Objectives
This is a multidisciplinary taught course dealing with the problems of management across countries and drawing on economics, finance, organisational theory, marketing and HRM across national boundaries. As well as examining specialist areas of international business and management in depth, including economic, financial, technological and managerial issues in the MNE, you also receive a thorough grounding in social science research issues and methods, including techniques of quantitative and qualitative data collection, analysis and interpretation.
Course description
MSc International Business and Management – Course structure
Semester One (September - December) - Exchange and Non-exchange Streams
All taught course units are 15 credits.
• Fundamentals of International Business
This course unit provides you with an understanding of factors shaping international
business activities of the firm. It focuses on the macro environment such as globalisation
as well as on micro level such as, why do companies go abroad, how do they select
locations for their international activities and why do they choose different methods of
entry in different markets?
• Economic Analysis of the Multinational Enterprise
The aim of this course unit is to provide an understanding of the nature of the
multinational company as an economic organisation. The course explains how the
multinational brings nationally-dispersed value-adding activities under common
ownership and consider the advantages and disadvantages of multinational companies
compared to national companies.
• Marketing Issues in International Business
The course unit focuses on strategic aspects of marketing in international business.
Extending beyond issues of domestic marketing activities, it aims to develop strategic
thinking in an international marketing context. You are also expected to develop an
appreciation of international marketing as an academic subject. Managerial issues are
explored using an interactive computer simulation and tools and key methods are
discussed for solving international marketing problems.
•Financial Risk Management for International Business
The objective of this course unit is to provide a framework for analysing the financial risk
management decision making of international business organisations. We consider
financial management policy in relationship to the increasing volatility of asset prices in
the international financial environment within which MNEs operate. International financial
market segmentation is also analysed. The module valuates the nature, incidence and
implications of such market segmentation for MNEs. The course has a strongly applied
orientation.
Semester Two (January - May) - Non-exchange Stream
• Research Methods and Data Analysis
The purpose of this course unit is to prepare you to carry out your dissertation. It builds
on the work carried out in the first semester concerning the theory of research methods
by familiarising you with approaches and techniques, which you may use in carrying out
your dissertation. It particularly deals with the research process involved in the
dissertation writing.
Choose at least two (maximum three) courses from -
• International Trade: Theory and Policy
This course unit aims to present a thorough review of the economics and politics of
international trade and investment and to impart skills that will enable you to critically
investigate, analyse and interpret economic data relating to current world trade events.
• International Business Negotiations
Treating negotiation as a technique that can be learned and adapted to international
business relations, this course deals with two main inter-related themes; business
negotiation skills; and the impact and management of cultural differences on international
business deals.
• Foreign Competition, Industrial Performance and Economic Growth
This course unit provides students with theoretical and empirical developments in the
interactions between the multinational enterprises and factors affecting industrial
competitiveness and economic performance at the level of individual countries.
• International Marketing
This course unit provides a comprehensive introduction to international marketing,
emphasising both academic substance and real-world practicality. The course unit
introduces the core components of international marketing by taking a comparative
perspective in the context of European North American and Asia-Pacific markets.
• Multinational Management
This course unit aims to develop an understanding of how multinational firms operate in a
global economy. It enables you to understand the management challenges associated
with developing strategies and handling the operations of companies whose activities
stretch across national boundaries.
By agreement, the third course unit may be taken from other masters courses.
Semester Two (January - May) - Exchange Stream
Study in partner institutions abroad. As there are a limited number of exchange places available,
the scheme is competitive and you can apply for a place once you are registered on the course.
As an exchange student, you will spend semester two in partner institutions abroad.
International exchange partners comprise:
Exchange partners in Africa:
• University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
Exchange partners in Asia/Australia:
• Hong Kong University of Science &Technology, Hong Kong
• National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
• University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, Australia
• University of Otago, Otago, New Zealand
Exchange partners in Europe:
• Copenhagen Business School, Denmark
• EM Lyon, France
• HEC Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales, Paris, France
• Helsinki School of Economics, Finland
• Norwegian School of Economics - Bergen, Norway
• RSM Erasmus University, Rotterdam, Netherlands
• Stockholm School of Economics, Stockholm, Sweden
• Universitá Commercial Luigi Bocconi, Milan, Italy
• Universitat St Gallen, St Gallen, Switzerland
• Universitat zu Köln, Cologne, Germany
• Universite Catholique de Louvain, Belgium
• Wirtschafts universität Wien (WU-Wien) Vienna, Austria
Exchange partners in North America and Latin America:
• Escola de Administração de Empresas de São Paulo da Fundação Getulio Vargas São
Paulo, Brazil
• Queens University, Kingston, Canada
• University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
Summer Research Period
• Research Dissertation (60 credits)
During this period you will carry out an original piece of research. You will have a supervisor, who
will discuss with you the topic you have chosen for the research project, and provide you with
advice and guidance throughout the whole process.
Recent dissertations have covered:
• Cross-border knowledge flows and innovative performance
• Internationalisation of LDC firms
• Internationalisation of retailing companies
• International business negotiations
• International mergers and acquisitions
• Marketing strategy and performance
• Third party logistics management
• Globalisation and its impact on company strategies
Course recognition
The course conforms to the present ESRC guidelines for Masters degrees and has ESRC
recognition as a postgraduate training year in preparation for undertaking a PhD. It consistently
enjoys the highest possible ranking in terms of teaching and contents. Students graduating with
an MSc International Business and Management will gain partial exemption from membership to
the Institute of Export, with the potential of a full exemption depending on the choice of options
and research focus of the dissertation
