International Business (MLitt) 2020 entry
The Masters in International Business (MLitt) prepares students for cross-cultural work, providing the knowledge and critical understanding of key business and management practices while considering issues of responsibility in organisations on a global scale.
Course type
Postgraduate, leading to a Master of Letters (MLitt)
Course dates
- Start date: 7 September 2020
- End date: 30 September 2021
Information about all programmes from previous years of entry can be found in the archive.
Course duration
One year (12 months) full time
Entry requirements
- A good 2.1 undergraduate Honours degree in a management or business-related subject from the UK or the equivalent international qualification. Applicants with business experience are welcome, and work experience will be taken into account in the evaluation of applications.
- If you studied your first degree outside the UK, see the international entry requirements.
- English language proficiency. See English language tests and qualifications.
The qualifications listed are indicative minimum requirements for entry. Some academic Schools will ask applicants to achieve significantly higher marks than the minimum. Obtaining the listed entry requirements will not guarantee you a place, as the University considers all aspects of every application including, where applicable, the writing sample, personal statement, and supporting documents.
Tuition fees
UK and EU: £11,420
Overseas: £23,090
Application deadline
Wednesday 19 August 2020. Admission to this programme will close once the programme is full. Applicants should apply as early as possible to be eligible for certain scholarships and for international visa purposes and to ensure their application is submitted before the programme is full.
Application requirements
- CV
- personal statement explaining why you have chosen the programme, why this subject is important to you and why you have applied to study at the University of St Andrews in particular (500 words)
- one original signed academic reference
- academic transcripts and degree certificates
- evidence of English language proficiency (required if English is not your first language).
For more guidance, see supporting documents and references for postgraduate taught programmes.
Course information
The Masters in International Business is a one-year taught programme run by the School of Management.
Highlights
- The programme offers an in-depth analysis and appreciation of changes in the global business and organisational environment and introduces new approaches to management thinking.
- The course enables students to embark on a career within a multi-national or global organisation with a firm grounding in the principles of strategic management.
- Students have the opportunity to participate in the Masters Extra (MX) Programme, which includes guest lectures from eminent academics and business executives, specific sessions to enhance career development opportunities and a range of corporate visits.
Teaching format
Teaching is delivered through a mixture of core and optional modules using a range of delivery methods including lectures, small group tutorials, workshops and seminars. The average lecture size is 60 students, however, in some cases there will be seminars of 15 to 18 students or larger lectures with approximately 100 students, which would normally be augmented by small group tutorials made up of International Business students.
Assessment comprises a combination of coursework and examinations. Over the summer months, students undertake a research project culminating in a written dissertation of 15,000 words. You will attend a weekly series of lectures and workshops focusing on research methods and other topics to help prepare you for the dissertation.
The Masters in International Business is run by the School of Management. Find out more about the School of Management.
Modules
The modules in this programme have varying methods of delivery and assessment. Typically, each module consists of three to five contact hours per week including lectures, seminars and tutorials. Assessment is either entirely by coursework or through a combination of coursework (50%) and a two-hour end-of-semester examination (50%).
For more details of each module, including weekly contact hours, teaching methods and assessment, please see the latest module catalogue which is for the 2019–2020 academic year; some elements may be subject to change for 2020 entry.
- Contemporary Conceptual Issues in Management: explores core conceptual challenges in organisations such as the meaning of responsible enterprise and the ways in which personality, power and politics impact on organisations and their communication with key stakeholders.
- Contemporary Global Issues in Management: how various global trends impact upon economies, organisations and the practice of management.
- Global Business Strategy: develops a wide-ranging, critical understanding of the strategic issues involved within global organisations and the increasingly complex operating environment in which they are situated. This module draws on elements of the international political economy, financial aspects and strategic planning in the context of the international business environment.
- Masterclasses in International Business: introduces students to contemporary dialogue and debate in international business and explores a range of topics such as business collaboration and open innovation; the impact of international terrorism on business; doing business in emerging markets; and slavery in the modern-day business environment.
Students choose two optional modules, taking one in each semester. For the latest optional module information, see the module catalogue.
Here is a sample of optional modules that may be offered.
- Alternative Investment
- Creative Marketing Communications
- Entrepreneurship and Business Development
- Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Creativity
- Ethics, Organisations and Management
- Financial Systems
- International Financial Management
- International Marketing
- Leadership in Organisations
- Managerial Decision-making
- Managing Natural Resources
- Managing People in Global Markets
- Marketing and Society
- Managing Non-Governmental Organisations
- Risk Management
- Scenario Thinking and Strategy.
Optional modules are subject to change each year, and some may only allow limited numbers of students (see the University’s position on curriculum development).
Students attend lectures throughout Semesters 1 and 2 to prepare them for conducting the research portion of the dissertation. The dissertation is normally on a specific area of International Business, however at the School of Management, you will have the freedom to develop a topic of your own, which is of interest to you and will contribute towards career development or further study goals.
Supervisors are assigned based on a research proposal submitted in the second semester. Students will then research and write a 15,000-word dissertation over the summer to be submitted on a date specified in August.
If students choose not to complete the dissertation requirement for their Masters degree (MLitt), there are exit awards available that allow suitably qualified candidates to receive a Postgraduate Diploma. By choosing an exit award, you will finish your degree at the end of the second semester of study and receive a PGDip instead of a MLitt.
The modules listed here are indicative, and there is no guarantee they will run for 2020 entry. Take a look at the most up-to-date modules in the module catalogue.
The School of Management
The School of Management organises activities and builds relationships around the concept of responsible enterprise.
Responsible enterprise informs teaching and research about:
- managing within organisations
- the impact of human enterprise on the environment
- the interaction between forms of investment and social and organisational impact
- the need to foster creativity and development.
Accountability, governance, sustainability and ethics are key to the understanding of and engagement with a wide variety of organisations – private, public and social.
The School of Management has won major grants to undertake research and develop research centres. The research findings are reported in top international journals, which means the School is influential in shaping policy and practice.
The School’s world-class research makes a significant contribution to teaching at St Andrews. School staff work as a supportive community to ensure that students think and engage critically with subject matter, both practical and theoretical, developing their abilities and their skills in analysis, synthesis, evaluation and application.
Events
The School of Management hosts events and guest lectures beginning in Orientation Week and throughout the year, providing students and staff with opportunities to socialise, and to engage with visiting scholars, professionals and practitioners.
The Management Society, a student-led organisation, hosts a broad range of activities, both subject related and social. The University also has a number of other student societies relating to the management discipline.
Funding
International Scholarships Scheme
Scholarships for international students studying selected Masters courses in the School of Management.
Jane M Klausman Women in Business Scholarship
For women pursuing a business or business-related degree.
Recent Graduate Discount
The University of St Andrews offers a 10% discount in postgraduate tuition fees to students who are eligible to graduate or who have graduated from St Andrews within the last three academic years and are starting a postgraduate programme with the University of St Andrews.
Careers
Alumni from the Masters in International Business and more generally from other Masters programmes in the School of Management have secured employment in the fields of general management, management consultancy, marketing and brand management, accountancy, investment analysis, fund administration and other aspects of the financial services industry.
Graduates from the Masters in International Business have taken up roles in a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sector including:
- Accenture
- Amazon
- Credit Suisse Group
- LEGO
- Oracle
- PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting
- Procter and Gamble
- Volkswagen Group.
Masters Extra (MX)
The Masters Extra (MX) programme is designed specifically for taught masters students in the School of Management and focuses on careers as well as personal and professional development. This series of talks, workshops, networking opportunities and activities includes guest lectures from leading academics and experienced managers. Participants earn a Certificate in Career Development through regular attendance.
The Careers Centre offers one-to-one advice to all students on a taught postgraduate course and offers a programme of events to assist students to build their employability skills.
Research degrees
Many Management graduates continue their education by enrolling in PhD programmes at St Andrews or elsewhere.
ESRC Scottish Graduate School of Social Science
Fully funded awards for PhD students in the School of Management.
Management PhD studentships
The School of Management often offers PhD studentships comprising a stipend at RCUK level and a fee waiver at home and EU level.
Contact
School of Management
University of St Andrews
The Gateway
North Haugh
St Andrews
KY16 9RJ
Phone: +44 (0)1334 46 2200
Email: pgmanagement@st-andrews.ac.uk
Policies
Admission to the University of St Andrews is governed by our admissions policy.
Curriculum development
As a research intensive institution, the University ensures that its teaching references the research interests of its staff, which may change from time to time. As a result, programmes are regularly reviewed with the aim of enhancing students' learning experience. Our approach to course revision is described online (PDF, 72 KB).
Tuition fees
The University will clarify compulsory fees and charges it requires any student to pay at the time of offer. The offer will also clarify conditions for any variation of fees. The University’s approach to fee setting is described online (PDF, 84 KB).