Online pre-study modules
Before the programme begins you will be expected to complete some online pre-study modules which are delivered through The Hub, Imperial College Business School’s virtual learning environment.
These modules will be available to students who have accepted an offer of admission from July onwards and are designed to give you a basic knowledge of areas that will be covered by the programme throughout the academic year.
Core modules
Core modules build rapidly on previous experience while introducing new and challenging disciplines.
This module covers corporate financial decision-making at an advanced level. It provides an overview of corporate investment policy and company valuation, financing decisions and capital structure, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, external financing at different stages of a firm’s life cycle, and recent phenomena in corporate financial innovation.
The central question of strategic management is how to enhance the performance of the firm. This module will explore a variety of issues that confront managers as they strive to enhance the performance of their firms. Some issues include: defining what the firm does, whom the relevant competitors are, how the firm can try to gain an edge over its competitors, and whether and how the firm can try to retain that edge over time. To do so, you will examine both business-level and corporate strategy topics, including industry analysis, analysis of a firm’s competitive advantages, diversification and international expansion.
This module introduces you to the art of modelling, analysis and interpretation of data and optimization using Excel. Emphasis is on practical applications and intuition and understanding. The module will also serve as an introduction to a number of business models and problems that will be covered in later courses in depth.
The aim of this module is to show you how to systematically model firms’ behaviours and their effects, and to demonstrate the evidence available on a range of topics. This area of economics, often referred to as industrial economics, makes heavy use of game theory. Prominent topics include the effect of market concentration on firms’ profitability, the impact of barriers to entry and strategies to create them, advertising, research and development, vertical integration and network effects. The module will present examples of the way in which globalisation and the rise of intangible investments (software and intellectual property) are changing the environment for firms, and how they are responding.
This module aims to contribute to the development of your managerial potential by providing you with a solid foundation in accounting and finance. The module will equip you with the techniques of financial and management accounting as well as the foundation of financial theory needed to support management evaluation, financial decision-making and investment practice. As no business operates in isolation from the financial markets, the module will cover the key principles of accounting, corporate finance, financial markets, and the interaction between them.
This module introduces you to how companies can manage the innovation process and make strategic decisions on how to commercialise a new technology-based product and on which technology to invest on. Drawing on the experiences of leading innovators, this module aims to equip students with the skills and tools to organise and shape the innovation process within modern organisations. By the end of the module, you should be able to understand and interpret managerial strategies associated with different types of innovation. You should know the different ways organisations seek to profit from their innovations and technologies, how best to organise the innovation process within the firm and to select among different technology paradigms.
The focus of this module is on developing your understanding of people and teams within modern organisations and the theoretical foundations you will need to contribute effectively in them.
This module introduces you to product and brand management for market-driven organisations. The module takes a strategic perspective to develop a deep understanding of how marketing principles guide the creation of new products and brands, their launch into the market, the positioning of products and brands, and the management across their life-cycle. This module will encourage students to apply these principles to be better prepared for developing and implementing strategies that lead to commercial acceptance and performance.
Other compulsory elements
Alongside academic modules, you will take a compulsory Career Development module throughout the year.
The Career Development module consists of a series of workshops that support students in defining their own ambitious and realistic career goals and equips them with the knowledge and skills they need to achieve these goals and be successful in the future.
The European Immersion will give you the opportunity to experience first-hand the dynamics of business in another country. The two-day trip will consist of a number of visits to technology and innovation companies and a networking event.
The Leadership in Action module runs throughout the year. You will be introduced to advanced concepts in developing leadership skills with a focus on providing you with a practical yet theoretically grounded collection of tools you can use to be an effective leader and developer of people.
Five highlights of our MSc International Management programme
MSc International Management is a very exciting programme in our Management Master’s portfolio. The programme is tailored for students with prior business knowledge, either through undergraduate degrees in business or relevant work experience.