Practical and Academic Management Globally
Today's global business climate offers excellent career opportunities for postgraduates
with cross-cultural skills and a sound knowledge of international management
The International Business Management MSc enables you to build commercial awareness and gain a deep understanding of the challenges and trends facing global business leaders today. This world’s economy is increasingly global and demand continues to grow for the leaders of the future who clearly understand the international context of business.
This programmes helps graduates and professionals from any background to develop a global career in business and management. By specialising in international business, you place yourself in a more marketable position because a broad knowledge of business practice around the world is highly relevant, becoming increasingly valuable to employers.
Many of our academics come from the commercial world as well as academia, and we are constantly engaging with industry, so you’ll develop the knowledge and real-world skills you need to compete. This programme helps you connect with a deeper, more focused set of business skills, with a strong view of how international organisations work. By providing you with an in-depth understanding of global practices across a broad spectrum of business fields, this programme will prepare you for a career in management.
Please refer to our Tuition Fees page for fee information for this programme, or contact study@abdn.ac.uk.
This course, which is prescribed for all taught postgraduate students, is studied entirely online, is studied entirely online, takes approximately 2-3 hours to complete and can be taken in one sitting, or spread across the first 4 weeks of term.
Topics include University orientation overview, equality & diversity, MySkills, health, safety and cyber security, and academic integrity.
Successful completion of this course will be recorded on your Transcript as ‘Achieved’.
15 Credit Points
This course provides an opportunity to explore and develop an understanding of your own leadership behaviour. Through workshops, group activities and discussions we investigate how personality, past experience, current situations and culture shape the way each of us behave in a leadership role. Using this information as a starting point we then explore how different leadership theories and approaches can be used as frameworks for developing a deeper understanding of leadership behaviour. You will also have an opportunity to try out a range of practical tools and techniques to assist you in the development of your own approach to leadership.
15 Credit Points
This module is designed to develop students understanding and skills in key areas of accounting and finance. It starts from interpreting financial statements to use financial information in short-term and long-term decision making. It enables the practical application of key concepts of strategic analysis and gives a broader breadth of experience and cross-fertilisation of ideas across industries and management disciplines.
15 Credit Points
The course aims to provide students with an understanding of Issues in International Management as viewed from a number of diverse perspectives eg Coaching; Oil & Gas; Entrepreneurship; Technology; Accountancy & Finance
15 Credit Points
Business cannot be conducted without some form of communication between the participants involved. This course examines a wide variety of different types of interpersonal communication in different types of business contexts and, by so doing, provides students with a detailed and practical overview of this vitally important subject area.
15 Credit Points
The course will apply theoretical and practical content to explore the key concepts of Marketing in Management to provide students with an understanding of, coordinating and controlling marketing activities. The aim is to provide you with an understanding of the role of marketing and relevant critical strategies in establishing, developing and maintaining customer value.
15 Credit Points
Managing human resources is important for survival and prosperity of organizations and economies, and has implications for individual attitudes and well-being. Managers are expected to contribute to the delivery of the human resource strategy, supported by expert advice and guidance. This module explores the key concepts underpinning the management of human resources and their practical application in organisations today. Focus on four important themes:
· Recruitment and selection
· Equality and diversity
· Flexible employment and work-life balance
· Talent management
You will be encouraged to share your views and experiences through class discussion and debate.
15 Credit Points
International Business is a wide-ranging subject that includes economic, political, cultural and technological facets. The aim of this course is to provide an introduction to the complexities of international business management by examining how the global environment and our understanding of these affect management within an international context.
15 Credit Points
This course introduces students to what is involved in undertaking business research in practice. Within lectures, tutorials and workshops students will develop an understanding of: Information retrieval and critical analysis; Philosophical issues in the construction of knowledge; Accessing and gathering quantitative and qualitative data; Data analysis; Student/Supervisor expectations.
30 Credit Points
The aim of this course is to equip students with an understanding of key aspects of new venture creation, including business planning, pitching new ideas to investors and managing growth. This is a capstone course, by bringing together a range of different concepts.
30 Credit Points
Performance Improvement is an established process, used by consultants operating in international businesses. This process combines key elements from performance measuring, change management and project management. In contemporary international business nothing is ever static. This course will help you understand the ways a business evaluates their performance and how a resulting, planned change, designed to increase efficiency and effectiveness, can be managed using project management tools and techniques.
15 Credit Points
The fact that money (and understanding money) really matters in business and all managers need to understand issues like cashflow and profit might depress you, but it is true. Financial viability of customers? Deciding on the likely financial viability of a project? Reporting to shareholders about performance? Does the word “sustainable” appear in a finance dictionary? All questions we will try and address.
15 Credit Points
This course provides an opportunity to explore and develop an understanding of your own leadership behaviour. Through workshops, group activities and discussions we investigate how personality, past experience, current situations and culture shape the way each of us behave in a leadership role. Using this information as a starting point we then explore how different leadership theories and approaches can be used as frameworks for developing a deeper understanding of leadership behaviour. You will also have an opportunity to try out a range of practical tools and techniques to assist you in the development of your own approach to leadership.
15 Credit Points
The course aims to provide students with an understanding of Issues in International Management as viewed from a number of diverse perspectives eg Coaching; Oil & Gas; Entrepreneurship; Technology; Accountancy & Finance
15 Credit Points
Business cannot be conducted without some form of communication between the participants involved. This course examines a wide variety of different types of interpersonal communication in different types of business contexts and, by so doing, provides students with a detailed and practical overview of this vitally important subject area.
15 Credit Points
The course will apply theoretical and practical content to explore the key concepts of Marketing in Management to provide students with an understanding of, coordinating and controlling marketing activities. The aim is to provide you with an understanding of the role of marketing and relevant critical strategies in establishing, developing and maintaining customer value.
15 Credit Points
Managing human resources is important for survival and prosperity of organizations and economies, and has implications for individual attitudes and well-being. Managers are expected to contribute to the delivery of the human resource strategy, supported by expert advice and guidance. This module explores the key concepts underpinning the management of human resources and their practical application in organisations today. Focus on four important themes:
· Recruitment and selection
· Equality and diversity
· Flexible employment and work-life balance
· Talent management
You will be encouraged to share your views and experiences through class discussion and debate.
15 Credit Points
International Business is a wide-ranging subject that includes economic, political, cultural and technological facets. The aim of this course is to provide an introduction to the complexities of international business management by examining how the global environment and our understanding of these affect management within an international context.
15 Credit Points
This course introduces students to what is involved in undertaking business research in practice. Within lectures, tutorials and workshops students will develop an understanding of: Information retrieval and critical analysis; Philosophical issues in the construction of knowledge; Accessing and gathering quantitative and qualitative data; Data analysis; Student/Supervisor expectations.
We will endeavour to make all course options available. However, these may be subject to change - see our Student Terms and Conditions page.
The University of Aberdeen provides an Alumni Discount Scheme:
The University of Aberdeen is very pleased to offer a 20% discount on postgraduate tuition fees for all alumni who have graduated with a degree from the University of Aberdeen. More Information can be found here.
Self-funded international students enrolling on Postgraduate Taught (PGT) programmes for January 2025 will receive one of our Aberdeen Global Scholarships, ranging from £3,000 to £8,000, depending on your domicile country. Learn more about these Aberdeen Global Scholarships here.
From September 2025 all eligible self-funded international Postgraduate Masters students will receive an £8,000 scholarship. Learn more about this Aberdeen Global Scholarship here.
To see our full range of scholarships, visit our Funding Database.
Combining academic rigour with real-life activities designed to develop practical skills, topics cover a range of business fields, from finance and marketing to management and accounting. You will be challenged to explore these fields within an international context to understand how globalisation impacts the business community, locally, nationally and internationally.
You’ll attend a variety of stimulating lectures, seminars and tutorials, with your skills and competency assessed by a mix of presentations, traditional exams, essays and projects.
The information below is provided as a guide only and does not guarantee entry to the University of Aberdeen.
This programme is open to graduates from any discipline and does not require business or management study to be completed at undergraduate level.
Our minimum entry requirement for this programme is a degree at 2:2 (lower second class) UK Honours level (or a degree from a non-UK institution which is judged by the University to be of equivalent worth).
Please enter your country to view country-specific entry requirements.
To study for a Postgraduate Taught degree at the University of Aberdeen it is essential that you can speak, understand, read, and write English fluently. The minimum requirements for this degree are as follows:
IELTS Academic:
OVERALL - 6.5 with: Listening - 5.5; Reading - 6.0; Speaking - 5.5; Writing - 6.0
TOEFL iBT:
OVERALL - 90 with: Listening - 17; Reading - 21; Speaking - 20; Writing - 21
PTE Academic:
OVERALL - 62 with: Listening - 59; Reading - 59; Speaking - 59; Writing - 59
Cambridge English B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency:
OVERALL - 176 with: Listening - 162; Reading - 169; Speaking - 162; Writing - 169
Read more about specific English Language requirements here.
You will be required to supply the following documentation with your application as proof you meet the entry requirements of this degree programme. If you have not yet completed your current programme of study, then you can still apply and you can provide your Degree Certificate at a later date.
Eligible self-funded Postgraduate Taught (PGT) students will receive the Aberdeen Global Scholarship. Explore our Global Scholarships, including eligibility details, on our dedicated pages.
January 2025 September 2025Boost a career in business and management in today’s globalized commercial world through learning with real-life examples and put yourself in a more powerful, marketable position to prospective employers by gaining a more in-depth understanding of global practices across the spectrum of business fields in preparation for a career in global management.
Following on from this programme, there’s a wide range of potential career opportunities in management roles across a variety of sectors and types of businesses and organisations. Graduates have been hired by multinational corporations in the UK and beyond, government and public institutions, and also international relief and environmental organisations.
If you want to travel and enjoy the fast pace of international trade, working with different cultures or business management from SME to corporate multi-national, this programme is for you
We extend invitations to industrial professionals to participate in our programme courses, sharing their latest insights and knowledge with our students.
Experience three Professional Development Weeks annually, providing you with valuable opportunities to enhance your skills and career prospects. Additionally, participate in our Careers Fair, where you can interact with potential employers, explore diverse career paths, and make connections that can shape your professional journey.
The Business School is EQUIS accredited, placing it among a select group of globally recognised institutions. Out of over 15,000 business schools worldwide, only around 200 schools across 45 countries have attained this distinction.
You will be taught by a range of experts including professors, lecturers, teaching fellows and postgraduate tutors. However, these may be subject to change - see our Student Terms and Conditions page.
The University’s award winning Sir Duncan Rice Library is listed in the “Top 20 spellbinding University libraries in the World”. It contains over a million volumes, more than 300,000 e-books and 21,000 journals.
Find out moreJoin our business societies such as the Entrepreneurial Society
24 hour access to our online Learning Support provided via our Virtual Learning environment MyAberdeen, as well as access to international networking and continuing professional development.