Should I apply for MSc International Management or MSc Management?

Four students sitting round a table on laptops at Imperial College Business School

Written by

Calum Buist

Published

12 December 2022

Blog type

Listen to our podcast, Inside IB, to learn more MSc International Management and MSc Management

Both MSc International Management and MSc Management form part of Imperial College Business School’s Management Master’s portfolio, offering authentic and dynamic study experiences ahead of exciting business careers. Both programmes are pre-experience (that is to say, applicants should have no more than two years’ post-graduate professional work experience from the start date of the course); however, the offering, make-up and target profile of each programme has some key differences which are important to understand before applying.

MSc International Management 

MSc International Management is designed for students who come from a business degree, or highly relevant internship/work history.

It is an accelerated Master's targeted at those with a clear business background who wish to expand on their existing knowledge and skillset to accelerate their career in business in a technology-driven world, particularly at leading firms within the consulting and financial service industries. Usually, this will mean applicants come from a business or FAME background (which means degree level study in finance, accounting, management or economics).

In some exceptional cases, a business background could also apply to students from non-FAME disciplines that have instead gained highly relevant experience in the workplace – and can suitably demonstrate strong quantitative skills and excellent commercial awareness as a result. A GMAT/GRE result is an important entry requirement for MSc International Management – find out more about the GMAT/GRE requirement.

MSc Management 

MSc Management is a conversion programme designed for those with no or very little previous business study, who are looking for a good foundation in management to effectively kick-start a career in business.

From an admissions perspective, we will be checking that any previous degree study does not have too much overlap with the MSc Management programme content. Our exact requirement is that ‘if your degree includes modules similar to more than one-third of the MSc Management programme you would not be eligible.’

While we are unable to assess individual eligibility before receiving a complete application, we strongly encourage you to compare your degree transcripts to the core modules and Entrepreneurship (which makes nine in total), and use your discretion to judge if there would be any substantial overlap in programme content (more than one third). If you think you have studied too many similar modules, it is likely that our MSc International Management programme is better suited to you.

While diverse degree backgrounds are encouraged, a GMAT or GRE result is highly recommended for candidates from non-quantitative degree backgrounds.

Although you should check you meet the entry requirements before applying, we recognise that there will be some instances where it will be difficult for a candidate to identify which Management programme best suits their profile. Rest assured that should the Selection Committee feel that your profile is more closely aligned with that of another programme, you will be considered for the alternate programme (or perhaps one within our Management Master’s portfolio) to ensure that you are considered for the programme that is the best fit for you.

We recognise that there will be some instances where it will be difficult for a candidate to identify which Management programme best suits their profile. Rest assured that should the Selection Committee feel that your profile is more closely aligned with that of another programme, you will be considered for the alternate programme (or perhaps one within our Management Master’s portfolio) to ensure that you are considered for the programme that is the best fit for you. The Selection Committee is the same for both programmes, meaning there is a fluid approach when it comes to assessing your application.

Next Steps:

We understand that choosing the right programme takes time and can be a daunting prospect so to help, we want to make you aware of some useful resources that can help with your decision:

Chat with our MSc Student Ambassadors -  our Ambassadors will be more than happy to help with any questions you have and can offer some great insight into life at the Business School.
Attend a recruitment event – our recruitment events are often a great way to speak with faculty, current students and alumni.

We hope the information provided in this blog has helped you to identify which Management programme best aligns with your profile, and we very much look forward to receiving your application!