MLitt International Business

A  2.1 undergraduate Honours degree in a management or business-related subject from the UK or the equivalent international qualification. Applicants with business experience are welcome, and work experience may be taken into account in the evaluation of applications.

The qualifications listed are indicative minimum requirements for entry. Some academic Schools will ask applicants to achieve significantly higher marks than the minimum. Obtaining the listed entry requirements will not guarantee you a place, as the University considers all aspects of every application including, where applicable, the writing sample, personal statement, and supporting documents.

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Alumni from the Masters in International Business, and from other Masters programmes in the University of St Andrews Business School, have secured employment in the fields of general management, management consultancy, marketing and brand management, accountancy, investment analysis, fund administration and other aspects of the financial services industry. 

Graduates from the Masters in International Business have taken up roles in a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sector including: 

• Accenture 
• Amazon 
• Credit Suisse Group 
• Google 
• IBM 
• LEGO 
• Oracle 
• Pricewaterhouse
• Coopers Consulting 
• Procter and Gamble 
• Volkswagen Group

The Careers Centre offers one-to-one advice to all students as well as a programme of events to assist students in building their employability skills.

Compulsory

• Contemporary Global Issues in Management: focuses on how various global trends impact upon economies, organisations and the practice of management, business and marketing within the context of responsible enterprise. 
• Global Business Strategy: develops a wide-ranging, critical understanding of the strategic issues involved within global organisations and the increasingly complex operating environment in which they are situated. This module draws on elements of the international political economy, financial aspects and strategic planning in the context of the international business environment.
• International Business and Emerging Markets: examines the rising economic powers and their emergence as key players in global politics and the economy. This module will enhance understanding of emerging markets and National Innovation Systems (NIS) in newly industrialised countries, and also examine emerging markets in various regions across the globe. The module will use a range of theoretical lenses – both established and newly developed – to explore how emerging market firms internationalise, catch up, and compete with established Western Multinationals. The module covers innovation and family firms from emerging markets and looks at innovative ways to alleviate poverty, focusing on how profitability can be achieved in an ethical and sustainable manner, benefiting both businesses and their stakeholders.
• Masterclasses in International Business: invited guest speakers with significant experience in international business explore a range of topics, such as business collaboration and open innovation; the impact of international terrorism on business; doing business in emerging markets; and slavery in the modern-day business environment in interactive ‘masterclass’ sessions in order to develop an understanding of the topics through the lens of the practitioner and promote dialogue and debate among IB students on the issues arising from these sessions.
• Managing People in Global Contexts: focuses on meeting the challenges of managing human resources in international contexts, including examining the impact of cultural values and institutional “embeddedness” as well as a range of other issues related to the effective management of people by multinational organisations. Provides the tools and knowledge to communicate HR issues effectively, and evaluate and formulate solutions relating to the management of workforces on an international level.

Optional 

Students choose two optional modules, taking one in each semester. For the latest optional module information, see the module catalogue. 

Here is a sample of optional modules that may be offered:

• Behavioural Finance 
• Entrepreneurship and Business Development 
• Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Creativity 
• Financial Systems 
• International Financial Management 
• International Marketing 
• Leadership in Organisations 
• Managing People in Global Markets 
• Marketing and Society 
• Managing Non-Governmental Organisations 
• Risk Management 
• Scenario Thinking and Strategy

Optional modules are subject to change each year and require a minimum number of participants to be offered. Some may only allow limited numbers of students (see the University's position on curriculum development).

Dissertation

Students attend lectures throughout Semesters 1 and 2 to prepare them for conducting the research portion of the dissertation. The dissertation is normally on a specific area of international business, however, at the University of St Andrews Business School, you will have the freedom to develop a topic of your own, which is of interest to you and will contribute towards your career development or further study goals. 

Supervisors are assigned based on a research proposal submitted in the second semester. Students will then research and write a 15,000-word dissertation over the summer to be submitted on a date specified in August. 

If students choose not to complete the dissertation requirement for their Masters degree (MLitt), there are exit awards available that allow suitably qualified candidates to receive a postgraduate diploma (PGDip). By choosing an exit award, you will finish your degree at the end of the second semester of study and receive a PGDip instead of a MLitt.