New business specialisation the first of its kind

The new Applied Professional Practice (APP) specialisation is being offered to BBus students from Semester 1 2024, both online and internally on our Manawatū campus.

The specialisation, which can be taken as a major or minor, will see students combine theory with authentic workplace experiences as they build professional skills, work in cross-functional teams and tackle real-world challenges. Students will explore their own value sets, strengths, challenges and passions as they become practical, capable business professionals.

Massey Business School Director of Teaching and Learning Associate Professor Elizabeth Gray says the development of the APP came from discussions with industry, where the need for work-ready graduates who were able to think widely was identified.

“The employers we engage with, including on our advisory board, told us they wanted graduates who could think holistically. This specialisation was designed with that input in mind, in order to produce graduates with the wide-ranging skills the industry requires.”

Dr Gray adds that the APP would appeal to students who are entrepreneurially-minded and like a hands-on approach to learning. Part of the third year of the specialisation requires students to complete an internship, which will see them apply the business principles and concepts they’ve learnt to respond to real-world challenges.

There are a number of new courses within the APP pathway which focus on key areas such as sustainability and business planning. One of these, Commerce and Sustainability in Practice, will require students to undertake specific real-world market and opportunity analyses, incorporating a business sustainability challenge that connects to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

APP joins the existing 12 BBus specialisations of accountancy, business analytics, economics, finance, financial planning and advice, global communication, human resource management and employment relations, international business, management, marketing, organisational technology management, and property.

Students who enrol in the BBus (APP) will be required to complete a minor in a different business subject in order to build additional knowledge, attributes and capabilities needed in the practical business contexts that are explored in the APP major.