MSc Management: Core modules

This module contributes to the development of your managerial potential by explaining the techniques of financial and management accounting and examining their relevance to the broader issues of management evaluation and decision-making in the generic manufacturing and service sectors.

This module introduces you to widely applicable concepts and principles used by economists to understand economic situations at the level of the firm. The module will enable you to develop new insights into the business world and become a more effective manager by focusing on the practical usefulness of these concepts to business decision-makers.

This module provides you with a rigorous theoretical grounding for financial decision-making and techniques for investment practice. It explains the objective of financial management in publicly listed companies. Practical examples are used to show how, and why, the size, timing and risk of cash flows of investment opportunities determine the value of a corporation.

Innovation is the fundamental driver of competitiveness and plays a large part in improving quality of life. This module equips you with an understanding of the main issues in the management of innovation and an appreciation of the relevant skills needed to manage innovation at both strategic and operational levels.

Marketing Decisions is essentially about understanding the ways in which an organisation can serve its customers better than its competitors, and continue to do so over time. This module will introduce the key marketing concepts, allow you to understand the principles of marketing analysis and see how marketing is an essential element of business strategic planning.

Operations management is concerned with the design and control of production processes of goods or services. It is one of the primary functions in an organisation along with finance, marketing and human resources. This module provides a general introduction to the concepts, principles, techniques and practice of operations management. You will cover a wide range of topics including operations strategy, process management, inventory management, supply chain coordination, service operations, capacity management, lean operations and quality control.

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 will give you a holistic view of strategy formulation, content and implementation in firms. You will be able to think beyond day-to-day business activities of firms, analysing the strategic threats and opportunities of firms based on their internal capabilities and external environments, including sustainability issues. Specific attention is devoted to strategic decisions that shape the boundaries of the firm.

This applied module offers an introduction to the essentials of new venture formation and entrepreneurship, with an emphasis on high-tech business. The focus is practical and hands-on, underpinned by theory and academic research. The practical part of the module prepares you for developing and testing business ideas. It also involves you working in a group, researching and writing a business case and presenting it to your peers and a panel of academic and investor judges.

Consulting Project

This is a substantial group-based project undertaken for a real client. It gives you the opportunity to apply the programme material to the solution of a real business problem, and to gain valuable consulting experience. It provides a capstone for the programme.

Work Placement

The work placement aims to contribute to the development of your potential by providing you the opportunity to apply the material of the programme to a challenging business situation in which you are fully immersed. The focus is on developing your skills in one specific business context, drawing on the knowledge and skills achieved across the modules. The work placement will give students the opportunity to experience and operate in a real world situation and gain experience in a corporate environment. Students are responsible for sourcing their own work placement, which must be approved in advance by the Programme Director. The work placement should be for one month or longer and can be held at a UK-based or international company or organisation.

Social Project

The Social Project (equivalent to two elective modules) aims to contribute to the development of your managerial potential by applying problem solving techniques to a challenging practical working environment with a social impact focus. The emphasis is on developing your skills in understanding social problems and performing real business analyses and tasks, drawing on the knowledge and skills achieved in other modules of the programme. You can either choose to carry out a work placement within organisations such as social enterprises, not-for-profit organisations and foundations or to consult for them.

If you opt to take the Social Project module you will need to find your own project. The project should be for one month or longer and can be held at a UK-based or international organisation.

The Management Capstone provides an opportunity for you to integrate and apply the knowledge and skills gained on the programme at an advanced level. The Capstone allows you to choose your own topic of interest and to tailor your final summative piece of work to align with your career goals.