Management MSc
Strategic Management MGT5268
- Academic Session: 2026-27
- School: Adam Smith Business School
- Credits: 20
- Level: Level 5 (SCQF level 11)
- Typically Offered: Semester 1
- Available to Visiting Students: No
- Collaborative Online International Learning: No
- Curriculum For Life: No
Short Description
Strategy plays a vital role in the success of an organisation. Hence, it is important to study business strategy in order to develop a critical understanding of the key component of strategy making, implementation, evaluation and analysis.
The course covers the most important areas of business strategy from the point of view of general management. Main topics of the course include external environment analysis, internal analysis, industry analysis, corporate-level strategy, business-level strategy, international strategy, and mergers and acquisitions. By taking the course, students are expected to develop such skills and knowledge as group-work skills, oral communication skills, and international perspectives. These will enhance the students' employability.
By using case studies and group work, the course will include the following learning activities: the students', collaborative/group/team-based learning and peer learning.
Timetable
8 x 2 hour lectures
6 x 2 hour tutorials
Excluded Courses
None
Co-requisites
None
Assessment
1. Report; Individual; 2500 words; 80%; ILOs 3-6.
2. Oral assessment & pre-recorded presentation; Group; 15 minutes; 20%; ILOs 1-2, 6.
Are reassessment opportunities available for all summative assessments? No
It is the default expectation that all courses will offer opportunities for reassessment or deferred assessment. Where it is not possible to offer this in some assessment components, the grade achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade, and any exceptions for this course are described below.
[No exceptions]
Course Aims
The course aims to:
■ Enable students to critically evaluate and apply contemporary ideas and theories about strategy.
■ Demonstrate how strategy relates to all aspects of the general management role.
Intended Learning Outcomes of Course
By the end of this course students will be able to:
1. Critically evaluate the essential components of strategic management and strategy analysis.
2. Critically evaluate and utilise the tools of strategy analysis and competitive advantage for international management in different firms, industry and country contexts.
3. Appraise and formulate possibilities for the strategic development of an organisation on both the business unit and corporate levels.
4. Analyse and select the appropriate method by which to pursue a strategy.
5. Construct and critically evaluate a viable organisational strategy for an organisation.
6. Develop group work skills, oral presentation skills and become an independent learner.