Studying with us in 2021/22
It is possible that the 2021/22 academic year may be affected by the ongoing disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Any arrangements put in place by the University for the 2021/22 academic year will be in accordance with the latest government public health advice, pandemic-related/health and safety legislation, and the terms and conditions of the student contract.
This course has recently been updated. Please download the course specification for the up to date information.
Want to study a Master’s in business management in Birmingham? Our MSc Management and International Business degree is accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI).
Our Management and International Business course teaches you the fundamental skills and attributes you need to become a successful international manager. You’ll become adept at strategic and tactical business decisions, understanding international cultural differences, and managing and motivating staff in businesses on an international scale.
You will experience working in internationally diverse student team based projects collaborating to deliver effective and professional reports and presentations as part of module assessments reflecting the professional practice of international management. Throughout the course, the course team will give you the support you need to realise your potential and we look forward to working with you to develop your knowledge, understanding and skills for the career of your choice.
For our Management Master's degrees, you will have the opportunity to take the Professional Placement version of the course, which is offered as an alternative to the standard version of the course.
This will allow you to complete a credit bearing, 20 week Professional Placement as an integral part of your Master’s Degree. The purpose of the Professional Placement is to improve your employability and transferable skills. The placement experience will allow you to evidence your professional skills, attitudes and behaviours at the point of entry to the postgraduate job market.
You will be responsible for finding and securing your own placement. The University, however, will draw on its extensive network of local, regional and national employers to support you in finding a suitable placement to complement your chosen area of study, with support from our Careers+ team as well as advice and guidance from your School.
Please note that placements will only be confirmed following a competitive, employer-led selection process, therefore the University will not be able to guarantee placements for students who have registered for the ‘with Professional Placement’ course.
For full details, please click here.
Initially in the first stage, you will examine the key challenges faced by global businesses to fully appreciate the complexity and dynamics of leadership and management practice. This will see you broaden your skills in organisation, communication and working with others, particularly within an increasingly diverse cultural context.
During the second stage of your course, you will begin to explore the complexity of international operations management integrated with corporate social responsibility, sustainability and the role of innovation. You’ll be taught international strategy while also developing your research skills in preparation for your major project.
The final core Major Project module is tailored to your career aspirations. The module provides three project options;
Whatever route you choose, it will give you the opportunity to identify a topic and industry of your choice related to your specialist area of International Business tailoring your degree to enhance your employability for your final chosen career destination. Previous projects have involved International marketing strategy, global supply chain management in the food sector and sustainability issues in the sourcing of cotton.
Come along to one of our upcoming events where our staff will be on hand to answer all your questions.
Our students have gone on to work with companies such as:
*DLHE Survey 2015/16
We require one of the following:
Essential - Entry on to Stage One (12 month) |
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An honours degree of a British University or equivalent institution (minimum 2:2) |
An equivalent graduate level qualification from an overseas university or equivalent institution (minimum 2:2) |
A pre-masters programme approved by Birmingham City University |
A pre-masters programme with a minimum of 55% average |
Essential - Entry on to Stage One (15 Month) |
A maximum of a pass (Third) degree from a British university or equivalent institution or an equivalent graduate-level qualification from an overseas university or equivalent institution. |
Essential - Entry on to Stage Two |
A Postgraduate Certificate (Level 7 or equivalent, minimum value of 60 credits) in a business subject aligned with the chosen pathway (international business, finance, marketing or entrepreneurship) |
Candidates will be required to submit an extended application to evidence how their Postgraduate Certificate meets the programme learning outcomes at the equivalent stage |
Essential - Entry on to Stage Three |
A Postgraduate Diploma (Level 7 or equivalent, minimum value of 120 credits)* in a business subject aligned with the chosen pathway (international business, finance or marketing). |
Candidates will be required to submit an extended application to evidence how their Postgraduate Diploma meets the programme learning outcomes at the equivalent stage. |
Candidates will be required to have passed a research methods module (Level 7 or equivalent, minimum value of 20 credits)* and will be required to submit an original Dissertation Proposal that has been passed by the Programme Team prior to admission approval.
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*Other qualifications will be considered on a case by case basis.
Essential | ||
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Applications from international applicants with equivalent qualifications are welcome. Please see your country page for further details on the equivalent qualifications we accept. In additional to the academic entry requirements listed above, international and EU students will also require the qualifications detailed in this table. |
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English language requirements 2020/21 | ||
IELTS |
6.0 overall with 5.5 minimum in all bands If you do not meet the required IELTS score, you may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English courses. Please note that you must have a Secure English Language Test (SELT) to study on the pre-sessional English course. More information. |
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Other accepted qualifications | Visit our English language page |
Don't meet our entry requirements? You could apply for courses at our International College.
Award: MSc
Starting: Sep 2021
Award: MSc
Starting: Jan 2022
Award: MSc
Starting: Sep 2021
Award: MSc
Starting: Jan 2022
If you're unable to use the online form for any reason, you can complete our PDF application form and equal opportunities PDF form instead. The University reserves the right to increase fees in line with inflation based on the Retail Prices Index or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament up to a maximum of five per cent.
Students are required to submit a personal statement as part of their application for this course.
Your postgraduate personal statement is going to shine a light on your personal experience, academic success, personal skills and any other factors that will support your application for further study.
Here are the key areas you’ll need to address:
Studying a postgraduate course usually means you want to specialise in something. So what’s driving you?
Show that you’ve researched the course offering. What is it about this particular course that appeals to you? Is it the lecturers? The modules? Etc.
Tutors want to know that you can handle postgraduate study, so show them how your undergraduate experiences or work life has equipped you for a more advanced level of study. Key areas to address are research and group work but this can vary depending on your chosen course.
Add anything relevant that relates back to your chosen course and shows how your skills will contribute towards your learning. What extra-curricular activities have you taken part in? What awards have you won? What employment or voluntary experience do you have that has helped you develop transferable skills? How do these specifically relate to the course you are applying for?
You should also mention your future plans and how a postgraduate qualification fits in. Try to look beyond your postgraduate study – do you plan to jump straight into a specific career or follow your studies with a research degree? Lastly, use plain, professional English and, where possible, utilise the language of your chosen industry.
Get more information on writing personal statements.
While there are no additional costs associated with purchasing text books, there may be other costs to you. If you are joining the course which has a professional body accreditation you may be required to pay membership or examination costs. For details of these costs, please click on the link below.
Based on the past experience of our students, you might find it helpful to set aside about £50 for each year of your studies for your personal stationery and study materials. All our students are provided with 100 free pages of printing each year to a maximum total value of £15.
Find additional costs for your course
The cost of accommodation and other living costs are not included within your course fees. More information on the cost of accommodation can be found in our accommodation pages.
We offer further information on possible postgraduate financial support. This includes the type of loans, grants and scholarships available both from the government and from Birmingham City University.
Did you know that you will soon be able to apply for a postgraduate loan of up to £1,222 for some courses and options?
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits):
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete at least 60 credits from the following indicative list of OPTIONAL modules.
Emphasis will be placed on the group as a resource for learning. There will be group discussion of practical management situations and problems, making use of case studies, problem situations and scenarios and, where relevant, the participants' own experiences.
Assessment on the programme is designed to be an integral part of your learning process, enhancing and demonstrating your knowledge and practice. Formative feedback will be provided to you through a combination of self-reflection, peer group and tutor feedback. Summative assessments will provide a measure of the extent to you have achieved the learning outcomes of the modules.
Assessment within the modules will take various forms, including coursework assignments, reports, controlled assessment, examinations and the dissertation or project. You may be required to defend the dissertation or project through a viva, drawing on the skills developed in the programme.
*Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey 2016
"Birmingham City University is a dynamic and multicultural academic institution with students and staff from all over the world. The modules are designed to provide theoretical knowledge to students but are not limited to it - study trips have been organised to gain practical exposure from the business industry world."
Didn't make it to an Open Day? You still have the opportunity to come and see what our postgraduate courses have to offer. If you would like to enquire about campus tour availability, just drop us an email.
You’ll have the opportunity to:
Our graduates have obtained employment in management positions, or have set up their own successful businesses. Former students are employed in managerial positions across the globe, including land management (Kenya), manufacturing (China), HR (Germany), finance (Canada), insurance (France) and teaching (India, UK and Sri Lanka). You’ll learn new perspectives on a changing business world, enabling you to provide employers with relevant and cutting-edge information. The research skills you develop doing your Major Project will also look good on your CV.
A postgraduate qualification can really help you stand out from the crowd in today’s competitive job market. By becoming a specialist in your field, you’ll have the chance to advance thinking in that subject and lead, rather than follow, the latest developments.
OpportUNIty: Student Jobs on Campus ensures that our students are given a first opportunity to fill many part-time temporary positions within the University. This allows you to work while you study with us, fitting the job around your course commitments. By taking part in the scheme, you will gain valuable experiences and employability skills, enhancing your prospects in the job market.
It will also allow you to become more involved in University life by delivering, leading and supporting many aspects of the learning experience, from administration to research and mentoring roles.
Our students have blossomed in jobs due to our course’s in-depth study of management, business and the international marketplace.
One such graduate is Akilhesh Jain, who upon graduating had the opportunity to join a multinational company or join his family business in India. Electing for the latter, he joined as a marketing manager for his family’s Trinity Group business. He is now Vice Chairman of their reinsurance broking company, as well as leading their strategy and planning.
He now has 200 people working under him, manages six domestic and two foreign offices and the company now has a turnover of $40 million. “Birmingham City University is one of the best universities in England for people seeking an International Business management course,” he said. “The course gave me confidence and belief in my ability, and has made me what I am today!”
Welcome to the Birmingham City Business School, home to students from over 70 countries all around the world!
Birmingham City Business School is one of the UK’s largest, most established and most respected business schools. Our programmes are practice based and many have an international focus, which means your course will be entirely relevant to today’s business world. Almost all of our courses, both at undergraduate and postgraduate level, are open to international students.
We also have links with universities across the world, including Europe, the USA, China, India and Malaysia.
“I was attracted to the course as it offered different perspectives in an area I wanted to study. The course combines both theory and practical to cover issues in local, national and international contexts, and Master’s-level teaching has exposed me to the critical thinking and problem-solving skills I needed."
“The best part of my course is the opportunity to see and learn from different people around the world, opening my mind up to thinking. The course is definitely living up to my expectations, as it has exposed me to a different kind of learning environment and experience that I never had in my previous study.”
- Masni Mat Dong (Malaysia, graduated 2016)
“Every lecturer and staff member at the University has significant professional experience and academic knowledge. They have not only taught us using study material, but have also given us a real-time exposure to apply the knowledge while sitting in the classroom. We received extensive support from University staff and I am thankful for that.”
- Snehanshu Saini (India, graduated 2016)
Start in January and receive a £1500 scholarship on eligible courses.
Find out moreInternational students who have a serious interest in studying with us but who perhaps cannot meet the direct entry requirements, academic or English, or who have been out of education for some time, can enter Birmingham City University International College (BCUIC) and begin their degree studies.
BCUIC is part of the global Navitas Group, an internationally recognised education provider, and the partnership allows students to access the University’s facilities and services and move seamlessly through to achieving a Bachelor’s degree from Birmingham City University.
We are constantly investing in our estate and are currently in the process of spending £340 million on new learning facilities.
This course is based at our City Centre Campus – and specifically The Curzon Building, alongside other Social Sciences, Law, Business and English students.
The £63m building offers students a unique social learning space, including a dedicated student hub incorporating student support services, in the heart of Birmingham’s Eastside development.
The Business floors house an extensive number of IT facilities, breakout areas, and specialised rooms. The Marketing Link Agency is designed to replicate a modern marketing firm, allowing students to get real-life experience of working in the marketing sector. There is also the City Trading Room, which features state of the art stock market tracking equipment, keeping you up to date with all the financial comings and goings of the London Stock Exchange and Wall Street.
The Curzon building is also conveniently close to Birmingham’s business and financial centre, allowing for strong links between your studies and the real world.
"Its fantastic to work with students developing their concepts for a business into something tangible that could change their lives. The diversity of students who choose this pathway creates a really vibrant and exciting community – so we have had students who are qualified engineers, chemists, fine artists, accountants and of course managers who are looking to create a lifelong job for themselves and others in business."
Abdul-Razak Alhassan , Course Leader
Barny Morris has worked at senior level on advertising accounts for companies such as Sony, SEGA, Turtlewax and PZ Cussons. Barny is the MSc Management Course Director, and is currently working on research and in-company teaching projects within the hospitality sector on service design and marketing with companies such as Greene King, Saint Gobain and Mitchells & Butler.