Overview
- Start date27 September 2021
- Duration1 year
- DeliveryTaught modules 60%, MSc thesis project 40%
- QualificationMSc
- Study typeFull-time
- CampusCranfield campus
Who is it for?
- Ambitious recent graduates from any academic background who want to launch their own business, or become involved in managing a family business.
- Entrepreneurs who wish to grow and develop their business at any stage of its life cycle.
- Aspiring professionals who wish to incorporate entrepreneurial thinking into their future management career.
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: 116 | 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.
- You will learn how to start your own business, grow a family business or to innovate inside an existing organisation.
- Our approach to teaching is designed to nurture your practical business skills and confidence, and places huge emphasis on real-world challenges.
- You will develop the knowledge and skills required for the management and funding of new ventures across the entrepreneurship life cycle, from start-up through to exit via sale or succession.
- You will have the opportunity to participate in a range of extracurricular events and initiatives, including Cranfield Venture Programme, Entrepreneurship Speaker Series talks led by the Bettany Centre for Entrepreneurship and Start-up Weekends.
- You will have access to ongoing support including the Cranfield Entrepreneurship Association, Cranfield Accelerator Network for Entrepreneurs and Cranfield Business Angel Network.
Read about the inspiring journeys a selection of our Management and Entrepreneurship MSc students and alumni have been on
Informed by Industry
Through our entrepreneurship network, business incubator, open innovation centres, technology park, and entrepreneurship research centre, we have created a distinctive entrepreneurship eco-system at Cranfield. Inspired by this, many of our students and alumni go on to create and manage high performing new ventures and to act as innovators within organisations.
The course has had a tremendous impact on my career, whilst writing my thesis I was approached by Unilever to work for them. I joined the global office as a Global Insights Analyst and have recently been promoted. For me, Cranfield really helped me do that.
Cranfield gave me the foundations to get into a FTSE 100 company by giving me the knowledge but the real key thing Cranfield gave me was the ability to thrive in that environment, to move forward and to work collaboratively with others. It really taught me how to lead.
For me, the most valuable element at Cranfield is the opportunity we get to challenge the status quo, and to really make a difference. The professors and staff encourage us to use our knowledge and intuition to be creative while working with up-to-date challenges, is very unique and will be incredibly rewarding for my future career.
Course details
The course comprises twelve core modules. You will have the opportunity to participate in pitches and competitions, which teach practical entrepreneurship skills, including preparing investment pitches and management consultancy. You will have the opportunity to work with accomplished entrepreneurs, and on real-world international problems, to support your learning. The culmination of the learning process is your opportunity to develop a comprehensive business plan as an individual thesis project.
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 60%, MSc thesis project 40%
Individual project
The individual thesis project will enable you to write a detailed business plan for a start-up or for a growing business. Alternatively, you can undertake a research project on an entrepreneurial business issue for an organisation. You will apply your management knowledge, skills and analytical abilities to a real-life entrepreneurial opportunity. This will demonstrate your ability to research issues, critically evaluate data and information, apply tools and techniques to create a persuasive value proposition, and write a plan or 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.
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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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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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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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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Entrepreneurial Finance
Module Leader |
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Aim |
This module focuses on financing issues faced small business ventures/entrepreneurial firms. It explores the issues from the perspective of the entrepreneur, the investors and the providers of debt finance. The module aims to provide students with awareness and understanding of the risk incurred by investing in an entrepreneurial firms (entrepreneurs, providers of equity and providers of debt). It also allows for a thorough examination and evaluation of alternative financing strategies that small/entrepreneurial ventures can pursue by exploring different financial tools. The students will also explore aspects of deal negotiations and deal structures. |
Syllabus |
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Intended learning outcomes |
On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:
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Managing Business Growth
Aim |
Business growth is a natural extension of the MSc in Management and Entrepreneurship’s initial focus on business start-up, and provides an integrative overview of the life-cycle of the entrepreneurial venture. It explores the transition from an informal, emergent organisational model to a sustainable, professionally-managed business which creates independent value for founder and other stakeholders. It thus links to theory and practice in the key areas of marketing, finance and human resource management. The aim of this module is to familiarise students with the life-cycle of the entrepreneurial business post start-up through to exit via sale or succession. There will be a focus on high-growth, high-potential entrepreneurial businesses. At each stage of development, a different set of challenges confront the founder[s] and the senior team leading the business. This module will explore these critical stages and the associated challenges that must be successfully addressed if the business is to achieve its full potential. Students will emerge with a clearer idea of whether they would like to make a career in this business environment and, in particular, with high-growth businesses, or indeed aspire to found their own high-growth business. |
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Syllabus |
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Intended learning outcomes |
On successful completion of this module you should be able to:
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Entrepreneurship
Module Leader |
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Aim |
The aim of the course is to provide students with knowledge and skills relevant for the management of new ventures across the entrepreneurial life cycle. The course will also act to prepare students who want to undertake an internship for a new venture as part of their thesis on the MSc in Management. Watch an introduction to the Entrepreneurship module. |
Syllabus |
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Intended learning outcomes |
On successful completion of this module you should be able to:
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Disruptive Innovation
Module Leader |
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Aim |
This module introduces disruptive innovation and sets out why it is a distinctive form of innovation. The core theory underpinning the topic is introduced along with the rationale for adopting a contrasting approach to that used for managing incremental innovation. The module presents a range of practical tools to support organisations in building strategic competences that enable them to recognise, create or react to disruptive innovation. The module reviews how disruptive innovation applies, individually or in combination, to technology, processes, services and business models. A core element of the module will be a simulation of an innovation project. The project’s aim will be to develop an innovative product that has potential to be disruptive to the existing market. The simulation will involve team-based activities that equip you with practical tools and hands-on experience. The assessment requires a critical reflection on the experience of using various techniques for managing disruptive innovation within the simulation. During the module the knowledge and skills required for the simulation will be introduced through a combination of lectures, cases studies and other activities. These will introduce both theoretical elements of the module but also practical techniques that can then be applied within the simulation. |
Syllabus |
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Intended learning outcomes |
On successful completion of this module you should be able to:
This module will also develop a potential foundation for a dissertation. A dissertation could draw on the module content to inform the development of an innovation that has been proposed or is currently in development. A dissertation could focus on various aspects of a disruptive innovation, for example, to analyse and understand the relationship between organisational environment and innovation type (disruptive vs. incremental) or to evaluate a set of potential scenarios for development of an innovation. |
Social Entrepreneurship
Module Leader |
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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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Family Business Management
Module Leader |
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Aim |
Family businesses make numerous, critical contributions to the economy and to family well-being both in terms of money income and such intangibles as time, flexibility, control, and personal expertise - if they work. When they don't, family businesses can be difficult to manage, painful experiences at best. The path to success for any business can follow many routes. Family businesses add the complexities of family life to business challenges, expanding the range of issues, personalities, needs and potential solutions for every decision. Knowing something about family types, communication patterns, managerial styles and the amount of support members can expect from their families may be as important to beginning entrepreneurs as knowing how to reach a market or managing cash flow. The course addresses aspects of managing an established family business, on a day-to-day basis and planning for succession to the next generation: values, life cycles, growth strategies, succession, conflict resolution, governance and cultural change. Family business issues of new companies are a small part of the course content; because there are other modules in the MSc Entrepreneurship and Management programme that concern entrepreneurship and small business management, this module will enable students to run their family businesses in an entrepreneurial manner. |
Syllabus |
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Intended learning outcomes |
On successful completion of this module you should be able to:
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Corporate Entrepreneurship
Module Leader |
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Aim |
Corporate entrepreneurship (CE) is a practice of entrepreneurship in established organisations. The module is about (re)configuring existing organisations such that they are able to (continue to) identify, explore and exploit new growth opportunities. Corporate entrepreneurship typically refers to a processes, practices and structures whereby an individual or a group of individuals, in association with an established company, (a) create a new organisation (i.e. engage in corporate venturing) or (b) instigate renewal or innovation within the current organisation. Engaging into corporate entrepreneurship, be it through corporate venturing or less formalised efforts of identifying new growth opportunities through innovation, strategic renewal or business model reconstruction is key to organisational survival and growth. However, entrepreneurial efforts within existing organisations pose a set of nontrivial management challenges such as: The aim of this module is to familiarise students with the concepts of corporate entrepreneurship and the way they can be applied to develop entrepreneurial management capabilities within existing organisations. We will examine the organisational architecture – i.e. leadership, culture, structure and strategies - needed to encourage creativity, innovation and the development of sustainable competitive advantage in larger, existing organisations. We will focus on the skills and resources needed to promote and manage corporate entrepreneurship process which includes opportunity recognition, establishing internal and external legitimacy of the business concept, managing the implementation process and more broadly, achieving organisational ambidexterity (i.e. the ability to manage existing operations and generate new business effectively). |
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 Oksana Koryak.
Accreditation
The Cranfield Management and Entrepreneurship 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).
The Cranfield Career Development Service offers a comprehensive service to help you develop a set of career management skills that will remain with you throughout your career.
During your course you will receive support and guidance to help you plan an effective strategy for your personal and professional development, whether you are looking to secure your first management role, or wanting take your career to the next level.
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 Entrepreneurship 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.