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Overview
- Start date27 September 2021
- Duration1 year
- DeliveryTaught modules 65%, individual thesis 35%
- QualificationMSc
- Study typeFull-time
- CampusCranfield campus
Who is it for?
- Graduates with a keen interest in the social, environmental and economic impact that organisations have on the world, and who aspire to embed sustainability into their future management career across a varied range of private, public and not-for-profit organisations, sectors and roles.
- Early career professionals who wish to transition into a sustainability-focused role.
Class profile 2020/21*
Gender: |
Male 51% - Female 49% |
Age range: |
21 - 47 years |
Average age: |
26 years |
Number of nationalities: | 21 |
Nationality: | UK/EU: 29% - International: 71% |
Cohort size: 96 | MiM 68 MENT 16 MCS 12 |
Average class size |
33 |
*The above data combines the 2020/21 class profiles for our three Master’s courses: Management MSc (MiM), Management and Entrepreneurship MSc (MEnt) and Management and Corporate Sustainability MSc (MCS).
Why this course?
- Cranfield School of Management consistently performs well in international business rankings. We are top 10 in the UK and 32nd in Europe in the Financial Times European Business School 2020 Rankings.
- Our approach to teaching is designed to nurture your practical business skills and confidence, and places huge emphasis on real-world challenges.
- You will gain the knowledge and skills required for a career focused on business sustainability, and working with some of our partner organisations you will put this learning into action. Read our student testimonials to find out how they put their knowledge from the course into practice.
- You will gain access to our Sustainability Network, which is an informal network of scholars, practitioners and students, where you can learn and develop your knowledge and understanding of how to embed sustainability in the practice of businesses and in the forefront of its leaders’ minds. The Network offers a range of events from guest lectures to seminars and workshops, where you can really engage with industry experts and explore the opportunities offered in sustainability.
- You will gain valuable insight into sustainability in practice through a series of master classes and presentations from specialists in the field. Some are delivered by companies such as Marks & Spencer, L&G and Diageo at their head offices. Recent guest speakers have included:
- Peter Lacy, Global Managing Director for Strategy & Sustainability at Accenture, and author of the best-selling book on the Circular Economy, ‘Waste to Wealth’
- Nick Robins, co-director of Inquiry into the Design of a Sustainable Financial System at UNEP (UN Environment Programme)
- John Elkington, inventor of the triple-bottom-line concept, founder of Volans Ventures and SustainAbility, author of over 20 books, thought-leader, business strategist, entrepreneur and environmentalist
- Carmel McQuaid, Head of Sustainable Business, Marks & Spencer
- You will have the opportunity to attend corporate social responsibility/sustainability events and conferences with our faculty, including ‘Doing Good Doing Well’ in Barcelona, Edie Sustainability Leaders Forum and Game of Life.
During the Management and Corporate Sustainability MSc, we attended a lot of talks with people who are involved with sustainability, people that had a lot of experience, people that were in senior roles in private companies and organisations, people that were pioneers of pushing sustainability into corporate organisations. To hear those people talk about their experiences of sustainability transformation that is required in society was really inspiring.
One of the most memorable moments on the course was attending the Doing Good Doing Well conference in Barcelona. My favourite thing about the conference was meeting like-minded people who care about building a company that is not only profitable but is also doing good for society and the environment as much as I do.
We have had the opportunity to attend the EDIE Conference, which was fantastic. It was a great opportunity to connect and network with individuals leading in industry.
I chose Cranfield because I was looking for a business school with a strong background in Corporate Responsibility that was also addressing real business problems. You can find both at Cranfield. I am now applying everything that I learnt on the course. I am currently developing a set of lectures for managers in co-operation with Deloitte Chile to help businesses here lead the transition from early stages in CSR to embedding sustainability in their strategic objectives.
In a couple of modules we were given the opportunity to work with a real client on a real business problem. In the ‘Sustainability in Practice’ module, we were able to help a client develop a sustainability programme for businesses within the community. This was an amazing experience because besides being able to offer assistance to the client, we were also able to gain some important skills in management consulting. I also had an opportunity to directly participate in local community activities such as environmental conservation.
In my role, prior to my Master’s Degree in Management and Corporate Sustainability, I was in charge of the measurement of CO2 emissions in distribution at Heineken México. After 3 months of being back at work after my masters, I was promoted to an area in Heineken México with more impact and responsibility, as the head of circular economy.
Informed by Industry
Cranfield bridges the gap between the corporate and academic worlds to promote sustainable business management. Our close connections with industry have enabled us to create and develop a 'community of practice' in the field, in which we serve as researchers, mentors and educators. Many of our faculty have held senior positions in industry and continue to engage with industry through consultancy and teaching. They are also supported by a team of international visiting industry speakers and professors who bring the latest thinking and best practice into the classroom ensuring you have up-to-date, relevant insight from the sustainability world. You will benefit from our close links with business through international case studies, a management consultancy simulation, and our visiting speakers providing an overview of the challenges they are facing.
Course details
The course comprises twelve modules, seven covering general management skills and five specialising in corporate sustainability. The ‘Sustainability in Practice’ module provides the opportunity to undertake a practical sustainable business consultancy project. The thesis is also a practical exercise, albeit informed by up-to-date theory. Previous thesis projects have involved working with company sponsors such as Heineken, Unilever and easyJet. The ‘Leading Corporate Sustainability’ and ‘Creating Sustainable Organisations’ modules provide practical leadership skills in driving sustainable business, from strategic issues such as the circular economy to topics such as sustainable innovation, reporting and employee engagement. The ‘Applied Science and Technology for Environmental Sustainability’ module is taught by environmental experts from Cranfield’s School of Water, Energy and Environment, and provides the specialist skills needed to assess and manage environmental impacts from operations to the supply chain.
If COVID-19 restrictions persist into the 2021/22 academic year, our practical and social course activities may be subject to change to ensure your safety and ensure we are compliant with Government guidelines.Course delivery
Taught modules 65%, individual thesis 35%
Individual project
The thesis will require you to undertake a major research project based on a real sustainability business issue. You will apply your management knowledge, skills and analytical abilities to real-life situations and demonstrate your ability to research issues, critically evaluate data and information, apply tools and techniques to solve management problems, and write a report concisely, informatively and persuasively.
Course modules
Compulsory modules
All the modules in the following list need to be taken as part of this course.
Economics for Managers
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Aim |
To introduce the concepts and techniques associated with Managerial Economics, i.e., Microeconomics (e.g. market analysis, price theory, rationality) and Macroeconomics (e.g. inflation, exchange rates and interest rates). |
Syllabus |
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Intended learning outcomes |
On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:
By the end of this course, students should exhibit:
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Leading Corporate Sustainability
Module Leader |
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Aim |
Global sustainability challenges are shaping the way business operates in the 21st century. Businesses are under increasing pressure from multiple stakeholders (for e.g. shareholders, customers, employees, society) to manage their positive and negative impacts with clear responsibility and strategic intent. Leading firms are choosing to respond to these challenges by generating sustainable value propositions to ultimately drive competitive advantage. For many this has meant re-engaging at the level of purpose and re-addressing their role in wider society and for human well-being. This module outlines the major sustainability challenges and explores the capabilities organisations require to respond positively to them. It will engage you in gaining a better understanding of how corporate action can be best configured to promote responsible and sustainable business strategies. In doing so, it will demand management students (as future business managers and leaders) to reflect on the long-standing debate about whether or not ‘the business of business, is still business? Watch video: An introduction to the Leading Corporate Sustainability module |
Syllabus |
The content is organised around the sustainability management ‘compass’ below: The course content is structured as follows: Part 1: Setting the context Context setting The role of business Exploring possible futures Part 2: Developing the capabilities |
Intended learning outcomes |
On successful completion of this module you should be able to:
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Managing Operations
Module Leader |
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Aim |
To provide the participant with an understanding of the Operations Management task and its contribution to organisational competitiveness. |
Syllabus |
The module covers: |
Intended learning outcomes |
On successful completion of this module you should be able to:
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Organisational Behaviour: Application
Module Leader |
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Aim |
Organisations are run by and for people, and the success or failure of an organisation depends on the people in that organisation. It is rarely an absence of planning that causes organisational difficulties; rather it is the failure of management in understanding and managing complex personal and interpersonal systems that can lead to significant problems. Similarly an acute and critical understanding of these dynamic relationships can lead to profound and enduring success and benefit for the individual, the team, the organisation and wider society. In this module students will be introduced to various aspects of people and organisations. This module combines models, theories and ideas from organisational behaviour, psychology, and sociology in order to provide students with a basic understanding in recognising, understanding and utilising what has been termed the "human factor" in organisations; including ways of conceptualising organisations and how people behave within them. We shall consider the impact of the external environment; and address notions of organisational change. This module is necessarily an introduction; further suggestions of reading and of consequent activities will be provided. It may also be that students will wish to undertake a project in this area; several of the faculty involved will be pleased to discuss this with you. |
Syllabus |
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Intended learning outcomes |
On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:
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Marketing Management
Module Leader |
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Aim |
A crucial competence for general managers is an understanding of marketing strategy: in simple terms, analysing how a marketplace of customers can be divided into segments, which of these segments are key targets for the firm, determining the firm’s optimal value proposition for each segment is, and what financial results can be expected over a planning period of typically 1-3 years. This module teaches Cranfield’s world-leading step-by-step process for developing such a marketing strategy and documenting it in a marketing plan. This process has been developed with hundreds of blue-chip companies worldwide over the last 30 years, informed by several Cranfield PhDs on the topic which have studied what works in practice. This planning process is documented in the world’s leading textbook on the topic, McDonald & Wilson’s Marketing Plans, which has sold over half a million copies. This book is used as the course text and students are strongly advised to acquire a copy from the library or through purchase to help bridge from the course to planning for real in their subsequent management roles. |
Syllabus |
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Intended learning outcomes |
On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:
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Evidence-based Management
Module Leader |
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Aim |
The module is primarily designed to provide students with an understanding of what is required to conduct research in business contexts considering that todays’ managers Therefore, understanding the process of producing evidence will ensure students to have the core skills to inform management decisions. |
Syllabus |
Introduction to evidence-based management Conducting research in management Using qualitative research methods Using quantitative research methods Presenting research evidence |
Intended learning outcomes |
On successful completion of this module you will be able to:
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Strategic Management
Module Leader |
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Aim |
Strategic Management is concerned with the direction and scope of the organisation. This involves determining the purpose of the organisation, establishing objectives and formulating strategies to achieve the objectives. It predominantly explores how an organisation positions itself with regard to its changing environment, and in particular its competitors, in order to gain and sustain competitive advantage. This means that strategic management considers how an organisation’s internal resources and capabilities can be developed to meet the changing demands of customers, in such a way as to achieve the expectations and objectives of its stakeholders. |
Syllabus |
The module begins by focusing on strategy at the strategic business unit level. It is orientated around five key questions 1) where to compete? 2) how to gain competitive advantage? 3) what capabilities are required? 4) what capabilities do we have? 5) how do we change? The module then explores corporate level strategy and the issue of strategy implementation and change. Throughout the module a range of tools and techniques for strategic analysis and choice will be introduced. |
Intended learning outcomes |
On successful completion of this module you should be able to:
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Accounting and Finance
Module Leader |
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Aim |
The aim of the Accounting and Finance module is to introduce a number of traditional and contemporary accounting approaches that will increase the visibility of financial information and support management decision making. |
Syllabus |
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Intended learning outcomes |
On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:
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Creating Sustainable Organisations
Module Leader |
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Aim |
Organisations are coming under increasing pressure from various stakeholders to manage their positive and negative impacts with clear responsibility and strategic intent. Responsible and sustainable organisations are re-engaging at the level of purpose and re-thinking their role in wider society and for human betterment. This module reminds you of the major sustainability challenges facing organisations and explores how the most progressive ones are responding in-terms of leadership and strategy, mind-set, structure, supply chain collaborations, environmental and social impact and managing change. It will engage you in gaining a better understanding of how organisational action can be best configured to promote a responsible and sustainable mission. In doing so, it will demand you to reflect on the long-standing debates concerning the political economy and ethical management practices. |
Syllabus |
This module has five elements as follows: Purpose, Governance, Strategy and Leadership for Sustainability This element explores the business case and different governance regimes and practices associated with organising for corporate sustainability. It also engages you in different notions about designing strategy and planning its implementation. All this calls for ethical and authentic leadership from senior executives, which will be a feature of this teaching element. More specifically, the future skills and knowledge sets for leadership for sustainability will be investigated. Key topics include: Structure and Process This element explores the different structural arrangements organisations put into place for managing sustainability. The various roles and responsibilities constituted to mobilise these structures will be discussed. In addition, the integrative capacity of the structures will also be considered. To embed the new structures key business processes and their adaptation for the successful pursuit of corporate responsibility and sustainability will also be considered (e.g. procurement, marketing, H&S processes). Key topics include: Sustainable Supply Chain This element explores the different structural arrangements organisations put into place for managing sustainability. The various roles and responsibilities constituted to mobilise these structures will be discussed. In addition, the integrative capacity of the structures will also be considered. To embed the new structures key business processes and their adaptation for the successful pursuit of corporate responsibility and sustainability will also be considered (e.g. procurement, marketing, H&S processes). Key topics include: Collaboration: Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement This element explores the important role of collaborative approaches to addressing corporate responsibility and sustainability challenges. Collectivism for pursuing positive change will form the focus of this teaching element. The power of pooling resources and capacity for supporting change, and the challenges of cooperate strategies will be investigated. Key topics include:
Culture for Sustainability This element explores how to initiative the magnitude of change necessary to create sustainable organisations and endeavour a ‘new normal’ set of conditions. This amounts to a cultural change process that generates a momentum for positive organisational level change to embed sustainability. Successful organisational level cultural change creates further momentum for adaptations within the supply chain and wider industrial (ecology) system. Key topics include: |
Intended learning outcomes |
On successful completion of this module you should be able to:
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Applied Science and Technology for Environmental Sustainability
Module Leader |
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Aim |
Environmental sustainability is a main board issue. General managers need to be able to navigate this agenda broadly, and their internal specialist officers, whether in regulatory affairs, sustainability, CSR, risk governance, procurement or finance may need to become intelligent customers for professional advice on environmental matters or experts in their own right. This module is a postgraduate ‘primer’ for the aspiring general manager. It seeks to equip you with: |
Syllabus |
This module has four elements as follows: The Business Imperative for Environmental Sustainability We begin with a discussion on the business case for environmental sustainability. What has been the history of engagement with the environmental sustainability agenda and why the recent acceleration of emphasis? Connections to the circular economy, tomorrow’s company and the globalisation agenda will be made in considering the following topics: Case Studies Next we examine key issues from a resource perspective, i.e. energy, water, GHG emissions, land & soil needs, plus resource loss through waste. Industry sectors and specific businesses with major impacts are introduced and these benefits in managing impacts for strategic competitive advantage explained. Examples include the developments that specific sectors have followed are included. Pinch points and key ‘shifts’ that prompted the change are also discussed. Tools and Techniques for Environmental Decision-making Corporate commitments to the environment without defensible metrics are no longer credible. Here we examine some of the principal tools used to secure regulatory approvals, examine whole-life impacts, measure carbon and water footprints, and quantify risk. Practical in approach, we explore what works in real life, the decision power such tools can offer and the current state of the art. Technology Selection and Appraisal Pollution prevention and control requires choices over a bewildering array of environmental technologies to minimise wastes, recover materials and energy and treat toxic residuals. We will walk though some of the established and emerging technologies for pollution prevention, critique and appraise them and discuss the operational requirements. The aim is to make you as future intelligent customers aware of the right questions to ask when faced with appraising technology recommendations. A visit to a local materials recovery plant will reinforce the complex and heterogeneous nature of waste and resource management. In particular attention will be given to: Sustainable Design and Manufacturing How do these principles and practices work through in a manufacturing and production environment? The concepts of design for sustainability and sustainable manufacturing will be considered through worked examples. For example: Sustainable Operations Understanding what practices are used in manufacturing operations to reduce resource use and how these can be translated into tactics for eco-efficiency and beyond. References will be made to improvement methodologies that capture process improvement sequence as well as supporting tools for analysis. |
Intended learning outcomes |
On successful completion of this module you will be able to:
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Sustainability in Practice
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Aim |
This module engages you in a ‘live’ sustainability issue within a client organisation. This organisation will be invited to meet you and given the opportunity to present a management issue focused on a corporate responsibility and sustainability matter at the start of the module. This client’s challenge will inspire discussion and become the foundation for the problem solving activity you will engage. You will work in learning teams over a 5 day period to generate a viable response (or potential solution) for the client organisation. In this consulting like operation you will investigate the organisational context and sustainability challenge in depth and discuss potential avenues (and their implementation implications) for its resolution. Your teams will subsequently produce a design specification for their proposed solution and present it to the client organisation at the end of the week long module. The in-company assignment is a competitive exercise and a ‘winning’ team, proposing the best solution, will be chosen by the client organisation. You will be free to explore the aspects of corporate responsibility and sustainability they feel are most appropriate for the organisation to succeed in its endeavours. This module will allow you to gain a broader and better understanding of how organisational action can be best configured to promote responsible and sustainable business behaviours and strategies. |
Syllabus |
This module has three elements as follows: Problem Solving for Management Consulting This element complements the Management Consulting module and introduces a problem solving process that you will apply to the sustainability challenge presented by the invited company. It will allow you to engage with the intricacies of the problem presented in context and breakdown the task into manageable components. The outcomes of this process will lead to the design and formulation of potential solution/options for the organisation. Each option will discuss the implications for implementation and include clear deliberations regarding the development of leadership and management skills. Key topics include: Managing Change This element complements the session titled ‘championing change’ in the Creating Sustainable Organisation module. More specifically it explores how the client organisation can begin to engage managers and employees to create momentum for positive organisational level change. Key topics include: Presentation and Communication Skills This element explores effective presentation skills/knowledge and technologies for communicating organisational change plans. Key topics include: |
Intended learning outcomes |
On successful completion of this module you should be able to:
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Social Entrepreneurship
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Aim |
The aim of this module is to familiarise students with the concepts of social enterprise and intrapreneurism, and enable them to compare and contrast these phenomena with “non-traditional” entrepreneurship. Both business models overlap extensively with what is regarded as traditional entrepreneurship, but have distinctively different features: while being profit-or surplus-making, their aims typically embrace social outcomes and purposes, and their distribution or sharing of value created is frequently closely linked to these declared values. Students will be introduced to the history and evolution of non-mainstream modes of entrepreneurship and will develop their understanding of how social entrepreneurs/social intrapreneurs and intrapreneurs create and operate enterprises/intrapreneurial activities in different environments. They will see how such enterprises fit within the spectrum of profit and not for profit entities, and how these are regarded by policy-makers and other stakeholders. Students will emerge with a clearer idea of whether they would like to make a career in this business environment or, indeed, aspire to found their own social enterprise or pursue a corporate intrapreneurial initiative. |
Syllabus |
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Intended learning outcomes |
On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:
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Modules
Keeping our courses up-to-date and current requires constant innovation and change. The modules we offer reflect the needs of business and industry and the research interests of our staff. As a result, they may change or be withdrawn due to research developments, legislation changes or for a variety of other reasons. Changes may also be designed to improve the student learning experience or to respond to feedback from students, external examiners, accreditation bodies and industrial advisory panels.
To give you a taster, we have listed above the compulsory and elective (where applicable) modules which are currently affiliated with this course. All modules are indicative only, and may be subject to change for your year of entry.
Teaching team
Our faculty are renowned in their field, with broad industry experience, and are supported by a team of visiting speakers and professors from around the world. The Course Director for this course is Dr Richard Adams.
Accreditation
The Cranfield Management and Corporate Sustainability MSc is a Chartered Management Institute (CMI) dual accreditation degree. This provides the opportunity to stand out from other management graduates by achieving the CMI’s professional management qualification alongside your Cranfield degree.
The CMI is the only chartered professional body in the UK dedicated to promoting the highest standards in management and leadership excellence. It is the only organisation awarding Chartered Manager status, and has a 100,000+ membership.
Your career
We are ranked second in the UK for graduate employment (DLHE longitudinal survey, 2017).
At Cranfield you will receive support to help you plan an effective career strategy, whether you are looking to secure your first role in corporate sustainability, or wanting to take your career to the next level. The Cranfield Career Development Service will help you to plan your personal and professional development and provide you with lifelong career management skills.
Our Management and Corporate Sustainability MSc graduates have secured jobs with a diverse range of companies including Coca-Cola Enterprises, Deloitte, Facebook, Heineken, SIRE Life Sciences, USB Asset Management and Veolia. Their roles have included Business Analyst, Senior Consultant, Research Associate, Project Officer and Business Integrity Associate.
How to apply
Our students do not always fit traditional academic or career paths. We consider this to be a positive aspect of diversity, not a hurdle. We are looking for a body of professional learners who have a wide range of experiences to share. If you are unsure of your suitability for our Management and Corporate Sustainability MSc programme we are happy to review your details and give you feedback before you make a formal application.
To apply you will need to register to use our online system. Once you have set up an account you will be able to create, save and amend your application form before submitting it.
Application deadlines
There is a high demand for places on our courses and we recommend you submit your application as early as possible. The following application deadlines apply.
Entry for September 2021
- Applicants domiciled in mainland China must submit their applications by Monday 31 May 2021.
- Applications from all other international and European students requiring a visa to study in the UK must submit their application by Friday 30 July 2021.
- There is no application deadline for Home/EU applicants, but places are limited so we recommend you submit your application as early as possible.
Once your online application has been submitted together with your supporting documentation, it will be processed by our admissions team. You will then be advised by email if you are successful, unsuccessful, or whether the course director would like to interview you before a decision is made. Applicants based outside of the UK may be interviewed either by telephone or video conference.