Course Overview
Thank you for your interest. We are accepting applications from UK students. This course is now full for international students, please see the attendance options above for alternative start dates.
Course summary
The MSc International Business and Management course allows learners to dive into global business right in the heart of vibrant London.
The course is tailored for both recent management graduates and ambitious early career professionals without a degree in management. Learners in the course gain essential skills in managing operations, strategy and more within international settings. Our diverse curriculum covers economics, finance, trade, branding, CSR, marketing, leadership, and digital communication, with a strong focus on real-world application through case studies, business simulations, and interactions with experts.
Top reasons to study with us
- Wide range of topics covered will greatly enhance your employment opportunities in the global job market
- Engaging delivery methods, including action-based practical activities and challenges, which may be set by businesses and enterprises, a community or other appropriate partner
- A truly international business course, with more than three-quarters of participants from outside the UK and European Union
- Become business-ready through practical experiences
- Study in central London, one of the world’s major cities and international business hubs
The course maps directly to CMI - Chartered Management Institute modules, giving you an insight into what good management and leadership looks like during your time at University. Benefits include:
- A CMI L7 Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership, automatically upon graduation, with no further work or assessment required
- 'foundation' Chartered Manager status (fCMgr), automatically upon graduation, which is a post-nominal you can use for your LinkedIn profile or CV
- Affiliate membership of CMI for the life of the degree and 3 months' after, entitling you to become part of CMI's management and leadership community with invites to events and webinars, as well as access to business networking, ManagementDirect, the Career Development Centre, Mentoring, and the Kooth mental health support platform
Course structure
Course content reflects the main functional areas of business and management. During the course, you'll take eight core modules and one option module, with 180 credits in total.
Semester 1
We’ll consider the rationale for international trade and legal, financial and political factors encountered. You will gain a deeper insight into the implications of managing in a global context.
Semester 2
As the course develops, we’ll consider the practicalities of international trade, using live projects to explore strategy options, which may include expansion, diversification, technology or targeted marketing, for example. MSc projects are expected to centre on economics, finance, marketing research or leadership, while on the MA, the focus is more likely to be human resource management (HRM), marketing communications or project management. For example, one MSc student recently chose to assess the extent to which the International Council of Management Consulting Institutes’ ‘Consulting Readiness Index’ accurately reflects the maturity of national markets for management consultancy services. His findings are expected to have a significant impact on the consultancy industry.
The following modules are indicative of what you will study on this course.
Core modules
This module aims to develop your knowledge and competence of the research process and the application of research methods in the area of Business and Management. It consists of an overview of methodology, literature review, qualitative and quantitative research methods and considers the contexts within which different methods are useful and how they should be applied in practice. The focus is on research design, data collection and analysis, and the presentation of findings.
This module provides business managers with a comprehensive, practical approach to using financial and accounting techniques and analysis in their business lives. It also looks at the concepts behind the techniques, recent developments in conceptual thinking and academic critiques. It will give students the confidence and expertise to use financial techniques and concepts in business decision making.
This module is concerned with both practice and theories of International trade and finance. It is related to issues such as classical and neo-classical trade theories, intra industry trade, factor input mobility, trade policies, infant industry protection, economic integration, foreign investments, balance of payments, exchange rate regimes and their implications. It is designed to provide an in-depth understanding of the underlying reasons for trade, shortcomings of the classical trade theories and some of the more modern trade theories.
This module examines contemporary global marketing issues from an applied and practical perspective. Providing an introduction to essential marketing principles, the module develops a thematic approach to ‘international marketing’ by exploring areas including culture, communication, innovation, distribution and sustainable marketing practices. Planned company visits (which may include field trip to an overseas (European) capital city) will form an integral part of the hands-on approach to teaching and learning where assessment is also largely driven by real-life business scenarios.
This module involves strategic thinking that draws together all aspects of business & management. It applies strategic concepts and systems thinking to help students to understand how to manage businesses in a complex global business environment. The module content also apply contemporary strategic management theory and concepts to the critical appraisal of international business scenarios and cases. Students will learn how to develop sustainable business models and solutions in a complex and changing world and to think like business analysts, management consultants & executive decision-makers.
This module explores the development of leaders and managers from a multi-disciplinary perspective in a global context. It takes a multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural approach to leadership and management development. In our complex and interconnected world one needs to be open minded and ready to learn from all regardless of cultural, religious or social backgrounds. It also draws from historic examples and from the wisdom of Eastern and Western traditions. Further it provides a historic and a critical, research based perspective on leadership. Participants are invited to review their personal views and experiences of leading and managing and explore new concepts and skills to develop appropriate personal competencies.
This module aims to assist students in understanding information management and information systems, assessing the different information needs of organisations, and being able to assess the increasing importance of digital information technology and management of information and at times knowledge in global businesses.
It is expected that the majority of the MSc projects will adopt a focus in Economics, Finance, Marketing Research or Leadership, and be more likely to apply quantitative or mixed methods and involve analysis of ‘hard’ and/or primary data. However, students are not prevented from applying qualitative data approaches and secondary sources to triangulate their findings. Also, other types of project are possible, subject to approval, such as a consultancy project. In all cases, the project must demonstrate sufficient knowledge of the appropriate methodology.
Option modules
This module provides students with a thorough understanding of the interplay between international financial markets and national and international agencies; and to enable students to have a critical awareness of how exchange rate movements might affect the position of traders and investors in the international markets, and how to avoid foreign exchange risk by hedging in derivative markets.
This module provides an overview of the essential topics in the field of Finance, including sources of Finance, capital investment strategies, the weighted average cost of capital, capital structure, dividend policy, corporate value, modern portfolio theory and financial instruments.
This module will help you focus on key people management skills for international managers (with elements like cultural differences and the international context considered essential). A strong emphasis will be placed on the need for managers to have a range of skills at their disposal in order to operate in an international, multi-cultural context. You will have the opportunity to focus on the intercultural competencies needed by managers, such as cultural awareness, and evaluate existing frameworks for understanding cross-cultural differences. The module will help you identify your likely future role as an international manager in organisations and the contribution of HR management to organisational objectives.
Sustainability is one of businesses most pressing concerns: it is the key question of our time. Sustainability is a broad concept that goes beyond considering the environmental impact of business to include economic and social issues. The focus of sustainability is the creation of a good quality of life for current and future generations by achieving a balance between economic prosperity, ecosystem viability and social justice. This module focuses on the challenges and opportunities that societal and environmental issues create for organisations. You will explore sustainable management in all its dimensions, learning from real life examples, focussing on examining key problems and developing solutions in order to lead organisations towards sustainable change that aligns businesses long-term goals with the broader expectations of society in a globalised, connected world. To help you understand the systematic and organisational role of sustainability in any organisation, the module will give an overview of major sustainability issues, practices according to the following 3 dimensions; environmental, social and financial.
A significant and growing field in the marketing profession is the use of analytics to inform managerial decision making. Although “analytics” seems to be a catch-phrase that encompasses anything having to do with numbers, marketing analytics comprises the processes that enable marketers to evaluate the success of their marketing initiatives by measuring their performance. Therefore, marketing analytics can offer profound insights into customer preferences and trends. The first part of the course will place more emphasis on analysis using excel and the second part of the module will extend the student’s knowledge of regression analysis using SPSS.
This module will help develop your understanding and use of fundamental statistical and econometric techniques used in economics, namely, the Classical Linear Regression Model, Ordinary Least Squares and introduction to maximum likelihood estimation; testing linear restrictions; Chow test; problems of multicollinearity and misspecification; dummy variables; simultaneous estimation and the identification problem; autocorrelation; heteroscedasticity; time series analysis; stationarity; unit root tests; cointegration; error correction model; volatility modelling and forecasting; value-at-risk forecasting and model evaluation. Computing and econometrics software has seen substantial development during the last decades and you will learn to use these necessary tools.
This module provides comprehensive training in leveraging data for marketing decision-making. It will equips you with essential skills at the MSc level, including learning to collect, process, and analyse data from various sources such as customer interactions, campaigns, and social media. The curriculum covers multivariate analysis using industry-leading software (e.g., SPSS) to uncover complex relationships between variables for predictive modelling. You will explore AI-aided and Python-based techniques like sentiment analysis in Natural Language Processing (NLP) to extract insights from extensive qualitative data, enhancing your ability to derive valuable information from large volumes of unstructured data. Through hands-on exercises, you will gain proficiency in using multivariate analysis software (e.g., SPSS) and AI-aided and Pythons-based techniques for optimising marketing efforts, enhancing customer experiences, and driving business growth in today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape and dynamic marketplace.
Professional accreditation
This course maps directly to CMI - Chartered Management Institute modules, giving you an insight into what good management and leadership looks like during your time at University. These skills give you a clear career differentiator on graduation and boost your employability. The Chartered Management Institute are dedicated to increasing the number of professionally qualified managers and leaders. They work with education providers to inspire students to unleash their potential and become skilled, confident and successful managers and leaders identified by their Chartered status.
For more details on course structure, modules, teaching and assessment Download the programme specification (PDF).
To request an accessible version please email [email protected]
Get your copy of the University of Westminster prospectus and browse the range of courses on offer.
Contact us for general course enquiries:
+44 (0)20 7911 5000 EXT 65511
(Mon–Fri, 10am–4pm GMT)
Live chat with us
(Mon–Fri, 10am–4pm GMT)
Open evenings
Join us at an open evening online or on campus. Get a feel for student life at the University of Westminster and talk to course leaders and our support teams.
Can't attend? See more open events
Careers
This Master’s programme prepares you for diverse management roles across industries and globally. Our Alumni have developed their careers in a wide range of organisations, including multinational corporations, consulting organisations, financial services, government institutions, start-ups, and family businesses around the world. Our graduates tend to work on marketing, strategy, sustainability, and international trade, where they demonstrate cross-cultural competence, collaboration, and interpersonal skills.
With a growing global network of 3,000 employers, our Careers and Employability Service is here to support you to achieve your full potential.
Build connections
Build connections with peers and future business leaders.
Develop your CQ
Develop your cultural intelligence – or ‘CQ’ – studying alongside students and staff representing more than 100 nationalities.
Develop practical skills
Work on real-life business case studies and challenges to develop your practical skills.
Job roles
This course will prepare you for roles such as:
- Business advisor
- Communication consultant
- Corporate travel consultant
- Internal auditor
- Key account strategist
- Market intelligence analyst
- Marketing manager
Graduate employers
Graduates from this course have found employment at organisations including:
- British American Tobacco
- Darktrace
- Deloitte
- European Commission
- ING Bank NV
- JCP - Just Cruzin' Production
- KPMG UK
- Samsung Electronics
- SEB (a leading Nordic Bank)
Westminster Employability Award
Employers value graduates who have invested in their personal and professional development – and our Westminster Employability Award gives you the chance to formally document and demonstrate these activities and achievements.
The award is flexible and can be completed in your own time, allowing you to choose from a set of extracurricular activities.
Activities might include gaining experience through a part-time job or placement, signing up to a University-run scheme – such as mentoring or teaching in a school – or completing online exercises.
Read more about our Westminster Employability Award.
Course Leader
Gayani Fernando
Lecturer
Gayani is an experienced Senior Leader with a proven successful track record of over 20 years in the global financial service industry (Investments, Funds Management, Banking, Pension Funds, Superannuation) . She has lived and worked in multiple geographical locations, which include Australia, the US, the Pacific (American Samoa), Singapore, the U.K. and the British Isles (Isle of Man). During her career, Gayani was responsible for managing multimillion-dollar client bases, implementing a US Defined Benefit Pension system in the Pacific and project managing large transactions such as the listing of Australian Real Estate Investment Trusts on the Singapore Stock Exchange.
Following a successful career in the Financial Services sector, Gayani joined the UK Higher Education sector in 2010, where she has been lecturing and leading modules, courses and programmes in the Business Management discipline at several West London-based universities. She joined the University of Westminster in 2022. Gayani holds an MBA and a Post Graduate Certificate in Learning & Teaching and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) in the UK. In addition, she also has several industry qualifications such as Advanced Investments Management, Global Benefits Management and Retirement Plans.
Gayani also works as a Professional Development Expert in Executive Education (Leadership & Management), where she mentors & coaches senior leaders in some of the UK's largest organisations who come from a variety of different sectors, which include Investment Banking, Insurance, Renewable Energy, Marine, Oil & Gas, Market Research, Property Management, E-commerce, Healthcare & Government.
Gayani is the current Chair and a Trustee of FCYM (Friends of the Centre for Young Musicians) at Guildhall Young Artists - a division of Guildhall School of Music & Drama. The main object of the charity is to advance the musical education of young children in the London area.
Gayani loves working with people from all different backgrounds and countries and has strong intercultural awareness.
Teaching is about contribution and I am pleased to impart my substantial industry knowledge to students who are pursuing careers in the Business and Management discipline. My forte is to bring various theoretical models and frameworks to life with my practical experience.
Course Team
- Dawn De Kock - Senior Lecturer
- Bijan Hesni - Staff
- Dr Sumita Ketkar - Principal Lecturer
- Dr Martin Mathews - Senior Lecturer
- Dr Olasunkanmi Sholarin - Principal Lecturer
- Dr Louis Spring - Senior Lecturer
- Dr Rebecca (Yi) Wang - Principal Lecturer
- Gayani Fernando - Lecturer
- Dr Trino-Manuel Niguez - Reader
- Dr Roshan Panditharathna - Lecturer
STUDYING INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT WITH US
Teaching and assessment
Your learning experience is designed to provide both a practical and theoretical understanding of people management approaches and their impact on organisational behaviour.
To assist the learning experience, we provide reading lists, lecture and seminar materials in advance via Blackboard, our virtual learning environment. Where possible, lectures are recorded using specialist software and similar tools to make sure you can really listen to what is said in class and don’t miss a thing.
How you’ll be taught
Through a variety of teaching methods – from lectures and seminars to case study analysis, business simulations and projects – we encourage active, experiential and reflective learning. You will demonstrate independent learning, critical evaluation, reflection, discussion and debate, as well as the opportunity through the project to research, in significant depth, a relevant business issue.
The emphasis in the classroom is on problem-based learning, blending theory and practice, problem diagnosis and the selection of managerial tools to provide the best fit with the situation. Gaining real-life experience of actual business problems is key. In the past, students have created and marketed their own confectionary products, worked with companies on the redesign and repositioning of products such as organic fruit juices and protein supplements, and worked with companies on specific marketing and branding problems.
You will develop practical knowledge, expertise and valuable insights from visiting professionals from a wide range of industries. For example, students recently heard about sustainability and the challenges of ‘green’ marketing from the founder and owner of Alara Wholefoods, one of the world’s most sustainable suppliers of breakfast cereals, the first cereal company to be certified organic and the first to be licensed by Coeliac UK.
In the following graph you'll find examples of how study time has been distributed in the past (data from the academic year 2023/24). Changes to division of study time may be made in response to feedback and in accordance with our terms and conditions. Learning typically falls into three broad categories:
- Scheduled hours: examples include lectures, seminars, practical classes, workshops, supervised time in a studio
- Placement: placement hours normally include placement opportunities, but may also include live projects or virtual activity involving employers
- Independent study: non-scheduled time in which students are expected to study independently. This may include preparation for scheduled sessions, follow-up work, wider reading or practice, completion of assessment tasks, or revision
How you’ll be assessed
Using a wide range of techniques, you can expect to be assessed on the learning outcomes of your course in core modules through coursework in the form of essays, reports, presentations, case studies as well as time-constrained in-class tests and exams. We try to make assessments as practical and relevant as possible, incorporating the type of work required by future employers.
In the following graph you'll find an indication of what you can expect (data from the academic year 2023/24). Changes to assessment weights may be made in response to feedback and in accordance with our terms and conditions. Assessments typically fall into three broad categories:
- Practical: examples include presentations, podcasts, blogs
- Written exams: end of semester exams
- Coursework: examples include essays, in-class tests, portfolios, dissertation
Why study this course?
Develop presentation skills
Boost your communication skills with experience presenting to real senior management teams
Combine theory and practice
Link theory to global practice through real-life case studies, problem-solving and live business projects
Gain business insight
Strengthen business insight through interaction with businesses and discussions about current market challenges
Entry Requirements
A minimum of a lower second class honours degree (2:2).
Relevant degree disciplines include business studies, economics, geography, management, and operations research. However, students with qualifications in other disciplines, such as engineering, environmental sciences, the humanities and languages, are also encouraged to apply. Alternative professional qualifications with at least three years of relevant professional experience will also be considered.
If your first language is not English you should have an IELTS 6.5 with at least 6.5 in writing and no element below 6.0.
Applicants are required to submit one reference.
View more information about our entry requirements and the application process
A minimum of a lower second class honours degree (2:2).
Relevant degree disciplines include business studies, economics, geography, management, and operations research. However, students with qualifications in other disciplines, such as engineering, environmental sciences, the humanities and languages, are also encouraged to apply. Alternative professional qualifications with at least three years of relevant professional experience will also be considered.
If your first language is not English you should have an IELTS 6.5 with at least 6.5 in writing and no element below 6.0.
Applicants are required to submit one reference.
More information
University preparation courses
Our partner college, Kaplan International College London, offers Pre-Master’s courses that may help you gain a place on a postgraduate degree at Westminster.
To find out more, visit University preparation courses.
Student work
‘Sustainability’ has become one of the by-words of contemporary management, which is why students were given the opportunity to work with Kings Cross based enterprise, Alara Wholefoods. As part of their marketing assessment, they worked with Alara in a ‘live’ case study to investigate new export opportunities in one of three countries with no existing market presence, namely France, India and Uzbekistan.
Module Leader, Richard West, explains: “Gaining real-life experience of actual business problems is a key part of the International and Business Management MA/MSc. Alara Wholefoods is an excellent company to be involved with, because of the way they challenge conventional business thinking. The students will learn a lot about sustainability and the challenges of ‘green’ marketing from this experience."
Learn new skills
Tackle business challenges
On business challenges, you’ll experience cross-cultural communication, teamwork, creative and critical thinking, leadership and working under pressure
Develop critical thinking skills
Learn to critically evaluate the strategies that managers use to help organisations adapt in an uncertain or complex environment
Achieve '6Cs'
Achieve ‘6Cs’: cross-cultural competence, collaboration, communication, critical thinking, creativity and compassion.
What Our Students Say
Giammarco Spinozzi
International Business and Management MSc - 2019
The field trip to Tashkent helped me understand how corporate life works, considering different stakeholder expectations, complex corporate systems and how to meet the expectation of a board of directors when presenting a complex project which may affect the success of a company. Thanks to extracurricular activities and project that included the use and deep understanding of digital tools, I decided that I wanted to specialise in this area. The following September after graduation, I was hired by the tech giant Oracle Corporation in the EMEA HQ and recently won the 'Top Innovator Consultant' award.
Mille Marlo
International Business and Management MSc - 2020
This course is a unique opportunity to challenge yourself at a personal and academic level. The course provided problem-based learning, blending theory and practice in a multicultural environment. Furthermore, the university provides a range of clubs and societies. Personally, I joined Westminster Business Consultants which, along with my field of study, enhanced my employability skills and prepared me for a full-time position in the consultancy industry after finishing my studies.
Oliver Kewitz
International Business and Management MSc
This course is definitely one of the biggest opportunities in a student's life. It's not only about developing your academic skills in order to succeed; the biggest focus is getting out of your comfort zone, mixing with a multicultural cohort, questioning the status quo and thinking critically.
Also, the study trip incorporating real life business challenges was a once in a lifetime experience.
What our students say
Sayalee Mahadani
International Business and Management MSc
International Marketing and Communications Management and Leading and Managing in a Global Context were my favourite modules. The modules were all well structured and the academic team was very supportive throughout the course.
Fees and Funding
UK tuition fee: £16,500 (Price per academic year)
When you have enrolled with us, your annual tuition fees will remain the same throughout your studies with us. We do not increase your tuition fees each year.
Find out how we set our tuition fees.
Paying your fees
If you don't wish to pay the whole amount of your fees at once, you may be able to pay by instalments. This opportunity is available if you have a personal tuition fee liability of £2,000 or more and if you are self-funded or funded by the Student Loans Company.
Find out more about paying your fees.
Alumni discount
This course is eligible for an alumni discount. Find out if you are eligible and how to apply by visiting our Alumni discounts page.
Funding
There is a range of funding available that may help you fund your studies, including Student Finance England (SFE).
Find out more about postgraduate student funding options.
Scholarships
The University is dedicated to supporting ambitious and outstanding students and we offer a variety of scholarships to eligible postgraduate students.
Find out if you qualify for one of our scholarships.
International tuition fee: £17,000 (Price per academic year)
When you have enrolled with us, your annual tuition fees will remain the same throughout your studies with us. We do not increase your tuition fees each year.
Find out how we set our tuition fees.
Paying your fees
If you don't wish to pay the whole amount of your fees at once, you may be able to pay by instalments. This opportunity is available if you have a personal tuition fee liability of £2,000 or more and if you are self-funded or funded by the Student Loans Company.
Find out more about paying your fees.
Alumni discount
This course is eligible for an alumni discount. Find out if you are eligible and how to apply by visiting our Alumni discounts page.
Funding
There are a number of funding schemes available to help you fund your studies with us.
Find out more about funding for international students.
Scholarships
The University is dedicated to supporting ambitious and outstanding students and we offer a variety of scholarships to eligible postgraduate students.
Find out if you qualify for one of our scholarships.
Westminster Business School blog
Read our blog and get an insight into life and studies at Westminster Business School.
Facilities
Supporting you
Our Student Hub is where you’ll find out about the services and support we offer, helping you get the best out of your time with us.
- Study support — workshops, 1-2-1 support and online resources to help improve your academic and research skills
- Personal tutors — support you in fulfilling your academic and personal potential
- Student advice team — provide specialist advice on a range of issues including funding, benefits and visas
- Extra-curricular activities — volunteering opportunities, sports and fitness activities, student events and more
Course Location
Our Marylebone Campus has benefitted from a multi-million-pound refurbishment resulting in new workshops, digital studios and development of the Marylebone Library. The campus is home to Westminster Business School and our award-winning Architecture, Planning and Tourism courses. For more details, visit our Marylebone Campus page.
Westminster Business School
Based in the heart of London's political, media and financial services, Westminster Business School has excellent industry links and a strong commitment to social enterprise.
Our courses are accredited by professional bodies including the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
Our practical teaching relates learning to the real world, and we develop graduates who are ready to respond to contemporary business challenges.
Contact us
Call our dedicated team on:
+44 (0)20 7911 5000 ext 65511
Opening hours (GMT): 10am–4pm Monday to Friday
Opening hours (GMT): 10am–4pm Monday to Friday
More information
Your Westminster
Book an open day. Order a prospectus. Sign up for newsletters.