MSc International Business Strategy
- MSc
Overview
What is the International Business Strategy MSc?
Accredited by the Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals (ISEP), the International Business Strategy MSc is a one-year master's focused on how organisations compete and succeed in a complex global economy.
Explore how businesses respond to geopolitical, technological and sustainability challenges, and how organisations develop strategies across international and cross-cultural contexts.
Drawing on international business and social science perspectives, examine global trends including digital transformation, AI and evolving forms of international competition.
Who is the International Business Strategy MSc designed for?
This programme is for graduates who want to understand how organisations compete and grow in a rapidly changing global economy. No prior study in business or management is required.
What skills will you gain from this programme?
- Strategic analysis and critical thinking
- International business environment analysis
- Interpretation of global economic and organisational data
- Problem-solving in complex and uncertain contexts
- Cross-cultural and cross-border analysis
- Evidence-based strategic decision-making
- Research design and academic inquiry
- Communication of strategic ideas.
By the end of the programme, you will have the skills to evaluate international business environments, develop evidence-based strategic responses and demonstrate responsible leadership.
Why study the International Business Strategy MSc at the University of Bristol Business School?
- ISEP accredited, with free student membership for the duration of the programme.
- Develop expertise in global strategy, international business and organisational transformation.
- Explore sustainability, innovation and responsible global leadership.
- Learn through contemporary research and international case studies.
- Examine global challenges and their impact on organisations and societies.
- Analyse the strategic decisions of multinational firms and international new ventures.
- Develop analytical, problem-solving and cross-cultural communication skills.
Discover the new Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus
The new Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus is a £500 million investment in your future. Learn in collaborative teaching spaces and access specialist facilities, including the Bloomberg Room, where you can develop practical skills using industry-standard financial and market data tools.
You can also bring ideas to life in the Design Factory, with access to a Hackspace, project labs and support from design experts and industry partners.
Through Bristol's innovation ecosystem, you will connect with businesses and organisations, while dedicated careers support will help you develop the skills, networks and experience to succeed after graduation.
Programme structure
Core and specialist options
You will start by gaining a foundational understanding of the strategies that organisations use across borders to innovate in international contexts, tackle sustainability and adapt to changes in the global economy, studying core units in:
- Global Strategy
- Contemporary International Business
- Sustainable Organisational Transformation
- International New Ventures
- Global Innovation Management
- Entrepreneurship and Society.
You will then deepen your knowledge by exploring specialist themes, choosing an optional unit that may include:
- Entrepreneurship and Society
- Sustainability in Global Value Chains
- Sustainability Management in Practice.
Final project
Your studies in teaching blocks 1 and 2 build the foundations for your 60-credit independent research project, completed over the summer. In this Master's Impact Project, you will plan and execute an academic, practice-based or reflective-practice project at an appropriate professional standard.
Options include:
- Independent research project
- Business-based research project
- Business practice project
- Thematic research portfolio.
Visit our programme catalogue for full details of the structure and unit content for our MSc in International Business and Strategy.
Entry requirements
You will typically need an upper second-class honours degree or an international equivalent in any discipline.
If you are currently completing a degree, we understand that your final grade may be higher than the interim grades or module/unit grades you have achieved during your studies to date.
We will consider your application if your interim grades are currently slightly lower than the programme's entry requirements and may make you an aspirational offer. This offer would be at the standard level, so you would need to achieve the standard entry requirements by the end of your degree.
We will also consider your application if your final overall achieved grade is slightly lower than the programme's entry requirements.
If your achieved grade is lower than our entry requirements, your application may be more likely to receive an offer if you have additional relevant work experience or qualifications. If you have at least one of the following, please include your CV (curriculum vitae / résumé) when you apply, showing:
- evidence of five years' relevant work experience in business and corporate management, finance and accounting, marketing and sales, operations and logistics, public sector or nonprofit administration, human resources, project management, data and analytics
- a relevant postgraduate qualification.
See international equivalent qualifications on the International Office website.
Read the programme admissions statement for important information on entry requirements, the application process and supporting documents required.
If English is not your first language, you will need to reach the requirements outlined in our profile level B.
Further information about English language requirements and profile levels.
Fees and funding
- Home: full-time
- £19,200 per year
- Overseas: full-time
- £34,500 per year
Fees are subject to an annual review. For programmes that last longer than one year, please budget for up to an 8% increase in fees each year.
More about tuition fees, living costs and financial support.
Alumni discount
University of Bristol students and graduates can benefit from a 25% reduction in tuition fees for postgraduate study. Check your eligibility for an alumni discount.
Funding and scholarships
Scholarships for Home (UK) Students include the Business School Advance Scholarship.
Further information on funding for prospective UK and international postgraduate students.
Career prospects
Accredited by the Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals (ISEP), the International Business Strategy MSc prepares you to lead organisations and make strategic decisions in a rapidly changing global business environment.
Develop practical experience by taking the perspective of business leaders, completing strategic challenges, testing new venture ideas and delivering an immersive organisational transformation project.
Build expertise in international business, strategy, innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainability while addressing globalisation, technological change and geopolitical uncertainty.
Complete a flexible Master's Impact Project (MiP) in your final term, offering a choice of applied and research-based alternatives to the traditional dissertation. Choose from four pathways, with options for individual and team-based projects focused on research or real-world business challenges:
- Business-Based Research Project with an external organisation
- Thematic Research Portfolio
- Independent Research Project (dissertation or policy paper)
- Business Practice Project focused on consultancy, planning or simulation.
Through case studies, simulations and applied projects, you'll develop strategic analysis, problem solving, cross-cultural communication and teamwork skills, while benefiting from networking opportunities and a full range of careers support.
What career opportunities can this programme lead to?
- Management Consultant
- International Business Analyst
- Strategy Analyst
- Global Operations or Expansion Analyst
- Business Development Manager (international focus)
- Innovation or Transformation Analyst
- Sustainability or Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Strategy Analyst
- Entrepreneur or Founder (new ventures)
- Policy or International Trade Analyst
- Corporate Strategy Associate
Where do University of Bristol Business School graduates work now?
- Accenture
- Deloitte
- EY
- PwC.
Contact us
- Contact
- Enquiries Team
- Phone
- +44 (0) 117 394 1649
- choosebristol-pg@bristol.ac.uk