MSc International Business Management with Industry Placement

Year 1

The industry placement

At the Edinburgh Business School, we work with corporate business partners from across the world and have a team of designated professionals who will work with you to identify your industry placement.

We work closely with established industry partners and our support team will meet with you at the end of year 1 to assist you in finding a suitable placement. We encourage you to utilise your own professional network to source independent placements, and our team will work with your contacts to secure and manage these additional industry placements. Our business organisations will use an interview process to recruit their placement students.

Find out about our placements in the student handbook.

As the placement is credit bearing, to progress onto the placement year you will need to reach the designated attainment status beforehand.

In Year 1 - Semesters 1 and 2 students take 2 mandatory and 2 optional courses
In Year 2 - Students take part in their industry placement and complete a dissertation 

Year 1: Semester 1 (Sept - Dec)	Year 1: Semester 2 (Jan - April)
International Business Context	Business Economics
Competitive Strategy	Research Philosophy and Practice
2 from a range of options including: Fundamentals of Lean Six Sigma Global Purchasing and Supply Contemporary Business Technology Leadership Marketing Measuring and Managing Performance Operations Management Work Culture & Organisations Marketing Logistics Corporate Social Responsibility  Financial Analysis Performing Identities: Festivals and Global Heritage	2 from a range of options including: Managing Diversity in Business Green and Sustainable Logistics Demand and Inventory Planning Quality Management and Engineering Project Management Sustainable Marketing

Mandatory courses: 

International Business Context - Semester 1 

Explores the nature of a firm's response to the challenges of internationalisation by examining the strategic basis, method and direction of international strategies. Examines both multi- and micro-nationals and utilises conventional strategic tools to study international strategies.

Competitive Strategy - Semester 1

Examines how companies compete by developing and understanding the interactions and relationships between theoretical concepts; examining the individual components of strategic management models and considering how companies may achieve and sustain competitive advantage.

Business Economics - Semester 2 

Provides knowledge and understanding of the basic principles and concepts of microeconomics and macroeconomics and to be able to apply this knowledge and understanding in the analysis of a range of economic problems.

Research Philosophy and Practice - Semester 2 

Provides an understanding of the social science research process, as well as theory and approaches to research. Develops practical skills (i.e. quantitative and qualitative techniques) in data analysis to transform the raw data into information that guides marketing management valuations.

Examples of Optional Business Management Courses available: 

Marketing

Looking at the role of marketing and its application in an international business context, highlighting the crucial role of contemporary issues within marketing as part of the increasingly competitive global environment.

Leadership

The course looks at how to comprehend different theories of leadership, focusing on the links between effective and appropriate leadership and organisational strategy and will consider leadership practice in various real-life or simulated contexts. 

Fundamentals of Lean Six Sigma

This course will to introduce you to the principles of Lean Six Sigma thinking, tools and techniques of Lean Six Sigma and teach you the wider implications of strategic issues in organisation management and how these impact on continuous improvement programmes. 

Work Culture and Organisations

This course is concerned with work culture at the individual, group and organisational level. Topics covered include Scientific Management and the HR School, the organisation and the external environment, power, politics and influence in organisations, approaches to leadership, performance and reward, organisational culture.

Project Management

This course examines monitoring and controlling projects. You will develop competence in the use of quantitative and qualitative project planning and control tools and techniques.

Demand and Inventory Planning

This course will allow you to develop in-depth knowledge and understanding of relevant demand and inventory management concepts, teach the impact of forecasting and inventory on supply chain performance. You will be able to critically appreciate the complexities and dynamics of managing inventories in the multi-echelon network.