International Business (MLitt) 2025 entry

For more details, including weekly contact hours, teaching methods and assessment, please see the module catalogue. The modules are examples from previous academic years and may be subject to change before you start your course.

• 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

  • Scenario Thinking and Strategy
  • Introduction to Entrepreneurship
  • International Marketing
  • Business Ethics
  • Leadership in Organisations
  • Strategic Innovation Management
  • Marketing and Society
  • Managing Non-Governmental Organisations
  • Financial Technology (FinTech)
  • Sustainable Finance
  • Financial Systems
  • Behavioural Finance
  • Risk Management
  • Corporate Governance

• 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.