This course is open for applications
If you would like to study this course from January 2025 please see the 2024/25 course page.
Page last updated 25 October 2024
This is our largest postgraduate course in terms of student numbers, with over 80 students signing up every year. Whatever your background or UG degree subject area, this course will equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to successfully perform a management role in a global context.
All organisations need effective leadership, and managers who can demonstrate an awareness of global business issues alongside this will always be sought after by employers. This one-year, full-time MSc in International Management will give you the expertise, knowledge and skills that are required to perform a managerial role in an international organisation.
Whether this is a career change or career enhancement, the course will lift you above other candidates in the jobs market and equip you to go into a wide range of positions, not just nationally but on a global scale.
The course is designed to give you a solid grounding in the knowledge, and analytical and research skills, to be able to work successfully in an international environment with modules covering everything from globalisation to managing people in an international context. There is also a comprehensive personal development programme to equip you with the self management and problem solving skills that are essential for managerial roles.
This popular course attracts talented students from all over the world. You'll be learning alongside people from different nations, cultures and academic backgrounds offering an ideal preparation for working in a global business environment.
Informed by the latest research, our teaching draws heavily on current, real-world examples. You'll become part of the faculty so have the chance to take part in research seminars with your tutors, as well as hearing from influential speakers and guest lecturers from industry, who will share their expertise and insights with you.
A Pre-Sessional English programme is available to enable non-native English speakers to improve their communication and study skills before starting the course.
The optional modules listed are those that are most likely to be available, but they may be subject to change.
You'll study the following compulsory modules:
Evaluating the Global Context - covers the external economic, social and strategic challenges that impact on firms operating across borders. It will provide concepts and frameworks to enable you to analyse the environment in which multinational organisations operate and link the insight gained to strategic and operational decisions.
The Strategic Context - introduces you to management challenges that impacts on international operations of firms. You will explore different approaches and perceptions that shape businesses and enable you to analyse the environment where multinational companies operate and link insight gained to strategic and operational decisions.
Managing Finance - introduces you to the importance of gaining and using knowledge and evidence to inform management decision-making and academic study. You will also gain an understanding of markets, financial tools and techniques to support financial decision making.
People and Global Organisations - provides you with a critical and enquiring understanding of people and organisations in an international context. It will introduce you to a range of organisational behaviour and human resource management theoretical perspectives and empirical research. You will develop an ability to explore a variety of perspectives to analyse people working in a cross-cultural context.
The Service Concept: Design and Delivery - provides an understanding of services marketing and operations, from planning to implementation. You will be introduced to a variety of key topics, such as: customers and competitors; designing and implementing products and services; managing customer strategy.
Personal and Professional Development - is a spine module that applies a practice-focused teaching and learning approach. Through the vehicle of a team-based business simulation you will be able to link your learning experiences with practice. You will further develop your interpersonal, communication and research skills. Emphasis is placed on the relevance and applicability of knowledge to your own individual professional and academic development with respect to your future careers in the international business domain.
International Management Project and Research Methods* - involves developing your own academic research project and gives you the opportunity to investigate an area of particular interest to you and of relevance to your career.
In addition, you'll study two optional modules from the list below (subject to availability):
*To achieve a master's, you must complete this module which gives you the chance to research an area of international management which is of particular interest to you and relevant to your career or company. An example of a past topic is:
The University continually enhances our offer by responding to feedback from our students and other stakeholders, ensuring the curriculum is kept up to date and our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the real world. This may result in changes to the course. If changes to your course are approved we'll inform you.
The MSc International Management is offered as a one year intensive course.
The course will particularly appeal to those students who want to gain a postgraduate qualification, graduate and progress their career within 12 months.
You will begin the course by learning core information-gathering and presentation skills, including library research and use of web-based resources. You will use in-depth business case studies to learn about the problems of decision making in international organisations and the challenges of working in teams.
You'll learn though formal classes and seminars, as well as through group work and independent study. The work will include assignments, exercises, case studies and presentations, with an emphasis on independent learning to develop your problem-solving skills.
See our glossary of teaching and learning terms.
This course lasts 12 months. The taught component has an average of 15 hours of teaching scheduled a week. Students are also expected to conduct independent study and prepare for each session to be able to engage in meaningful discussions.
If you have been out of higher education for a while, we provide skills sessions to help prepare you for studying again as well as sessions for non-native English speakers.
Assessment is through supervised mini-projects, presentations, time-constrained assignments and examinations.
Learn more about assessments.
You will benefit from a number of study facilities to enhance your learning experience. This includes an excellent library, which is particularly well equipped for serving the needs of business students. Resources include books, print and electronic journals, magazines, government publications, newspapers, market reports and videos.
The University has also invested in new facilities, including the College of Business and Law building, which provides a state-of-the-art teaching and learning environment for business and law students.
Find out more about the facilities and resources UWE Bristol has to offer.
Take a Virtual Tour of the Business Management facilities and see what's on offer here for you.
As a student at Bristol Business School, you will have the opportunity to hear about the challenges, issues and decisions being made at the highest level of strategic leadership. Our inspirational line up of speakers has included Dr Mike Kinski, Operational Managing Director of Terra Firma who spoke on 'Management of Change in Business'. Find out more about the Bristol Distinguished Address Series.
Our support includes access to fantastic facilities, study tools and career consultants, plus practical help to access everything from funding to childcare.
A stunning city for student living with all the qualities to make you want to stay.
There is more to your experience here than study. Choose to make the most of it and try new things.
We provide support in the way you need it.
Discover our campuses and the wealth of facilities provided for our students.
The MSc in International Management at Bristol Business School will give you the skills and knowledge needed for a successful career in international management, with the opportunity to work not just nationally, but on a global scale.
We have a high employability rate on this course, with many of our graduates going on to work in high profile and specialist roles within international management. You'll be equipped to go into a varied range of positions, such as international project manager, international sales manager, service manager, communications manager, product manager, retail programme manager and business development manager.
Many of our graduates also choose to continue their studies to PhD level.
Events and workshops are available while you are studying with us to develop your personal and management skills, and support your career development.
Our award-winning careers service helps you develop your employment potential through career coaching, a vacancy service for internships, jobs, global opportunities, volunteering and community activity, plus support for entrepreneurial activity and access to employer events.
Further information about fees and funding.
See details of scholarship opportunities for international students.
You'll need an honours degree of 2:2 or above in any subject.
If you do not meet the above grade requirements but have at least 12 months relevant professional experience and/ or equivalent qualifications, we will consider you on an individual basis.
You are required to complete a personal statement for this course. Please read the personal statement guidance carefully and make sure that you answer the questions on the postgraduate application form within the personal statement tabs, keeping to the advised word count.
International and EU applicants are required to have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.5 with 5.5 in each component (or approved equivalent*).
*The University accepts a large number of UK and international qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades you will need in our English Language section.
International students who do not meet the academic or English language requirements to study this course can qualify by completing preparatory study at our International College.
If you meet the academic requirements but require additional support to take your language skills to the required level, you may be able to attend one of our pre-sessional English courses. Students who successfully complete the pre-sessional course can progress onto their chosen degree course without retaking an IELTS or equivalent.
Read more about our Pre-Sessional English Programme.
We are not able to offer deferrals for this course. However, we appreciate there may be extenuating circumstances to consider and therefore we will consider requests on a case by case basis.
Read about postgraduate applications.
Read more about international applications and key international deadline dates.