International Business Management MA with Integrated Placement (15 months/24 months)

Course content

What you will study on the MA International Business Management with Integrated Placement (15 months/24 months)?

Expanding your knowledge and understanding of the theories that inform contemporary international business practice, this course begins with a base of learning in the fundamental areas of strategy and management in a globalised business environment. Once the basics are in place you will explore areas around decision making, trade and enterprise, while selecting from a number of modules that allow you to pursue knowledge in areas you feel are most appropriate to your interests and career aspirations. The aim of the learning is for you to gain the necessary skills to enable you to manage people and organisational activities in dynamic environments and manage products and services within international markets. You will end the course by utilising the knowledge and skills you have learnt to shape and complete your own international management project.

The aims of the module are to introduce students to the theoretical frameworks for analysing international business and developing international business strategies, and to equip students with the knowledge, skills and tools for developing and implementing international business strategy for international competitiveness. It improves students' cultural awareness and understanding of critical issues relating to the complexity of managing international operations, and develops students' critical and independent thinking, decision making and problem solving.

This module aims to illustrate and explore the role of HRM in the international context and develop students' awareness of cross cultural and Corporate Social Responsibility issues in an international organisational setting. It aims to equip students with knowledge and skills needed to manage these issues effectively, thus enhancing their employability in a global work context. The module examines the influence of culture at the macro national and micro individual level to equip students with the tools to engage with scientific debate and to evaluate management practice in terms of the possible beneficial and harmful outcomes of management-authored interventions. It also provides students with critical awareness of conceptual frameworks, mechanisms and tools designed to identify, analyse and respond to issues of Corporate Social Responsibility and ethics.

This module equips future managers with the quantitative tools to help them make rational decisions under uncertain conditions. The module develops students' ability to apply statistical techniques to a wide range of business and management problems in a structured way. Students will gain an appreciation of the appropriateness of different techniques in a given situation. The module develops the students' understanding of the tools and their application with use of software packages such as Microsoft Excel and Minitab.

The aims of the module are to provide an appreciation of the economic theory relevant to both trade, multinational enterprises MNEs, foreign direct investment FDI and globalisation; to introduce the students to all major strands of the debate about new trade theories, MNEs, and FDI; to acquire the necessary theoretical knowledge to evaluate and analyse policy issues relating to MNEs, business, trade and globalisation; and to develop the ability to undertake research in this area.

This module develops a critical appreciation of how organisations that operate in the international context monitor, influence and manage their environments. A critical evaluation of the role exerted by strategy, organisation design and organisational and national culture is done. Special reference will also be made to the difficulties and ethical considerations encountered when managing organisations within differing political, economic and social contexts.

This module aims to introduce students to the development of the emerging markets, help students understand the crucial role that emerging markets play in the global economy and the implications that they are both home and host countries of foreign direct investment (FDI) and of multinational corporations (MNCs). It enhances students’ awareness of the contributions and limitations of the traditional theories of FDI and MNCs, and the need for new approaches in emerging markets multinationals (EMNCs) studies. It develops students’ ability in contextualising competitive strategy framework and advanced skills in analysis, evaluation and synthesis of data and information for decision making.

This module aims to present the international nature of business supply chains and how companies work in a global marketplace. Students develop a critical understanding of the theories and practices of how companies grow and manage their global supply chains. The module enhances students' understanding of business competitiveness in global marketplaces. Students will be taught the underlying theories that will enable them to evaluate the choices given by organisations and how these are linked to the management of these international networks.

The module examines the impact of culture on international and global marketing. The principal aim of the module is to equip students with advanced knowledge of international marketing and ability in critical and independent thought, research and decision making which will enable students to pursue a career in international marketing.

As part of this course, you can do an optional three month or one year industry placement. Programmes with integral placements give you the opportunity to apply the skills you have learned throughout your studies in a practical environment. You will be earning a full time salary and will learn skills that can't be taught in a classroom at University. During the placement, you will be able to gain further insight into industrial practice that you can take forward into your individual project and into your future career.

Although the placement is not guaranteed, the University maintains links with a wide network of organisations who offer placement opportunities. The University will also provide you with full support to help you secure a placement, from job application to the interview.

In order to qualify for the placement period you must have passed all modules in the semesters preceding the placement.

This module provides students with a means of developing further the skills and knowledge gained on MA International Business Management, by application to a specific organisational issue or problem. It enables students to demonstrate proficiency in the design of a business enhancement project, application of appropriate methods of investigation, management of the change process, and maintenance of vision in the face of the vicissitudes of business realities.

You can find more information about this course in the programme specification. Please note that optional modules may not run, due to student numbers or staff availabilty. If an optional module will not run, we will advise you after the module selection period when numbers are confirmed, or at the earliest time that the programme team make the decision not to run the module, and help you choose an alternative module.