MSc Six Sigma Quality

There is a recognised need to bring standardisation to the Six Sigma belt structure and to provide an academic qualification for this important quality and business process improvement area. The MSc in Six Sigma provides a link between industry and academia for Six Sigma practitioners, quality and business process improvement professionals.

Solent University have actively established close links with both manufacturing and services sectors thus provided the ideal vessel for WIT System’s postgraduate program.

The unique course offers a union of academic and industrial qualifications, using ‘live’ problem based activities and an Integrated Continuous Improvement Program.

The vision for the course is to provide students with the essential capabilities to be able to create a “Performance Culture” within their organisations.

Delivery

Over the years there has been a decline in day release attendance and a growth in distance and blended learning. Much of this change has occurred within postgraduate education to enable students to continue with professional development as well as gaining further academic qualifications.

Consequently the MSc has been designed with a blended ‘roll-on roll-off’ structure consisting of pre-reading, weekend delivery and periodic assignments. Pre-course material is provided via the internet prior to a weekend session. Due to this, the MSc boasts international students who complete course reading and assignments from home and fly in for weekend sessions.

The course is delivered by Industrial and Academic experts from both WIT Systems and Solent University with two formal start dates a year.

The option of different modules allows the student to tailor their course for either the manufacturing or service sector.

All students undertake an individual Quality Project, either relevant to manufacturing or the Service industry, which can be company based.

Students who successfully complete the Master's course are then able to acquire Green and Black Belt accreditation from a leading commercial training provider.

The modules

• Research Methods and Post Graduate Study Skills
• Quality and Six Sigma (Green Belt)
• Management of Change and Culture
• Six Sigma (Black Belt)
• Service Mapping
• Product Reliability and SPC
• Supply Chain Management
• Lean Thinking and Practice
• Value Stream Mapping
• Project

Innovation

• Research Methods and Post Graduate Study Skills Weekend delivery, block mode with mediated roll-on/ roll-off cohort joining, allowing maximum opportunity for participation from "tight resource envelope" business employees.
• Combination of industry standard training and skills work into an integrated educational framework at Masters level, delivering the highest practicable performance change for the employer/business alongside the full gamut of academic development in critical thinking, research, domain understanding and logical development.
• Management of Change and Culture
• Strong peer group development, accentuated in the delivery mode, and emphasises in the learning tasks and support vehicles. The students were expected to form a tight learning group, mutually supportive and in close communication, and have done so from the start.
• Practicing what we preach - the continuous improvement doctrine is not simply a delivery element of the course but a key aspect of its ongoing development.