MSc International Management Curriculum
The programme consists of 8 taught modules (5 core and 3 electives), all assessed through a combination of written examinations, case study projects and continuous coursework. Modules are taught over two terms, Michaelmas term (September to December) and Hilary term (January – April) with the final Trinity term (April-August) being dedicated to your international consultancy project.
| Module | ECTS |
|---|---|
| Strategy & Global Business | 10 |
| International Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability | 10 |
| International Human Resource Management | 10 |
| Complete Leadership & Strategy in International Businesses | 10 |
| International Management in Context: IRW | 5 |
| International Consultancy Project | 30 |
Taught modules normally take place across Michaelmas and Hilary terms, with the final Trinity term dedicated to the international consultancy project.
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September-December Michaelmas Term |
January-April Hilary Term |
May-August Trinity Term |
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| Core |
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Electives
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Note: Modules offered each academic year are subject to change. The modules listed above and below are the modules and timetable for 2026/27.
Module Descriptions
Strategy & Global Business (10 ECTS)
Explore what determines the success or failure of firms in complex and turbulent global environments. The module examines resource-based, institutional and organisational perspectives on strategy, alongside emerging network and staffing perspectives. These lenses are applied across local, regional and international contexts to explain internationalisation, market entry, location, multinational structures and strategic adaptation.
How this fits your MSc journey:
This core module builds the global strategic mindset needed to take a broad view of multinational organisations. It helps you integrate learning from across the MSc and prepares you to diagnose strategic challenges, recognise emerging trends and lead in international business environments.
Learning outcomes:
- Diagnose and analyse strategic activity from an international manager's perspective.
- Evaluate the institutional forces of globalisation that affect strategy and operations.
- Identify emerging global trends and their implications for international business.
- Assess the evolution, strategies and structures of multinational enterprises and their subsidiaries.
- Explain internationalisation motives, location choices, entry modes and the advantages of overseas operations.
International Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability (10 ECTS)
Explore how organisations can address ethical and sustainability challenges through stakeholder-oriented policies and responsible management across global supply chains. The module examines stakeholder engagement and value creation, societal grand challenges, multi-stakeholder initiatives and partnerships, sustainable business models, political corporate responsibility, and business and human rights.
How this fits your MSc journey:
This module places functional management within a wider understanding of the role of business in society. It equips you to analyse complex governance challenges, balance stakeholder interests and develop responsible responses suited to interconnected international business environments.
Learning outcomes:
- Explain and apply key concepts and frameworks in responsible and sustainable business.
- Analyse multi-stakeholder governance, political corporate responsibility, human rights and sustainable business models.
- Evaluate the institutional forces of globalisation that affect strategy and operations.
- Develop stakeholder-oriented responses to complex political and business challenges.
- Collaborate in diverse teams and communicate solutions to real-world governance issues.
International Human Resource Management (10 ECTS)
Learn how to manage people across borders and cultures to support sustainable organisational performance. The module explores national, regional, organisational and professional cultures, cross-cultural competence, communication, decision-making and ethics. It also examines global talent management, staffing, mobility, employer branding, high performance and the international transfer of HR practices.
How this fits your MSc journey:
People management is central to the success of international organisations. This research-led and practice-informed module develops the cultural intelligence, analytical judgement and global talent perspective needed for international leadership, HR and management roles.
Learning outcomes:
- Explain national culture, cultural differences, stereotyping, sense-making and global talent management.
- Evaluate how culture affects work, leadership, communication, decisions, knoledge transfer and ethics.
- Assess the contribution of talent and global talent management to organisational success.
- Develop ethical and sustainable approaches to managing people internationally.
- Apply management models to people practices across national and regional contexts.
Complete Leadership for Business Performance (10 ECTS)
Develop the ability to lead with breadth, balance and impact. Learn how to align profit, social and environmental goals while guiding multiple stakeholder groups across international and turbulent environments. Build a leadership style that is authentic, adaptive and prepared for the complexities of today’s global business.
How this fits your MSc journey: Expands your leadership toolkit, preparing you to take on purposeful and strategic roles in diverse organisations.
Learning outcomes:
- Understand complete leadership: Recognise why global businesses require leaders who balance purpose, performance and context.
- Develop authentic style: Use self-assessment to refine your values, strengths and areas for growth.
- Align vision and strategy: Lead the creation of missions and strategies that reflect organisational culture and long- and short-term goals.
- Lead purposeful change: Understand the challenges and opportunities for leadership in creating and managing a dynamic purposeful organisation.
- Drive transformation: Explore how leaders implement strategy and guide organisational change effectively.
International Management in Context: IRW (5 ECTS)
Experience international management in practice through an immersive study visit in a culturally distinct business environment. The module brings classroom learning to life through company engagement, exposure to local markets and business systems, and reflection on the operational, strategic and cross-cultural challenges associated with international assignments and multinational careers.
How this fits your MSc journey:
This module is the practical capstone of the taught programme. It draws together international strategy, cross-cultural management and functional knowledge, helping you understand how theories and frameworks operate in real organisations and unfamiliar environments.
Learning outcomes:
- Evaluate the operational and strategic challenges facing international managers in host and overseas contexts.
- Apply principles of cross-cultural sensitivity and empathy to international management.
- Assess the preparation required for an international assignment in an unfamiliar environment.
- Analyse the characteristics of a local economy, market, supply chain and production system.
- Connect management theories and frameworks with observations from real-world international settings.
Global Brand Management (5 ECTS)
Learn how organisations create and sustain brands that remain meaningful across cultures and markets. The module explores global brand strategy, global and local brand management, brand portfolios, brand equity and value, storytelling and communications. It also considers how culture, sustainability and the role of brands as moral actors shape strategic decisions.
How this fits your MSc journey:
This module connects international marketing and strategy with the management of one of an organisation's most important assets. It develops the analytical judgement and creative thinking needed for careers in international business, branding, marketing and consultancy.
Learning outcomes:
- Explain the strategic role of brands and how global economic, technological and cultural forces shape them.
- Apply strategic brand management principles in international contexts.
- Evaluate the complexities of managing brand portfolios across multicultural markets.
- Assess how brands create and capture value and how brand equity can be managed.
- Develop responsible, creative and contextually relevant solutions to global branding challenges.
International Marketing (5 ECTS)
Develop a comprehensive understanding of international marketing theory, strategy and practice. Using a live brand as a continuing case, the module explores how organisations select, enter and develop overseas markets. You will examine cultural, economic and competitive influences on consumer behaviour and make decisions about entry modes, brand adaptation, pricing, distribution and integrated communications.
How this fits your MSc journey:
This module combines strategic analysis with practical marketing decision-making in multicultural environments. It connects with international strategy, cross-cultural management and global supply chains, preparing you to develop and defend integrated international marketing plans.
Learning outcomes:
- Analyse the drivers of internationalisation and their influence on marketing strategy.
- Apply cultural frameworks to assess consumer behaviour and market opportunity.
- Evaluate market selection criteria and recommend appropriate entry modes.
- Develop and defend brand positioning, adaptation and communications strategies for specific markets.
- Design an integrated international marketing plan covering entry, brand, channel, pricing and communications decisions.
Global Supply Chain Management (5 ECTS)
Explore how global supply chains are designed, managed and transformed to create mutual value. The module examines the strategic, environmental, social and technological forces shaping supply chain structures and relationships, with particular attention to sustainability, responsibility, risk, resilience and governance across complex international networks.
How this fits your MSc journey:
Supply chains are central to international business. This module develops the critical and evidence-based judgement needed to assess how organisations coordinate activities across borders and respond to growing expectations for resilient, ethical and sustainable operations.
Learning outcomes:
- Explain the defining characteristics and key concepts of global and sustainable supply chains.
- Evaluate the factors shaping supply chain strategy and supplier management.
- Analyse supply chain risks and approaches to resilience across ethical, environmental and operational dimensions.
- Assess the environmental and social implications of supply chain activity beyond financial performance.
- Critically evaluate how technology, regulation and societal expectations are reshaping supply chain governance.
Applied International Strategy (5 ECTS)
Step into the role of a global executive and experience the realities of running an international business. Through a dynamic simulation, test your ability to make strategic decisions across marketing, operations, finance and sustainability, while responding to shifting market demands. Learn by doing, with immediate feedback that sharpens your skills and confidence.
How this fits your MSc journey: Brings your classroom learning together in a live, practical setting, giving you a competitive edge in the global job market.
Learning outcomes:
- Think like an executive: Design and deploy strategy across functions in a global business context.
- Make data-driven decisions: Analyse markets, customers and competitors to guide strategic choices.
- Respond to live challenges: Adapt to evolving markets, customer needs and sustainability demands.
- Collaborate effectively: Work in teams to tackle complex, fast-moving business challenges.
- Learn through simulation: Use real-time feedback to refine decision-making and strategic impact.
International Sales and Sales Management (5 ECTS)
Examine how organisations generate revenue and manage complex sales activity across international markets. The module covers prospecting, customer needs, trust and influence, negotiation, account management, enterprise and inside sales, motivation and sales leadership. It also explores CRM, social selling, data and AI, the relationship between sales and marketing, and the cultural challenges of international sales models.
How this fits your MSc journey:
Sales is where strategy, customer value and commercial performance meet. This module equips you to understand and manage the sales function, build appropriate international sales organisations and evaluate how technology and recurring-revenue models are transforming sales practice.
Learning outcomes:
- Explain the core elements of the sales function and major models of customer engagement.
- Apply sales management approaches, CRM tools, social selling and established sales methodologies.
- Evaluate the skills, behaviours, motivation and reward systems required in effective sales teams.
- Design sales structures and approaches suited to international markets and cultural contexts.
- Analyse how organisations transform sales models, incentives and customer-success practices.
International Finance (5 ECTS)
Build a practical and theoretical understanding of financial decisions in organisations operating across countries and currencies. The module covers foreign exchange and international capital markets, parity conditions, cross-border financing, currency exposure, international investment appraisal and the use of forwards, futures, options and swaps to manage risk. No advanced mathematical knowledge is assumed.
How this fits your MSc journey:
International managers need to understand how financial markets, exchange rates and risk influence strategy and performance. This module enables you to interpret financial information, compare alternatives and make well-supported recommendations across sectors and organisational contexts.
Learning outcomes:
- Analyse foreign exchange and international capital markets and their implications for multinational organisations.
- Evaluate the economic and financial factors influencing exchange rates, capital flows and financing conditions.
- Explain how financial instruments and derivatives support international financing and risk management.
- Measure and interpret transaction, translation and economic exposure.
- Assess international investment, financing, hedging and country-risk strategies.
Global Logistics (5 ECTS)
Understand the activities and systems that move products and services through global supply chains. The module introduces the structures, terminology and practices of the fast-moving logistics sector, including network design and performance assessment. Through cases, data sources and analytical tools, you will evaluate how logistics operations create value and how networks can be improved.
How this fits your MSc journey:
This module complements Global Supply Chain Management and the programme's strategy and international business content. It provides practical industry knowledge and analytical skills relevant to careers in logistics, transport, supply chain management and related fields.
Learning outcomes:
- Critique the role of logistics within global supply chains.
- Explain logistics operations, terminology and the structure of networks and systems.
- Evaluate logistics practices and strategies critically.
- Assess the skills requirements and career opportunities within the logistics sector.
- Apply tools and techniques to analyse logistics networks and improve performance.
Data Analytics & AI (5 ECTS)
Learn how data analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence can support international business decisions. The module introduces logistic regression, support vector machines and neural networks, then connects these techniques with authentic management challenges. Through cases and practical workshops in Excel and R, you will move from data to interpretable models and defensible recommendations.
How this fits your MSc journey:
AI fluency is increasingly essential for managers. This module enables you to work confidently with analytical specialists, judge where AI can add value and communicate model results and limitations. The skills also support evidence-based work in marketing, finance, operations and the consultancy project.
Learning outcomes:
- Explain the fundamentals of logistic regression, support vector machines and neural networks.
- Assess the scope and limitations of common machine-learning techniques.
- Identify appropriate opportunities for AI in international management.
- Interpret, evaluate and communicate analytical models and results correctly.
- Use Excel and R to apply machine-learning techniques to business decisions.
International Consultancy Project (30 ECTS)
Apply your learning to a substantial live consultancy challenge for an external organisation. Working in a diverse team, you will investigate a complex business issue, engage with stakeholders, integrate evidence from multiple management disciplines and deliver feasible recommendations and an implementation plan. The project mirrors professional consultancy practice and requires analytical rigour, adaptability and clear communication.
How this fits your MSc journey:
This is the capstone of the MSc and the bridge between academic learning and professional practice. It consolidates knowledge from strategy, marketing, finance, ethics, operations and people management while developing the judgement, teamwork and client-facing skills required for international management and consultancy careers.
Learning outcomes:
- Analyse complex organisational challenges in their strategic, operational and cultural context.
- Integrate appropriate analytical tools and frameworks to diagnose underlying business problems.
- Develop evidence-based, feasible recommendations and implementation plans.
- Demonstrate professional communication, presentation, stakeholder engagement and consultancy delivery.
- Collaborate effectively under uncertainty and reflect critically on personal and professional development.