MSc Business Management
This degree allows you to focus solely on general business, or to select modules in the wine industry, food production, equine management, agriculture, or international business to contextualise your studies in a sector of your choice
Location
Royal Agricultural University CampusDuration
Course duration 1 Year (Full time / Part time)Academic Year
21 September 2020 - 21 May 2021



Course Overview
*Subject to validation
The business world is complex, fast-moving and exciting, and demands high-calibre employees with sound management, marketing and financial skills. The ability to manage change, risk and people, and to develop sustainable business strategies is crucial. If you wish to develop your own enterprise then creative and entrepreneurial skills are needed too.
In addition to gaining a solid business foundation, you will gain these skills through a unique mix of elective routes covering management studies, international business, food chains, farm business and equine management, rural development, tourism and events, and entrepreneurship. An independent research project focusing on a business subject or organisation of personal interest will showcas the skills you have acquired.
Right from the start of the programme you will benefit from a one-to-one coaching session followed by ongoing employability support. You will also gain real-world experience from visits to a range of inspiring local, regional and international companies and events, as well as hearing from guest speakers and alumni working in industry.
This is a dual qualification. Upon successful completion of the degree you will be awarded membership and a Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership from the Chartered Management Institute, further enhancing your CV.
A minimum 2.2 honours degree from a UK university, or an equivalent academic qualification from a comparable international institution.
Students whose first language is not English must achieve a minimum IELTS score of 6.5.
Applicants without a first degree but with acceptable professional qualifications and/or acceptable management experience may also be considered.
Start-up Visa
The Royal Agricultural University is an endorsing institution under the Home Office’s Start-up visa route. The Start-up visa is for graduates who demonstrate high entrepreneurial potential and wish to start a business in the UK for the first time.
The Start-up visa is administered by the University’s Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Programme and facilitated by School of Business and Entrepreneurship. To be endorsed for the Start-up visa by The RAU, you must be an RAU student or graduate, and have taken part in the University’s Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Programme. Contact enterprise@rau.ac.uk for further information.
The course is offered full-time over 12 months, or part-time over two, three or four years and comprises lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials, case studies and a group project, as well as visits to and from national and international companies.
You will study eight modules in the autumn and spring terms; six core modules followed by two elective modules. The Research Project (dissertation) is then undertaken, to be submitted the following April.
Modules are assessed through continuous assessment and final examinations.
Timetables
Timetables are normally available one month before registration. Please note that while we make every effort to ensure that timetables are as student-friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week. Wednesday afternoons are normally reserved for sports and societies activities.
Modules
- 4086 Financial Management
- 4087 Economics and Policy
- 4088 Marketing Planning and Strategy
- 4089 Personal and Organisational Change
- 4090 Business Strategy
- 4091 Research Methodology
- 4106 Dissertation
Plus TWO additional modules, selected from:
- 3084 Entrepreneurship
- 3036 Advanced Equine Business Management
- 4015 Farm Business and Enterprise Management
- 4078 International Business
- 4209 Sustainability and the food industry
- 4221 International Agribusiness Finance and Investment
- 4228 New Product Development in the Agri-Food Industry
- 4239 Beverages and the Supply Chain
- 4203 Small Scale Farming and Local Food Supply
- 4229 Adaptive Management in a Complex World
- 4250 International Rural Development
- 4252 Rural Tourism and Event Management
The availability of electives to individual students will be dependent on timetabling considerations and on sufficient students electing to take part.
* Subject to validation
Tuition fees cover the cost of a student’s academic studies. This usually includes teaching costs, registration and examination fees (not repeat or trailing module fees, re-sit fees or dissertation extensions).
2020-21 Applicants
For the academic year 2020-21 the tuition fees for this course are:
UK/EU | Overseas | |
---|---|---|
Full-time | £8,160 per year | £12,240 per year |
Part-time | Please refer to Tuition Fees webpage | Please refer to Tuition Fees webpage |
Tuition fees may be subject to an inflationary increase each year as set out in our Access and Participation Plan 2019/20.
For full details, please visit the fees and funding webpage.
Scholarships
The University offers a range of generous fee waivers and bursaries. To find out more about the scholarships, awards and bursaries available, please visit the scholarships webpage.
Prospects
This stimulating and diverse programme offers students with a range of interests and first degrees a route into a successful business career. We work to ensure you develop the confidence and communication skills to make an impact in the work place. At the end of the MSc graduates will be well equipped to take on a leadership role within a rural or urban business setting, advance their management career or start up their own successful enterprise in a sector they feel passionate about.
Recent graduates have followed careers in:
- Wealth management
- Finance
- Marketing
- Farm management
- Equine business
- Consultancy
- Food retail
Our employers include:
- Old Mill
- Unilever
- ADM
- Millar Cameron
- Weatherbys
Verity Payne, MSc Business Management, 2013 - “After completing my undergraduate degree, I decided to complete an MSc in Business Management to give myself the best possible chance in the job market. It offers a comprehensive overview of all aspects of business, as well as the opportunity to choose electives that cover your specific areas of interest. I am now the Centre Coordinator for Farm491, the RAU’s innovative agritech hub. I look forward to utilising the skills I gained during my degree to support start-up businesses within the growing agritech sector.”
Apply now
Applications to study for postgraduate degrees need to be made directly through the University.
You can now apply via our website, using the online application form.
Alternatively, if you are unable access the online form you can call Admissions on 01285 889 912, or email admissions@rau.ac.uk.
We recommend applicants keep a copy of the completed form for their records.