The curriculum starts in September with the foundational core courses. You will build a solid foundation in strategic management theory and practice. The courses are designed for experiential learning and collaboration among students. Case studies and group projects, including a consulting project in which you apply analytical methods and techniques from leading strategy consultants, provide rich opportunities to develop real-world experience and to collaborate and connect with fellow students.
In the spring semester, you can tailor your learning experience by selecting three electives from an extensive portfolio that is evaluated and updated every year, so you can choose how you prepare for your future career.
In order to graduate, you will be trained in analytical and research skills and must write an individual thesis in the field of strategic management.
Curriculum
Core courses:
- Competitive strategy
- Corporate strategy
- RSM strategy case project
- Your future career
- Qualitative or quantitative research in SM & SE
- Thesis
Electives:
Electives are organised into several thematic tracks, each representing a pathway that develops expertise in a specific area of strategy. You can pick electives from multiple tracks.
Examples of elective courses in each track:
Consulting track:
- Strategic management consulting
- Quantitative foundations for strategy consulting and business analytics
- Client engagement and change methods of strategy consultants
Corporate & global strategy track:
- Global strategy
- Strategic decision-making
- A managerial perspective on M&As
- Organising for technological transformation
- Managing intellectual property in M&As and alliances
- Corporate venturing: swimming with sharks
- Corporate societal and political strategies
Entrepreneurial strategy track:
- New business development
- Scaling and financing diverse entrepreneurship
- Getting things done without resources: entrepreneurial bootstrapping
- Ecosystem thinking in strategic management & entrepreneurship
- Owning, managing and growing the family business
Skills track:
- Applied data analytics and causal inference
- Leadership in action: coaching for business success
- Critical leadership in the age of technology
- Applied programming with Python
Read more about: Curriculum Master in Strategic Management.
Mode of education
In addition to attending lectures, you will work in small groups on business cases, assignments, presentations and skills training. Many of the exercises are carried out in teams. The programme frequently invites guest speakers from practitioner organisations, of which many are MScSM alumni, to ensure a strong connection to real-world practice and to bring you in contact with practitioners.