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Postgraduate Study Programme – 2nd Cycle Quality Management

 

 ① Fundamental Objectives >>

② Curriculum >>

③ Entry requirements >>

④ General Competences >>

⑤ Subject-Specific Competencies >>

⑥ Course content >>

 

① Fundamental Objectives of the Second Cycle Master's Degree in Quality Management

The aim of the second cycle Master’s Degree programme in Quality Management is providing students with the internalisation of fundamental building blocks of contemporary quality and excellence paradigms as well as providing the knowledge and skills that will ensure them with a wide range of competences required for managing quality and excellence.

After completion of the second cycle postgraduate study programme (Master’s degree), students are trained for independent management of organizational units, entrusted with the responsibility for development, deployment, and continuous improvement of quality systems and with that animating organizational development to superior quality and excellence.

It will also mean the need to internalise the concept of autopoiesis in reference to quality management and excellence based on the spiralling order of planning, doing, checking, and acting (Deming’s PDCA cycle).

A crucially important emphasis will be given on understanding contemporary approaches, models, and tools used by exemplary organizations in their daily practices. Students will be able to deepen knowledge with a critical assessment of given content, identification of the fundamental building blocks and concepts with the aim of finding synergistic effects, integration and improvement in an overall business model.

According to the learning outcomes, the study program is classified into 8th level of the Slovenian Qualifications Framework (SQF), 7th level of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and the 2nd level of the Qualifications Frameworks in the European Higher Education Area (QF-EHEA).

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② Curriculum

In January 2020, the updated curriculum of the Second Cycle Master's Degree in Quality Management was adopted, which will be implemented from the academic year 2020/2021 and will apply to newly enrolled students.

Existing students who make regular progress will be able to complete the study program according to the old curriculum, but may choose to complete the study according to the new curriculum. In this case, they will receive a notice from the Students Affairs Office about the obligations they have to complete in order to complete their studies under the new curriculum.

The rest of the students will complete the study program according to a new curriculum.

The programme lasts two years and is divided into four semesters. It is awarded with 120 ECTS. The total study workload includes fifteen courses, consisting of ten compulsory courses and five elective. The study concludes with a Master’s thesis.

Year One
No. Type Learning units
ECTS
1st Semester
1 A Contemporary Approaches to Quality and Excellence
6
2 A Research in Organizational Sciences 6
3 A Research Methodology 2
6
4 A Sustainable Global Marketing 6
5 A Leadership and Organizational Culture 6
2nd Semester
6 A Strategies and Processes of Organization 6
7 A Inovation and Creativity 6
8 A Contemporary Organization Theory 6
9 C Elective Course 1
6
10 C Elective Course 2 6
Year Two
No. Type Learning units
ECTS
3rd Semester
1 A Master Research Seminar 6
2 A Management Information Systems
6
3 C Elective Course 3
6
4th Semester
4 C Elective Course 4
6
5 C Elective Course 5
6
6   Master's Thesis  30

* Choice based on personal preference.
** In the third semester, the student chooses a thesis mentor and prepares a proposal for a thesis topic. This requirement is evaluated with 10 ECTS that the student is awarded after the proposal has been assessed by the chosen mentor with a positive score. The student continues to write the Master’s thesis under the supervision of the chosen mentor in the fourth semester. As such, the Master's thesis is worth a total of 30 ECTS.

Electives
No. Type Learning units
ECTS
1 C Organizational Behaviour 6
2 C Leadership Excellence 6
3 C Learning Organizations and Knowledge Management 6
4 C Business Excellence 6
5 C Quality of Life 6
6 C Quality and Excellence in Healthcare 6
7 C Quality and Excellence in Education 6
8 C Personal excellence 6
9 C Project Practicum II 6
10 C Sustainable development 6
11 C Work WellBeing Management
6

A - compulsory course
C - elective course

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③ Entry requirements

The first year of the Master's degree programme in Quality Management is open to:

  • who has completed a first cycle study programme in a relevant field of study* and obtained at least 180 ESCT credits (Bologna system);
  • who has completed a higher professional degree programme or a bachelor's degree programme in a relevant field of study*; (pre-Bologna);
  • who has completed equivalent study programmes mentioned in the previous bullet points in other professional fields and who has completed additional study requirements of 12 ECTS credits. The additional study requirements are completed before enrolment by taking the courses Foundametals of Organisation (6 ECTS credits) and Theory of Organisation (6 ECTS credits).

*Administrative and business sciences are considered as relevant fields of study.

The differentials must be passed before admission to the faculty. For more information on the differential examinations, send us an e-mail referat (at) fos-unm.si.

The faculty may limit enrolment if the number of applications significantly exceeds the number of places available. In the event of a limitation of enrolment, applicants will be selected on the basis of their average grade in their undergraduate studies.

The following students may enrol directly in the 2nd year of the 2nd cycle Master's degree programme in Quality Management:

  • who has completed a bachelor's degree or specialisation programme adopted before 11 June 2004 in a related field of study. The related fields of study are considered to be administrative and business sciences.
  • who completed a Bachelor's degree or specialisation programme awarded before 11 June 2004 in other fields of study. The competent authority of the ECTS shall prescribe differential examinations in the subjects Contemporary Approaches to Quality and Excellence (6KT at ECTS) and Contemporary Organisational Theory (6KT at ECTS).

Graduates who enrol directly in the second year of the second cycle Master's degree programme in Quality Management shall, upon enrolment, be assigned additional obligations in the form of differential examinations on the basis of a decision of the Dean, and shall be awarded the difference of  ECTS for the first year which they do not obtain by passing the differential examinations. Applications for transfer shall be considered on an individual basis in accordance with the procedure laid down in the Statutes.

④ General Competences

Students in the second cycle Master’s Degree programme in Quality Management will acquire the following general competencies:

  1. Understanding and respecting the diversity of the global organizational environment, implementation and continuous improvement of overall quality and business excellence.
  2. Knowledge and understanding of social, organizational, and inter-organizational processes and  ability for complex analysis.
  3. Skills to identify needs for change and its application. 
  4. Using methodological tools, i.e., implementation, coordination, and organization of research, using various research methods and techniques.
  5. The ability of critical assessment in the selection, application, and improvement of contemporary approaches, models, and tools for quality and excellence.
  6. Ability to formulate original ideas, concepts and solutions to specific issues.
  7. Coherent management of fundamental skills, the ability to integrate knowledge from various fields that are based on quality and business excellence.
  8. The development of communication skills and abilities to communicate with different environments.
  9. Ability for teamwork, i.e., willingness to collaborate, cooperate, respecting the opinions of others and completing the designated task within the team and group.
  10. Knowledge of professional ethics, laws, recognition, and respect for moral and ethical values and principles to their application at work.
  11. The ability to present acquired fundamental knowledge and research findings in the form of project work, applied and/or developmental research paper or professional article.
  12. The ability to educate and undertake mentoring work in promoting quality and business excellence.
  13. The competency to take responsibility for professional development and learning, improving one’s own work through evaluations with a view to self-transcend, and as such,the continuous improvement of quality and excellence.
  14. Ability to connect and develop partnerships with all stakeholders to achieve sustainable development.
  15. Ability to critically use ICT and develop digital competences domestically and internationally.

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⑤ Subject-Specific Competencies

Students in the second cycle Master’s Degree programme in Quality Management will acquire the following subject-specific competencies:

  1. Internalising the concept of autopoiesis in reference to quality management and excellence founded on the spiralling order of planning, doing, checking, and acting.
  2. Internalising the fundamental building blocks of contemporary paradigms of quality and excellence.
  3. Ability to focus on the needs of current and potential consumers, products, and services to increase loyalty.
  4. The capability to develop a mutually beneficial relationship with partners based on trust, knowledge sharing, and integration.
  5. The ability to direct the creative capacities of staff and personnel that are based on shared values and a culture of trust and empowerment that encourages inclusion for everyone.
  6. Managing the design and continuous improvement of a process-oriented organization that is based on processes and facts.
  7. The ability to direct and exchange knowledge within a culture of continuous learning, innovation, and improvement.
  8. Internalisation of behaviour that creates clarity and unity of purpose within the organization as well as in the environment within which the organization and its employees demonstrate excellence.
  9. The ability for social responsible actions on the basis of ethics and exceeding expectations and norms of the general society as a whole.
  10. The ability to focus on results with the aim of meeting the needs of all stakeholders involved.
  11. The ability and skills to solve concrete work-related problems using scientific methods and procedures.
  12. The ability to use the broad knowledge base in the area of quality and business excellence, as well as research methodology and its interdisciplinary applications.
  13. Understanding and the application of critical analysis methods and development of theories and their applications in problem-solving in the area of quality and business excellence.
  14. Developing skills and abilities in using knowledge from the area of quality and business excellence.
  15. In-depth knowledge and understanding of organizations and processes in the contemporary business environment.
  16. The application of selected approaches, models and tools in the field of quality and business excellence.
  17. Ability to use information and communication technologies and systems in the field of quality and business excellence.
  18. Organizational and leadership skills to guide tasks and work in the organization.
  19. Qualification for consultancy work (knowledge transfer).
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⑥Course content

Contemporary Approaches to Quality and Excellence
Lecturer: prof. dr. Boris Bukovec

  • Theoretical based research in organizational studies: definitions, rules
  • Projects, reports, scientific articles
  • Formulating problems (determining needs, formulating problems, existing theories, references, questions and objectives, hypothesis)
  • Research design: isolating the problem / data sources (scientific literature, statistical databases, secondary material / Questionnaire and interview / Colleting historical data (primary and secondary data) / Reliability and validity of the material, case study)
  • Hypothesis
  • Observation and analytical models
  • Formal models: formulating and optimization of real-world processes
  • Implementing observations and analytical models
  • Mixed methods approaches: quantifying qualitative data, software for qualitative and quantitative analysis
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Research in Organizational Sciences
Lecturer: doc. dr. Franc Brcar

  • Defining quantitative methods, theoretical and conceptual aspects of quantitative research.
  • Structure of quantitative research.
  • Statistical methods:
    • Basic concepts, collection and presenting data, data processing and interpretation of results
  • Basic probability
    • Random variables
    • Distributions, continuous, discrete
  • Fuzz logic
    • Basic concepts
    • Graphical method for solving problems of LP.
    • Simplex Method.
    • Computer tools

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Research Methodology 2
Lecturer: doc. dr. Franc Brcar

  • Anthropological and sociological view of organizational culture
  • Theoretical concepts of organizational culture (Hofstede, Morgan, Schein, Denison)
  • Organizational culture, system of values, norms and beliefs and metaphorical view of organizational culture
  • Moral norms, ethical conflict, and ethical doubt in the decision-making process
  • Organizational culture and leadership
  • Impact of organizational culture on the communication in organization
  • Politics of organization and its impact on organizational culture
  • Effects or organizational culture on performance of organization
  • Unclear definition of organizational culture
  • Leadership, organizational culture and change
  • Individual ethics of leadership and impact on organization
  • Contemporary trends at workplace that generate conflict between classical and novel values of organization
  • Impact of different generations of employees on organizational culture, norms, beliefs and attitudes in organization
  • Analysis of contemporary approaches to plan organization and systems that positively impact on organizational culture
  • How to analyse organizational culture
  • Understanding the role of sub-cultures in organization
  • Organizational culture, leadership and changes in organization

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Sustainable Global Marketing
Lecturer: izr. prof. dr. Armand Faganel

  • Introduction to Global Marketing
  • The Global Economic Environment
  • The Global Trade Environment
  • Social and Cultural Environments
  • The Political, Legal, and Regulatory Environments
  • Global Information Systems and Market Research
  • Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning
  • Brand and Product Decisions in Global Marketing
  • Pricing Decisions
  • Global Marketing Channels and Physical Distribution
  • Global Marketing Communications Decisions I: Advertising and Public Relations
  • Global Marketing Communications Decisions II: Sales Promotion, Personal Selling, and Special Forms
  • Global Marketing and the Digital Revolution
  • Strategic Elements of Competitive Advantage
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Leadership and Organizational Culture
Lecturer: izr. prof. Dr (EdD, VB) Tatjana Dragovič

  • Organizational theory and aspects of the process approach.
  • Business excellence and aspects of the process approach.
  • Management by processes and facts.
  • Models, standards, and tools of the process approach.
  • Global trends and dilemmas of development process approach.
  • Examples of good practice in the field of process approach.
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Strategies and Processes of Organization
Lecturer: prof. dr. Mirko Markič

  • Organizational theory and aspects of the process approach.
  • Business excellence and aspects of the process approach.
  • Management by processes and facts.
  • Models, standards, and tools of the process approach.
  • Global trends and dilemmas of development process approach.
  • Examples of good practice in the field of process approach.

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Inovation and Creativity
Lecturer: zasl. prof. ddr. Marija Ovsenik

  • Modern organizational theories and the aspect of unleashing the creative capacities of employees.
  • Theory of creativity and its contexts
  • Theory of creativity and its subjectivity
  • Aspirants
  • The Shape of a creative career
  • Mature views
  • Attractions, Exclusions and Self-Repair
  • Contemporary Identities of Creativity and Creative Work
  • Business excellence and the aspect of unleashing employees' creative capacities
  • Development and involvement of employees.
  • Continuous learning, innovation and improvement.
  • Up-to-date models, standards and tools in the field of employee creative capacity release
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Contemporary Organization Theory
Lecturer: zasl. prof. ddr. Marija Ovsenik

  • Theoretical issues for the study of organization and the organizational science,
  • Organizational paradigms and theoretical concepts of organization,
  • Classical theories of organization in Europe and USA (bureaucratic theory of organization, Scientific management, Theory of human relations, Participative management):
    • Taylor scientific principles of management,
    • Weber bureaucratic organization,
    • Fayol principles of management,
  • Characteristics of modern organizational theories -system approach:
    • System theory of organization,
    • Organization theory of organization,
    • Concepts of organizational culture,
    • Theories of leadership,
    • Learning organization,
  • Innovative organization:
    • Population ecology theory,
    • Source dependence theory,
    • Contingency model.
  • Organizational structures: Vertical, matrix, horizontal, team,
  • Organizational models:
    • Lean organization,
    • TQM,
    • TFM.
  • Organization as a social system,
  • Organization and power:
    • Decision-making systems in organization,
    • Decision-making models in organization,
  • New developments of organizational theory,
    • Models of modern organization.
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Master Research Seminar
Lecturer: doc. dr. Franc Brcarprof. Dr (PhD, ZDA) Annmarie Gorenc Zoran 

  • Instructions for the Master’s Thesis
  • Choosing a master’s thesis topic in the context of understanding the laws of research
  • Selection of research concepts and strategies
  • Setting the research question and hypotheses
  • Development of theoretical basis of research and literature review
  • Organizing the research project
  • Selection of research methods
  • Presentation of the results (quantitative and qualitative approaches)
  • Interpreting the research results and transferring them into practice
  • Designing, writing, publishing, and presenting articles
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Management Information Systems
Lecturer: izr. prof. dr. Andrej Dobrovoljc

  • Information Systems in Global Business Today
  • Information Systems, Organizations, and Strategy
  • Ethical and Social Issues in Information Systems
  • IT Infrastructure and Emerging Technologies
  • Foundations of Business Intelligence: Databases and Information Management
  • Telecommunications, the Internet, and Wireless Technology
  • Securing Information Systems
  • Enterprise Applications
  • E-Commerce: Digital Markets, Digital Goods
  • Managing Knowledge
  • Enhancing Decision Making
  • Building Information Systems
  • Managing IT Projects
  • Managing Global Information Systems
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Organizational Behaviour
Lecturer: Dr. (AR) Nadia Molek, Assist. Prof.

  • Management and Organizational Behaviour. Defining organizational behaviour, the field and theories of organizational behaviour.
  • Individuals in an organization (values, attitudes, differences, perceptions, diversity, emotions, motivation, management, learning, reflection).
  • Groups, Management, Leadership (groups, teams, communication in the digital age, communication with co-workers, managing conflict and negotiation, decision making and creativity, power, influence, and politics, leadership effectiveness).
  • Organizational dynamics (organizational culture, mentoring, effectiveness, innovation, change management, diversity, stress and well-being, mindfulness, engagement, happiness, work-life balance).
Leadership Excellence
Lecturer: izr. prof. Dr (EdD, VB) Tatjana Dragovič

  • Four elements of Leadership
  • Others: Communication and motivation skills
  • Goals: Strategic thinking skills
  • System: System thinking skills
  • Leader: Self skills
  • The five dysfunctions of a team
  • Building competences for leadership excellence.
  • Personal excellence as a prerequisite for leadership excellence
  • EFQM in personal excellence and leadership excellence
  • Global trends and dilemmas of development in the field of leadership excellence
  • Examples of good practice in the area of leadership excellence
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Learning Organizations and Knowledge Management
Lecturer: prof. dr. Maja Meško

  • Modern approaches towards organization
  • The role of learning in an organization
  • Key factors in implementing the principles of continuous education, innovation, and improvement
  • Management of information and knowledge in an organization
  • Learning organization
  • Examples of good practices and implementation of knowledge management and learning in an organization
  • Viewpoints of knowledge management and learning in models, standards, and methods of total quality and business excellence
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Business Excellence
Lecturer: prof. dr. Boris Bukovec

  • Business Excellence
  • The path to business excellence
  • Basic principles of excellence and the EFQM model
  • Criteria of the EFQM model of excellence
  • The process for the Recognition of the Republic of Slovenia for Business Excellence – PRSPO
  • Good practice of successful and effective use of the EFQM model of excellence
  • Presentation of excellent organizations from the profit and non-profit sector (Europe, Slovenia)
  • Creative workshop for in-depth knowledge of the EFQM model of excellence

  • Nature and life.
  • Human development.
  • Cultural aspects of human development.
  • Quality of life.
  • Level of local communities. Level or organization. Level of family. Personal level.
  • Quality of organizational life.
  • Quality of work life.
  • Quality of family life.
  • Personal quality.
  • Behaviorial Issues (Sexual, Alcoholism, Crime, Violence)
  • Problems of inequality (poverty, gender inequality, racism)
  • Problems of social institutions (government and politics, work and economy, education)
  • Family problematics (health and illness - physical and mental.
  • Global social issues (wars, terrorism, environment)
  • Challenges in the field of quality of life.
  • Quality of life as a function of creativity.
Quality and Excellence in Healthcare
Lecturer: doc. dr. Tatjana Mlakar

  • Quality and excellence in health care and/or health care systems.
  • Building blocks of quality and excellence in health care.
  • Process organization in health care.
  • Quality management and excellence in health care.
  • Planning and implementing quality management systems in health care (P-D).
  • Checking and continuous improvement of quality management system (C-A).
  • The EFQM excellence model to excellence in health care.
  • Examples of good practice in quality and excellence in the health care system.
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Quality and Excellence in Education
Lecturer: prof. Dr (PhD, ZDA) Annmarie Gorenc Zoran

  • Quality and excellence in education
  • Building blocks of quality and excellence in education
  • Process-based organization in education
  • Quality and excellence management in education
  • Planning and doing quality management system (P-D)
  • Checking and continuous improvement of quality management system (C-A)
  • E-learning and quality assurance
  • Service measurement in education
  • With EFQM’s model of excellency towards excellency in education
  • Examples of good practice of quality and excellence in education
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Personal excellence
Lecturer: zasl. prof. ddr. Marija Ovsenik

  • The basic principle of personal excellence and assumptions to understand the world in which we live, conversion to a positive attitude and taking responsibility
  • Model VAKOG sensibility and power Sub modality
  • The development of language skills, communication model and meta-model of language
  • Model for expressing critique
  • Good forming objectives according to SMART criteria, linking of goals
  • Management strategy with internal resource
  • Choice: The decision wheel
  • Focus on excellence: self-esteem, intensity, relaxation, disruption and positive self-image
  • Self-confidence and personal charism
  • The path to excellence: Perceptions, goals, dedication, connections, challenges and actions
  • Living excellence: self-confidence, balance, consistency, leadership, team orientation, self-leadership, adaptation and a positive transition
  • Identifying required competencies
  • Communication with the unconscious parts of the personality
  • Levels of personality and R. Dilts Pyramid.
  • Identifying different types of people
  • Introduction to work with the timeline
Project Practicum II

Project Practicum II is based on authentic, project-based learning, and experiential learning. Project-based learning uses a multi-layered projects as the core organizational strategy for teaching students. Experiential learning is a method of teaching that directly engages students in experience and focused reflection in order to increase knowledge, develop skills, define and to clarify values as well as develop the ability to contribute to their community. Focused reflection encourages students to properly link their academic, professional and personal motivation and goals. Through these connections, students will be able to apply their learning process to further experiences and contexts.

  • Presentation and consultation during the practicum (10 hours)
  • Activities to choose from (student work for 25 hours is 1 ECTS):
    • Assistance in the organization and / or activities of FOS events
    • And/or research or FOS projects that are not part of the compulsory components of the study programs
    • And/or tutoring, work with students, FOS official bodies and/or actively included in the educational work of FOŠ or externally
    • And/or participation in the self-evaluation of FOS.
  • Each student maintains a portfolio in which s/he invests her/his work, as well as certificates and evidence of participation in the activities of Practicum I and other. Includes focused reflections regularly.
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Sustainable development

  • Introduction to sustainable development.
  • Systems thinking and sustainable development.
  • Economic aspects of sustainable development.
  • Social aspects of sustainable development.
  • Environmental aspects of sustainable development.
  • Criteria, indicators and standards for sustainable development.
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Work WellBeing Management
Lecturer: prof. Dr (PhD, ZDA) Annmarie Gorenc Zoran

  • Introduction
  • WellBeing at Work Framework
  • Employment Discrimination and Diversity Management
  • Technology, Smart Working, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data and Wellbeing
  • Implementing WellBeing in the Workplace
  • Andragogy
  • Organizational Interactions
  • Best practices and case studies

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