Management

The highlights

• Our MSc Management is a management and leadership masters for graduates from both business and non-business backgrounds
• You will gain a broad range of management skills, in areas such as strategic thinking, HR, finance, risk management and supply chains
• You will follow a new curriculum that's been developed post-Brexit and post-Covid and addresses the challenges of managing in the 2020s and beyond
• We'll push you out of your comfort zone, expecting you to come up with solutions to challenging problems. Through this, you will build resilience and confidence
• Towards the end of the programme, you will put into practice everything you've learnt, by undertaking in-depth research for a business and recommending improvements

Set your sights on management

If your sights are set on managerial roles this is the Masters for you. It will give you a good, high-level grounding in all areas of management and improve your employability and confidence. We focus on equipping you with the skills to deal with the business environment of the 2020s: a decade which has so far been characterised by uncertainty, turbulence and change.

This MSc Management assumes you have no prior knowledge of business or management, so we'll begin with some foundational modules that will bring you up to speed. These will develop your knowledge of key management theories and give you the skills to think and act more strategically. We will then look more specifically at the management of people, supply chains, finance, and risk, in subsequent modules. 

Towards the end of the programme, you will bring all your newly-acquired knowledge and skills together to conduct an in-depth research project for a business. This will give you valuable experience and also the confidence to know that you can apply your learning to real situations.

High-profile partnerships

Throughout the MSc Management, you will meet industry experts from our thriving network of professionals and business leaders. We collaborate directly with prestigious names such as:

• Lloyds Bank Corporate
• Bank of England Midlands Office
• HSBC Nottingham
• Eversheds
• Price Waterhouse Cooper
• PKF Cooper Parry
• Smiths of Derby
• GI Insight, Leicester
• Kitchencraft

Many of these companies contribute to our MSc programme with thought-provoking guest lectures. 

You will also gain fresh insights through company visits. In the past, business and management students have experienced behind-the-scenes tours of:

• Derby Arena
• Crown Derby
• High performance engineering companies

You can also extend your contacts through networking — for instance, at Institute of Directors workshops, company taster days and events held by our University’s own Network of Entrepreneurs.

You'll study modules such as:

• Contemporary Management and Leadership Thinking and Application
• Strategic and Financial Performance Management
• Leading, Managing and Developing People
• The Changing Business Environment and Leading Strategically
• Risk Management in a Global Context
• Global Supply Chain Management and Logistics
• Corporate Placement Project 

Please note that our modules are subject to change - we review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects.

This masters will blend online and face-to-face teaching and learning, including lectures, seminars, tutorials, group work and independent research. You will analyse case studies, hear from insightful guest speakers, and go on business trips. 

The assessments will focus on developing your practical communication skills, so will include presentations, reports, data collection and consultancy. 

• An undergraduate degree with a minimum 2:2 classification or its international equivalent. 
• If English is not your first language, you will also need IELTS 6.5 with 6.0 in each skills area.

2024/25 (August 2024 - July 2025)

Please note fees normally increase in line with inflation and the University's strategic approach to fees, which is reviewed on an annual basis. The total fee you pay may therefore increase after one year of study.

* UK full-time fees paid within one academic year are rounded down to the nearest £50 if applicable

Additional costs and optional extras

2025/26 (August 2025 - July 2026)

Please note fees normally increase in line with inflation and the University's strategic approach to fees, which is reviewed on an annual basis. The total fee you pay may therefore increase after one year of study.

* UK full-time fees paid within one academic year are rounded down to the nearest £50 if applicable

Additional costs and optional extras

About postgraduate awards

Please note at postgraduate level, you’ll need to gain the following number of credits in total to obtain the respective awards. If you have any questions please contact us.

This means you will gain 180 credits in total to complete the full MA or MSc. If you are studying part time you will normally complete your studies over two or three years, depending on the course structure.

Funding your studies

Find out more about fees, postgraduate loans and support you may be entitled to.

Find out about funding your studiesFind out about funding your studies

Alumni discount for Derby graduates

We offer a discount on postgraduate course fees for all Derby alumni.

Find out about the Alumni discountFind out about the Alumni discount

This broad MSc will equip you with the skills, knowledge and confidence you need to succeed as a manager in any setting. It will open doors to management roles in all sectors:

• private
• public
• not-for-profit

After graduating, you could apply for a management training programme for a major company or look for management roles in various sectors.

Although this is a new programme for 2022, students from our other business and management postgraduate courses have gone on to secure management roles and advanced graduate training positions in high-profile organisations, including:

• HSBC Canada
• Ernst & Young
• Price Waterhouse Cooper

Some have become consultants with specialist companies while others have taken on general management roles or have even set up their own international businesses.

The course also gives you a platform to gain further professional qualifications as you take your career forward. Inspired by the intellectual challenge of the MSc, a growing number of graduates also choose to develop academic careers, moving on to PhD research or teacher training.

Ongoing careers support

Throughout your studies, you will benefit from our personal tutor scheme, which enables you to reflect on your learning and refine your career ambitions. Our support continues once you’ve completed your course too: you are entitled to further help and guidance from the Careers and Employment Service for up to three years after leaving the University.

Contact us

If you need any more information from us, eg on courses, accommodation, applying, car parking, fees or funding, please contact us and we will do everything we can to help you.

Additional information about your studies

Teaching hours

Like most universities, we operate extended teaching hours at the University of Derby, so contact time with your lecturers and tutors could be anytime between 9am and 9pm. Your timetable will usually be available on the website 24 hours after enrolment on to your course.

Other courses you might like

• Management MSc (Online)
• Strategic Management MSc (Online)
• Strategic Management Postgraduate Certificate (Online)