Dr Emma Soane NAB4.02

and Dr Rebecca Newton

This course is compulsory on the Global MSc in Management, Global MSc in Management (CEMS MIM) and Global MSc in Management (MBA Exchange). This course is not available as an outside option.

Students must have completed GMiM Capstone Course - Management in Action (MG488A).

The GMiM Capstone Course builds connections between management theory and practice and equips students with the skills necessary to succeed in their managerial careers. MG488 runs throughout the MSc Management’s first and second years.

First year students are prepared for MG488B by attending MG488A sessions during the first year of the programme. The MG488A programme comprises five speaker-led sessions for each of MT and LT. The remaining five sessions per term can be used by students to have one to one meetings with a Careers Consultant or a member of the Capstone team from the Department of Management. Second year students are welcome to attend MG488A sessions.

Second year students in MG488B apply the theoretical knowledge and business management skills gained in the first year by working on a business project.  This takes place in either MT or LT and culminates in a presentation by each project team to their company sponsors, LSE faculty and student peer group.  At the start term of students will be allocated to a client project team, typically comprising 5 or 6 students, supported by a sponsoring executive and a faculty coach, to carry out research on a business question posed by the client company. The actual topic is for the sponsoring organisation to decide and questions have historically been very diverse.

Students have the option of proposing companies as business project company sponsors (“self-sponsored projects”) or of developing a viable business plan for an entrepreneurial idea (“entrepreneurial business projects”), although these options must be agreed in advance with the faculty member responsible for business projects to ensure their suitability.

7 hours and 30 minutes of lectures and 7 hours and 30 minutes of help sessions in the MT. 7 hours and 30 minutes of lectures and 7 hours and 30 minutes of help sessions in the LT.

GMiM Capstone Lectures run once a fortnight throughout the Michaelmas and Lent Terms. First year students are expected to attend all sessions. Second year students may choose to attend sessions.

There are two additional introductory sessions of 60-90 minutes each in early MT and LT in which the Business Projects for that term are introduced, as well as a 60 minute Q&A session on the subject of the summative essay in LT.

Students on this course will have a reading week in Week 6 of MT and week 6 of LT, in line with departmental policy.

The formative assessment will have been completed in the first year in line with the MG488A course guide.

Recommended readings will be provided for Capstone lectures when relevant.

Project (65%) in the MT and LT.
Essay (25%, 2000 words) in the LT.
Other (10%) in the MT and LT.

Attendance at Capstone lectures - 10% of total course marks.  Students are required to attend 10 Capstone lectures over the two years of the programme, with credits for attendance attached pro-rata to each session. Students must engage fully with session activities in order to receive attendance credit. It is recommended that students attend the 10 Capstone lectures in the first year of the programme. 

Individual Summative Assignment – 25% of the total course marks.  In year 2 students will write an academic essay on one of the Capstone lecture topics. Essay questions will be provided by the MG488 course team and will be made available in LT of the second year. Essays must consider application of management theory and practice. Students will submit their essays in LT of the second year.

Group Business Project - 65 % of total course marks.  All business projects take place during the second year of study. Business projects are assessed on a group basis under three headings: quality of group presentation; quality of research (including application of theoretical concepts); quality of outcomes (recommendations and solutions) and other deliverables. Of the 65% assessed on the Business project, 5% will comprise an individual mark based on a confidential intra-group peer evaluation exercise. Presentations for students working on their business projects in MT take place during LT. Presentations for students working on their business projects in the LT take place during the first week of ST.