Program Overview

Business Management and Politics, MA

Overview

Business Management and Politics at Aberdeen is a great subject combination, adding to your solid foundation in business, management and organisations. The programme has a specific focus on the role of government, political parties, issues and policy and how they interact with the changing corporate landscape, big business, local and national economies and the workforce. This programme will open many career options in the government, public sector and business.

Study Information

At a Glance

• Learning Mode: On Campus Learning
• Degree Qualification: MA
• Duration: 48 months
• Study Mode: Full Time
• Start Month: September
• UCAS Code: LN22
• Pathway Programme Available: Undergraduate Foundation Programme

Year 1

• Compulsory Courses:
  • Academic Writing for Business (AW1003)
  • Getting Started at the University of Aberdeen (PD1002)
  • The Economics of Business and Society (EC1006)
  • Managing Organisations (MS1009)
  • Politics & International Relations 1: Democracy and Governance (PI1018)
  • Accounting and Entrepreneurship (AC1517)
  • Politics & International Relations 2: Power and Conflict (PI1518)
• Optional Courses: Plus further credit points from courses of choice to gain a total of 120 credits.

Year 2

• Compulsory Courses:
  • Marketing (MS2006)
  • Ideas and Ideologies in Politics and International Relations (PI2009)
  • Operations Management (MS2511)
  • Understanding Statistics (PO2508)
  • Global Politics: Equality and Inequality (PI2508)
  • Building Skills and Experience for Career Success (PD2002)
• Optional Courses: Plus further credit points from courses of choice to gain a total of 120 credits.

Year 3

• Compulsory Courses:
  • Research Methods in Politics and International Relations (PI3084)
• Optional Courses:
  • Research Methods for Business (MS3553)
  • Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility (MS3056)
  • New Venture Development (MS3058)
  • Understanding the Consumer (MS3551)
  • Human Resource Management (MS3554)
  • US Politics (PI3080)
  • African Security (IR3021)
  • Employer - Led Interdisciplinary Project (ED3537)
  • International Security (IR3518)
  • Political Parties in Britain (PI3562)
  • Soviet and Post - Soviet Russian Foreign Policy (PI3565)
  • Memory and Politics of the Past (PI3570)
  • Human Rights in Global Politics (PI3572)
  • The Global Politics of Secession (PI3582)
  • International Terrorism Counterterrorism & International Relations (PI3567)

Year 4

• Optional Courses:
  • Choose one of the following:
    • Dissertation (Politics) (PI4071) AND Business Strategy (MS4536)
    • Dissertation in Management Studies (MS4540)
  • Plus further credit points from Honours course(s) in Business Management and level 4 course(s) in Politics & International Relations from the list below to gain a total of 60 credits in each discipline.

Learning Methods

• Individual Projects
• Lectures
• Research
• Tutorials

Assessment Methods

Students are assessed by any combination of three assessment methods:

• Coursework such as essays and reports completed throughout the course.
• Practical assessments of the skills and competencies they learn on the course.
• Written examinations at the end of each course.

The exact mix of these methods differs between subject areas, years of study and individual courses.

Honours projects are typically assessed on the basis of a written dissertation.

Why Study Business Management and Politics?

• Study at a top UK University for Business and Management (11th) in the most recent major league tables (The Complete University Guide 2021)
• Business Management at Aberdeen provides an opportunity to study Management on its own or alongside one of a large number of the other disciplines taught at the University.
• Aberdeen is known as being the oil and gas capital of Europe and the industry has a high demand for Business Management graduates. The University's close links to international companies will improve your career prospects.

Areas of special expertise in Politics include Comparative Political Parties and Elections; Cross National Surveys, Democracy and Democratisation; Energy Politics; European Integration and Regionalism; European Politics; Human Rights and Development Issues; Interest Groups; Modernity and Religion; International Political Economy; Regional IR (with specific focus on Japan, Latin America, and the Middle East); and Security Studies.

Careers

A wide range of career opportunities are open to you with a Business Management and Politics degree. You may go into accountancy, finance, management or set up your own business as a consultant, advisor or as the basis to enterprise. With knowledge in Politics you can go into the civil service, local government and marketing and communication.

Entry Requirements

Qualifications

The information below is provided as a guide only and does not guarantee entry to the University of Aberdeen.

• SQA Highers:
  • Standard: AABB
  • Minimum: BBB
  • Adjusted: BB
• A LEVELS:
  • Standard: BBB
  • Minimum: BBC
  • Adjusted: CCC
• International Baccalaureate: 32 points, including 5, 5, 5 at HL.
• Irish Leaving Certificate: 5H with 3 at H2 AND 2 at H3.

English Language Requirements

To study for an Undergraduate degree at the University of Aberdeen it is essential that you can speak, understand, read, and write English fluently. The minimum requirements for this degree are as follows:

• IELTS Academic: OVERALL - 6.0 with: Listening - 5.5; Reading - 5.5; Speaking - 5.5; Writing - 6.0
• TOEFL iBT: OVERALL - 78 with: Listening - 17; Reading - 18; Speaking - 20; Writing - 21
• PTE Academic: OVERALL - 59 with: Listening - 59; Reading - 59; Speaking - 59; Writing - 59
• Cambridge English B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency: OVERALL - 169 with: Listening - 162; Reading - 162; Speaking - 162; Writing - 169

Fees and Funding

You will be classified as one of the fee categories below.

• Fee category: England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Republic of Ireland
• Cost: £9,535
• Fee category: EU / International students
• Cost: £20,800
• Fee category: Self-funded international students commencing eligible undergraduate programmes in 2025/26 will receive a £6,000 tuition waiver for every year of their programme
• Fee category: Home Students
• Cost: £1,820

Scholarships and Funding

• UK Scholarship: Students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland, who pay tuition fees may be eligible for specific scholarships allowing them to receive additional funding.
• Aberdeen Global Scholarship: The University of Aberdeen is delighted to offer eligible self-funded international on-campus undergraduate students a £6,000 scholarship for every year of their programme.