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Introduction
Why choose this course?
Overview
Our MSc International Business and Marketing Management course is accredited by the Association of MBAs (AMBA) and the Chartered Management Institute (CMI). It will prepare you for a successful international career with a commercial or not-for-profit organisation.
You will learn to:
 identify, analyse and evaluate a range of business related issues
 develop suitable responses to these problems
 select the most appropriate course of action
You will focus your studies within the area of marketing to prepare you for a range of careers, including:
 product and brand management
 market analysis and research
 customer relationship services management
 direct marketing
 digital marketing
 public relations
 media and advertising.
Modules
Compulsory modules
Global Strategic Management
Strategic management is the process by which managers formulate and implement strategies to generate high performance. In this module you will develop your understanding of the managerial strategic challenge; how to deliver sustainable competitive advantage. You will engage in critical evaluation of the key strategic issues. You will consider the wider economic environment and explore why strategy is important, how organisations make strategic decisions through the processes of analysis, choice and responsible and ethical management and leadership.
Innovation, Change and Organisations
The aim of this module is to provide insight into a series of topics that represent key issues around innovation and change and the organisational context in modern general management. The module is forward looking from the contemporary organisation towards future developments. A key perspective is the development to date of entrepreneurship, innovation, change and organisational practices making students aware of long-term patterns and cycles, and the way and extent to which the past can shape the present.
Introduction to the Principles of Responsible Marketing
In this module you will be introduced to the key principles of marketing. You will explore the roles of buyers, the marketing environment, and the ways marketers plan, manage, and monitor marketing programmes in an international environment.
Developing Skills for Business Leadership
Successful leaders have different approaches to their work, sharing a range of diverse personality traits. A key purpose of this module is to encourage you to develop a strong sense of self-awareness of your own strengths and weaknesses as a manager and colleague. In addition, you will develop a range of transferable skills which are pivotal to successful management practice. These include decision-making skills, team-working and interpersonal skills and others associated with developing personal effectiveness.
Operations Management
In this module you will develop your understanding of an organisation's ability to deliver goods and services of the quality, quantity and cost that will satisfy customers' needs, while making efficient use of resources. The key principles introduced in this module can be applied to any business sector and function. Issues covered include ethics, environmental sustainability, global business, complexity and uncertainty, and continuing professional development.
Finance and Accounting for Business
In this module you will develop your critical assessment of corporate financial information from the users' perspective. You will study both financial and management accounting covering three areas: basics (terminology, purposes, users), rules and regulations, and business entities.
 Financial accounting - key financial statements, published accounts and analysis and interpretation through ratios.
 Management accounting - costing, budgeting and forecasting, budget management and pricing.
Research Methods
This module prepares you for completing high quality, systematic business and management research, and equips you to be successful in your final dissertation or other capstone module. You will learn how to undertake effective research drawing upon a range of secondary and primary data sources, and will be introduced to a range of tools required for research including methodological issues, data collection techniques and study skills.
Understanding Customer Behaviour
You will critically appraise the behaviours of customers and their interactions with marketing. Informed by behavioural science, you will analyse why customers behave as they do and how marketing activity influences their behaviours. This analysis informs your critical understanding and implementation of both strategic and responsible marketing practice. An innovative dimension of this course is the investigation of change agents that will significantly influence the behaviours of customers in the future, for example neuroscience, climate change and technology innovation. This is an analytical module that utilises research evidence to inform evaluation, behavioural and communications research.
Global Marketing Strategy (September start only)
In this module you will apply concepts you studied earlier with an emphasis on the global environment of marketing. You will develop your understanding of creating sustainable competitive advantage in a global context, implementing strategies to take into account both the convergence and divergence of consumer preferences, creating global products and brands that have near-universal application and appeal, and the importance of ethical and social issues in the global marketplace.
Strategic Business Simulation (January start only)
This module teaches you about group decision making. It involves a live new business development scenario, through which you apply your understanding of business and entrepreneurship principles to a computer simulation. The simulation will challenge your business, entrepreneurial and responsible management decisions when running an international business and will consider a range of business functions. You will develop management skills such as team management, budgeting, strategising, implementing a communications strategy and coping with unexpected competitor activity.
Consultancy Project OR Virtual Global Study Trip
You can choose between:
Consultancy Project: you will gain practical international project experience by working in a team on a real problem for a client organisation. You will develop problem-solving and communication skills as well as the ability to work in cross-cultural teams.
Strategic Planning in Practice: you will apply and extend your knowledge gained within the first semester of the programme to a complex, integrative, international case study company using Strategic Planning software. You will demonstrate a systematic understanding of current business and management issues and the ability to synthesise understandings drawn from a number of key knowledge areas.
Virtual Global Study Trip: this module gives you a hands-on, intensive experience of current business ideas and practices through visiting multinational enterprises and international organisations. This includes presentations from local and international executives, managers and academics.
Compulsory modules
Final Research Project
The final research project module is a 50 credit module and runs over two semesters. This module will provide an opportunity for you to undertake a substantial independent research project by applying and extending the streams of study, knowledge and practical skills gained in other modules. It’ll allow you to demonstrate a wide range of skills such as research, critical thinking, project planning, problem-solving and writing/oral skills. You’ll be able to choose from different research project options, providing you with the opportunity to explore in detail an area of particular interest or relevance. These options currently are Dissertation, Client Project, Integrated Business Research Project, and Business/Concept Development.
Optional modules
Work placement
This supervised work experience module is part of the two-year sandwich mode for students who join the Programme in September. The module supports and assesses students who are engaging in paid supervised work experience (a placement) in a role relevant to their programme. It provides students with the opportunity to understand first-hand how businesses work and to apply the learning gained from the taught element of their programme within a real working environment.
We will provide support to help you find a placement - our team has a database of opportunities and runs events where you can meet potential employers. A placement will provide you with valuable experience, although securing one takes a lot of effort and success is not guaranteed. You would need to cover your own living and travel costs throughout the duration of your placement.
Learning and teaching
This programme focuses on experiential learning. We offer a placement module, a client project as a capstone, study trips to various locations, a group consultancy project and invited guest speakers. In addition our teaching and learning strategy focuses on bringing theory closer to practice, to that end we use a number of international case studies, a business simulation game, in a diverse and inclusive environment.
The outstanding quality of our learning and teaching has been recognised by the accreditations we have received from the Association of MBAs and the Chartered Management Institute. These are hallmarks of high quality, robustness and good employability potential for our graduates.
Our teaching staff are academic researchers and/or from an industry background. They have an in-depth practical experience of business and management issues. Our teaching methods include interactive workshops, simulations and lectures from staff and visiting speakers.
Entry Criteria
ENTRY REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
Home Office Share Code
For EU students only.
IF no Qualification
Please provide CV with at least 2 years of work experience, and employee reference letter.
Entry requirements
Specific entry requirements
A minimum of a second class honours degree (2:2) in any academic discipline, or equivalent overseas degree from a recognised institution or equivalent professional or other qualification.
Applicants who possess a diploma rather than a degree may be eligible for entry provided they have compensatory work experience and can demonstrate career development.
This course attracts students from a wide range of backgrounds and nationalities. Applications are welcome from those in work and seeking continuing professional development.
Entry will also be subject to two satisfactory references (one of these must be an academic reference).
Our standard entry requirement is three A-levels or equivalent qualifications. In some cases, courses have specific required subjects and additional GCSE requirements. In addition to A-levels, we accept a wide range of other qualifications including:
 the Welsh Baccalaureate
 the Access to Higher Education Diploma
 a BTEC National Certificate, Diploma or Extended Diploma at a good standard and in a relevant subject
 the International Baccalaureate Diploma
 the European Baccalaureate Diploma
 Scottish qualifications – five subjects in SCE with two at Higher level or one at Advanced Higher level, or three subjects in Scottish Highers or two at Advanced Higher level
 a recognised foundation course
 T-levels*.
 * T-levels are a relatively new qualification but are already included in the UCAS tariff. We welcome prospective students who are taking this qualification to apply. For some programmes with specific required subjects, particular subject areas or occupational specialisms may be required.
English language requirements
If English is not your first language you will need to satisfy the university's English language requirements:
 IELTS minimum level 6.0, (with a minimum of 6.0 in reading and writing, and 5.5 in listening and speaking).
 if you have completed your undergraduate degree in the UK (at least one full year of study) you will automatically meet our English language requirements
The entry requirement for your course will be expressed as an IELTS level and refers to the IELTS Academic version of this test. We are now also accepting the IELTS Indicator test, you can find out more about the test on the IELTS Indication site. The University however does accept a wide range of additional English language qualifications, which can be found below.
The university’s English language requirements in IELTS levels are as follows:
Course IELTS level
All other undergraduate courses 6.0 overall with 6.0 in reading and writing, 5.5 in listening and speaking
Law, Architecture, Interior Architecture, English Literature (including combined honours), English Literature and Creative Writing 6.5 overall with 6.0 in reading and writing, 5.5 in listening and speaking
Health and Social Care courses 6.5 or 7.0 overall with 6.5 or 7.0 in all components (see individual entries for course details)
Nutrition BSc (Hons) 6.5 overall with a minimum of 6.0 in each component
Built Environment Foundation,
Computing Foundation,
Engineering Foundation 6.0 with 6.0 in reading and writing, 5.5 in listening and speaking
International Foundation Business and Technology,
International Foundation Arts, Humanities and Law 5.5 overall with 5.5 in all skills
International Foundation Diploma 5.0 overall with 5.0 in all skills
If you need a student visa you must take an IELTS for UKVI test.
International Foundation Diploma (Extended pathway) 4.5 overall with 4.5 in all skills
If you need a student visa you must take an IELTS for UKVI test.
Assessment
ASSESSMENT METHODS
1. INTERNAL ENGLISH TEST if you don't have an English accredited certificate
2. Academic Interview
Learning and assessment
We have designed a highly flexible course for a wide range of interests in a variety of different subject areas/roles/sectors. This course is suitable for individuals:
 from a variety of educational backgrounds
 who may have no previous work experience
 who want to further their knowledge and understanding of business and management to support their career aspirations.
You will study a combination of compulsory and elective modules, and choose to complete either a dissertation, a client based research project, or a synoptic research project.
Our teaching staff come from a variety of academic and non-academic backgrounds. This gives you a comprehensive and diverse learning experience.
Our student cohorts are international. So you will benefit from working with staff and peers with varied experiences and perspectives.
Our assessment strategy offers a variety of assessment formats including individual assignments, group reports and presentations, reflections, oral and written examinations.
Start this course in January
You have the option to start this course in January. You will study a range of modules between January and May. During the summer months of June, July and August you will study further modules and begin work on your dissertation. Between September and December you will complete your final modules and focus on your dissertation.
Assessment
The programme’s assessment strategy has been designed to expose our students to various forms of assessment, in order to develop transferable skills and create a positive student experience. As such students will be assessed by individual essays and business reports, group presentations, oral exams, written exams and online discussion forums. We have embedded inclusivity and diversity into assessments throughout the programme, allowing students to select the focus of their assignment where appropriate.
The majority of assessments are based on individual contribution, but there is some assessed group work.
Research
Business School academics explore core issues facing contemporary societies, ranging from refugee entrepreneurship and internationalisation to sustainable tourism, security and the changing world of work and organisations including the impact of artificial intelligence. We address questions such as:
 What characterises the interconnections of trade, transportation and technologies?
 How do we organise for security?
 How can social media address well-being and social isolation?
 How can individuals be happier and navigate the increasingly complex world of work?
We also have an expertise in Coaching and Mentoring as well as in Diversity (such as examining pay gaps and gender and spin-outs) and we are always keen to include students into our projects where possible.
Career Opportunities
The MSc Business and Marketing Management will prepare you for a broad range of business marketing roles. They may be in commercial, non-profit or public organisations.
Many of our graduates find managerial positions at a wide range of organisations, including:
 companies producing fast moving commercial goods
 consultancy firms
 financial institutions
 retail giants
 charities
 SMEs
Examples of these employers include:
 Amazon
 IBM
 Deutsche Telekom
 Deloitte, KPMG, PwC, EY
 Oxfam
 BASF Group
 Kautex Unipart
 Raiffeisen Bank
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