Develop specialist knowledge in contemporary business management and evaluate how businesses operate globally in an increasingly competitive environment through our joint degree with the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS).

Delivered in partnership with the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS), Global Sustainable Business Management MSc gives you the specialist knowledge and competence required to support future sustainable business practices on a global scale. Taught on a full-time basis over 18 months, you can expect teaching methods that include lectures, seminars, tutorials and workshops.

Designed in line with the 17 sustainable development goals set out by the United Nations, you will assess different business environments and develop a critical appreciation of management theory and business practice, aiming to achieve sustainability, act ethically and encourage responsible decision-making. You will also identify ways to analyse, develop and manage competitive advantage within the global value chain.

This programme is led by expert academics from both Northumbria University and AUAS and, as a master's student, you will develop your knowledge and research skills and be an active participant in the research-rich environment and agenda that is at the heart of both institutions. Additionally, this programme is covered by the prestigious AACSB accreditation awarded to Newcastle Business School, demonstrating an ongoing commitment to excellence in teaching, research, curriculum development, and learner success.

Applications for Global Sustainable Business Management MSc must be submitted via the Dutch higher education application portal, Studielink. Applications are managed by AUAS who aim to process applications in a time frame of 2 - 6 weeks. For more information, please review our programme FAQs for September 2024 entry.

Your tutors will use a variety of teaching methods including lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials. As this is a postgraduate-level course, we expect students to develop independent learning and self-reflection competencies.

Teaching is enhanced by a well-designed student and pastoral support process that helps to ensure a successful learning journey. We make sure that feedback, from both tutors and peers, is built into the course. Our assessment strategy is based on our understanding that everyone has different needs, strengths and enthusiasms. Assessment methods include; assignments, presentations, exams, and the master’s dissertation.

The master’s dissertation is an individual project. In their dissertation, students have to research a real-life, business-oriented sustainability problem, draft the theoretical framework to address this issue, analyse it based on this theoretical framework and draw conclusions about solutions. In previous modules, students are introduced to research methods and techniques to prepare them for the research work required for the master's dissertation. Students come together in small groups to review and comment on each other’s work; these cycles are meant to mimic collaboration settings of the professional practice.

• Click here to view Year One and Year Two modules
• Click here to view all programme information condensed into one PDF document

You will be taught by tutors whose wealth of practitioner and research expertise adds to the richness of the delivery of the course. Their expertise, combined with their ongoing active research, will provide an excellent foundation for your learning.

Teaching will be carried out by expert academics from both Northumbria University and AUAS. Our delivery includes classroom sessions and online asynchronous (self-study) and synchronous (facilitated) components.

Virtual Events and Open Days are the perfect opportunity to meet academics from both institutions and to get an insight into their teaching styles and expertise. You can find events delivered by AUAS here.

The Amsterdam Campus is housed in the Corry Tendeloo Building (CTH) of Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, near Amsterdam Amstel station.

Corry Tendeloo Building is newly refurbished and is equipped with facilities such as a library, video presentation infrastructure, a canteen, break-out spaces, recreational facilities and several service desks. The IT infrastructure in the building is excellent, with Wi-Fi available everywhere through Eduroam and the AUAS network.

You will have access to both libraries of Northumbria University and AUAS. As a student based in Amsterdam, you will have remote access to the Northumbria University Library which achieves some of the highest levels of student satisfaction in the UK and has held the Cabinet Office accreditation for Customer Service Excellence since 2010. It has excellent digital resources with over 100 databases for independent learning as well as half a million electronic books.

As a master’s student, you will develop your knowledge and research skills to a new, higher level, learning from expert academics from both Northumbria University and AUAS.

Throughout your course, you will be an active participant in the research-rich environment and agenda that is at the heart of Northumbria University and AUAS. With conferences and research events regularly taking place, and with staff discussing their own research as it relates to the topics you’ll study, there’s a strong emphasis on engaging you in up-to-date enquiry-based learning.

Northumbria University is a research-intensive modern university. We Stand Ready. Empowering innovators, visionaries and change-makers to transform lives and make a remarkable impact on the world. Making the impossible possible.

This course lends itself to those interested in careers with an international management angle and this broad subject base will position you to compete for graduate trainee roles across a range of organisations.

Thanks to the specialist modules such as Organising for Sustainable Transition and Responsible Leadership, you will gain a particular edge in areas related to sustainability, and responsible and ethical business, including leadership competencies that make you stand out in the graduate job market. The course will also support your aspiration for further study towards a postgraduate research degree such as an MPhil, PhD or Professional Doctorate.

Whatever you decide to do, you will have the transferable skills that employers expect from a master’s graduate. These include the ability to tackle complex issues through conceptualisation and undertaking research, the ability to contribute to new processes and knowledge, and the ability to formulate balanced judgements when considering incomplete or ambiguous data.