Master`s Programme in Business Administration - Strategy and Management in International Organisations, 120 credits

Introduction

To meet the challenges of a fast changing world Linköping University has designed a unique two-year master’s program in “Strategy and Management in International Organizations” to provide international organizations with graduates who have good analytical skills based on solid academic knowledge and rich empirical examples. The international environment of the program will also have provided the graduates with good cross-cultural competencies and communication skills. The graduates are ready for management positions or consultancy work.

Aim

The program's overall purpose is to contribute to the education of a new generation of researchers and practitioners, competent to understand science and business as social phenomena and to help guide their development towards socially appropriate ends.

To complete the degree, students must follow a combination of course work and prepare a thesis. The program is designed to provide post-graduate training in Business Administration at an advanced level and prepare for future PhD-studies.
 

Learning outcomes

On completion of the program the students should:

• have developed an understanding of the relation between individuals, groups, organizations and business society,
• be able to critically analyze public debate about internationalization and participate in that debate,
• have gained a wide and deep understanding of the strategic aspects of management in international organizations,
• be able to analyze and critically discuss academic literature,

Knowledge and understanding

For a master of Science (120 credits) the students shall:

• demonstrate knowledge and understanding in Business Administration, including both broad knowledge of the field and a considerable degree of specialized knowledge in certain areas of the field as insight into current research and development work
• demonstrate specialized methodological knowledge in Business Administration.

Competence and skills

For a master of Science (120 credits) the students shall:

• demonstrate the ability to critically and systematically integrate knowledge and analyze, assess and deal with complex phenomena, issues and situations even with limited information
• demonstrate the ability to identify and formulate issues critically, autonomously and creatively as well as to plan and, using appropriate methods, undertake advanced tasks within predetermined time frames and so contribute to the formation of knowledge as well as the ability to evaluate this work
• demonstrate the ability in speech and writing both national and internationally to clearly report and discuss his or her conclusions and the knowledge and arguments on which they are based in dialogue with different audiences, and
• demonstrate the skills required for participation in research and development work or autonomous employment in some other qualified capacity.

Judgement and Approach

For a master of Science (120 credits) the students shall:

• demonstrate the ability to make assessments in Business Administration informed by relevant disciplinary, social and ethical issues and also to demonstrate awareness of ethical aspects of research and development work
• demonstrate insight into the possibilities and limitations of research, its role in society and the responsibility of the individual for how it is used, and
• demonstrate the ability to identify the personal need for further knowledge and take responsibility for his or her ongoing learning.

Employment opportunities and future studies

Upon successful completion of this master's program, students should be qualified for one or more of the following options:

• employment in business management, public service or education with special expertise in the relations among business studies, economics and society at large,
• continuation of a career in science or business with additional expertise in related societal and policy issues,
• further research in the area of science and business studies.

Content

The program is in the subject area of Business Administration and therefore it has a wide scope. It is run over two years and encompasses 120 credits, including a thesis.

The components of the program are as following:

Autumn semester, year 1

CLASSIC LEADERSHIP AND ORGANIZATION DILEMMAS, 15 CREDITS
CONTEMPORARY INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT PARADOXES, 15 CREDITS

Spring semester, year 1

BUSINESS FINANCE, 7,5 CREDITS
MANAGEMENT CONTROL SYSTEMS, 7,5 CREDITS
HRM FOR MODERN ORGANIZATIONS, 7,5 CREDITS
TERM PROCECT, 7,5 CREDITS)

Autumn semester, year 2

STRATEGY CLASSIC AND CONTEMPORARY VIEWS, 15 CREDITS
INNOVATION AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT, 15 CREDITS
or
ADVANCED CONSUMER MARKETING, 15 CREDITS

Spring semester, year 2

MASTER'S THESIS
The master's thesis is an independent work to be written in a selected area of specialization.

Students select their thesis topic, empirical subject matter and methods of research and analysis, in consultation with a thesis supervisor. The theses are evaluated according to established procedures and criteria for assessment. The master’s thesis is to be written in teams of two.

Teaching and working methods

The main formats of course instruction are lectures, seminars and workshops. These emphasize group discussion and rely on student initiative, making them responsive to the articulation of students' interests. The approach to instruction is to some extent subject-based, but a strong emphasis is placed on relevance to students' chosen research topic. Course work is largely intended to assist students with articulating and developing their research topics.

Group discussion and students' initiatives play central roles. Thus, students are expected to assume some part of the responsibility for defining the agenda of discussion within courses and for organizing and carrying out seminars and workshops.

Thesis supervision will be fitted, as much as possible, to the particular research interests of individual students. To this end, supervisors and advisors may be drawn from the Department of Management and Engineering's entire faculty.

Examination

Examinations will take the form of various kinds of essay assignments that may be complemented by oral or written tests. Examination procedures differ between the specialization courses and the thesis.

Grades

Grades as stipulated in the course syllabi. 

Entry requirements

A bachelor's degree in Business Administration or Economics of at least 180 ECTS or equivalent. Alternatively, a bachelor's degree with/and at least 60 ECTS (two semesters of full-time study) of Business Administration-related courses (for example Accounting, Marketing, Organization Theory, Strategy, Finance, HRM).

Each applicant must enclose a letter of intent written in English (1000-1500 words) where they introduce themselves and describe how they decided to apply to this programme, what they will bring to the programme, what they expect to get from the programme, as well as an analysis of their most important failure so far and what they learned from it.

English B/English 6 or equivalent.

Threshold requirements

The student must have passed at least 40 ECTS credits of the first year in order to be admitted to the third semester of the program. The student must have passed at least 65 ECTS credits of the program in order to be allowed to start the master´s thesis work.

Degree requirements

The student will be awarded a the degree of Master of Science (120 credits) with a major in Business Administration provided all course requirements are completed and that the student fulfills the general and specific eligibility requirements including proof of holding a Bachelor's (kandidat) or a corresponding degree. Completed courses and other requirements will be listed in the degree certificate.

A degree certificate is issued by the Faculty Board on request. A Diploma Supplement will be attached to the degree certificate.

Degree in Swedish

Filosofie masterexamen i huvudämnet företagsekonomi

Degree in English

Master of Science (120 Credits) with a major in Business Administration

Specific information

Merits

The specific requirements will be assessed as not fulfilled if the average grade is in the lower third of the grading scale used in the country where the degree was awarded, that is grades have to be average/pass or above (the equivalent to the Swedish grade “Godkänd”).

Transfer of Credits

The Board of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences or a person nominated by the board decide whether or not previous education can be transferred into the program.

Enrolment Procedure

Students are admitted to the program in its entirety. Selection is based on academic merit.

Language of instruction

Language of instruction is English.

Other information

The department reserves the right to cancel a specialization course if too few have applied to the course in question.