MSc in Business Management
Cardiff University
Key Information
Campus location
Cardiff, United Kingdom
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
1 year
Pace
Full time
Tuition fees
GBP 9,950 / per year *
Application deadline
Request info
Earliest start date
Aug 2024
* for UK/EU students. £21,950 for international students
Introduction
The MSc Business Management programme is designed for students from any discipline who want to develop essential insights into the world of business and the key management skills that will provide the competitive edge needed to launch a successful management career.
The programme recognises that we live in an increasingly interconnected, complex and changing world. Consequently, beyond managing the core business, we help you evaluate the social, economic and environmental implications of management decision making in a range of sectoral and international business contexts. Our aim is to help you become an effective manager who can offer creative solutions to a variety of business challenges.
Distinctive features
- Cardiff Bootcamp: an extended introduction specially designed to embed you into the programme and Cardiff learning community.
- The Career Enhancer Service: support from professional advisors to enhance your entry into the workplace and fulfil your career ambitions, including workshops on job search skills, CV writing, assessment centres, and interview techniques and access to careers fairs, job opportunities and business networks.
- Business in Action - an integrative capstone module that focuses on real-life challenges.
- The opportunity to transfer into our two-year programme with a Professional Placement Year.
- Programme of high-profile business speakers and company visits.
- Access to our global alumni network.
- Understanding real-world business challenges in a range of contrasting contexts.
- A final Team Consultancy Challenge that enables you to integrate your learning from across the programme to address an organisational problem.
- Opportunities to make a difference to society and the economy through study and extra-curricular activity in line with Public Value.
Admissions
Curriculum
Structure
The MSc Business Management is structured around six-module blocks, plus a Consultancy Challenge. The first and last module blocks are scheduled on their own as introductory and capstone learning experiences. The four other modules are scheduled in pairs.
We recognise that you will be making a transition from one area of study to another, to a more advanced level of learning, and possibly to a different learning culture. Consequently, the block structure provides an enriching opportunity for extended learning activities, class interaction and review of learning to enhance understanding. It also enables us to offer extra support for individual students to build their confidence.
The introductory module sets the scene for the rest of the programme by considering the key features of the business environment and how this shapes organisations and their decisions. You will then examine core management concepts and practices associated with a range of functional areas.
The modules that follow will help you consider the latest research and practice in business management, including core areas such as marketing, strategy, finance, logistics, economics and human resources.
Your enhanced knowledge and skills will be integrated and applied in a capstone ‘Business in Action’ module. Here you will explore a series of large-scale and complex global issues that present significant dilemmas for the effective management of the business.
Choice and specialisation are embedded within modules. For example, the ‘Business in Action’ module will provide you with the opportunity to focus on a contemporary debate or issue that has particular relevance for your future career.
The programme concludes with a Consultancy Project. Reflecting the team-based structure of contemporary organisations, you will work in a group to analyse, diagnose and recommend practical solutions for a business problem in a realistic and relevant business context that may include charities and not-for-profit enterprises.
You will develop and apply the key technical and soft skills required for effective business management in every module. You will see your confidence as a future manager build cumulatively across the programme as you are given multiple opportunities to respond to practical business management challenges.
All modules are underpinned by a concern to examine the contrasting political, economic, socio-cultural, technological, legal and environmental factors that inform management decision making in different international business contexts. Understanding these dynamics will help you to reflect on the multiple factors that offer opportunities and constraints on management decision-making.
The modules shown are an example of the typical curriculum and will be reviewed prior to the 2020/21 academic year. The final modules will be published by September 2020.
Core modules
Module title | Module code | Credits |
Understanding Organisations and the Business Environment | BST710 | 20 credits |
Global Marketing | BST711 | 20 credits |
Managing People | BST712 | 20 credits |
Analysing Financial Performance | BST713 | 20 credits |
Strategic and Operational Decision Making | BST714 | 20 credits |
Business in Action | BST715 | 20 credits |
Consultancy Challenge | BST720 | 60 credits |
Learning and assessment
How will I be taught?
An active learning approach is embedded in the MSc Business Management. We believe that effective learning is founded on your involvement in diverse experiences, and the way you make sense of those experiences, both individually and with others. A team that includes academics from multiple disciplines, and practitioners representing a range of functions and sectors will facilitate the modules. This will reflect workplace practice and encourage the cross-fertilisation of different perspectives.
Each block of learning includes a variety of activities such as case studies, videos, mini team challenges, role-play, company visits, and industry speakers, all designed to introduce new ideas and develop your understanding.
We will help you to enhance the reflective skills you were introduced to during your first degree, including observation, analysis, and synthesis to ensure that you are able to develop comprehensive insight and clear conclusions about these experiences.
Sharing your understanding with others is also important for building new insights into the nature of business management in a variety of contexts. You will be encouraged to work collaboratively in diverse teams to consider a range of alternative understandings and practices.
Trying out new learning is important too. You will integrate and apply new understandings, together with new business management skills, in practical tasks embedded in each learning block, and in formal coursework activities.
How will I be supported?
The University offers a wealth of support for postgraduate students. These include:
Careers & Placement Support
Our dedicated Placements Manager offers advice on available work placements, internships, work experience and opportunities to enhance your CV and broaden your horizons. Support for job applications and interview techniques is also available from the Business School’s in-house Careers Consultant.
Learning Central
Learning Central is the University’s virtual learning environment. All programme and module materials are posted here for students to access before, during and after lectures.
Libraries
A variety of hard and electronic copies of books, journals and databases are available for participants on the programme. The Aberconway library is located in the main Business school site, and additional resources are available at other libraries throughout the campus. Many journals and books are also available electronically.
Personal Tutor System
Each student is allocated a Personal Tutor. This member of the academic staff will maintain an overview of your learning and educational experiences. If you are experiencing difficulties, your Personal Tutor will be there to listen and where possible provide professional guidance or else direct you to the appropriate source of support.
The Student Advisory Service
A free, impartial, non-judgemental and confidential service is offered to students on a wide range of personal, financial and academic matters.
Disability & Dyslexia Service
Confidential advice and support are provided for students who are disabled or who have a specific learning difficulty (e.g., dyslexia) or long-term medical condition.
Counselling Service
The Cardiff University Counselling Service provides members of the university community with an opportunity to examine issues that prevent them from maximising their full potential and to explore options for change. The Counselling Service is confidential and free of charge. It has had international recognition as a Centre for Excellence for individual and group counselling.
How will I be assessed?
The block programme structure provides plenty of opportunities for you to reflect on your learning and development informally. Short knowledge/skill review activities are built into each module to help you check your progress and improve your approach to learning. This will build your confidence and enhance your approach to formal assessment tasks.
A variety of formal assessment tasks provide the opportunity to explore concepts and models in creative and practical ways. These include poster presentations, case studies, group presentations, reports and videos. You will work individually and as part of a team, just as you would in the workplace.
All formal assessments are completed within each module. This enables more in-depth consolidation and application required for successful performance in assessment tasks based on the complex functional level work undertaken by professional managers. It also reflects realistic workplace timescales for the completion of tasks. The capstone module focuses explicitly on the challenge of multi-functional working and multi-faceted problems.
Program Outcome
What skills will I practise and develop?
Knowledge & Understanding:
On successful completion of the programme you will be able to:
- Draw on knowledge from relevant functional areas to design solutions to complex business management problems.
- Critically evaluate management frameworks, models, debates and evidence in a changing context.
- Critically evaluate the effectiveness of different research approaches for understanding management problems.
- Debate relevant business management issues in the context of contrasting the political, economic, socio-cultural and legal factors.
- Demonstrate a critical awareness of the significance of an organisation’s economic and social contribution to society.
Intellectual Skills:
On successful completion of the programme you will be able to:
- Analyse methods for generating data relevant to specific contexts.
- Critically analyse and synthesise information.
- Evaluate the practical application of theory to practice.
- Develop and communicate evidence-based recommendations.
Professional Practical Skills:
On successful completion of the programme you will be able to:
- Undertake research to address business problems.
- Utilise accounting techniques.
- Develop effective work relationships and team working skills.
Transferable/Key Skills:
On successful completion of the programme you will be able to:
- Solve problems.
- Communicate with diverse audiences through a range of media.
- Demonstrate self-awareness and undertake self-reflection.
- Work independently.
- Use digital technology.
Gallery
Career Opportunities
This programme will give you new opportunities for employment in business, supplementing the skills and knowledge you acquired in your first degree to build on what you learnt and the skills you acquired in your first degree with management insight, tools and techniques to give you an added advantage as you enter the workplace.