Management MSc

About the Course

• Specialist pathways reflect the distinctive strengths of Brunel Business School: marketing and branding,  technology and innovation,  entrepreneurship  and research
• Emphasis on developing employability and career development skills (MSc Management is ranked 8th globally for career progression by the Financial Times)
• UK commercial visits and the option of a week-long overseas study tour;
• The Financial Times Masters in Management ranks the programme 9th position in UK and 56th globally
• Optional 14 week work placement from September 2013

Established for over 15 years, Brunel’s MSc in Management is currently ranked 9th position in the UK by the Financial Times Global Masters in Management. The programme possesses considerable strengths including the existence of a diverse and international mix of faculty and students. Students benefit from research-informed teaching, as well as practical and professional support to their academic and vocational development.

Aims

The aim of the programme is offer students a critically aware understanding of management and organisations relevant to career paths through an advanced study of organisations, their management and the changing contexts in which they operate. It provides preparation and development for a career in any sector.

• MSc Management is offered in four specialisations:
• MSc Management (General Management)
• MSc Management (Branding and Marketing)
• MSc Management (Technology and Innovation Management)
• MSc Management (Creative Industries)

Enquiries

Course Director
Dr Grahame Fallon
E-mail Grahame.Fallon@brunel.ac.uk
Tel +44 (0) 1895 265039

International Students (all enquiries): Brunel International Centre
For ALL questions related to this degree or to follow up on your application.
Email international@brunel.ac.uk
Tel +44 (0)1895 265519

Admissions Centre: for Home/EU applications already submitted.
Email admissions@brunel.ac.uk
Tel +44 (0)1895 265265

Business School Enquiries Desk:  for enquiries prior to application.
Email masterbbs@brunel.ac.uk
Tel +44 (0)1895 267124 or 265910

Special Features

MSc in Management is one of a select group of Masters in Management in the UK to be ranked by the FT. The Financial Times’ Masters in Management Rankings 2011 placed Brunel Business School’s MSc Management in the UK Top 10 for the last two years. The Financial Times also placed the MSc in Management at number 8 in the world for career progression
Choice of four pathways leading to a certificated award:

• MSc Management (General Management)
• MSc Management (Branding and Marketing)
• MSc Management (Technology and Innovation Management)
• MSc Management (Creative Industries)

UK Industrial and Commercial Visits
A programme of campus events and visits linked to core modules and pathway awards to give candidates first-hand experience of UK business and management in practice.

International Study Tour
An opportunity to compete for a place on an overseas study tour - to learn about a specific international market first hand through organization visits and presentations. In the current academic year selected students from this programme embarked on an international study tour to Turkey.

MSc Management with 14 weeks Work Placement (Optional) – from September 2013
The MSc Management (with Professional Practice) incorporates a compulsory work placement component of 14 weeks which allows students to take their learning outside the classroom and pairs them with companies in the UK.

Accreditation

        

The Financial Times Masters in Management ranks the programme 9th position in UK and 56th globally; it also ranks the masters 8th globally for career progression.

Brunel Business School is also ranked amongst the Top 20 UK Business Schools in The Financial Times Business Schools table.

Memberships

Chartered Management Institute (CMI)
A number of Associate memberships to the CMI are open to graduates of Brunel Business School postgraduate programmes, offering discounted full membership rates upon application. Members of the CMI may use the following letters as appropriate: Associates can use ‘ACMI’, Members ‘MCMI’ and Fellows ‘FCMI’.

Course Content

The course will provide you with an advanced and applied understanding of contextual forces on organisations - be they legal, ethical, economic, environmental, social and technological; together with business strategy, markets and customers, financial management and the management and development of people.

Core Modules

• Entrepreneurship
  This module focuses on the nature of entrepreneurship and its importance in society. The module examines: i) the person, through the analysis and understanding of the psychological and behavioural characteristics of the entrepreneurs; ii) the process – through the review and analysis of the main approaches to entrepreneurship. In addition, the module shows how entrepreneurship unfolds in a wide range of contexts.
• Financial Resources Management
  Main topics of study include: perspectives on and key debates in the finance role in strategy setting; value adding and value chains; economic value added (EVA ) and strategic value analysis (SVA);shareholder value creation; overview of financial management; corporate valuation; cost of capital and the capital structure decision; working capital; analysing and interpreting financial statements; business and project finance/management; capital investment appraisal; financial and business planning; projected financial statements.
• Business Planning
  This module aims to promote an integrative understanding of the challenges and opportunities involved in business planning through practice. You will develop critical thinking through the development of a business plan and reflect on the whole process, the team dynamics and their personal development. In addition, this module examines different business models their underlying strategies and decision making process through a variety of case studies.
• Strategic Management
  This module enables students to appreciate the issues and challenges that confront managers responsible for strategic management. It introduces students to concepts, topics and methodological approaches and tools relevant to the analysis of the strategic position of the organisation and the development and implementation of strategies and policies, and their major operational implications.
• Understanding Business and Management Research
  Main topics of study include: the notion of research and the issue of knowledge claims; the role of theory in management and business domain; epistemology and ontology assumptions in positivism and social relativism/constructivism; empiricism; research methods and techniques; research designs (ie experimental, longitudinal, case studies, comparative); application of qualitative and quantitative methods to management problems; using extant information and data sets to model complex management problems; the potential and limitations of case study research and survey research methods; planning a research project (writing a research proposal; the role of literature review and secondary research); practical considerations for a research epistemology, method, techniques and execution; criticality and ethical issues, trusting the knowledge claims of others.
• Dissertation
  A research-based dissertation is an integral element of the programme to which considerable importance is attached. Students are required to base their dissertation on empirical research into a management problem or issue of their choice (subject to approval).
  Dissertations are supervised by full-time members of the academic staff of the School who have a wide range of research interests and expertise. The dissertation must be submitted by the end of the academic year during which a student completes all of the taught modules of the course.
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Pathway Specialisations – choose one + a pathway relevant dissertation

MSc Management (general route: any 2 elective modules):

• International Business Ethics and Corporate Governance
  This module focuses on business ethics and corporate governance in the international context. Both areas will be addressed from the perspective of the dual ‘business’ models of the shareholder and the stakeholder approaches. Further the broader societal impacts of business activities will be considered in-depth. The full range of businesses will be considered – from large corporations through to SMEs. Empirical studies will be used to apply the theoretical resources of moral philosophy, CSR and corporate governance.
• Organisational Behaviour
  This module explores the main theories and key functions of leadership and management and their application, and you will be able to critique these as well as appreciate the contemporary issues facing leaders and managers. You will also be able to critically evaluate characteristics of effective management and how this differentiates from leadership, and discuss and assess relative strengths and limitations of key approaches to developing leaders and managers in organisations,
• International Marketing
  Main topics of study include: international marketing; the potential market assessment; the global strategic position; building and sustaining the global position; the international marketing plan; country selection/target market, branding, e-commerce.
• Strategic Corporate Brand Management and Consulting
  Over the course of this module, students have the chance to consider the strategic nature of corporate brand management and its inter-relationships with other business functions. Students gain an understanding of the management of change in the context of corporate brand management as well as an understanding of corporate brand management from the perspective of organisations involved in mergers, acquisitions, takeovers and franchising. A distinguishing feature of this module is the opportunity of an in depth study – from a very practical perspective – of the roles, activities and approaches adopted by corporate brand consultancies and to benefit from the active involvement of a number of senior brand management professionals in this module’s delivery and assessment.
• Creative Contexts
  This module provides a critical consideration and evaluation of the structure, imperatives, recent history and likely future development of the publishing, film, television and new media industries. These industries are changing very rapidly and the module prepares students to creatively navigate this dynamic sector.  As a case study, the module focuses specifically on the publishing industry, examining the strategies employ can employ to identify gaps in the market and to mediate their outputs.  Students will benefit from the insights of industry professionals who contribute to the delivery of the module.
• Media Issues (click on title to open copy block)
  This module will identify and critically interrogate what it means to be a media professional in the digital age. It will examine the institutions, issues and frameworks that impact on the work of media practitioners, using journalism in all its forms as a case study. Students will explore the political, economic and occupational contexts that impact on practice. Conceptually, the module will examine prescient debates about professionalisation, globalisation and citizenship as well as considering the impact that digital technology is having on the future of the media.
• Knowledge Management, Social Networks and Innovation
  This module explores the intersection between knowledge, social network technologies and innovation. It examines how organisations create, utilise and communicate knowledge in the global knowledge-based economy and the wider social and economic factors affecting knowledge transfer. The module identifies the exploitation of WEB.2.0 which enables social engagement and processes for business development.
• Technology Management
  In this module students will explores the current and emerging approaches to technological management and business development and its related business models and strategies. Students will assess the management of technology within different settings, such as start-up companies, small and medium enterprises and large corporations, together with the resultant business planning and implementation challenges. Through assessment of current theory, and the practice of management, students will be able to demonstrate a critical and practical understanding of the issues associated with modern technology management and creative business development.
  

MSc Management (Marketing and Branding Management):

• Strategic Corporate Brand Management and Consulting
  Over the course of this module, students have the chance to consider the strategic nature of corporate brand management and its inter-relationships with other business functions. Students gain an understanding of the management of change in the context of corporate brand management as well as an understanding of corporate brand management from the perspective of organisations involved in mergers, acquisitions, takeovers and franchising. A distinguishing feature of this module is the opportunity of an in depth study – from a very practical perspective – of the roles, activities and approaches adopted by corporate brand consultancies and to benefit from the active involvement of a number of senior brand management professionals in this module’s delivery and assessment.
• International Marketing
  Main topics of study include: international marketing; the potential market assessment; the global strategic position; building and sustaining the global position; the international marketing plan; country selection/target market, branding and e-commerce.
  

MSc Management (Creative Industries):

• Creative Contexts
  This module provides a critical consideration and evaluation of the structure, imperatives, recent history and likely future development of the publishing, film, television and new media industries. These industries are changing very rapidly and the module prepares students to creatively navigate this dynamic sector.  As a case study, the module focuses specifically on the publishing industry, examining the strategies employ can employ to identify gaps in the market and to mediate their outputs.  Students will benefit from the insights of industry professionals who contribute to the delivery of the module.
  
• Media Issues
  This module will identify and critically interrogate what it means to be a media professional in the digital age. It will examine the institutions, issues and frameworks that impact on the work of media practitioners, using journalism in all its forms as a case study. Students will explore the political, economic and occupational contexts that impact on practice. Conceptually, the module will examine prescient debates about professionalisation, globalisation and citizenship as well as considering the impact that digital technology is having on the future of the media.
  

MSc Management (Technology and Innovation Management):

• Knowledge Management, Social Networks and Innovation
  This module explores the intersection between knowledge, social network technologies and innovation. It examines how organisations create, utilise and communicate knowledge in the global knowledge-based economy and the wider social and economic factors affecting knowledge transfer. The module identifies the exploitation of WEB.2.0 which enables social engagement and processes for business development. 
• Technology Management
  In this module students will explores the current and emerging approaches to technological management and business development and its related business models and strategies. Students will assess the management of technology within different settings, such as start-up companies, small and medium enterprises and large corporations, together with the resultant business planning and implementation challenges. Through assessment of current theory, and the practice of management, students will be able to demonstrate a critical and practical understanding of the issues associated with modern technology management and creative business development.
  

Teaching and Learning

As a research intensive university, international level research findings by Brunel Business School tutors are regularly used in student lectures. Tutors are on this programme are leaders in the field of management and active researchers within one of the six centres of research within the School.

Examples of tutor research used in MSc Managements include:

Dr Grahame Fallon
Dr Fallon provides masters level students with several of his scholarly papers on foreign direct investment (FDI) for consideration and review in class. Students are directed to draw on these papers for group work purposes, leading to an enhanced understanding of the factors that influence the location and impact of FDI inflows into developed and emerging market economies.
Students are also asked to make use of the papers to identify and evaluate the strategic issues surrounding the FDI location decision making process on the part of multinational enterprises (MNEs).

Assessment

• Modules are typically assessed by individual assessment, or an examination in May.
• Teaching methods include lectures and informal small study groups.
• Coursework and examination assignments place considerable stress on the ability think and reason critically, but constructively.
• The dissertation (12,000 words) is the capstone demonstration of these various skills, requiring students to conceive, justify, design in detail and execute a major project.
• May include some numerical analysis tasks as well as reporting on published financial data.
• Tasks related to the gathering of published data or field investigation to new data.
• Individual and or group presentations using laptops, PCs and digital projectors.

Employability

Employability Outcomes

• Previous students of MSc Management have achieved graduate positions at:
• British Airways
• Santander Bank
• HSBC Bank
• Pharmanel Pharmaceuticals S.A.
• Surrey County Council
• Allegis Group

 
Employability Events, Visits and Training
The School’s Business Life Employability Programme is designed to help students to acquire a range of employability and networking skills, enabling them to gain a distinct edge in the labour market and to manage their career search and development more effectively. Typical events have included:

• Business Life Capstone Event
  As part of their Business Planning module, postgraduate business students were invited to collaborate with Brunel’s annual Made in Brunel exhibition to provide a route to market for real creative and entrepreneurial products conceived by Brunel’s engineering and design students. Students from MSc Management and MSc Marketing not only created commercialisation plans for the products, but were invited to pitch their ideas to a panel of industry professionals and academic judges. 
• BAT (Bloomberg Aptitude Test) with Bloomberg
  The BAT is offered as a three-hour online test taken on campus within an invigilated environment with a Bloomberg representative. BAT was designed in conjunction with leading financial institutions and academics to uncover an individual’s knowledge and skills relevant for a financial career. Students can choose to submit their names along with test scores or anonymously during job recruitment drives.
• Meet the Professionals Showcase
  A professional association is an organisation formed to unite and inform people who work in the same occupation. There are many advantages to joining professional bodies: typically they offer training and access to research, as well as networking opportunities like conferences and forums. Brunel Business School regularly invites key professional bodies to showcase these benefits to Business School students on campus. Professional bodies who regularly take part in the Showcase include: ACCA, ICAEW, CIPFA, CIMA, BCS, OR, CMI, CILT, CIPD, CII, CBI, CFA, CIM and CIPR.
  

UK Industrial and Commercial Visits
A programme of campus events and external visits linked help to demonstrate theory in practice by leading UK organisations. Typical events have included:  

• Tour of the Mini Car Plant, Oxford
  MSc in Management students joined MSc Supply Chain Management scholars in 2012 on a visit to BMW’s Mini car plant in Oxford.  The visit involved a guided tour around the Mini production line which was in full operation during the visit. Students witnessed in practice many of management topics covered in their degree including international business strategy, new product development, customer focused marketing, operations and supply chain management, and financial resources management. 
• Overseas Business Tour
  Current student had the opportunity to compete for a place on an week-long overseas study tour to learn about a specific international market first hand through organisation visits and presentations. In 2012 the destination was Turkey. More…
  

Optional Work Placement from 2013
From September 2013 students can choose between the ordinary 12 month MSc Management or MSc Management (with Professional Practice) offering a 14 week work placement over the summer. Placements allow students to take their learning outside the classroom – pairing them with organisations in the UK.

Graduate School Workshops
In addition to the events and training sessions organised within the Business School, masters students have exclusive access to the workshops and skills training provided by the Brunel University’s Graduate School. Typical sessions have included:

• CV Writing for Masters Students
  A good quality CV is crucial and takes time to perfect. Students on taught masters are invited to attend this special training session on how to prepare Curriculum Vitae towards a targeted job or sector.
• CV Writing Drop-in Clinic for Masters Students
  Masters students are invited to bring along their CVs for a one-to-one review session with a careers advisor or as a follow-up to the Graduates School’s CVs writing for Masters Students.
• How to Succeed in Assessment Centres (Masters Students)
  This session will help students to prepare for assessment centres which are used as part of an organisation’s recruitment processes for jobs in industry or academia, in particular for highly competitive positions.
• Interview Techniques for Masters Students
  A training session especially for masters students that explores the whole competitive process of the interview from preparation to presenting and demonstrating your interest on the day.
• Transferrable Skills for Masters Students
  Students are encouraged to widen their skills base during postgraduate study in response to employer demand for transferrable skills as well as intellectual knowledge.
  

For further Masters Skills Training Courses, visit the University’s Graduate School website.


School Partnerships with Organisations
A series of partnerships have been created at School level with the national and overseas organisations:

• Hoggett Bowers (human resources)
• Tricordant (healthcare consultancy)
• Nomura (financial services)
• Xerox (information technology and capital equipment)
• British Airways (aviation)
• Lloyd Northover (marketing and advertising)
• Boots (high street retailer)
• NHS and local health providers (Hillingdon and Buckinghamshire)
• private healthcare operators in the UK
•  start-up clinics from overseas (notably, India as well as the Middle East and Gulf)
• London Heathrow Airport / BAA
• British Airways, American Airlines and Saudi Arabian Airlines.

These and other business links are leveraged to provide potential employment-related opportunities (such as visiting speaker events, placements, internships and industrial visits) for MSc Management students.

By the end of the programme students will be able to meet the challenges of progressing or entering into a variety of sectors, being equipped with a toolset of capabilities, skills and competences necessary to develop and utilize a range of management skills and approaches in a broad range of organizational and geographical settings.

Placements

MSc Management with 14 weeks Work Placement (Optional) – from September 2013
The MSc Management (with Professional Practice) incorporates a compulsory work placement component of 14 weeks which allows students to take their learning outside the classroom and pairs them with companies in the UK.

Fees for 2012/13 entry

Home/EU students: £7,130 full-time

International students: £12,650 full-time

Read about funding opportunities available to postgraduate students

Fees quoted are per annum and are subject to an annual increase.

Entry Requirements for 2012 Entry

A good honours degree in management; business studies; or other related social science subject. Those with a 2.2 may be considered providing they can demonstrate significant relevant experience.

English Language Requirements

• IELTS: 6.5 (min 6 in all areas)
• TOEFL Paper test: 580 (TWE 4.5)
• TOEFL Internet test: 92 (R20, L20, S20, W20)
• Pearson: 59 (51 in all subscores)
• BrunELT 65% (min 60% in all areas)

Brunel also offers our own BrunELT English Test and accept a range of other language courses. We also have a range of Pre-sessional English language courses, for students who do not meet these requirements, or who wish to improve their English.