Master of Science in Strategy and International Business

at Aston University United Kingdom

Learn the complex yet subtle art of managing people in organisations, and develop skills for analysis and in-depth policy formation as well as the broader discipline of management on our fully accredited Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) course.

This course provides you with a detailed theoretical knowledge of Human Resource Management, whilst at the same time giving you the relevant vocational skills needed for a range of HR roles.

You’ll also benefit by developing a broad range of business skills. This can help you to secure management positions in various areas of business.

Explore the concepts, principles and theories relating to leadership within organisations and develop specialist knowledge and skills in entrepreneurship in a range of settings on our MSc Leadership and Entrepreneurship.

The MSc Leadership and Entrepreneurship will develop your knowledge of the concepts, principles and theories relating to leadership within organisations. It will teach you how to apply the strategic role that leadership can make within wider organisational context.

You’ll learn about organisational behaviour, what motivates people and how they work together, how to develop and deliver strategy and change as well as develop businesses within a range of contexts.

You’ll also develop your entrepreneurial skills in relation to business development, identifying opportunities, and international business and emerging economies. This means, you’ll establish a strong entrepreneurial mindset whilst developing your practical skills whilst you study.

Study the Forensic Linguistics MA at Aston University, home of the world-leading Aston Institute for Forensic Linguistics, to take your linguistics skills to the next level and improve the delivery of justice through the analysis of language.

What you’ll learn
The Forensic Linguistics MA course aims to expand your linguistic analysis skills and understanding so that you can apply them to forensic texts, and in forensic and legal contexts.

You will learn from some of the world’s leading academics in the field of forensic linguistics, based at our research institute - the Aston Institute for Forensic Linguistics.

Understand the world and how to change it. Whether you want to run your own business, succeed in a global organization, or make a difference in society through social enterprise, Business and Sociology could be for you.

What you’ll learn
You will establish foundations in sociological approaches to gender, race, class, and sexuality before more complex issues between science and race, reproductive politics, corporate power, climate change, aging, religion, and media power.

You’ll study the theories, principles, and underlying concepts of the main functions of management, equipped with a strong understanding of business models and processes, all brought to life with real-world examples and case studies. You’ll examine how strategic decision-making within organizations takes place, and develop the ability to recognize and analyze the economic, technical, financial, social, and organizational parameters within which modern managers make decisions. 

This degree combines the essential knowledge from economics and management that you will need to be able to understand how organizations develop and implement strategies to compete against each other in both domestic and international markets.

What you’ll learn
Studying this course will give you an in-depth understanding of business and strategic decision-making while developing both your analytical and quantitative skills. Knowledge of statistical and experimental methods used in economics is increasingly important for a successful professional career.

Theories, models, and methods are brought to life through teaching that focuses on active learning and content that stresses real-world examples and applications. The placement year helps to equip you with highly relevant transferable skills that further increase your value in the graduate labor market.

The course will help you to understand the relationships between different parts of an organization, and its interactions with the economic environment. Theories and frameworks in both management and economics education also develop your decision-making skills and your ability to manage teams effectively.

A Business Management and English Language degree from Aston gives you the chance to combine in-demand commercial and leadership skills, alongside theoretical knowledge and understanding of the English language, how it works in business, and its role in the workplace.

What you’ll learn
You will be taught by lecturers who are internationally recognized researchers in fields such as leadership communication, marketing, economic development, multi-national enterprises, forensic linguistics, language and gender, and TESOL.

With a professional placement year as one of its key features, the program is geared towards increasing your employability by providing you with the knowledge and skills required of professionals working in the public, private and voluntary sectors.

Explore English language and literature, how they work in society and their role in the world today, and develop your communication and analytical skills by studying a BSc (Hons) English Language and Literature degree course at Aston University.

What you’ll learn
As an English language student at Aston, you’ll gain theoretical knowledge and understanding of the English language, along with an exploration of social processes, organisational dynamics and inter-group relationships.

You’ll learn from world-leading academics with cutting-edge research and teaching experience in fields such as ethnic and gender equalities, global change, theories of social change, forensic linguistics, language, gender and teaching English to speakers of other languages.

On the literature strand of the course, you’ll get a broad introduction to literary genres and periods from the seventeenth century to the present day, and consider all literature’s different manifestations, from graffiti and blogging to poetry, novels and street theatre.

You’ll study literacy as a social practice and will explore how and why people read and write at all levels of society. We will equip you to critically engage with a variety of texts across literary genres and periods, and you’ll be able to develop your skills as a writer through our creative writing module.

In the third year of your course, you’ll spend a year on placement with a company, working as a teaching assistant in a school or studying at one of our partner universities - you might even choose to combine two of these options, adding further value to your degree, and in your second year we’ll make sure you’re ready to get the most from this opportunity.

On our MSc Marketing and Strategy, you’ll learn how to make appropriate strategic and operational marketing decisions. You can enhance your employability by developing life-long learning and personal development skills.

The MSc Marketing and Strategy will develop your understanding and application of core theories in Marketing. You will learn how to undertake and apply marketing analyses using appropriate marketing theories and techniques, which will allow you to make appropriate strategic and operational marketing decisions.

This course will also develop your understanding and application of core theories in strategy, and you will learn how to apply the knowledge and skills required for assessing and developing business strategies and operations.

This course aims to provide a program of study that meets your needs if you are a local, national or international student, enabling you to learn by the exchange of experience as well as formal academic study. It is designed for recent graduates and those already in employment.

Study business alongside international relations to learn more about contemporary issues in global politics, with an integrated placement year to give your career prospects a real boost.

What you’ll learn
As a business student at Aston, you’ll study the theories, principles, and underlying concepts of management and develop a strong understanding of business models and processes. You’ll examine how strategic decision-making within organizations takes place, and develop the ability to recognize and analyze the economic, technical, financial, social, and organizational parameters within which modern managers make decisions, providing you with a solid starting point for your future career.

On the international relations strand of the course, you’ll get an introduction to the international state system and to the structure and purpose of international organizations, such as the United Nations, the World Health Organization (WHO), and NATO. You will develop a knowledge and understanding of the nature between states and also of the roles played by international institutions, other intergovernmental organizations, multinational corporations, and NGOs.

Important strengths of the course include its focus on key contemporary issues in international relations and policy, such as security and the globalization of the international political economy. It is strongly geared towards increasing your employability, therefore designed to provide you with the knowledge and skills relevant to careers involving international partnerships in the public, private and voluntary sectors.

Mechanical engineers help to solve some of the world’s trickiest problems and we’ll equip you with the tools you need to craft fantastic work and transform your ideas into reality in a wide array of industries. This Mechanical Engineering masters course aims to develop the performance prediction skills that are required in modern engineering environments, especially design, estimation and optimisation processes. This course takes the BEng and develops it to a full masters programme, meeting all the academic requirements for Chartered Engineer status.

Our programmes introduce a full range of core engineering science modules coupled to practical projects, ensuring a highly integrated and industry-relevant degree programme.

This masters degree is either four years full-time, or five years if you choose to take a year in industry, building your employability skills and establishing a professional network as you progress.

What you’ll learn
In your first year you’ll develop a fundamental understanding of mechanical engineering, through classes in engineering, science and maths. You’ll also be working on major projects, partnering with colleagues, staff and engineers from industry to develop real solutions to live problems.

During your second year you’ll begin to develop the skills and technical knowledge you need to become a professional engineer. Then, in your third year, you’ll undertake a major project, involving design, experimental or analytical work which can be tailored to suit your own interests, or aligned to your target vocation.

If you choose to take a year in industry in year three, we’ll support you to find a paid, professional placement of direct relevance to your studies. This placement will give you invaluable practical experience in a real work environment and will further enhance your career prospects.