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Management for Business Excellence (MSc) (2023 Entry)

Management for Business Excellence students at the University of Warwick

Explore our Management for Business Excellence taught Master's degree.

Management for Business Excellence MSc is an innovative Master's in Management, taught through challenge-based learning. The interdisciplinary WMG department has expertly designed this MSc for those wanting to become effective leaders and managers of business excellence in industry.


Course overview

The framework for the Management for Business Excellence degree is the European Excellence Model, created to help organisations develop towards the achievement of sustainable excellence. This course is all about understanding how organisations work; it takes a holistic look at organisations, the inter-relationships between departments within them, and how to optimise the use of available resources. Typically students will have a background in engineering, business management, finance or economics, but MBE is open to graduates from any academic discipline. 

Designed to deliver a detailed understanding of the philosophies, strategies, processes and techniques that enable change and deliver business excellence, this course will provide you with a distinctly different learning experience. With a focus on critical autonomy, you will make active choices about what you wish to learning and how best to achieve your learning objectives; all this will be facilitated by our expert MBE course tutors.


General entry requirements

Minimum requirements

2:i undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in a range of subjects including IT, business, engineering or a science related discipline.

Candidates with a UK 2:ii (or equivalent) may be accepted upon demonstration of relevant professional experience.


English language requirements

You can find out more about our English language requirementsLink opens in a new window. This course requires the following:

  • Band A
  • IELTS overall score of 6.5, minimum component scores not below 6.0

International qualifications

We welcome applications from students with other internationally recognised qualifications.

For more information, please visit the international entry requirements pageLink opens in a new window.


Additional requirements

Candidates with professional experience should include their CV with their application.

Core modules

  • Creating Business Excellence
  • Leadership and Excellence
  • Knowledge-based Asset Management
  • Robust Decision Making
  • Process Improvement using Six Sigma
  • Product Excellence using Six Sigma
  • Accounting and Finance for Management
  • Study, Professional and Analytical Skills
  • Reflective Practice in Managing for Business Excellence

Optional modules

One elective module should be chosen from the following list, allowing you to tailor the course in line with your specific interests:

  • Big Data and Analytics for Engineering Management
  • Big Data and Marketing Technology
  • Emerging Technologies for Business
  • Global Business Environment
  • Innovation
  • International Business Development
  • Management of Change
  • Organisations, People and Performance
  • Problem Solving with Statistics
  • Project Planning, Management and Control
  • Reputation and Relationship Management
  • Strategic Marketing
  • Technology Management
  • Logistics and Operations Management

Read the module descriptions for this course on WMG's website.


Teaching

This course has three components – a taught component, a reflective practice module that runs for the duration of the course, and a research component (dissertation).

For the taught component, we blend lectures with seminars, syndicate exercises, simulations, and case studies. MBE specific modules are delivered intensively over two weeks (others are taught over one week) and classes are deliberately kept small to encourage interaction. Larger scale lectures are delivered for some elective modules and are backed up by seminar and syndicate activities. Our module leaders have extensive industry experience. Guest speakers from industry also contribute regularly, bringing real-world insight into your learning experience.


Class sizes

Overall this course can accommodate up to 48 students, divided into two groups of 24 students for most modules.


Typical contact hours

Our courses are modular in structure, with modules generally being taught in intensive one-week blocks from Monday to Friday, 9.00am - 6.00pm. Some modules will be taught over two half weeks or more, and occasionally you may be required to attend weekend sessions.

In addition to the taught component, you will have online pre-module preparation, and a substantial Post Module Assignment (PMA) following each module.

Each module accounts for 150 hours of learning time, divided between pre-work, in-module time, and post module assessment.


Assessment

At the end of each module, you will be given a Post Module Assignment (PMA) based on the learning objectives of that module. This is a piece of written work which should take 40-60 hours to complete. The taught content is assessed at threshold level and formative feedback is given on all assignments. Formative assessment encourages students to focus on learning rather than marks for the taught content.

As an MBE student, you will also be developing reflective practice. After each module, you will produce a reflective piece on your learning, on which you will receive formative guidance. At the end of your studies, you will create a 6-credit assessed piece that draws together your reflections throughout the study year.

For the research component, each student undertakes a major individual project, which will develop your research and analytical skills and enable you to specialise. The MBE dissertation project, part of the reflective practice module, and the SPA module are assessed summatively. Together these components account for your Master’s degree classification.


Reading lists

Most departments have reading lists available through Warwick Library. If you would like to view reading lists for the current cohort of students you can visit our Warwick Library web page.


Your timetable

Your personalised timetable will be complete when you are registered for all modules, compulsory and optional, and you have been allocated to your lectures, seminars and other small group classes. Your compulsory modules will be registered for you and you will be able to choose your optional modules when you join us.

Your career

As a graduate of this course, you will learn to successfully drive change within an organisation and deliver business excellence from a whole-company perspective. The broad skillset gained will allow you to become an effective leader, able to make key decisions on business improvement by optimising resources and assessing the impact of your decisions across an organisation.

Following graduation, you can expect to develop your career within consultancy, management, or business development. Many of our graduates have been employed in roles such as:

  • Management Consultant
  • Quality Manager
  • Business Development Manager
  • New Product Development Manager
  • Process Improvement Engineer
  • Quality Assurance Manager
  • HR Manager
  • Customer Service Manager
  • Senior Planner
  • Business Solutions Architect

As the set of skills learned on this course can be applied to businesses across sectors, our graduates have secured positions with a very diverse set of employers, some examples of which you can find below:

  • Banking (World Bank Group, Bank of China, Worldpay, HSBC, CitiBank Brazil)
  • Consultancy (Ernst & Young, KPMG)
  • Consumer goods (Proctor & Gamble, Unilever, L’Oréal)
  • Food and drink (Nestlé, Danone)
  • Higher Education (DePaul University, The American University in Cairo)
  • IT (Google)
  • Logistics (UPS, Kuehne & Nagel)
  • Oil and gas (Petrobras, SOCAR)
  • Pharmaceuticals (AstraZeneca, Pfizer)
  • Technology and manufacturing (Siemens, Philips, Rolls-Royce)
  • Transport (Emirates, Network Rail, EasyJet)

WMG at Warwick

Having forged strong links with global companies through 42 years of collaborative research and development, we really understand the global market you’ll be operating in, and have designed our programmes to match.

Find out more about us on our websiteLink opens in a new window


Our courses

Our part-time courses for working professionals

Our Postgraduate Research degrees


Visiting WMG

There are a number of different ways to visit the University of Warwick throughout the year. We host bespoke PG visits, where you can talk directly with your chosen department and explore our campus through a personalised tour. WMG also organises events for prospective students including a weekly Live Chat so you can connect directly with the department to speak with staff and students from WMG. For more about university wide open days and tours, visit our Postgraduate Visits page.

Tuition fees

Tuition fees are payable for each year of your course at the start of the academic year, or at the start of your course, if later. Academic fees cover the cost of tuition, examinations and registration and some student amenities.

Find your course fees  


Fee Status Guidance

The University carries out an initial fee status assessment based on information provided in the application and according to the guidance published by UKCISA. Students are classified as either Home or Overseas Fee status and this can determine the tuition fee and eligibility of certain scholarships and financial support.

If you receive an offer, your fee status will be stated with the tuition fee information. If you believe your fee status has been incorrectly classified you can complete a fee status assessment questionnaire (follow the instructions in your offer) and provide the required documentation for this to be reassessed.

The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) provides guidance to UK universities on fees status criteria, you can find the latest guidance on the impact of Brexit on fees and student support on the UKCISA website.


Additional course costs

As well as tuition fees and living expenses, there may be general associated costs such as:

  • Core text books
  • Printer credits*
  • Dissertation binding*
  • Robe hire for your degree ceremony

* - Dissertations and Assignments are only submitted digitally. However students may wish to print and bind their dissertation for their own purposes. Students on some courses will have a final poster presentation as part of their project and the printing of posters will be at the students’ expense.

Scholarships and bursaries

Scholarships and financial support

Find out about the different funding routes available, including; postgraduate loans, scholarships, fee awards and academic department bursaries.

WMG Excellence Scholarships

WMG funding opportunities

WMG will be awarding over £1million in scholarships and bursaries to students commencing study on our full-time MSc programmes

Living costs

Find out more about the cost of living as a postgraduate student at the University of Warwick.

Additional funding information

We have a number of research projects available which are fully or partially funded. The majority of these are for UK/EU applicants, though occasionally we advertise positions that are also open to overseas applicants. Please refer to specific project descriptions for details. See our Research Degree opportunities here.

Find out how to apply to us, ask your questions, and find out more.

How to apply

The application process for courses that start in September and October 2024 will open on 2 October 2023.

Applications will close on 2 August 2024 for students who require a visa to study in the UK, to allow time to receive a CAS and complete the visa application process.

How to apply for a postgraduate taught course in WMG  

Please note, places are often limited, so we recommend that you submit your application as early as possible. Please check our department webpages for more specific information.

After you’ve applied

Find out how we process your application.

Applicant Portal

Track your application and update your details.

Admissions statement

See Warwick’s postgraduate admissions policy.

Join a live chat

Ask questions and engage with Warwick.

Warwick Hosted EventsLink opens in a new window

Our hosted events run throughout the year, with a mixture of virtual and in-person sessions. These events are a great way to learn more about our courses and departments, chat to current students and staff, and find out more information about accommodation, careers, and how to apply.

Postgraduate Fairs

Throughout the year we attend exhibitions and fairs online and in-person around the UK. These events give you the chance to explore our range of postgraduate courses, and find out what it’s like studying at Warwick. You’ll also be able to speak directly with our student recruitment team, who will be able to help answer your questions.

Live chats

Join a live chat with our staff and students, who are here to answer your questions and help you learn more about postgraduate life at Warwick. You can join our general drop-in sessions or talk to your prospective department and student services.

Warwick Talk and Tours

A Warwick talk and tour lasts around two hours and consists of an overview presentation from one of our Recruitment Officers covering the key features, facilities and activities that make Warwick a leading institution. The talk is followed by a campus tour which is the perfect way to view campus, with a current student guiding you around the key areas on campus.