Edinburgh Napier University Online Masters in Business Management
The Online Masters in Business Management will provide you with the practical proficiencies and knowledge you need to succeed in a career in business.
This post graduate degree is most suited if you are a new graduate with little management experience or you wish to embark on a career change requiring you to update your current skills and knowledge.
Students undertaking the Online Masters in Business Management will be provided with a sound theoretical grounding in international business management stimulating an enquiring, analytical approach to several broad areas. You will develop competencies in innovative and creative problem solving, critical thinking and strategic reasoning.
This Online Masters in Business Management programme seeks to support your development as an effective manager, giving you a broad understanding of areas, such as strategic management, innovation and human resource management making it one of the most sought-after leadership courses online.
You can choose to a General Masters in Business Management, or opt for one of 10 Online MSc specialist routes;
- Masters in Banking
- Masters in Entrepreneurship
- Masters in Events
- Masters in Finance
- Masters in HRM
- Masters in Information System & Governance
- Masters in Logistics & Supply Chain
- Masters in Marketing
- Masters in Project Management
- Masters in Tourism & Hospitality
Benefits of an Online Masters in Business Management
This programme will guide you in exploring issues facing contemporary businesses and help develop your management skills in order to enhance your qualification.
While gaining a sound understanding of business management related topics; discussions stimulate an enquiring and analytical approach to subject matter. You will develop skills in innovative and creative problem solving, critical thinking and strategic reasoning.
The Online Masters in Business Management will deliver accessible, creative and flexible postgraduate business education allowing you the option to choose in how, when and where you study.
The online learning environment provides you with the opportunity to engage with a global community of learners, while the university’s academic staff and dedicated Global Online support team are available to support you throughout the course of your studies.
On successful completion of this programme you will have the knowledge, understanding and skills to gain postgraduate level employment as you would have graduated from one of the best universities for business management courses online.
Career Path
Recent surveys show that higher degree graduates are more likely to obtain jobs at a professional or managerial level. For some jobs, a postgraduate qualification may be essential, for others it offers a competitive edge.
Companies are constantly on the lookout for business managers with the most advanced skills to promptly respond to the changes in the economy and marketplace, a Master’s degree in business administration management could give you the competitive edge you need to advance in your company to these managerial positions.
The specialist knowledge and understanding you will gain could open up rewarding careers in business management, banking, insurance, accountancy, finance, marketing, sales, retail and human resources.
Previous students have pursued the programme to re-orientate their careers, or supplement a degree in another discipline with a business qualification.
Academic Progression
Download
Entry Requirements
The entry requirement for this course is normally a Bachelor’s degree at 2:2 or above. The University may also consider lesser qualification if you can demonstrate sufficient work experience in the relevant field and industry.
If English is not your first language, you may need to undertake an approved English language test. You can discuss the available options with your personal academic consultant.)
Business Economics and Finance in a Global Environment
This module will teach you the most essential analytical tools required for economic decision making such as: the concepts of economic systems, profit and utility maximisation, demand elasticity, market equilibrium, market structures, macroeconomic objectives, government policies’ (monetary, fiscal and trade policies) tools and their impact on businesses. You will also learn how to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages to the business of a range of sources of finance, how managers report on the financial affairs and financial position of the business, and how to analyse financial reports in order to evaluate business performance.
Learning Outcomes for module:
- Evaluate the contribution of HRM activities to organisational effectiveness and the impact of the changing context of work on HRM.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the key HR activities and the way in which these integrate to achieve organisational objectives and a critical insight into the current developments impacting on these.
- Identify HR strategies, policies & practice appropriate to the needs of different organisations.
Leadership, Strategy and Innovation
The module will cover the following content:
- Organisation strategy and Strategic Leadership
- Determining the Strategic Direction: Mission Vision and Values
- Strategic Decision-making in Practice
- Transformational Leadership Approaches and Emotional Intelligence
- The Leader-Follower Relationship
- Team Leadership
- Strategic Decision-Making in Innovative Contexts
- Creating Systemic innovation
- Authentic and Sustainable Leadership
- Current Trends in Strategic Leadership
Learning Outcomes for module:
- Examine and critique the underlying principles of key leadership theories
- Critically review how effective leaders foster an innovation culture in organisations
- Explore the dynamics underpinning the leader-follower relationship in organisations
- Review and critically the strategic role of leaders within organisations
Organisational Change and Management
This module focuses on the behaviour of people at work by placing an emphasis on understanding the vital importance of managing change and culture. It covers two broad areas, namely:
- Organisational Behaviour: attitudes; perception; motivation; groups and teams; leadership; management of transformational change; power, politics and conflict; and
- Managerial Process and Skills: activities designed to develop skills relating to the management of people, including corporate social responsibility
By the end of the module you will have developed an appreciation of the dynamics of working organisations in a rapidly evolving business environment by planning and carrying forward system-wide change programmes.
Learning Outcomes for module:
- Apply organisational behaviour theory to the business context.
- Critically analyse the factors influencing individual behaviour in organisations.
- Evaluate the nature, role and tasks of people management; identify effective management practice and skills.
- Identify and analyse trends in transformational change management in organisations.
- Demonstrate through analysis and synthesis a robust understanding of International Leadership and management theories and concepts
Creating Business Excellence and Marketing
Overall the module emphasises the concept of the integrative nature of business and what matters most, in the need and desire to create and sustain business excellence, performance that can endure in the complex, global business environment.
Learning Outcomes for module:
- Critically evaluate elements of an organisation’s strategic objectives through performance measurement using appropriate performance measurement frameworks and tools (e.g. the Balanced Scorecard, EFQM)
- Critically investigate and appraise the role of operations management & strategy, project management & the significance of modern supply chain management practice to the delivery of customer value, social and environmental impact and the building of high performance organisations.
- Critically investigate and appraise the impact of the philosophy of ‘lean’ operations & supply practice and models of quality and performance management with specific reference to the principles and practice of operational improvement and contribution to an organisation’s success.
- Critically evaluate the global marketing concept and strategy within marketing environments and consumer & organisational buyer behaviour
- Critically assess the ethical and responsible marketing principles, the influence of marketing research, international market segmentation managing the international marketing mix & brand development upon marketing activities in different international marketing environments.
- Evaluate the ways in which changes within the global economy might impact upon marketing strategies.
Research Methods
The focus of this module is to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills to prepare you for a range of challenges in your academic and professional career. Specifically, the emphasis is on developing research skills that will equip you with the expertise to undertake relevant and topical research allied to your dissertation. The core material covers:
- critiquing academic and practitioner research from a range of published sources,
- developing tools and techniques for writing a critical literature review,
- methodological considerations,
- research design,
- research ethics,
- qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection,
- manual and computer-based techniques of data analysis and,
- evaluating and communicating your research.
Learning Outcomes for module:
- Select and critically review relevant literature
- Formulate a research problem
- Design and plan appropriate research to investigate an area for a dissertation.
- Assess reliability and validity of the chosen approach
- Critically communicate the philosophy of research
Contemporary Issues in Strategic Management
The Role and Nature of strategic management; Analysing the External Environment: macro-environment, industry and competitor analysis; Analysing internal resources, capabilities and core competencies; Business level and corporate level strategy; international business strategy; strategic development: mergers and acquisitions, alliances and joint ventures; Strategy Implementation: Structure, Culture and Change.
Learning Outcomes for module:
- Critically appraise the frameworks, tools, and concepts required to analyse, formulate, implement and evaluate an organisation’s strategy
- Apply theoretical concepts to practical business situations through the analysis and evaluation of published case studies; research on selected companies and where appropriate draw upon experience in current or prior work organisations
- Develop and recommend creative solutions to strategic situations in different organisational contexts
- Critically assess business performance from a holistic and integrative general management perspective
Managing Innovation
The module content can be divided into two main components. Firstly, a discussion of key concepts and why innovation management is crucial in most organisations. Secondly, an examination of the leading practical theory related to innovation management, in particular, this will include an in depth discussion of a conceptual model of innovation management. This model will outline the main contextual elements (e.g. innovation strategy, organisation structure, etc.) that affect the process of innovation management and also the process itself. This examination and discussion of innovation management will utilise materials (e.g. examples, cases, etc.) dealing with different kinds of innovation (e.g. product, service, internal systems and procedures, etc.) in a variety of organisations.
Learning Outcomes for module:
- Explain and critically reflect on innovation and why it is crucial to competitive advantage and organisational success.
- Conceptualise and critically explore the context and process of innovation management
- Analyse the innovation management in a variety of organisations using examples from the world’s most innovative firms.
- Critically evaluate innovation management and provide recommendations for change demonstrating appropriate judgement.
This module provides you with guidance and support towards your completion of an individual research project – a dissertation – whose theme complements your learning on the MSc Blended and Online Education programme. Traditionally your dissertation should be a written piece of work, but here, at least one element should be presented as a digital artefact. You may submit a patchwork collection of digital artefacts, in negotiation with your supervisor and examiner, as substantive elements of your work. In either case, work must be the result of independent, critical investigation which evidences the use of relevant research methods and detailed knowledge of established literature and other sources in the chosen area of study. You will be assigned a personal supervisor who is tasked with monitoring your progress as well as offering feedback, advice and guidance. You will also have an identified internal examiner who examines the final dissertation. There are three deliverables prior to final submission:
- Project Proposal (observing a formal approval process undertaken by the supervisor and student)
- Initial Report
- Outline Dissertation.
Learning Outcomes for module:
- Develop extensive knowledge of a specialist area of investigation, and develop and justify research questions appropriate to the area, issues or problems identified
- Critically explore and review literature relevant to the topic chosen
- Underpinned by an identified philosophical position, plan and justify an appropriate academic research methodology appropriate to an in-depth research project
- Manage research and writing schedules, and gather, analyse, synthesise and interpret data with which to explore research questions
- Devise an appropriate form with which to present arguments, findings and conclusions.