MSc Management and Business Analytics

Business analytics focuses on the data and technology that enables fact-based decision-making. This module will guide you on how to use data extensively and how to perform statistical and quantitative analysis in order to drive business decisions and actions. You’ll learn how to conduct data preparation (cleaning and integration), pre-processing (standardisation and transformation), reduction (data selection), visualisation and modelling (choosing the right model and when to deploy it) before interpreting it to gain further insights from the data. The module will also demonstrate the use of several analytical tools and software. In addition, this module emphasises the importance of ethics and ethical practices when collecting and leveraging data in the business decision-making process.

Business Intelligence (BI) refers to technologies, applications, and practices for the collection, integration, analysis, and presentation of business information. The purpose of business intelligence is to support better business decision making. In this module, you’ll gain an understanding of the technology of BI and its application to an organisation’s strategies and goals. By using theory and knowledge, you’ll be equipped to extensively apply data and perform statistical and qualitative analyses that help drive business decisions and actions. You’ll also learn the business intelligence techniques and skills to understand, evaluate, and interpret business and performance metrics and tools. All of this will enable you to improve individual and organisational performance, which can be used to update organisational policies and procedures.

In this module, you’ll understand how to make decisions for businesses under uncertainty and risky conditions. You’ll critically evaluate and apply decision science frameworks while utilising knowledge acquired from the Business Intelligence module. You’ll also develop a critical understanding of how data can be used to simulate situations, which informs management decision making in a range of functions as well as how it creates strategic value. Throughout this module, you’ll be encouraged to engage with contemporary and ethical issues surrounding responsible decision making practices and you’ll engage with the organisational and wider environmental context in which these decisions are made.

This module is designed to develop your self-awareness as a leader and team player, helping you understand your strengths and weaknesses. You'll gain and improve essential management and leadership skills, while also cultivating reflexivity and an enterprising mindset to better handle uncertainty. The module aims to boost your confidence and ability to effectively articulate your skills for career development and employment, and to enhance your interpersonal communication. We'll explore diverse leadership perspectives on key topics like ethics, EDI, sustainability, technology, and change, equipping you to manage issues of corporate social responsibility and societal wellbeing. Finally, you'll learn to analyse and respond to the impact of environmental forces and social issues on organisations.

Management is the activity of getting things done with the aid of people and other resources. Working with human resources is a key element of this. And on this module, you'll develop a deep understanding of the practical art of managing change based on a theoretical understanding of organisational behaviour and leadership. Using theoretical concepts, this module enables you to build a comprehensive understanding of the emergent properties of organisations such as culture, politics and leadership. You'll also build practical skills to address the issues facing leaders and managers in contemporary, typically international, organisations.

You will explore the variety of organisational, social, and environmental contexts in which projects operate. You will examine sustainable project management from the perspectives of contemporary organisational practice, stakeholder engagement, and ESG (economic, social, environmental, and governance) considerations.

You will then critically evaluate principles, frameworks, and standards for sustainable project management, and assess how sustainability factors are embedded throughout project lifecycles. As projects drive change, you will learn the strategies to secure stakeholder support and manage change effectively. You will also develop the ability to apply

• sustainability performance metrics
• standards
• and best practices,

helping prepare you to lead responsible and sustainable change in diverse sectors.

You’ll gain an understanding of how to examine data and use statistics to produce information that’ll help businesses to formulate strategies and make decisions. Statistics underlies business analytics and intelligence, making it a powerful tool for decision making. Essential concepts in business analytics and intelligence will be introduced, as well as statistical and econometrics concepts that are central to areas such as business analytics, data mining, data analytics, big data and artificial intelligence. You’ll also be encouraged to work with diverse datasets, as you’ll learn how to prepare these and test basic models of analytics.

Your learning is supported through a structured programme of face-to-face workshops and/or support sessions, which may include one-to-one consultations, group discussions, and other interactive learning activities.

These workshops and support sessions provide structured guidance on the planning, design, and execution of an independent applied research project that seeks to address real-world organisational challenges. The guidance focuses on core research processes, methodological decision-making, ethical considerations, and effective communication of findings, and is designed to be applicable to you all on the module. Project ideas are informed by real-world organisations, and you're given the opportunity to explore a topic that reflects your individual interests, professional experience, and/or career aspirations.

This module is a great opportunity to gain one year’s supervised paid work experience in the UK or internationally in a marketing role. You will investigate a marketing challenge in a commercial or non-profit organisation. Throughout this module, you apply the practical concepts you have learned on the course. When you are working for the organisation, you will be responsible for managing a large proportion of your own learning, including tracking and recording your progress.

We provide lots of support to help you find paid work experience and gain connections with various organisations. Our placements team (WAVES) has a database which records work placement opportunities and they run numerous placements fairs where you could meet potential employers. Securing a work experience placement is your responsibility and does take a lot of effort, but this gives you valuable experience. You would need to cover your own living and travel costs throughout this duration.