Management – (M.Sc.)

Contents

On the MSc in Management students are introduced to the full range of management and business disciplines. As illustrated in the diagram, the programme consists of 12 modules: 10 are compulsory, and on the remaining two modules you can choose from a range of options.
Various types of assessment are used, depending on the nature of the course. (for detailed information on particular courses, follow each module link below).

Support courses

To help with the development of academic work, the programme also offers support courses in the following areas:

* Quantitative Methods
* Information Technology
* Academic Writing and Study Skills, primarily intended for overseas students
* Accounting and Finance example classes

These are not formally assessed and are voluntary but strongly recommended.
Languages for AllcoursesFor those wanting to improve their foreign language skills, courses are available at beginners, intermediate and advanced levels in several languages (currently French, German, Italian and Chinese).

Term 1: October to December

Introductory week The programme begins with an introductory week during which you learn more about the various elements of the programme and the facilities available within the School and University. The week also includes teamwork exercises and other activities – academic and social – designed to help you get to know one another before the formal part of the programme.

In Term 1, you take five modules. Three of these are compulsory modules, and two are options:

Learning to ManageIntroduces students to management as a highly contested area of theory, involving competing perspectives, approaches, interests and stakeholders. It aims to help students make sense of both the theory and practice of management, and develop their capacity to manage the ambiguity and complexity inherent in all managerial roles.

MarketingRequires groups to examine a range of cases relating to the key issues, problems and solutions in marketing. It explores marketing in different contexts, such as consumer marketing, services marketing, retail marketing and international marketing.

Strategic ManagementThis course primarily focuses on issues related to ‘business-level’ strategy and how competitive advantage is created and developed in response to complex and turbulent environmental change and the needs of the organization’s key stakeholders.

Term 1 Optional modules You also choose two from the following three options:

Financial ManagementProvides an overview of the key issues relating to the financial management of a business. The focus will be on the needs of aspiring general managers but the module includes some technical and theoretical material.

Operations ManagementConsiders the role of the operations manager and the operations function within a manufacturing and service industry environment. It covers different types of operation, looking at the application of alternative methods of planning and control.

Economics for ManagersAn applied course, designed to develop awareness of how the micro- and macro-economic environment can affect business behaviour and to build students’ skills in interpreting and understanding economic data.

Term 2: January to March

You take two compulsory modules, and three options:

New Venture PlanningDesigned to provide an introduction to the process of preparing and launching an entrepreneurial venture, using experiential learning to explore the essential elements, and the pitfalls, of new venture creation.

AccountingProvides an understanding of the nature and practice of accounting, how it is used in running a business and how it is used to hold managers to account for their actions. It will focus partly on measurement issues, and will also identify what accounting can and cannot do.

Term 2 Optional modules You also choose three from the following seven options:

* Business Analysis and Process Consulting
* Business Ethics
* Environmental Issues for Managers
* Leadership
* Management of Organisational Change
* Negotiation Skills
* Project Management

Term 3: April to September

Module 11: Research MethodsProvides a bridge between the taught components of the programme and the independent research required for the dissertation. It focuses on the philosophical and practical issues involved in conducting research, and provides practical preparation for the methodology section of the dissertation.

Module 12: DissertationThe dissertation is the most substantial individual piece of work undertaken on the MSc programme, and allows you to draw on and demonstrate your understanding of many of the principles and concepts introduced in earlier modules. It takes place over the final three months of the programme and can be completed by one of three routes: an in-company project; a business plan; a desk-based research project.