MSc in Management and Sustainability

Course Information

In business, sustainability can be viewed as an approach to creating long-term value by taking into consideration how an organization operates in an economic, ecological, and social environment. For example, organizations such as Nike and Adidas have turned their attention in recent years to reducing waste and creating greener supply chains in aid of the environment. Whereas in biopharma industries, such as Biogen, they’ve also turned their focus to social impact by creating partner initiatives in health and safety. With these big industry names making strong commitments to sustainability, there’s no doubt that others will follow, and it will be a main factor of the business agenda in years to come.

In a world where the need for sustainable practices is growing exponentially, there’s never been a better time for you to study the MSc Management and Sustainability. The ‘management’ aspect of this course allows you to explore core areas of management such as organizational strategy and supply chains through problem-based learning. You’ll be challenged to think critically about issues such as business ethics, globalization, and communitarianism. As you progress through the course, you’ll build on the tools and techniques you’ve learned from your previous units and apply this knowledge to your further studies, and to your research project.

As for the ‘sustainability’ aspect of the course, you’ll be given a thorough introduction to topics such as circular economy, sustainable development, and social, ethical, and environmental enterprise. You’ll develop critical tools to analyze sustainability challenges and be able to make recommendations for specific organizations.

You’ll then go on to complete your sustainability research project. This project gives you the opportunity to work with organizations to solve sustainability challenges of the future. You’ll work within small groups on an assigned project brief. As a group, you’ll complete research into your assigned challenge and present your recommendations to the client in a business report and live presentation. You’ll also have the chance to personally reflect on your role within the project through completing an individual sustainability essay and oral examination.

In the 2022/23 academic year, our students worked on sustainability challenges set by Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, Wienerberger, Manchester Climate Change Agency, SMEs, and local social enterprises.

Study routes

This course includes the option of completing a 36-48 week internship after your taught units have come to an end. This provides you with a fantastic opportunity to gain real-world experience to apply alongside your studies, further improving your employability prospects. If you choose the internship route, your course will take two years.

Rise with Manchester Met

Rise is a program available to all students at Manchester Met giving you the opportunity to earn practice credits on your degree through employment-enhancing activities. During your studies, you can collect points for the activities you engage in and if you engage in enough activity you could receive recognition on your degree transcript.

Postgraduate students can get involved in activities such as project work, workshops, volunteering, and certifications. For example, you could gain certifications with the likes of Microsoft, Adobe, and the Project Management Institute free of charge. Not only are these fantastic to have on your CV but they are also transferable to a wide range of careers.

All Rise activities are organized according to themes of Digital Capabilities, Self-Effectiveness, Sustainability, Internationalisation, Enterprise, and Civics. Completing a number of activities within a certain theme will also earn you micro-accreditations in the form of Digital Badges.

Year 1

Core Units

• Organisational Strategy
• Logistics and Supply Chain Practices
• Circular Economy
• Critical Management and Enterprise Studies
• Sustainable and Sustainable Development
• Social, Ethical, and Environmental Enterprise for Leaders
• Sustainability Research Project

Our course is dedicated to Ethics, Responsibility, and Sustainability (ERS) related issues, which offers career pathways into a range of new ERS employment routes. This includes corporate, SMEs, government, community, think-tank, and policy roles. The sustainability focus of the course means you can show employers that you are a forward-thinking candidate who can contribute readily to an organisation’s sustainability strategy.

If you haven’t studied a business or management-related subject at the undergraduate level, the combination of your first degree with postgraduate management study makes you a powerful candidate for employers. If you have studied a related subject before having this degree enhances your employability by broadening your skills, knowledge, and experience.

You may also be interested in exploring your research project further, or a different sustainability challenge that organizations are facing, with additional study such as a PhD.

Study and assessment breakdown

Ten credits equate to 100 hours of study, which is a combination of lectures, seminars practical sessions, and independent study. A master's qualification typically comprises 180 credits, a PGDip 120 credits, a PGCert 60 credits, and an MFA 300 credits. The exact composition of your study time and assessments for the course will vary according to your option choices and style of learning, but it could be:

Study

Full-time 20% lectures, seminars, or similar; 0% placement; 80% independent study

Assessment

Full-time 100% coursework; 0% practical; 0% examination