václav Horčička, Ph.D.

1 25


cle” C) The United States and Euro-

pean Economic Integration PhDr. Jan Koura 1 25

Semester 1 / Study Area 2 Economics and Finance

Compulsory Subjects Guarantees ECTS Hours 5) Macro- and Microeconomic

Analysis Ing. Jindřich Nový, Ph.D.

2 50

6) International Economics Ing. Michal Vacenovský

2 50

7) Finance and Financial Instru-ments

Prof. Ing. Václav Skurovec, CSc. (Ph.D.)

2 50

8) International Finance and the EU Fiscal Policy

Ing. Michal Vacenovský 2 50

Electives* E) Change Management Prof. PhDr. Jan Barták, DrSc.

(Ph.D.) 1 25

F) Operations Management RNDr. Martin Ohlídal, MBA; Ing. Jaroslava Hocká

1 25

G) Decision Making RNDr. Martin Ohlídal, MBA; Ing. Jaroslava Hocká

1 25

Semester 2 / Study Area 3 Management

Compulsory Subjects 3.1.1.1 Guarantees ECTS Hours

9) Strategic Management RNDr. Martin Ohlídal, MBA; Ing. Jaroslava Hocká

3 75

10) Crisis Management and Problem-Solving

Mgr. Daniel Lattner 3 75

11) Risk Management Prof. Ing. Václav Skurovec, CSc. (Ph.D.)

2 50

12) ICT and Information Systems Management

RNDr. Martin Ohlídal, MBA; Ing. Jaroslava Hocká

1 25

Electives** H) Research Methods Doc. (Ass. Prof.) PhDr. Martin

Kovář, Ph.D. Doc. (Ass. Prof.) PhDr. et JUDr. Jakub Rákosník, Ph.D.

1 25

I) Soft Skills (Rhetorics, Presen-tation Skills and Organization Communications)

Doc. (Ass. Prof.) PhDr. Martin Kovář, Ph.D. PhDr. Jan Koura

1 25

Semester 2 / Study Area 4 Industrial Management Compulsory Subjects Guarantees ECTS Hours 13) Marketing and Sales Ing. Lenka Hanáčková 3 75 14) Production and Logistics Ing. Jiří Zmatlík, Ph.D. 3 75 15) Controlling Ing. Štefan Toth 2 50 16) Accounting Ing. Jana Veselá 1 25 Electives** J) Business Ethics in the EU

Countries Doc. (Ass. Prof.) PhDr. Martin Kovář, Ph.D.; PhDr. Jaromír Soukup, Ph.D.

1 25

K) Economy versus Ecology? – Problems of the Ecology Fo-cused Market Economy

Doc. (Ass. Prof.) PhDr. Martin Kovář, Ph.D.; PhDr. Jaromír Soukup, Ph.D.

1 25

Semester 3 / Study Area 5 3.1.1.2 Human Resource


Management

Compulsory subjects Guarantees ECTS Hours 17) Human Resource Management Prof. PhDr. Jan Barták, DrSc.

(Ph.D.) 3 75

18) Human Resource Development

PhDr. Michaela Tureckiová, CSc. (Ph.D.)

2 50

19) Organisational Behaviour PhDr. Michaela Tureckiová, CSc. (Ph.D.)

2 50

20) Personnel Functions Mgr. Lenka Pešková 1 25

Semester 3 / Study Area 6 Thesis

Compulsory subjects Guarantees ECTS Hours Thesis All guarantees / lecturers

12 300

* Students choose two subjects from three electives.

** Students choose one subject from two electives.

Most of the modules are compulsory, the students choose electives as offered in the particu-lar study areas. All courses last one semester (four months) followed by an examination pe-riod of two months. Module assessments include written tests, essays, project papers, or case studies. All mod-ules are concluded by a cross-module examination. The module descriptions contain information, among others, about the number of ECTS-points, the names of lecturers of the modules, the time schedule, the examination and the evaluation criteria. Furthermore they inform about the aim, the prerequisites and the content of the module and give recommendations of literature. Due to the integration of ECTS-Points, the MBA programme offers also international comparison and compatibility. Requirements for the duration and structure, admission requirements and -procedure, the assessment system in general, the master thesis as well as the period to complete the thesis are described in the Study and Examination Regulations for the Master of Business Admin-istration Programme. There is also defined the grade point average of the examination re-sults with respect to the ECTS System which is also pointed out in the Diploma Supplement. Examinations and credits completed in the MBA programme are recognized for students of accredited study programmes realized by UJAK, the decision has to be taken by the rector. Furthermore, if the HEI possesses nationally/intemationally recognized accreditation, and if the leaming outcomes are not substantially different from the ones at the UlAK MBA pro-gramme, credit transfer may be allowed. In practice, the student applies for recognition and provides relevant information on the learning outcomes. The rector entitles the head of the UJAK departments in charge to compare the learning outcomes and if they are not substan-tially different the head of department gives the rector a recommendation to recognize the credits. There are also reliable rules for an entitlement to compensation for disabled students in terms of time and form of the exams. The programme is designed in a way that students can successfully complete their studies besides working full-time. The amount of student’s workload throughout the programme reaches 24 hours a week. The study workload includes all kinds of classroom and extracur-ricular (independent) activities. The following measures support the students in mastering the workload requirements:

• Lectures are scheduled on weekends twice a month so that the students have always two weeks to repeat previous lectures and to prepare for the next one using given in-


struction or literature. Students are engaged in direct teaching (lectures) about six days a month during a semester.

• Examinations are organized partly during the semester and partly after the end of each semester in order to achieve the most effective distribution of time.

• In case of absence from a module or permitted partial absence, the module can be repeated or done by self-study or in collaboration with the instructor.

• In case of unsuccessful completion of a module, students have the opportunity to re-take the test twice. Test results are announced immediately after evaluation and ex-plained. Students can complain about their results.

• All courses are evaluated regularly to obtain feedback about the quality of the teach-ing and to recognize and overcome possible difficulties for students in the pro-gramme.

Appraisal: The structure of the programme with its mainly compulsory modules helps the students to acquire the skills related to the objectives of the MBA programme. ECTS elements, especial-ly the principle of modularisation and the ECTS-System have been implemented in the pro-gramme. The module descriptions contain sufficient information for the students. Additional documents were handed over to the panel with more detailed information, like the composi-tion of the workload during contact and self-study time. Regarding the module examination the modules conclude with a cross-module examination without exception. The process as well as criteria of credit transfer from programmes offered by the same or another institution with respect to the Lisbon Convention, are sufficiently laid down in the study and examination rules. The panel members recognize that the master thesis is written besides the student`s fulltime work commitments and the additional workload of modules. Therefore four months appear adequate, as are laid down in the regulations. The study and examination regulations derive from and are fully compatible with the national rules and regu-lations in the Czech Republic and have been verified by the Czech Ministry of Education, they regulate the structural requirements for the programme. Nevertheless, the panel members miss one necessary rule: The exemplary diploma supple-ment that was presented to the panel contains a grading but the regulation is missing the relative reference group and therefore does not comply with the ECTS. Paragraph 13, Art. VIII of the Regulations defines the ECTS grade “A” as the study average 1.0 to 1.4, which means the arithmetic average of final marks in all the examinations of one student. This study average has to be set in relation to a reference group like, for example, the last five groups of graduates and their study average. A study average 1.4 could then be graded with an “A”, if 1.4 is part of the best 10 % of the reference group. Consequently, the panel advises the accreditation under the condition that the HEI implements reliable and adequate rules of grading – pointed out in the diploma supplement –in respect to the ECTS based on a relative reference group in the above mentioned study and examination regulations. The workload during the semesters doesn`t change and the students and alumni who were interviewed during the site visit confirmed the workload as manageable throughout the whole programme. The same applies to the organisation and number of exams in the programme. Regarding the examination burden the panel members refer to the recommendation in chap-ter 3.2. Its implementation will further develop the given feasibility of the study programme due to a bigger size of modules concentrating on the crucial contents of an MBA. In addition, the well organised admission procedure contributes that the students are able to complete their studies successfully. This is also proved throughout the very personal contact between the HEI and the very small group of students. Yet it appears problematic that the HEI evalu-


ates all courses, but the question regarding the workload isn`t put expressively. There´s only left a blank field in the questionnaire for other comments of students. Altogether the panel comes to the conclusion that the student workload is feasible but that the workload evalua-tion has to be more formalized (c.5.3).





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3. PROGRAMME DESIGN

3.1 Structure 3.1.1 Structure of the Programme (Core

Subjects / or Specialisations (Compul-sory Electives) / optional Electives/ practical Components)

x

3.1.2* Application of the "European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS)" and the Modularisation

x

3.1.3* Study and Examination Regulations condition

3.1.4* Student workload x

3.2 Content

According to UJAK the curriculum is conceptually coherent and its capacity has a deep inter-nal logic. The methodology of the MBA programme leads from general problems to specific ones and from theoretical (academic) knowledge to the applications of managerial skills, separate study areas at the same time create logical units (“mini-specializations”). Following this principle, study area 1 (European Union) is more general and focused upon theoretical foundations of political, economic, and legal aspects business administration with the focus upon the EU countries. The content should give partial justification to the EU focus of the programme. Study Area 2 focuses upon field-specific economic and managerial subjects like economic analysis, international economics, finance, change/operations management, and decision making, while study area 3 leads to field-specific managerial knowledge and skills and ICT. These skills are followed by modules about Industrial Management (study area 4) and Human Resources Management (study area 5). Study Area 6 is devoted to the final writ-ten thesis. Basic modules cover the necessary skills for effective work in the management of today's enterprises and institutions. According to the focus of their job or professional interests, stu-dents may choose other module specialisations in each study area. The final graduate degree corresponds with those of practice-oriented master's programme, which runs through lifelong management training. The programme combines insights of gen-eral and international management. Therefore the HEI considers the programme description and the qualification title “Master of Business Administration” as appropriate. At least, the additional programme description “focus on…” is due to the fact that the HR component of the programme is broadened and the European dimension (EU political and legal systems, EU structures) is added to the programme content. In order to meet target of integration of theory and practice there are employed various edu-cational techniques. Firstly, in managerial and economic subjects students get the assign-ment of fictional company with concrete entries and they are supposed to solve particular problems connected to conducting its business in compliance with the theoretical knowledge


gained by lectures and self-study. Secondly, vast majority of subjects in the MBA programme that are connected to managerial practice are taught by professionals with outstanding prac-tical experiences. Thirdly, students encounter also experts that are not ordinary teachers in order to embrace their experience in mutual discussions. The composition of subjects prepares the students for interdisciplinarity: theoretical subjects (economics, EU economies, law, business ethics, etc.) combine with the practical field-specific subjects (economic analysis, various areas of management, ICT, HR management and development, marketing and sales, accounting, etc.) and with the managerial skills (eg., soft skills, research methods, decision making, etc.). Interdisciplinarity in the programme’s design is secured not only by the content of the particular study areas but also by composi-tion of the subjects within the study areas. The integral part of each subject is theoretical (methodological) introduction, in which the lecturers introduce the students to their own research proceedings and offer them a possibil-ity to confront them with proceedings of other colleagues. For a particular focus upon meth-odological competence and academic work, the following subjects have been integrated into the programme’s curriculum: Research Methods, Soft Skills, and HR Development. During their studies the students are instructed to work with literature, using quotations and refer-ences. They are confronted with rational, scientific, empirically verifiable and understandable requirements of research in essays, term papers, business projects and the master thesis. The aim of the final exam is to determine the proficiency level of the graduate to perform pro-fessional tasks and the compliance with the requirements of educational standards. Through a variety of assessments, tests and examinations the students are tested on whether or not they achieved the required learning outcomes of the programme. Appraisal: The curriculum correlates with the programme objectives of theoretical and practical knowledge and skills for management tasks. There is a basically balanced mixture of mod-ules in terms of content and they are arranged in a logical sequence. They are aligned with the qualification and competence goals.The programme particularly corresponds to the out-come-based approach. The programme is in line with the requirements of the European MBA Guidelines. Yet the panel members state that subjects like Accounting, Operations Management and Information Systems Management could be deepened to ensure that the necessary contents are taught in a balanced manner. Set against the management background, the programme description and the qualification title are in line with the focus of the programme content. Regarding the additive “Focus: Human Resources Management and the EU” the panel states that it is obvi-ously not false but that these contents only make 25 % of the whole programme. Therefore, they recommend to review the modules of study area 1 (European Union) in terms of deep-ening the above mentioned subjects and to remove the additive. Theoretical questions are geared towards application fields to promote employability on the programme. The programme’s content also promotes interdisciplinary thinking. The panel has seen a variety of assessments, e.g. written tests, papers and master theses. Assessment techniques comply with the subject matter to be tested. Regarding the master theses the panel came to the conclusion that the academic level varies when comparing dif-ferent theses. Even if most theses showed that graduates have good methodological compe-tence, in some theses techniques of academic work (e.g. citation, work with sources) were not well-handled. The panel learned that the University provides the students with infor-mation about scientific standards and that the curriculum offers the module “Research meth-ods” in study area 3 as an elective. The panel members, regarding the small number of un-sufficient theses, recommend to change this module in a compulsory one to ensure the uni-form compliance with the scientific standards in the study programme.


The panel studied a number of tests and found these to be sufficiently substantive and ade-quate to check the achievement of the particular intended course competencies. In the view of the panel, the methods of the programme assessment generally correspond with the learning outcomes of the respective courses.





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3. PROGRAMME DESIGN

3.2 Content

3.2.1* Logic and conceptual Coherence of Programme / Curriculum x

3.2.2* Rationale for the Qualification Title x

3.2.3* Reasons given for programme descrip-tion x

3.2.4* Integration of Theory and Practice x

3.2.5 Interdisciplinarity x

3.2.6* Methodological Competence and Aca-demic Work x

3.2.7* Performance in Examinations and Thesis

x

3.3 Internationality

The international focus of the programme reflects in various international and intercultural aspects. This includes among others:

• International Economics

• International Finance and the EU Fiscal Policy

• Human Resource Management

• Human Resource Development

• Finance and Financial Instruments

• Soft Skills

• Company Law and Contract Law in the EU Countries

• Genesis, Actual Problems and Future of the EU

• Legal Systems in the EU Countries

• Economic Development of Great Britain, West Germany, or Russia

• Business Ethics in the EU Countries; Ecology Focused Market Economy The current students of the programme are from the Czech Republic and two from Ukraine. The faculty of the programme is composed of local UJAK lecturers and external experts with valuable experience as lecturers in foreign universities (in the EU countries); some of them are involved in international research projects.


The graduates from the MBA programme must be able to communicate in English which is a result of several factors: the international character of the university and its position within the EU and various European structures, the requirements of the MBA programme as well as the requirements of the international companies in the Czech Republic as the graduates’ employers. Therefore, at least 15% of the lectures and 25% of student workload are in Eng-lish. It`s also possible to write the thesis in English. Appraisal: The amount of international content is clearly shown in the curriculum. The panel came to the conclusion that the international orientation of the programme equips graduates with the skills they need to perform the tasks required in an international and intercultural environ-ment. Internationality in the programme is supported by the international teaching/working background of the lecturers who incorporate their experiences into the courses. The number of international students is very small. This results from the part-time character of the programme which is addressed to professionals who work in Prague and the surround-ing areas. Another obstacle for international students may be the teaching in mainly Czech language. The courses taught in English (contact hours, accompanying materials) as well as English literature used in modules with international content are sufficient to foster the employability of graduates on a continuous basis. The intended communicative competence for the voca-tional field of managers complements the achievable skills of the international content of the programme.





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3. PROGRAMME DESIGN


3.3.1* International and intercultural aspects x

3.3.2 Internationality of Student Community x

3.3.3 Internationality of Teaching Community x

3.3.4 Foreign language content x

3.4 Additional acquisition of knowledge and skills

The content of the curriculum is aimed to cover the entire width of the field of economics and management in both its professional and above professional level. There are several addi-tional competencies that go beyond a narrow sectoral approach and border. The following aspects are integral part of the programme objectives and reflect in different modules:

• Economics as a discipline is not only pursuing profit maximisation, but the creation of social values, sustainable social responsibility with regard to the needs of society and the protection of nature (environmental concerns).

• Economics as a social science takes into account the behaviour of managers, em-ployees, partners and customers, and their mutual interpersonal relationships.


• The aim of management is to create long-term value for business and society, and environmental conditions, to control and create healthy conditions for a free and open market and competition and also to follow ethical principles of thinking and practice.

• Research skills connected to searching and analyzing legal sources and documents originated in the European Union bodies.

• Research skills oriented toward identification marketing opportunities through the quantitative and qualitative methods of proper data collection in order to identify and assess how changing elements of the marketing mix impacts customer behaviour.

• Knowledge about people and processes involved in the management of work organi-sations, stress on social behaviour and ethic aspects and conducts is present in all lectured subjects.

Communication skills and rhetoric as part of management education is supported in the pro-gramme in several ways:

• In each module there is active conversation between teacher and students; also the students have to work in teams on a regular basis.

• In many disciplines students are asked to present their solutions, to a task and lead a debate about it.

• In particular, the extended HR study in Study Area 5 together with the Business Eth-ics and Soft Skills subjects secures strong accent of the programme upon social be-haviour, ethical aspects and conduct.

• To improve spoken language skills, students receive assistance with their seminar work and the final defence of the project work and master thesis.

• The theoretical grounding in managerial practice is specifically checked in several presentations of projects, tasks, solutions, workshops and labour dispute simulations.

Appraisal: As the panel states, the development of generic skills such as social aspects, sustainability, or responsible handling of colleagues and employees are provided in the programme on a consistent basis. Among others, the course “Business Ethics” is included in the curriculum. Also, in a number of modules, students are required to present the results of their studies and practice teamwork, whereby the ability to communicate publicly is convincingly fostered. Communication skills and public-speaking skills as well as team-work and conflict resolution are strongly nurtured by means of knowledge and skills development in the programme and students practice the techniques individually in several activities.





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3. PROGRAMME DESIGN

3.4 Additional Acquisition of Knowledge and Skills

3.4.1* Acquisition of application and / or re-search-oriented skills (only for Master programmes)

x

3.4.2* Generic Skills x

3.4.3* Communication skills and public speaking skills / team-work and conflict handling

x


3.5 Teaching Methodology

The teaching and learning methodology is based on the following means and methods of education which include both face-to-face teaching and blended learning methods: Lectures (classes) on general, fundamental, and theoretical topics taught by the lecturers. Seminars (classes) aimed at students’ team work on case studies or projects, or individual presentations. Consultations, tutorials ensuring individual access of students to the lecturers and final thesis supervisors. Structured contact using ICT: tutorials and consultations over e-mail or telephone, using www platform for sharing materials and opinion exchange between the students and/or lec-turers . Structured contact is predominantly realized in two forms:

a) Distance form of a student’s consultations with the lecturer, who is entitled to assign further partial tasks aimed to develop individual dispositions of the student, or provide concrete pedagogical help when solving assigned tasks. b) Collective or individual form of assigned tasks solving within a study discussion fo-rum (the e-learning platform Moodle) under the teacher’s supervision. The teacher is entitled to make use of other suitable forms of structured contact with the students when relevant to the subject and required attestation. The teacher is obliged to monitor and record the activity of individual students per-formed within the frame of structured contact.

Accompanying course materials are available to students in the UJAK university library, through the UJAK internet platform (student pages, shared internal study materials), and directly from the particular lecturers in photocopies and electronic versions of books and arti-cles.

The teaching staff is composed of kind of guest lecturers like the part-time teachers who work in international enterprises. Student assistants are not involved in teaching.

Appraisal: The logic of the teaching methodology is adequate to lead students to the final qualifications; it is described and explained in a comprehensive and transparent manner. A diverse range of methods is used in the programme and tailored to the specific modules. Case studies and business projects are used as part of the curriculum and are aimed at developing the stu-dents’ skills. The accompanying course materials aligned to the Learning Outcomes are of the required quantity and quality and are available to the students. They are user-friendly and encourage the students to engage in further independent study. The panel holds the view that student assistance or special guest lecturers are not relevant within a MBA programme, especially since broad and continuous support is provided by the full- and part-time lecturers.






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3. PROGRAMME DESIGN


3.5.1* Logic and Transparency of Teaching and Learning Methodology x

3.5.2 Accompanying course materials x

3.5.3 Guest Lecturers x

3.5.4 Student Assistants involved in Teach-ing x

3.6 Skills for employment / Employability (Asterisk Criterion)

Employability of graduates of the MBA programmes has been secured through both great demand from the employers (both private companies and the state or public sectors) and the fact that a majority of applicants have already held their positions in business administration and seek ways to develop and formalize their knowledge in order to develop their career ac-cording to the international standards.

The MBA programme is aimed also at mature students with their own professional experi-ence who are usually already employed and aim at career jump. In majority of cases, the MBA Programme students get enrolled in the programme because the MBA title (qualifica-tion) is required by their employers for career jump. The HEI controls it by Alumni Question-naire and Employer Questionnaire.

Due to the traditional direct contact with employers in both Prague and the Czech regions, UJAK has analysed the demand for managers educated in an MBA programme especially in the following areas: state and public administration, education (secondary, post-secondary, and higher education), health, international business, large companies, SME’s, and munici-palities. The focus of an MBA programme upon human resources management has been explicitly welcomed by a vast majority of the employers.

The MBA degree has become highly valued in the Czech job market, especially due to the MBA programme content which has been missing from the traditional academic curricula or various lifelong-learning programmes as well as due to the renowned and internationally recognized degree.

Appraisal: The students in the MBA programme already work and have shown their employability for several years. The programme’s aim is to increase the student’s skills of their respective pro-fessional field. The composition of students with different work backgrounds facilitates the mutually beneficial exchange possibilities and additionally effects the achievement of the learning outcomes. This all promotes the ability to take the broader view and to use the skills acquired actively in new areas of work and develop them further. The good results of the programme can be seen in the feedback of alumni and employers.






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3. PROGRAMME DESIGN

3.6* Skills for Employment / Employability x

4. Academic Environment and framework conditions

4.1 Teaching staff

The composition of the teaching staff of the programme is as follows: Full professors 3

Associate professors 4

Doctors (PhD. degree) 4

Others (Master’s degree) 11

Total teaching staff 22

Part of the teaching staff represent professional managers working for large companies and/or banks. Part-time lecturers are selected by their practical experience and the ability to apply their knowledge to real business situations in which students are or situations that are typical for their field. They also usually supervise student theses. The majority of the teaching staff consists of members of the Department for European Economic and Administration Studies or the Department of Adult Education of UJAK; these departments closely cooperate with other departments of the UJAK through common research and development projects. All associate professors and full professors have completed the so-called habilitation procedure (procedure for conferring “venium docendi”). The teaching staff's contracts are such that continuous programme delivery is guaranteed. In addition, there is a medium-term staff plan. The contracts of the existing and future teaching staff are in line with that plan. Staff absence and research leave are taken into account in a realistic manner, thus providing sufficient capacity for individual coaching for students. The teaching staff closely collaborates in the framework of this study programme and in the framework of other study programmes, too. There are also organized regular joint meetings to discuss necessary issues connected to particular study programmes. All lecturers regularly receive information on development of the programme from the programme management. In the process of training, students have the opportunity to consult with lecturers. All lecturers are available by mail and in person. There are also regular meetings with selected teachers to discuss seminar work (term paper, business project) or Master Theses. The lecturers also support in terms of organisation and provision of course materials and act as the first contact in case of processing delays and difficulties.

At the level of all departments, students are given individual support and coaching. General consultancy services for students in academic and related issues are provided by the UJAK Academic Advisory Center. Moreover, special consultancy for handicapped students or stu-dents with special needs including psychological consultancy are provided by the the UJAK Academic Advisory Center (former Consultancy Centre of the Department of Special Educa-tion).


Personal development is guaranteed by the HEI in offering financial, social, and institutional motivation for promotion to Associate Professorship and Full Professorship; motivation for participation in internal and/or external research, development, and innovation projects and motivation for teaching excellence. Appraisal: The structure and number of teaching staff correspond with the programme requirements. A list of all involved lecturers shows the availability of the required capacity to implement the programme. Appointment requirements regarding the academic qualifications are determined by the HEI, the panel members learned from the CV`s that the teaching staff's academic qualifications are increasingly demonstrated by extensive publications and research. Accord-ing to the CV’s the practical experience of the teaching staff is in line with the requirements of the programme for teaching. Besides, a high number of lecturers have long-year experience in teaching. The staff’s pedagogical/didactical qualifications are in line with their tasks and have been verified. As the panel has come to know, there is a regular offer to the lecturers to take part in further educational and pedagogical trainings (e.g. multimedia-based teaching, English courses in Prague or abroad). Internal collaboration and coordination to agree on the modules and overall is ensured. The department regularly hosts joint events, in which all of the HEI's teaching staff participates. As affirmed by students and alumni during the on-site visit, the counselling of students by teaching staff is overwhelming. Student support and coaching are an integral part of the ser-vices provided by the teaching staff and is offered in an extraordinary way. E-mails are an-swered immediately, the teaching staff is available to the students outside of the specified office hours as well. Where necessary, the students are given support with academic and related issues.





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4. ACADEMIC ENVIRONMENT AND FRAMEWORK CONDITIONS

4.1 Teaching Staff

4.1.1* Structure and Number of Teaching Staff in Relation to Curricular Re-quirements

x

4.1.2* Teaching Staff's Academic Qualifica-tions x

4.1.3* Teaching Staff's Pedagogical / Teach-ing Qualifications x

4.1.4 Practical Business Experience of the Teaching Staff x

4.1.5* Internal Cooperation x

4.1.6* Provision of Student Support / Coach-ing by Teaching Staff x


4.2 Programme Management

The programme management consists of the Principal Guarantee, the Director of the Pro-gramme and the Programme Administrator. The Director of the programme is in person the Head of Department of European and Public Administration Studies and responsible for design and operation of the programme. The management meets on an informal basis with the Aca-demic Guarantees (all the professors) to discuss the programme, the status of students, evaluation of teaching and the review of study materials. Further issues are the membership in organizations, the accreditation of the programme and financial and personnel matters. The Programme Administrator is responsible for:

• providing all relevant information and materials for the students, • updating the MBA website and brochure, • the schedule of seminars, • providing classroom and its equipment, • preparation of materials for teaching, • teacher evaluation and teacher feedback, • review of Examination Regulations, • summary of study results, preparation of certificates, diplomas, graduation and • archiving important data on graduate studies.

The coordination of the programme includes the following activities:

• marketing activities for the programme, • correspondence and personal meetings with prospective students, • evaluation and information about admission, • preparation of individual semesters (data, classrooms, lecturers), • preparation and support of seminars, • keeping students and lecturers informed through emails and • offering supporting events for students (dinners, trips, excursions).

Students are acquainted with all staff of UJAK, can meet with them in regular consultation hours and also in cases of urgency. UJAK Staff is invited to the training activities of the facul-ty (e.g. IT, language courses) or to participate in relevant conferences. Appraisal: As the panel learned, the programme management, mainly the director of the programme and the Programme Administrator coordinates the activities of everyone involved in the pro-gramme and ensures that the programme runs smoothly. The process organisation, adminis-trative support as well as decision-making processes, skills and responsibilities are deter-mined transparently. The administration acts as a service provider for students and teaching staff. In terms of both quality and quantity sufficient staff is available taking account of their involvement on other programmes so that the processes described can be implemented ap-propriately. An advisory board is not yet installed.






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4.2.1 Programme Directors x

4.2.2 Process Organisation and administra-tive Support for Students and Teaching Staff

x

4.2.3 Advisory Body (Advisory Board) and its Structure and Responsibilities x

4.3 Cooperation and partnerships

The HEI is an active member of the following academic networks: Czech Rectors Confer-ence, Council of the Czech HEI`s , European University Association (EUA), European Asso-ciation for International Education, European Association of Erasmus Coordinators and oth-ers. Within the framework of co-operation in research, development, and innovations, UJAK has co-operated on specific projects with numerous academic institutions including Czech public and private universities, Slovak universities, TU Dresden, UIB Almaty in Kazakhstan, Eras-mus partner universities, Czech Centre for HE Studies and others. Among non-academic partners are, e.g., Czech Television (public) and private radio and TV stations. Jan Amos Komenský University Prague cooperates with many state and private institutions and companies in the Czech Republic in which the students of UJAK realized their profes-sional practice; these practices are integral part of their study plans and a precondition for the accreditation of study programme by the Czech Ministry of Education. The list of major co-operating institutions includes the following ones:

• Tha Parliament of the Czech Republic, E.ON • RWE Transgas • State Office for Nuclear Safety of the Czech Republic • Česká pojišťovna (Czech Insurance Company) • Česká spořitelna (Czech Savings Bank) • Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic • Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions • Czech Post • Czech Television • TV Metropol • Metrostav Praha • Kooperativa Insurance Company • Jan Amos Komenský Academy • Prima Television • Radio Impuls • Internetmedia.cz • Expandmedia • Revue Fragmenty • Czech Media, Ltd. • Planetarium Prague • Interra, Ltd.


• Trexima, Ltd. • SEMIS, Agency for Education and Company Consulting • Ruhrkohle Intertraining Ltd. • Prague 3 Municipality

The UJAK’s MBA programme also represents inter-institutional collaboration. The institutions involved through collaboration of their experts are, in particular, as follows:

• Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy • Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Law • Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Social Sciences • University of Economics in Prague • Ministry of Regional Development of the Czech Republic • Czech Technical University in Prague • Weinhold Legal law offices • British American Tobacco Czech Rep. • Deloitte Advisory • and others

The professional practice contributes to the better quality of the graduates; on condition that they are successful, they gain many valuable experiences, which increase their value at the labour market. Institutions mentioned above help the students to find a job; they provide the recommenda-tion to them as well as the important contacts. UJAK can use their services and invites them to discussion meetings or send their MBA stu-dents on excursions. Another positive aspect of the cooperation is that the companies send employees to study in the MBA programme. Appraisal: Cooperation with HEIs and other academic institutions with effects on the programme is de-scribed and actively pursued. Results are, among others, activities such as internships, lec-turer and student exchanges and the gain of part-time lecturers. Overall, the cooperation has a permanent impact on the programme and promotes the development of the students’ skills regularly.





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4.3 Cooperation and Partnerships

4.3.1* Cooperation with HEIs and other aca-demic institutions or networks (Aster-isk-Criterion for cooperation pro-grammes)

x

4.3.2* Cooperation with enterprises and other organisation (Asterisk-Criterion for educational and vocational pro-grammes, franchise programmes)

x


4.4 Facilities

Jan Amos Komenský University has its own (not rented) premises in a complex of buildings in Prague which includes lecture rooms, seminar rooms, ICT room, study, library, academic staff rooms, and administration offices. Students can access the internet in all teaching rooms (lecture hall, lecture rooms, seminar rooms), in the library, and in the ICT room. The rooms including the equipment are generally available, the access is free, and the students are allowed to plug-in their own notebooks. The university provides an Internet Database System for Students that serves the mutual communication between students and teachers, sharing information and study materials ac-cessible only to teachers and students enrolled, information on assignments, examinations, and the study schedule. The university’s Intranet serves the academic staff and administra-tors for sharing non-public information. For the MBA programme, readings and literature are partly shared with the European Eco-nomic and Public Administration. Readings specific to the MBA programme are distributed by the teachers. In particular, for the MBA students’ use the Library offers (apart from the basic literature shared by all study programmes – philosophy, sociology, political science etc.):

• Support for the Library Database, Study, and the ICT room • 30,000 books, 30 journals • Electronic databases (Proquest5000 Int. (10,000 periodicals incl. 5,000 full-text jour-

nals), Web of Knowledge, ReasearchGate) • Over 200 items of specific literature • Over 300 items focused on management (some ordered recently) • Specific dictionaries (English in Public Administration etc.) • Text-books (Economics, Sociology, Personal Management etc.) • Specific journals (Personál, Sociologický časopis, Sociální práce, HR Management,

HR Forum, Právo, Sociální politika Students have on-line access to study materials (Study Guides, readings, lists of literature, study documents etc.) through the Internet Database System for Students. The materials can be borrowed also on CDs. The Library is open throughout the whole academic year, including outside of semester time. The opening hours are adjusted to fit all forms of study (daily face-to-face, combined – blended). The MBA students have access to the Library even at weekends when the classes take place. The library also offers 50 PCs, Notebooks, Data show, free internet access and 3 printer- copying machines. Wi-Fi coverage of the campus is 98% with the capacity of 800 connected computers. Appraisal: In the view of the panel, the number and size of teaching rooms and the equipment of all learning facilities are in line with the needs described for the programme, also taking into account the use of resources for other programmes. Despite the fact, that the complex con-sists of old buildings, all modern demands of multimedia requirements are fulfilled. The rooms and access to them are sufficiently equipped for the disabled and can partly be reached without any barriers. Free access to a Wi-Fi network is available for students.


A library is available and open both during and outside of semester times for sufficient peri-ods. A development plan for the library exists. Access to literature and journals as well as digital media is in line with the programme contents and up to date. The opening hours and the support service take into account the students’ needs. There are sufficient library work-stations available to students with sufficient technical equipment and rooms for group work.





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4.4 Facilities

4.4.1* Quantity, Quality and Media and IT Facilities of Teaching Rooms x

4.4.2* Library Resources x

4.4.3 Number of Technical Equipment at Library Workstations for Students x

4.5 Additional Services

MBA students are typically already employed, yet the HEI, being strongly education and teachers training oriented, offers them all of its services for its graduates for further develop-ment. For the advice, both the university’s academic staff and external specialists are asked. Apart from the abovementioned “in-house” UJAK Academic Advisory Center, a network of corporate contacts is also used. Alumni organisation called The Alumni Club of the Jan Amos Komenský University Prague has been set up by the Rector’s decision in June 2007. The Alumni Club is administered by the Rector’s Secretariat. Membership in the club is free of charge. The Alumni Club organiz-es regular yearly meetings with the members, maintains the alumni database, and renders information on the current university’s activities. Alumni are also asked to help improving the quality of education and research at the university through evaluating programmes from the viewpoint of the job market.

The UJAK Academic Advisory Centre provides students with special-educational, psychological, and social counselling and helps them adapt to university study. It also provides professional counselling for applicants for study, students, and graduates. Special treatment is given to disadvantaged students or students in difficult life situations (from psychological counselling to individual study plans, payment schedules, or help with getting student loans). Appraisal: A career advice and placement service is dispensable due to the employed composition of students, yet a broad network of corporate contacts exists and is offered. To develop a network of graduates the University regularly offers alumni activities. Psychological counselling for students with personal problems is an integral part of the HEI’s services and is offered on a regular basis.






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4.5.1 Careers Advice and Placement Service x

4.5.2 Alumni Activities x

4.5.3 Individual Counselling and Welfare Services for students x

4.6 Financial planning and financing of programme (Asterisk Criterion)

The MBA programme is a complementary programme with a comparatively small number of students. Its financial stability is secured by:

• the overall financial stability of the institution, • by placing the MBA programme within the framework of related accredited degree

programmes in European Economic and Public Administration (Bachelor`s and Mas-ter’s),

• by setting tuition fees for the programme, and • by recruiting enough (i.e. more than 10) students for one course of the programme.

The Jan Amos Komenský University Prague is the largest private institution of higher educa-tion in the Czech Republic with 8.100 students to the date paying tuition fees in 3-year Bache-lor’s, 2-year consecutive Master’s, and 3-year individual Ph.D. study programmes as well as in the MBA programme. Basic financial resources of the university are the tuition fees, national research and innova-tion grants as well as government subsidy (student accommodation, social scholarships).

Appraisal:

The programme finances itself through tuition fees which cover the running costs. In addition there is a guarantee of UJAK to stand in for a financial deficit which endangers the continua-tion of the programme. Within the limits of a review process (specific information on the uni-versity’s financial stability has been made available during the site visit) and with regard to financial stability of the HEI in recent years, the panel concludes that financial stability is en-sured for the current programme cycle and the entire accreditation period.





not relevant


4.6* Financial Planning and Financing of Programme x


5. QUALITY ASSURANCE

By the Higher Education Act, all higher education institutions are obliged to carry out regular self-evaluations. Since 2012, the HEI has adopted a new self-evaluation methodology based on the following modules: 1. Mission, vision, objectives 2. Study plans, curricula 3. Students and their education 4. Final student theses 5. Student evaluation of the quality and effectiveness of education 6. Academic staff, characteristics, orientation 7. Academic staff opinions 8. Experience and opinions of graduates 9. Employers opinions 10. Facilities and equipment 11. Internationalization 12. PR and selection 13. Internal quality assurance 14. Utilisation of the results of evaluation Fort that purpose, UJAK has implemented a self-evaluation methodology the basic para-metres of which have been anchored in UJAK‘s Statutes in the following manner: All university’s activities, all departments, and all academic staff are subject to regular evalu-ation, the results end up in a report chain between the responsible. The decision-making process thus follows the structure of the institution’s academic management. The inputs for decision-making come from Principal/Programme Guarantees, Accreditation bodies, the Jan Amos Komenský University’s Scientific Board, External collaborators in the busi-ness/industry/management sector, academic staff, employers, students and alumni. Deci-sions over the programme (as well as over any other study programme) is made by the Rec-tor upon discussion within the Rector’s Collegium (composed of the Vice-Rectors and the Bursar) and upon approval by the Scientific Board.

The development of the MBA Programme forms part of the university’s vision and its Strate-gic Development Plan for the current period: Develop English language studies and the in-ternationally accredited MBA Programme. The HEI works this out through

• State accreditation (permit) for the Jan Amos Komenský University Prague (the Minis-try of Education, Youth and Sports)

• State accreditation and regular re-accreditation of all study programmes including the MBA kindred degree programmes – Bachelor/Master in the European Economic and Public Administration Studies (The Accreditation Commission of the Czech Govern-ment, member of INQAAHE, CEEN, and ENQA)

• Accreditation and regular re-accreditation of the MBA programme itself (FIBAA)

• The self-evaluation of the university as given by the Czech HE Act

• The external evaluation of the university as given by the Czech HE Act (The Accredi-tation Commission of the Czech Government, member of INQAAHE, CEEN, and ENQA)

• Student evaluation

• Teaching staff evaluation

• Alumni evaluation


• Employers evaluation The student evaluation used for the MBA programme includes regular debates (at least twice a semester) with the students on the form, content, and quality of the programme being con-ducted by the teachers and university management; formal meetings with students during semester, when they are asked by the students concerned with the proper organization of the course of study and a standard questionnaire form to be filled out by all students at the end of each semester; the results are assessed by the Head of Department. In case of prob-lems mentioned by the higher number of students he secures a remedy or explains to stu-dents the reasons. Evaluation by teaching staff has the aim to point out organizational problems, troubles with technical equipment and assess verbally the quality of the particular student´s collective. Each teacher produces a report based on a questionnaire once a year. The report is evalu-ated by the Programme Design Guarantee and the Principal Guarantee. Regular meetings with the teaching staff are held by the Programme Design Guarantee (Head of Department) after each study area. Furthermore the teaching staff performs inspections of classes, thus sharing experience with the colleagues. Through the university’s Alumni Club activities, the alumni are asked to help improving the quality of education and research at the university through evaluating programmes from the viewpoint of the job market. In most cases, the student’s employer pays the tuition fees for the student on the basis of a contract with the university. Thereby the direct feedback from the part of the employer is secured. The HEI uses a standard questionnaire for alumni and for employers, the given feedback will be taken into account while the next intake is orga-nized. The results of the evaluation serve the university management and the programme man-agement to implement measures that lead to meeting the quality targets. Requirements concerning the content of the programme and its structure are published and available for online access on the website of UJAK. This includes among others curriculum, information, examination rules, conditions of admission and tuition fees. The MBA pro-gramme is also presented in printed brochures. Professionally-oriented and general consult-ing is conducted for students in order to solve problems which are not reflected in the given documents. All important activities of UJAK and the MBA programme are documented and most of them also published primarily on the website. Some specific meetings are captured in photos and subsequently published. The faculty prepares its annual report in which a chapter is devoted to UJAK and its activities. Appraisal: The panel members came to the conclusion that the HEI has formulated quality targets for the University which include the development of study programmes as well. Moreover, the HEI regularly assesses their implementation on a superordinate level. Its system of quality assurance and development is, although it is still in progress, designed comprehensively so that continuous quality improvement of the institution can be achieved. A quality assurance and development procedure of the programme exists as well, but should be implemented more systematically. Due to the familiar size of the programme, most of the subjects to be discussed are solved face to face. The panel members appreciate the person-al atmosphere which leads to a currently well running programme. However it also means that the controlling of the quality of the programme as well as the further development of con-tent and outcomes depend only on the small size of the programme. Regarding the above-


mentioned strategic targets of the HEI especially for the MBA programme, the penal mem-bers state, that the documentation of the processes should be approached. In addressing this problem, the HEI should keep all the good practices but anchor them in a quality hand-book, which should be used in an integrated manner for daily work. Furthermore, real further development of the content of the programme should be based on resilient results of evalua-tion and, from the view of the panel members, on the input of an advisory board especially built for this programme. The HEI and the programme management as well place great em-phasis on the MBA, the above mentioned measures would guarantee an enhancement for the programme and a relief for the persons in charge. The panel therefore recommends the accreditation under the condition, that the HEI imple-ments a quality system regarding the programme which helps to underpin the good practice. This could be shown in a quality handbook for the programme which contains the main pro-cesses, the quality assurance instruments and their use, the main development targets and the parties involved in the development process. This includes also to formalize the use of the instruments of quality assurance. The teaching staff is involved in the further development of the programme through at least regular meet-ings and has the possibility to point out options for quality enhancement. Alumni, employers and third parties are involved in the quality circle as well. Evaluation by the students is car-ried out on a regular basis and in accordance with a described procedure. The questionnaire which is used for evaluation of the courses covers the key aspects of the programme. But there is the necessity to expressively query the workload of the students in the above men-tioned questionnaire. The HEI announced that in the coming accreditation period the discus-sions will be made formal in order to strengthen the quality assurance instrument. The panel therefore recommends the accreditation under the condition, that the HEI provides a ques-tion in the course evaluation questionnaire that provides information about the actual work-load of the whole course (teaching time, self-study time, examination). As for the description of the programme content, the panel states that the programme is de-scribed in detail and the description is constantly updated. The documentation is available to interested parties, both in hard copy and electronic form so transparency is ensured. Also, the activities which take place during the academic year are continuously documented and published in annual reports.






not relevant

5. QUALITY ASSURANCE

5.1* Quality Assurance and Development of the HEI and collaboration between the HEI management and Facul-ty/Departments as well as programme management in the programme devel-opment

x

5.2* Quality Assurance and Development of Programme Content, Processes and Outcomes

Cond.

5.3 Instruments for Quality Assurance

5.3.1* Evaluation by Students Cond.

5.3.2 Quality Assurance by Teaching Staff x

5.3.3 External Evaluation by Alumni, Em-ployers and third Parties x

5.4 Programme Documentation

5.4.1 Programme Description x

5.4.2 Documentation of Activities during Academic Year x

© FIBAA-Assessment Report Seite 37

Quality Profile

Institution: Jan Amos Komenský University Prague

Master programme: MBA (Focus: Human Resources Manage-ment and the EU)



Does not meet quality re-

quirements not relevant


1.1* Logic and Transparency of Programme Objectives x

1.2 Positioning of Programme

1.2.1 Positioning of the Programme on Educa-tion Market x

1.2.2 Positioning of the Programme on Job Market (Employability of Graduates) x

1.2.3 Positioning within HEI's overall Strategy x

1.3* International Dimension of the Pro-gramme x

1.4 Gender equality and equality of oppor-tunity x

2. ADMISSION (REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURE)

2.1* Admission Requirements x

2.2 Selection Procedure (if available) x

2.3 Professional Experience (* for Master Programmes of the "further Education" Type)

x

2.4* Ensuring Foreign Language Compe-tence x

2.5* Transparency of Admission Procedure x

2.6* Transparency of Admission Decision x






3. PROGRAMME DESIGN

3.1 Structure 3.1.1 Structure of the Programme (Core Sub-

jects / or Specialisations (Compulsory Electives) / optional Electives/ practical Components)

x

3.1.2* Application of the "European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS)" and the Modularisation

x

3.1.3* Study and Examination Regulations condition

3.1.4* Student workload x

3.2 Content

3.2.1* Logic and conceptual Coherence of Pro-gramme / Curriculum x

3.2.2* Rationale for the Qualification Title x

3.2.3* Reasons given for programme descrip-tion x

3.2.4* Integration of Theory and Practice x

3.2.5 Interdisciplinarity x

3.2.6* Methodological Competence and Aca-demic Work x

3.2.7*

Performance in Examinations and Thesis x


3.3.1* International and intercultural aspects x

3.3.2 Internationality of Student Community x

3.3.3 Internationality of Teaching Community x

3.3.4 Foreign language content x

3.4 Additional Acquisition of Knowledge and Skills

3.4.1* Acquisition of application and / or re-search-oriented skills (only for Master programmes)

x

3.4.2* Generic Skills x

3.4.3* Communication skills and public speak-ing skills / team-work and conflict han-dling

x







3.5.1* Logic and Transparency of Teaching and Learning Methodology x

3.5.2 Accompanying course materials x

3.5.3 Guest Lecturers x

3.5.4 Student Assistants involved in Teaching x

3.6* Skills for Employment / Employability x


4.1 Teaching Staff

4.1.1* Structure and Number of Teaching Staff in Relation to Curricular Requirements x

4.1.2* Teaching Staff's Academic Qualifications x

4.1.3* Teaching Staff's Pedagogical / Teaching Qualifications x

4.1.4 Practical Business Experience of the Teaching Staff x

4.1.5* Internal Cooperation x

4.1.6* Provision of Student Support / Coaching by Teaching Staff x


4.2.1 Programme Directors x

4.2.2 Process Organisation and administrative Support for Students and Teaching Staff

x

4.2.3 Advisory Body (Advisory Board) and its Structure and Responsibilities x

4.3 Cooperation and Partnerships

4.3.1* Cooperation with HEIs and other aca-demic institutions or networks (Asterisk-Criterion for cooperation programmes)

x

4.3.2* Cooperation with enterprises and other organisation (Asterisk-Criterion for edu-cational and vocational programmes, franchise programmes)

x






4.4 Facilities

4.4.1* Quantity, Quality and Media and IT Facil-ities of Teaching Rooms x

4.4.2* Library Resources x

4.4.3 Number of Technical Equipment at Li-brary Workstations for Students x


4.5.1 Careers Advice and Placement Service x

4.5.2 Alumni Activities x

4.5.3 Individual Counselling and Welfare Ser-vices for students x

4.6* Financial Planning and Financing of Pro-gramme x

5. QUALITY ASSURANCE 5.1* Quality Assurance and Development of

the HEI and collaboration between the HEI management and Facul-ty/Departments as well as programme management in the programme devel-opment

x

5.2* Quality Assurance and Development of Programme Content, Processes and Outcomes

condition

5.3 Instruments for Quality Assurance

5.3.1* Evaluation by Students condition

5.3.2 Quality Assurance by Teaching Staff x

5.3.3 External Evaluation by Alumni, Employ-ers and third Parties x

5.4 Programme Documentation

5.4.1 Programme Description x

5.4.2 Documentation of Activities during Aca-demic Year x

Documents

Decision of the FIBAA Accreditation Commit- tee for Programmesstatic.fibaa.org/berichte/progakkred_k2h/M_Prag_JA_Komenski_U_198… · Decision of the FIBAA Accreditation Committee