Postgraduate MSc
International Business and Management
This programme provides an insight into a number of areas of general management, with particular emphasis on key aspects of international business.
This programme provides an insight into a number of areas of general management, with particular emphasis on key aspects of international business.
The modern business environment is increasingly international in scope. The programme equips you with the tools, techniques and concepts to understand how international business is conducted and how firms and countries can thrive in today’s global marketplace.
Our approach is to challenge, inspire and develop your skills to help you operate effectively and responsibly in a truly global business environment. Management (International Business) graduates typically pursue careers in multinational enterprises, international organisations, governmental bodies or consultancies.
As a student on International Business Management programme, you also have the opportunity to gain the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) Level 7 certificate in Strategic Management and Leadership alongside your degree.
The programme is also accredited by Institute of Exports and International Trade (IOE&IT). For more information see Careers.
The Business School has a wide range of funding opportunities for postgraduate students, which include Scholarships, Bursaries, the Double Loyalty Scheme for University of Kent undergraduates and the KBS Early Bird Scheme. The Early Bird equates to a 10% discount on tuition fees.
For more information on funding available from the University of Kent, please visit the Student Funding page.
Kent Business School has excellent links with business schools globally, including in China, USA, Hong Kong, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden and Italy. Our wide array of exchange partners give you the opportunity to gain international experience. Our partners are committed to enhancing their international outlook while providing excellent teaching. You will gain invaluable work experience, develop your understanding of a new culture and improve your language skills.
Our exchange partners include these top ranked institutions amongst others:
With over 25 years’ experience delivering business education, Kent Business School is a leading UK business school, both for the standard of our teaching and student satisfaction. Our portfolio of postgraduate programmes demonstrates the breadth and depth of our expertise. Academic research and links with global business inform our teaching, ensuring a curriculum that is relevant and current. We also hold a number of accreditations by professional bodies.
Studying at Kent Business School (KBS) gives you the opportunity to increase your employability with real-life case studies, a student council and a business society. We have strong links to local and national organisations providing opportunities for projects, internships and graduate placements. The School attracts many high-profile speakers from industry and last year included visits and lectures from staff of the Bank of England, BAE Systems, Barclays, Lloyds Insurance, Cummins, Delphi and Kent County Council.
The School currently has around 60 PhD students, who form a dynamic and close-knit research community.
All applicants are considered on an individual basis and additional qualifications, professional qualifications and relevant experience may also be taken into account when considering applications.
Please see our International website for entry requirements by country and other relevant information. Due to visa restrictions, international fee-paying students cannot study part-time unless undertaking a distance or blended-learning programme with no on-campus provision.
The University requires all non-native speakers of English to reach a minimum standard of proficiency in written and spoken English before beginning a postgraduate degree.
For detailed information see our English language requirements web pages.
Applicants who are required to meet an English language condition may be able to study a pre-sessional course in English for Academic Purposes through Kent International Pathways.
The course structure below provides a sample of the modules available for this programme. Most programmes require you to study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also have the option to take ‘wild’ modules from other programmes offered by the University in order that you may explore other subject areas of interest to you or that may further enhance your employability.
The following modules are offered to our current students. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation:
Duration: 1 year full-time
Teaching in the School is informed by the latest research and the changing needs of the global business environment. Our international teaching staff are all experts in their field of study and are regularly published in leading journals worldwide. They guide and support your learning, not only in current best practice in your chosen area of study, but also in emerging new concepts and theories, and the latest business thinking.
The programme involves a taught and a project component.
The taught programme is assessed by a mixture of coursework assignments throughout the year, and by examinations in May and June.
Once these are completed, you work full-time on your Business Report and your Personal Development & Management Skills Report, applying techniques and insights presented in the programme to a specific problem.
This programme aims to:
You will gain knowledge and understanding of:
You develop intellectual skills in:
You gain subject-specific skills in:
You will gain the following transferable skills:
Kent Business School occupies The Sibson Building, a vibrant new campus destination. The state-of-the-art building includes dedicated postgraduate and IT suites, academic and research workspaces, three lecture theatres and social learning spaces.
Each postgraduate student is assigned a specific member of academic staff who acts as your first point of contact throughout your studies. There is a lively postgraduate community at the School, with plenty of space to relax and interact with your fellow students and our academic staff.
Kent’s libraries offer over a million books, periodicals and journals, as well as subject-specific librarians to help you find the information you need. We also offer excellent teaching facilities with tailor-made specialist resources and access to a range of software packages used in quantitative analysis and finance.
Kent Business School has more than 60 internationally recognised academics from 22 different countries. Most of our teaching faculty are involved with researching the latest issues in business and management, working with organisations to provide new insight for business leaders and policymakers. Their knowledge and findings feed into the programmes to ensure they are both cutting-edge and globally relevant.
Kent Business School has close links with: ifs (Institute of Financial Services); dunnhumby, who partners the Consumer Insight Service in the Centre for Value Chain Research; Hong Kong Baptist University, with whom we offer a joint Master’s programme in Operational Research and Finance Business Statistics; University of Castellanza (Italy); Audencia Nantes Business School (France); Aarhus School of Business and Social Sciences (Denmark); Universiti Teknologi Malaysia; University of Ingolstadt, Bayern (Germany); City University of Hong Kong; Renmin University of China, School of Business.
Staff publish regularly and widely in journals, conference proceedings and books. Among others, they have recently contributed to: Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money; International Journal of Finance & Economics; Journal of Banking and Finance; European Journal of Operational Research; Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting; Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control; European Journal of Finance; Journal of Asset Management; International Review of Financial Analysis.
All students registered for a taught Master's programme are eligible to apply for a place on our Global Skills Award Programme. The programme is designed to broaden your understanding of global issues and current affairs as well as to develop personal skills which will enhance your employability.
All students registered for a taught Master's programme are eligible to apply for a place on our Global Skills Award Programme. The programme is designed to broaden your understanding of global issues and current affairs as well as to develop personal skills which will enhance your employability.
Research activities at Kent Business School are broadly organised into six areas;
Our research extends business knowledge and produces innovative and sustainable solutions to organisational challenges. As a forward-looking school, we are always working to ensure that our research has a positive impact, not just within business but in the wider world.
Our staff are recognised as being at the forefront of their fields and their expertise has been sought by bodies such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), the Swiss Institute of Banking and Finance, the FT Trading Room, Kent County Council and Medway Council.
For more information, see our Research page.
Full details of staff research interests can be found on the School's website.
You gain much more than an academic qualification when you graduate from Kent Business School – we enhance your student experience and accelerate your career prospects.
In today’s business climate employers are increasingly demanding more from new employees, we are therefore proud that they continually target our graduates for their organisations across the globe. Employers respect our robust teaching and reputation for delivering international business expertise, leading global research and an outstanding international learning experience.
From the moment you start with us, our efforts are focused on helping you gain the knowledge, skills and experience you need to thrive in an increasingly competitive workplace.
Graduates have gone on to work for companies including, Deloitte, Fujitsu Services Ltd, Pace Capital, City Sprint, J.P Morgan & Chase and BP.
This programme is accredited by both the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and the Institute of Exports and International Trade (IOE&IT).
As a student at Kent Business School, you have the opportunity to gain the Chartered Management Institute’s (CMI) Level 7 certificate in Strategic Management and Leadership alongside your degree. CMI qualifications are highly sought after by employers. You will gain access to exclusive CMI networking events and resources, have the opportunity to attend lectures from top-level CMI industry-expert members and fast track into the next stage of training. CMI is the only chartered professional body in the UK dedicated to promoting the highest standards in management and leadership excellence. The CMI is the only organisation awarding Chartered Manager status, the hallmark of any professional manager, and encompasses a membership community more than 100,000.
The recent accreditation by the Institute of Export and International Trade (IOE&IT) is evidence of the quality and relevance to practice of our MSc International Business and Management programme. The IOE&IT is a professional membership body representing and supporting the interests of everyone in the domain of international trade. Our students will be able to gain membership of the IOE&IT as they study BSc International Business offering them access to visiting speakers, industry reports, industry webinars and podcasts, as well as networking and career development opportunities.
The 2020/21 annual tuition fees for this programme are:
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
For students continuing on this programme fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* If you are uncertain about your fee status please contact information@kent.ac.uk
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
Full-time tuition fees for Home and EU undergraduates are £9,250.
For students continuing on this programme, fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.*
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
Find out more about general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
Search our scholarships finder for possible funding opportunities. You may find it helpful to look at both:
Next steps
This course page is for the 2020/21 academic year. Please visit the current online prospectus for a list of postgraduate courses we offer.
Supporting your success
Kent ranked top 50 in The Complete University Guide 2024.
Fees and funding
Kent has risen 11 places in THE’s REF 2021 ranking, confirming us as a leading research university.
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