International Business MSc
Managing for a Sustainable World MGT5444
- Academic Session: 2026-27
- School: Adam Smith Business School
- Credits: 10
- Level: Level 5 (SCQF level 11)
- Typically Offered: Semester 2
- Available to Visiting Students: No
- Collaborative Online International Learning: No
- Curriculum For Life: No
Short Description
This course examines how international businesses can responsibly address the complex challenges of advancing sustainability and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Students explore the social, environmental and ethical dimensions of contemporary business, the tensions involved in moving beyond 'Business as Usual', and the innovative practices through which organisations can mitigate negative impacts and create more sustainable value.
The course develops students' ability to interpret complex global business challenges by drawing on relevant perspectives from international business and management, and to examine these challenges across diverse cross-cultural contexts. Working with real-world organisations as cases, students build research and analytical skills as they investigate a company and evaluate its engagement with specific SDGs, supporting the development of evidence-based, socially responsible decision-making that incorporates sustainable development principles.
In doing so, the course contributes to students' development as evidence-based, socially responsible managers and entrepreneurs, equipping them with skills relevant to international careers and reflecting the School's commitment to responsible, sustainability-oriented management education.
Timetable
6 x 2 hour lectures
Excluded Courses
None
Co-requisites
None
Assessment
1. Report; Individual; 1450 words; 80%; ILOS 1-3.
2. Set Exercise, in-course exam; Individual; Multiple Choice Questions; 20%; ILOs 1-2.
Course Aims
This course aims to:
■ Develop students' understanding of sustainability as a central challenge in international business.
■ Equip students to design practical, credible solutions.
Intended Learning Outcomes of Course
By the end of this course students will be able to:
1. Examine and delineate unstructured, and complex problems related to sustainability at multiple levels.
2. Critically evaluate how international business are impacted or further impact the Sustainable Development agenda.
3. Design solutions based on the analysis and the application of acquired theoretical knowledge. Include a discussion of what needs to be in place for the solutions to work.