Alliance Manchester Business School - The University of Manchester
MSc in Business Analysis and Strategic Management
Manchester, United Kingdom
MSc
DURATION
12 months
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
04 Jul 2027*
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2027
TUITION FEES
GBP 30,500 / per year **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* Applications received after our final selection deadline will be considered at our discretion if places are still available
** UK students per annum: £20,500| International, including EU, students per annum: £30,500
Key Summary
About: Immerse yourself in strategic management and organizational behavior at Alliance Manchester Business School, one of the UK's first business schools, established in 1965 and among the largest campus-based business schools. You'll tackle complex global business challenges, sharpen analytical and communication skills employers demand, and put learning into practice through a client-facing project, covering strategic management, business analysis, organizational behavior, analytics, digital transformation.
Career Outcomes: Graduates move into strategy consulting, management consulting, corporate strategy, business analysis, project management, and digital transformation. They're prepared for analytics-driven roles in finance, operations, or marketing and for leadership positions in multinationals, NGOs, or startups.
Solve complex business challenges through strategic analysis, digital skills and applied consultancy learning.
- Develop analytical, technical, digital and communication skills valued by employers, with opportunities to apply learning through consultancy or dissertation work.
- Study on campus in Manchester, with opportunities to discover student life, careers and studying in the city through AMBS events and support.
- Choose a 60-credit capstone through an academic dissertation or supervised client consultancy project, applying theory to real-world strategic challenges.
- Study a course ranked 5th in the UK and 24th globally (QS Business Masters Rankings 2026).
Special Features
Apply your learning to real strategic challenges
Choose between an academic dissertation or a supervised client consultancy project for your 60-credit capstone. The consultancy route gives you the opportunity to apply theory to real-world strategic issues through group work and individual reflective analysis, subject to your academic performance in Semester 1.
Build the skills employers value
The course is designed to strengthen your analytical, technical, digital and communication skills. You will develop the ability to diagnose business problems, interpret organisational challenges and present evidence-based recommendations with clarity and confidence.
Shape your learning around your career goals
In Semester 2, you will study one core module and three electives, with the option to take one module from another Alliance MBS MSc programme, subject to approval. This gives you flexibility to align your learning with your professional interests.
Develop consultancy and strategic management capability
The programme combines strategic management, organisational behaviour, business analysis and practical application. You will explore how organisations design structures, develop capabilities and respond to complex international business issues.
Study a highly ranked course
This course is ranked 5th in the UK and 24th globally in the QS Business Masters Rankings 2026.
Original Thinking for the Next Generation
Thinking about master’s study? Join our webinar series to hear from academics, employers and alumni about the value of business education at Alliance Manchester Business School, the skills students develop, and how these can support future career goals.
Register for the webinar series
Course unit details
You will complete 180 credits in total:
- Eight taught units, worth 120 credits
- A dissertation project, worth 60 credits
Compulsory units focus on key challenges in strategic management, multinational enterprise operations, comparative business analysis and essential research skills. Optional units allow you to tailor your studies by specialising in areas of strategic management and business analysis that align with your interests and career goals.
The dissertation project offers two pathways:
- Traditional academic dissertation — a supervised piece of original scholarship, up to 8,000 words. With guidance from a supervisor, you will explore a topic of your choice, apply rigorous research methods and develop your analytical, critical thinking and independent research skills.
- Consultancy project — a group project report of up to 10,000 words, plus an individual professional reflective report of up to 2,000 words. During the summer, you will apply knowledge and skills from the taught part of the course to a major real-life client challenge, working as part of a team and reflecting on your professional development.
The consultancy pathway is closely linked to the Manchester Method, giving you the opportunity to learn through practical experience and develop as a reflective practitioner or manager.
For an up-to-date list of modules, please visit the 'Course Details' section of the course page.
Ranked 5th in the UK and 24th Globally for Management (QS Business Masters Rankings 2026).
- Transform cutting-edge theory into impactful practice through a live consultancy or dissertation project, working directly with senior managers and world-class academics.
- Understand the critical thinking in organisational design, as well as the development and management of strategic capabilities across diverse industries and global contexts.
- Gain the knowledge, skills, and mindset to conduct interdisciplinary research, both theoretical and applied, on business organisations across diverse industries.
- Develop the ability to apply advanced research techniques to address management issues related to strategic capability development and management.
- Enhances the ability to collaborate with senior managers and tackle real business challenges as internal or external consultants through supervised consultancy projects.
Funding Opportunities for Master's Degrees
Please see our up to date funding information below. On this page, you can find funding options for UK and international students. There are also several external awards that you can apply for directly.
To find out more about the graduate outcomes for this course, please see the Careers Information document.
This course is a 12 month full-time course, based in Manchester. All our MSc courses are taught in Manchester only; they are not available to study online.