London South Bank University will not continue its MSc Management in Civil Society course next September, despite an intake of 45 this academic year.

The MSc Management in Civil Society is a one year postgraduate certificate programme that LSBU says "gives a rounded professional understanding of the legal requirements, theories and practices of management in the charity sector".

The course is currently the longest running of all the British postgraduate courses of its kind, having been started in 1992 by Paul Palmer, a specialist charity academic who is now a professor at Cass Business School. It will close reportedly due to the University’s decision to focus on undergraduate courses.

A spokesman from the University said that the LSBU School of Business “reluctantly took the decision” in the 2013/14 academic year to cease recruitment to the Management in Civil Society courses due to “declining student numbers and the rising costs of provision”.

He added: “Various options were explored with colleagues to retain some level of provision but a workable solution could not be identified. This is not a decision that was taken lightly.”

Current students will be supported to complete their studies at LSBU.

The School of Business is currently undertaking a review of its portfolio and research areas and has said that there remains the possibility that it may offer some post-graduate courses in the same area in the future.
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