Strategic Management

Entry requirements

Months of entry

January, May, September

Course content

Build the knowledge and skills to diagnose and analyse modern business challenges and develop innovative and value-adding strategies. This exciting master's degree encompasses current themes of ethics, leadership, sustainability and innovation in a strategic context.

In the modern competitive and dynamic business world, successful organisations need to be innovative and agile. They also need to differentiate themselves from the competition by offering unique and best in class propositions.

This master's degree will prepare you for a career in business and management by developing business knowledge and skills, together with the self-awareness and personal development appropriate to postgraduate/management careers in business. This includes the development of positive and critical attitudes towards leadership, change, and enterprise to reflect the dynamism and vibrancy of the business and management environment.

The course will enable you to clarify the complexity and diversity of the management role and to develop and evidence the practical and professional skills required to succeed as an effective strategic manager. You'll develop an advanced knowledge and critical understanding of the complex and diverse workings of the business organisation from a strategic perspective.

You'll also be supported to facilitate critical awareness of the wider changing environment of business in which managers must operate and respond effectively by applying creative judgements in dealing with systematic and complex issues. You'll also be encouraged to hone your skills of autonomous learning and original enquiry with academic knowledge and professional practice across a range of management disciplines to convey analytical and theoretical abilities, reasoning, results and conclusions.

Core modules

This module will allow you to build a strong foundation of academic, personal and professional development skills that will ensure success in the workplace. Throughout the module you'll develop a stronger reflective awareness of what your skills are, how they can be put into action to ensure your professional success, and where improvements can be made through a clear plan of action. You'll also develop a confident grasp of the study skills you need to suceed at master's level. This is a must-pass module.

This module consists of two parts: Research Methods and Final Major Project. The Research Methods element will develop your skills of inquiry and management research required for your Final Major Project, resulting in a project proposal used as the basis for your Final Major Project. For your Final Major Project, you'll have the opportunity to apply your research and analytical skills to an area of your interest within the field of business/management, as defined in your project proposal.

This module will help you to identify opportunities for change in a digital marketing setting, engaging with tools and practices to plan and design strategies effectively. You'll explore the dynamic digital environment through a digital strategy simulation exercise, learning how to take a strategic approach in digital marketing planning.

Combining theory and practice, this module will help you develop and enhance your own strategic leadership qualities. You'll gain a clear understanding of contemporary issues of leadership and will be supported towards a career in business management enabling you to apply knowledge and understanding of business and management to complex, dynamic issues and situations that will arise in your working environment.

This module explores the role and purpose of strategic operations management within an organisation. You'll explore the major principles of operations management and critically analyse how these are applied in different organisations. You'll begin to develop an understanding of the challenges associated with the management of operations and will be equipped with the theoretical knowedge of key areas in strategic operations management, with the opportunity for practical application to examples from industry.

Optional modules

During this module you'll develop your knowledge and understanding of the exciting world of projects, with project management being a very fast-growing profession utilising a skillset much valued by employers. These project management skills are transferable to any job role which you aspire to, as well as directly for project management roles.

In this module, you'll learn about the concepts of entrepreneurship, intrapreneurship, business development, and the role of SMEs in economy - all with the aim of developing your confidence with being immersed in an ever-changing business environment and recognising opportunities, as well as equipping you with the skills and knowledge to start your own business. You'll gain theoretical knowledge of key areas in digital innovation and business transformation, as well as the ability to understand new innovations to offer opportunitites within businesses.

Information for international students

All international applicants need to be aware that the English language requirements to attend Solent University, and the English language requirements to obtain a visa from the Home Office, may be different. This means that if you meet the Solent University language requirement to gain a place on the course, you may still have to meet additional requirements to be granted with a visa by the Home Office.

We strongly advise all applicants to visit the Home Office website which outlines all the requirements for a successful visa application and to take a look at this PDF document which outlines both Solent University and Home Office requirements for a number of language tests.

Fees and funding

Assessment