PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING (PDP)

General Information

School University Programmes

Level Level 7
Credit Value n/a
Contact Hours 42
Programme(s) 1. Integrated MSc Accounting and Finance with
Professional Development Planning
2. MSc Accounting and Finance with Professional
Development Planning
3. MSc Engineering Management with Professional
Development Planning
4. MSc Management with Professional Development
Planning
5. MSc Management with Data Analytics with
Professional Development Planning
6. MSc Management with Digital Marketing with
Professional Development Planning
7. MSc Management with International Business
Law with Professional Development Planning
8. MSc Management with Project Management with
Professional Development Planning
9. LLM International Business and Commercial law
Programme
10. MSc Healthcare Leadership

Module Leader Rebecca Yates

Related Pre-requisites n/a
Modules
Co-requisites n/a
Post-requisites n/a
Excluded n/a
Combinations
External Accrediting Body n/a
(if appropriate)

Introduction

Employability is at the heart of all programmes at BPP University and is defined in our strategy
as part of the Academic Development Plan. https://www.bpp.com/about-bpp/bpp-
university/academic-quality/academic-development-plan-and-strategies

The Professional Development Planning Module is available as part of selected Masters’ Level
programmes across the University*. If you choose to add this module to your programme at

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the time of application, this additional non-credit bearing module runs at the same time as your
Masters’ programme, culminating in a 6-month employability period where you will engage in
a range of activities to actively develop and evidence employability skills for the career of your
choice.

Module Structure and Delivery

During your Masters’ programme terms 1-3 you will attend three two-hour mandatory
workshops to get you started on your professional development journey (six hours in total
each term). During these workshops you will find out more about the opportunities available
to you and will undertake effective preparation to ensure you are ready to start your 6-month
employability period.

During the 6-month employability period, which takes place when you have successfully
completed your Master’s studies, there will be 12 workshops in weekly mandatory workshops
all of which will be 2-hour face-face workshops . You will also have 1:1 support from our team
of professional tutors and coaches.

We recognise that each student’s employability journey is different and during this 6 month
employability period you may be eligible to apply for a placement or internship.

Structure of programme:

MSc Programme with PDP – 18 Months

Masters’ Programme – 12 months (three terms)

Professional Development Planning (PDP) Module

six-month employability
PDP workshops
period
PDP workshops

Aims of the Module

The aim of the PDP module is to support international Masters’ graduates to prepare for
employment either in the UK (this may be via the graduate route if they are eligible), or for
employment elsewhere. On completion of this module, you should be able to:

• identify a suitable range of job roles relevant to your skillset and qualifications;
• demonstrate knowledge and insight into the preparation required to secure
appropriate job roles in your chosen field;
• produce a CV and cover letter to the standard required by employers;
• put in to practice effective techniques to be successful in interviews;
• effectively evidence your professional employability skills and behaviours; and
• engage in reflective practice to enhance lifelong learning and skills development.

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Learning Outcomes

Professional Skills and Attitudes

Ref Learning Outcomes

Demonstrate professional standards and judgement in complex situations in order to
make ethical and effective decisions.
Professionally communicate complex ideas and arguments, using a range of tools
and techniques.
Critically reflect on how your own practice can be developed to meet your
professional goals

General Transferable Skills

Ref Learning Outcome

Critically reflect on how learning and professional experience contribute to ongoing
professional development.

Formative Assessment

PDP formative assessment will be the submission of your UK standard CV and cover letter.

Summative Assessment – 100% of Module Grade.

PDP is assessed by the submission of a Portfolio which contains evidence of your reflective
practice and demonstrates your readiness for the workplace, including a UK Standard CV
and Cover Letter. You will create a personal reflective statement drawn from three
reflections in your portfolio; further details will be provided in the assessment briefing sheet.
The reflective statement will have a word count of a maximum of 2000 words and minimum
of 1000 words.

This module is a pass/fail module. You are required to achieve 50% to pass this module.
The module grade does not count towards the final mark for degree classification of the
Master’s with Professional Development Planning. Non-completion of the Professional
Development Planning module will result in the award not being achieved.

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INDICATIVE SCHEME OF WORK

In some instances. information regarding content of module is indicative - actual module

content will be determined according to considerations (for example, opportunities for work
with specific external partners or new developments in the field) which are taken into account
on a yearly basis.

Topic Objectives Sample Learning Activities

Terms 1, 2 and 3
By the end of this term • Apply the BPP Career Ready Skills model.
Term 1 you should be able to: • Undertake a personal SWOT.
Workshops 1- 3:
• Understand SMART planning.
Let’s get started • Assess your current
• Recognise good quality work and how this
skills and
can enhance your professional development.
competencies within
• Create a basic CV
the context of your
profession and • Analyse a job description and identify and
career goals. evaluate the skills and attributes the employer
Evaluate job wants.
requirements
including skills
requirements for
your chosen career.
• Research jobs and
appreciate those
which will be
appropriate at this
stage of your
career/studies.
• Understand how to
find and apply for
jobs.
• Understand different
types of recruitment
opportunities for
students.

By the end of this terms • Develop career plan.

Term 2 you should be able to: • Develop enhanced interview skills
Workshop 4-6:
• Personal evaluation of current skills
• Develop a CV
How to get that job • SWOT analysis
• Create a Personal
• How to prepare for interviews.
Statement that
• The STAR approach.
articulates your
skills and • YouTube video to analyse interviews.
experience.
• Reflect on the
competencies
required of a
practitioner in your
profession.

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 Enhance your
interview skills.
Workshops 7-9: By the end of this term Use reflective models to evaluate your
Professional you should be able to: professional development goals.
development • Understand how to complete your
planning essentials • Apply and reflective log for submission with your
evaluate final portfolio.
reflective
• Understand and practice giving and
practice models
receiving feedback.
to enhance
• Practice using Microsoft Office tools and
professional
applications.
development
planning.
• Competently
use business
office IT
applications.
• Understand and
apply the
principles of
lifelong learning
to support
ongoing
professional
development.

Six-Month Employability Phase

Workshop 1: By the end of this • Reflection on problem solving.

Problem solving workshop, you should • YouTube video on problem solving.
and creative be able to:
• Creative writing – three-word stories
thinking. • Reflect on the nature
of problems and
creative resolutions.

Workshop 2: By the end of this topic, • Self–reflection and discussion on what makes
Resilience, you should be able to: you stressed and how you respond.
flexibility, and • Evaluate your • Role play and appreciate how your behaviour
wellbeing transferable skills impacts others.
within the context of
your field of
practice.
• Reflect on resilience
and stress and how
to become more
resilient.

Workshop 3: By the end of this topic, • Understanding time management

Organisation and you should be able to: • YouTube video on time management
time management
• Revisit SMART goals

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 Analyse the • Practice prioritisation
importance and • Set SMART goals
benefits of time
management.
• Reflect upon your
time management
skills and plan your
further
development
Workshop 4: By the end of this topic,
Networking and you should be able to: • The importance of brands.
personal brand • Reflect on the • Activity on personal brand: what do you
importance of represent?
networking in your • Why networking is important.
career including • Your Linked in profile.
through LinkedIn • Networking activities and events
• Reflect upon and • Your own professional network.
develop your
personal brand

Workshop 5: By the end of this topic, • Consider a variety of workplace scenarios

Emotional you should be able to: and how to deal with them.
intelligence • Self-assess current level of emotional
• Empathise with intelligence
others in the work
• Understand how others see you
environment
• Understand the
importance of
emotional
intelligence and
organisational
performance.
• Identify and adapt
your communication
style where
necessary.
• Understand your
personal impact and
reflect to develop
your personal
impact.
Workshop 6: By the end of this topic, • Exploring behaviours that employers expect.
Communication and you should be able to: • Draft professional emails.
listening skills.
• Practice listening skills
• Understand
different types of
communication
style
• Adapt your
communication
style according to
your audience

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 • Practice active
listening and
understand how it
impacts leadership
practice

Workshop 7: Public By the end of this topic, • Work in a group to create and deliver a
speaking and you should be able to: professional presentation
presentation skills
• Reflect on your
presentation skills.
• Create and deliver
an impactful
presentation.
• Develop further your
team working skills

Workshop 8: By the end of this topic, • Work in teams to solve a problem.

Building and you should be able to: • Evaluate your own personality type strengths
managing and weaknesses and how this affects your
relationships • Understand your
professional performance.
strengths in a team
• Understand the
different personality
types and how they
affect team
outcomes and
communication.

Workshop 9: By the end of this topic, • Role play activity

Managing conflict you should be able to: • Analyse and evaluate conflict situations and
potential outcomes and solutions
• Recognise different
meanings
associated with
body language
• Reflect on the use
of body language
within a professional
environment.
Workshop 10: By the end of this topic, • Self-assess your values
Culture values and you should be able to: • Understand how your values motivate you
professionalism and impact upon your organisational
• Reflect on
belonging. Examine a business to identify and
professionalism and
evaluate its values and culture.
its attributes within
• Activity to look at different gestures and their
your professional
meaning in diverse cultures.
context.
• YouTube video on body language.
• Understand the
• Activity on professional boundaries.
culture of a
business within your
chosen sector.

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 • Analyse your own
values and how
they align to your
sector
Workshops 11 By the end of this topic, • Analyse a business and identify the policy on
Diversity and you should be able to: diversity and inclusion
inclusion • Analyse the benefits of diverse teams and
• Understand the some of the challenges
importance of
diversity and
inclusion in the
workplace
• Understand the
legal framework and
consequences of
non – compliance.
Workshop 12 By the end of this topic, • Analysis pieces of writing and discuss the
Preparing for your you should be able to: content.
assessment • Create a reflective • Practice reflective writing skills
piece of writing.
• Identify and
evaluate
descriptive writing v
reflective writing
• Understand and
meet the
expectations to
pass the
assessment and
embark upon
lifelong learning.
Portfolio Assignment support is provided throughout the module via weekly activities
Preparation and and a formative assessment.
Support

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Further Information

1. Eligibility
Professional Development Planning [PDP] must form part of your initial application to
BPP University so that you are assigned to the correct programme and can be issued
with a CAS for the correct time period.

2. Commitment
You must attend all workshop sessions and submit assignments by the deadlines
set. Failure to engage in the PDP module will result in non-completion of the
programme (even if all academic credits have been completed).

3. Six Month Employability Period

The six-month employability period has been designed to enable students to develop
and enact their own professional development plan. This may include an internship
or placement, or students may prefer to dedicate their time to developing and
preparing for employment by attending workshops and accessing 1:1 support from
our team of professional skills tutors.

Students may, by exception, be permitted to complete any outstanding assessments

during the employability phase alongside workshops but will not be eligible for a
placement or internship.

4. Placements and Internships in six-month PDP term 4

All qualifying placements must be approved by the Placements team before the
placement starts. The placements team works with a range of employers to identify
relevant, high quality work placement opportunities for eligible students* during the
six-month employability period. Please note placement opportunities may vary in
length and may be paid or unpaid, physical or virtual. All placements must meet set
criteria as defined by the UKVI.

Part-time work not validated and approved by the Placement team cannot be used as
a placement and during this time remains restricted to 20 hours per week. If you work
more than 20 hours per week you will be in breach of your visa conditions.

5. Talent Pool

BPP University is committed to supporting it’s own students into relevant work in the
UK and students who meet the criteria set may apply to join the Talent Pool. The
Talent Pool operates as a recruitment service and matches students with vacancies
in BPP. You can apply for the talent pool during the employability period of your
programme and your professional development tutor will be able to advise you on the
eligibility criteria.