MA in International Business

Program Overview

The MA in International Business equips graduates with advanced knowledge and skills in international business practices, leadership, and management. The program covers diverse subject areas, including strategy, finance, marketing, and technology, and emphasizes the interconnectedness of business disciplines. Graduates are prepared for leadership roles in international companies and may pursue further studies or employment in various industry sectors.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The MA in International Business is designed to prepare graduates with advanced knowledge and in-depth understanding of the complexities and challenges associated with international business practice, leadership and management, the issues and drivers that inform and influence practice, and the fundamental linkages between disciplinary specialisms including strategy, risk, marketing, finance, and technology. This postgraduate program is designed for prospective learners seeking either a full or part-time Masters program in international business. Applicants typically work in or aspire to leadership roles in companies engaged or considering engaging in international business. The program is intentionally designed to accommodate applicants from business disciplines as well as non-cognate disciplines, reflecting the industry's need for their workforce to have diverse knowledge, skills, experience, and expertise, strengthened by the addition of business acumen specific to the international business context. This MA in International Business aims to equip graduates with the ability to remain competitive and employable in an ever-advancing sector. The program consists of eight taught modules totaling 60 ECTS, followed by a 30 ECTS supervised applied business project. Learners who decide to leave the program after completing the taught elements may be entitled to receive the embedded exit award of a Post Graduate Diploma in Arts in International Business. Graduates will be qualified to assume leadership and management roles and/or progress to further studies. Subject areas are diverse and facilitate the acquisition of discipline-specific knowledge, skill, and competence along with the development of transversal skills.

Outline:

This is an award stage program comprising taught modules and a capstone project. While the taught element of the program is defined as a series of modules, the curriculum is closely integrated to facilitate learner's understanding of the interconnected nature of different business elements and disciplines. The taught modules are primarily assessed through continuous assessment, comprising a combination of individual and group assessments. Some assessments are integrated to address the requirements of more than one module. There is one exam within the program as part of the assessment for the International Finance module. The capstone is assessed via a supervised research project.

Modules:

• Global Business Strategy (10 ECTS): This module develops learners' knowledge of the fundamentals of global, business, and corporate strategies and their impact.
The nature of resources and their capabilities and the role of institutions, culture, and ethics in value creation and competitive positioning are examined. Learners enhance their critical thinking and problem-solving skills for evaluating the implications that lie within global strategy.
• The Global Economy (5 ECTS): This module investigates the economic perspective of globalization and develops learners' knowledge and understanding of market structures and economic, business, and innovation cycles.
Trends in macroeconomic policy and the interaction of the State and international business are addressed along with the role of technology in the global economy and the significance of an environmental perspective.
• Research Methods and Professionalism (5 ECTS): This module provides the critical and advanced research concepts and skills necessary for students to undertake business-oriented projects within the legal, social, and ethical context of a professional work environment.
The module prepares students for the capstone research.
• Cross Cultural Management & Leadership (10 ECTS): This module explores the literature relating to the main concepts, theories, and frameworks relating to Cross Cultural Management and Leadership.
It involves the analysis of working in and leading cross-cultural teams. The module also inculcates the learners with the skills for leading teams and groups in the various business functions they work in.
• International Finance (10 ECTS): This module deals with the increased complexity of decisions for financial managers in international companies compared to their domestic counterparts, examining the motives that drive internationalization, modes of internationalization, and its challenges and opportunities.
The module analyzes the operation of international corporations, international financial markets, and international financial institutions.
• Risk Management (5 ECTS): Risk Management is a highly integrated and complementary module in the Master of Arts in International Business program, with linkages to Global Economy, Cross Cultural Management, Leadership, Global Business Strategy, and Innovation and Strategic Technology.
The module develops learners' ability to critically examine concepts, theories, and methodologies relating to risk management and utilize analytical skills to assess and manage a wide variety of risk types in today's unpredictable and fast-paced business environment.
• Digital Marketing Strategy (10 ECTS): This module develops learners' knowledge and appreciation of the challenges facing businesses operating in the global environment by using digital marketing strategies.
Learners gain insights into digital marketing's role and its capabilities to deliver marketing objectives. The module focuses on the impact of new technologies and perspectives on digital marketing strategy.
• Innovation Strategy and Technology (5 ECTS): This module deals with the digital transformation phenomenon currently at the forefront of legacy-based businesses to maintain competitiveness in a crowded international marketplace.
It focuses on the emergence of identified disruptive technologies such as machine learning, A.I.-based cognitive systems, cloud storage, and technologies to support data analysis. The module deals with the application of these technologies. Knowledge gained throughout the program will facilitate the student's critical scrutiny of current trends in technology use as well as future possible uses of technology within a commercial sphere.

Assessment:

A combination of formative and summative assessments is employed within the Masters program. Summative assessments are completed during the taught modules and through end-of-module assessments. The program engages an authentic assessment approach to provide learners with an insight into real work tasks, scenarios, and challenges. Opportunities for integrated assessment are maximized to better reflect authentic work-based problems and scenarios. The program uses a combination of continuous assessment, examination, and research project assessment methodologies.

Teaching:

The program is an on-campus program supported by the College's Moodle platform and digital tools. The program is supported by the CCT Industry Network. Industry representatives support the program delivery, providing real-world and real-time business challenges and experiences through guest lecturing, site/virtual visits, and providing real-world case studies and businesses to support student assessment activities, including individual and group assessment.

Careers:

On successful completion of the program, graduates are well placed to progress to further study, including level 10 doctoral studies, subject to the requirements of the institution to which they apply. Research and government publications evidence employment opportunities for business graduates and those with higher-level qualifications. Potential employment opportunities for graduates of the Masters program include a range of leadership and management positions in small, medium, large, and multinational companies across a range of industry sectors.