Course

Awarded where candidates have met all of the requirements below:

• Successful completion of all courses listed in Schedule A 

and

• Accumulation of 120 credits from courses in Schedule B of which 60 credits shall be at Level 8

and

• Achieve the Bahrain Polytechnic General Qualification Requirements as found in Policy A/AB/004, Naming and Awarding Qualifications:

  • One National Requirements – Arabic couse;

  • The two National Requirements courses;

  • Accumulate 45 credits from ‘Elective‘ courses.

and

• Completion of courses to accumulate a minimum of 480 credits from any Bahrain Polytechnic Qualification;

The Business programme is based on a curriculum that provide a solid foundation in a broad range of business disciplines, which widen students’ ability to think strategically, and which enhance their employability.  The programme has been designed to provide opportunities for students to gain a sound understanding of the business environment with options to major in a specialised field as determined in consultation with Bahraini industry. Student may choose to exit with a Diploma in Business which covers the first two years of the programme. For those continuing towards achieving a Bachelor’s Degree there are several majors to choose from and Double majors are also possible. Each major has a range of courses to allow students to study in areas which are of relevance and interest to their individual career plan. The design of this programme also offers flexibility by allowing selection of courses from not only other business disciplines but also from other Bahrain Polytechnic programmes. 

General entry requirements such as secondary school achievements, English and Mathematics are described in the Student Admission Policy A/AB/010. Specific entry requirements for this qualification, beyond those described in the Student Admission Policy are as follows:

• Academic

  • Applicants must demonstrate competence in English and in Mathematics. These requirements may be met by:

    • The successful completion of:

    AP4203 English 2

    AP4101 Mathematics 2 or similar

• or passing English and Mathematics Selection Tests at the required level.

• Applicants who do not meet all of the entry criteria above may be considered for special or provisional entry

Where there are more applicants who meet the programme entry criteria than can be accepted, the following shall be used:

• Selection Criteria

Preference will be given to students who have successfully completed the Certificate of Academic Preparation programmes at Bahrain Polytechnic and have clearly demonstrated an aptitude for Business and a commitment to their study.

Results from programme entry tests will be used to select students with the highest likelihood of successfully completing the degree programme.

• Selection Process

Applicants may be required to attend an interview.

Consideration of work experience and prior educational achievement may be used

• Major selection requirements
  • All students must have completed, or be exempted from, 210 credits from courses listed in Schedule A inclusive of:
    • 45 credits of English courses
    • BU6004 Introduction to Management
    • BU6011 Business Research Methods
    • BU7002 Human Resource Management

• Major Selection Criteria

  • Where there are more applicants for a major than places available, priority for selection will be made using combined GPAs for courses as set out as follows:

  • BU5011 Business Research Methods

  • BU6004 Introduction to Management

  • BU7002 Human Resource Management

None specific to this qualification

Attendance requirements are described in the policy Student Attendance A/AB/010.

The qualification encompasses an initial two years full-time academic study in the broad Business disciplines at NQF levels 6 and 7, followed by two years full-time academic study of specialist study at NQF levels 7 and 8.  The intention is to build up core knowledge in a range of areas including marketing, accounting, finance, quantitative techniques, research methods, economics, management, information systems and law; to develop general academic capacity, introduce sociological and ethical issues in business, and prepare for a chosen specialist field of study. The specialist area of study in Human Resource Management (HRM) runs over the final two years and comprises courses that are designed to develop students’ abilities to think and operate strategically within the HRM arena. In the final year, this knowledge is consolidated in the form of the capstone industry project where students operate in a fully authentic setting as professionals on a current HRM issue a partner company is dealing with. The industry project requires the learners to develop solutions towards authentic business needs underpinned by general and specialist theoretical argumentation.

The overall aim of the Bachelor of Business in HRM is to develop broad-based business graduates with specialist knowledge and skills at the international forefront of Human Resource Management that meet the requirements of the Bahrain and the wider GCC region.  This aim is congruent with the human capital development aspirations outlined in Economic Vision 2030

In Bahrain the majority of employment opportunities for HRM graduates will come from the private sector, parts of the semi-government sector undergoing transformation as well as SME’s and family businesses who are ‘corporatising’ their business models. A 2014 law change that requires any company with over fifty employees to have a Bahraini HR staff member will create demand for graduates. Dr Jarmo Kotilaine, Bahrain Economic Development Board highlighted the scale of the market in Saudi Arabia and the range of opportunities the Eastern Province offers for graduates willing to move or commute.

Diagram 2.6A provides for essentially two progression opportunities for graduates – into employment or into post-graduate study.

Employment

This programme prepares students for the following careers and/or employment opportunities:-

• HR Manager

• HR Business partner

• HR Generalist

• HR specialists: learning and development, recruitment, compensation and benefits, employee relations, workforce planning

• Business specialists: strategy development, change management, project implementation, corporate communications, process design

• Business trainer

• Management consultant

• General management

• Owner/managers

In addition, in seeking CIPD accreditation (Diagram 2.6B), the programme should achieve widespread international recognition and allow students to progress to further fields of study, including:-

• Masters in Business Administration

• Specialist Masters in Human Resource Management

• Advanced CIPD or Equivalent Professional Qualifications

Diagram 2.6B: CIPD on National Qualifications Frameworks

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