About this course
- Entry year: 2012/13
- Course code: N19142
- Applications: University
- Level: Postgraduate
- Department: Bristol Business School
- Campus: Frenchay
- Duration: 12 months part-time
- Delivery: Part-time (block release)
- Course director: Professor Nicholas O'Regan
Introduction
The 'family business' is a distinct and complex business model with very specific challenges for professionals who advise them. In order to be in a position to offer the best advice, lawyers, accountants and professional consultants need first to master the intricacies associated with family business strategies and lifecycles, such as succession and ownership issues.
The course is, in the first instance, aimed at those advising family businesses but who are unfamiliar with the very specific dynamics and structures characterised by this environment. The Postgraduate Certificate in Family Business Advising is particularly of interest to those family business advisers who are seeking to improve their services to family business, achieve their own business objectives and as a consequence improve the survival rates and performance levels of the family businesses themselves.
The certificate provides a unique opportunity in this area of study utilising experts in family business and offers the opportunity to apply skills in a family business setting through a capstone application project.
A course designed for advisers
The Postgraduate Certificate, which Bristol Business School offers in association with The International Centre for Families in Business, provides a unique opportunity to:
- Examine the core elements in running a family business.
- Learn the skills and processes necessary to underpin sound advice.
- Master the key dynamics which characterise the path of family businesses over time.
- Hear from a wide range of experts representing both professional advisory practice and inside knowledge of family firms, as well as family businesses themselves.
- Use the knowledge and skills from the course in a structured and mentored application project for a family business client.
Structure
Content
The course is made up of three core modules:
- Dynamics and Leadership of Family Business - will provide you with opportunities to develop knowledge and critical understanding of a range of theoretical models, skills and frameworks of relevance in the context of the family firm and how they can be applied in practice.
- Family Business Strategy and Planning - designed to give you a comprehensive grounding in the structure, working and context of family businesses.
- Family Business Advisory Project - designed to give you the opportunity to practice core skills and knowledge acquired in Family Business Strategy and Planning, and Dynamics and Leadership of Family Business, in an application project for a family business client in order to enhance their advisory capability.
Teaching and learning
You'll learn through a variety of methods designed to encourage plenty of active involvement and to help you apply key family business advisory skills alongside important theoretical principles. As well as lectures and case studies there will be contributions from family business owners and external experts.
Part-time attendance
The Postgraduate Certificate in Family Business Advising is a flexible part-time course delivered through block release, which is designed for busy business advisers.
The programme is made up of two core modules which revolve around key issues in the field:
- Dynamics and Leadership of Family Business
- Family Business Strategy and Planning
The application project itself will give you the opportunity to carry out a live advisory project for a family business with coaching and mentoring from the Business School.
Special Features
Study facilities
Meet leaders of industry
As a student at Bristol Business School, you will have the unique opportunity to hear about the challenges, issues and decisions being made at the highest level of strategic leadership. Our inspirational line up of speakers has included Will King, CEO of King of Shaves who spoke on 'The Power of Social Media'. For more information, visit the Business School Website.
Entry
Entry requirements
Applicants will normally have one of the following qualifications:
- An honours degree (minimum 2:2)
- A relevant professional qualification, for example, banking, accounting, family counselling, law, management consulting at graduate-equivalent level or above, or
- Substantial (two or more years professional or managerial) experience at graduate-equivalent level.
Fees
Information on scholarships, fees and funding is available on the Business School website
Deadline for application:
The deadline for applying for this course is three weeks before the start date.
Fees
Full details of fees for this course can be found on our postgraduate fees pages.
For funding options, please see our funding and scholarships information.
How to apply
Apply for this course online or download an application by clicking on the link in the top right corner of this page, under 'next steps'.
For further information
Page last updated 14 December 2011