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Management MSc (Distance Learning)

2025-26 (also available for 2024-25)

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This course is eligible for Master's loan funding. Find out more.

Start date

22 September 2025

12 January 2026

18 May 2026

Duration

2 years part-time

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About the course

Reasons to study

  1. Learn to lead - You will gain essential skills and knowledge vital for managing and leading culturally diverse businesses and organisations within a swiftly changing landscape.
  2. Teaching excellence – Learn from expert academics from our AACSB International accredited Business School, which was named the 2023 Times Higher Education Awards Business School of the Year.
  3. Convenience - The course is delivered 100% online, so you can fit your studies around your family and work commitments, and study from any location. 

Our 100% online Management MSc will prepare you for leadership and management roles across a wide range of industries and sectors, without the requirement to have studied a business or management related undergraduate degree.

Combining fundamental leadership and management skills with a focus on technology and innovation, you’ll cultivate the mindset and adaptability necessary to effectively lead teams and organisations in today’s highly mobile and interconnected world of work. You'll develop an extensive understanding of crucial business functions including, but not limited to, marketing, leadership, project management, technology, and strategy.

You’ll engage with practical real-world scenarios and apply your knowledge across a range of contexts. This includes undertaking an individual research project which you can align with your management goals and career ambitions.

With three enrolment windows (September, January and May) in every academic year, you’re never more than four months from a start date.

Performance-based admissions

If your academic background doesn’t match our entry requirements, you can still apply to study Management MSc (Distance Learning) via our performance-based admissions* (PBA) route.

How does it work?

After you successfully complete the first module of the course, you’ll be invited to continue with the Management MSc (Distance Learning) at the next available intake. (See entry requirements for full details)

The modules are:

  • Fundamentals of Management (Distance Learning) if you wish to start your studies in September
  • Strategic Management (Distance Learning) if you wish to start your studies in January
  • Fundamentals of Leadership (Distance Learning) if you wish to start your studies in May.

*Please note if you enrol onto the Management MSc via the PBA route, you will not be eligible to apply for a UK government Postgraduate Master’s Loan

Teaching on this course will be delivered by University of Huddersfield academic staff. Teaching and learning activities will be hosted on our partner platform – Coursera

Course detail

You will study the following modules:

Fundamentals of Management

This module focuses on the fundamentals of why organisations exist and what organisations and managers ‘do.’ You will learn core aspects of management including strategic decision making, marketing, accounting and finance, and operations. Developing a high-level overview of the organisational landscape, you’ll build the skills required for modern management.

Fundamentals of Leadership

With a focus on understanding leadership in organisations and what it takes to lead, you’ll cover topics such as people management, communication, leadership skills, diversity and performance management. You’ll reflect on your own leadership skills and style, and develop your own leadership solutions.

Strategic Management

In this introduction to strategic management theories and their practical application, you’ll learn to implement and evaluate strategy. Topics covered include mission and goal formation, stakeholder theories, corporate governance and business ethics. By the end of this module, you’ll be equipped with a strategy toolbox that includes external and internal analysis, corporate level and business level strategies, and a range of decision making approaches.

Research Methods

In preparation for your research project, you’ll learn the foundational concepts of research methodology. You’ll acquire a range of research skills, including • How to formulate effective research questions • How to review academic literature in the research process • How to select the appropriate data collection techniques • Awareness of the different types of research approaches • How to carry out data analysis and write up your results

The Global Professional

In today’s highly mobile and interconnected business world, culturally diverse teams, partnerships and customer bases are now the norm. It’s essential for you to be able to offer your future employers and colleagues an adaptable, interculturally aware and responsive approach. This module fosters the transferable skills to make you globally employable. You’ll gain a deeper awareness of your individual cultural make-up, and its influence on behaviour, relationships and worldview, in order to navigate beyond the borders of your own culture. You’ll develop conscious approaches to effective global practice, responding positively to difference, and constructing strategies to help manage intercultural workplace encounters.

Digital Marketing Strategy

Digital marketing is fundamental to modern marketing strategy and increasingly central to contemporary business environments. In this module, you’ll gain a strong understanding of both the theory and practice of digital marketing - its objectives, strategies and tactics. You’ll study the role of customer insights and enhanced customer engagement, learning about direct and digital marketing tools and their implementation across different contexts. You’ll get the chance to ground your learning by developing, implementing and evaluating digital marketing strategy, underpinned by core principles of ethics, sustainability and responsibility.

Project Management

Skilled and knowledgeable project managers are crucial to the complex functions of major tech, construction, manufacturing and retail projects. This module will provide in-depth understanding of project management theory and practice, and operations management, allowing you to excel in project roles of varying levels of complexity. You’ll develop the ability to plan, control and execute complex projects in an integrated manner, increasing your understanding of partnerships, leadership and organisational politics within business environments. You’ll develop an awareness of stakeholder management, and the challenges typically faced by project managers throughout the project life cycle. On completion, you’ll be equipped with the skills and tools needed for a successful career in this challenging but highly rewarding environment.

Individual Research Project

This project allows you to implement everything you’ve learned, completing an in-depth piece of research using relevant research methods to engage deeply with your own areas of interest. You’ll work autonomously with the guidance of an academic supervisor to choose and implement the most appropriate methods. You’ll use recognised academic conventions to present a written report - and greatly enhance your own knowledge and skills in the process.

Entry requirements

There are two routes for entry onto this course:

Direct route:

  • An Honours degree (2:2 or above) or equivalent qualification in any discipline.

Performance Based Admissions (PBA) Route:

This distance learning course offers a PBA admissions entry route, based on the successful completion of a 20-credit short course as detailed below:

  • September: Short Course - Fundamentals of Management (successful completion would permit entry to the May intake of the full MSc)
  • January: Short Course - Strategic Management (successful completion would permit entry to the September intake of the full MSc)
  • May: Short Course - Fundamentals of Leadership (successful completion would permit entry to the January intake of the full MSc)

You must pass the short course on your first full attempt to be considered for entry to the full MSc programme. Once the credits have been confirmed, you will be invited to apply for the full course at the next available entry point. The Short Course will then be considered as accreditation of prior learning (APL) as part of the full MSc application.

For either route, if your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum requirements, the following are accepted:

  • The Duolingo English test, with a score of 105 or above.
  • An updated experience statement to also include ‘work’: Where you have studied in an English-speaking country, worked for an English-speaking company, or have a UK degree - this proof is accepted within two years of passing as meeting the English Language requirements.
  • IELTS 6.0 overall with no element lower than 5.5, or an equivalent qualification.

Read more about the University’s entry requirements for students outside of the UK on our International Entry Requirements page.

Student support

At the University of Huddersfield, you will find support networks and services to help you get ahead in your studies. Our Distance Learning Unit Team are at hand to make your online learning journey a positive, rewarding and successful one.

The Distance Learning Unit has specialist staff who are committed to ensuring that online teaching and learning material is accessible to all. We can recommend and provide training on assistive technologies and software which can support a range of learning styles and additional needs.

During each module, you will be able to rely on your module tutors to provide any academic support you need.

You will always have access to our online learning facilities and should you need any technical support whilst studying, you will find that many of our student support services and resources are available online or accessible during UK working hours.

Find out more about support services including finance, careers, Library, IT and disability and wellbeing.

Important information

We will always try to deliver your course as described on this web page. However, sometimes we may have to make changes as set out below.

Changes to a course you have applied for

If we propose to make a major change to a course that you are holding an offer for, then we will tell you as soon as possible so that you can decide whether to withdraw your application prior to enrolment.

Cancellation of a course you have applied for

Although we always try and run all of the course we offer, we may occasionally have to withdraw a course you have applied for or combine your programme with another programme if we consider this reasonably necessary to ensure a good student experience, for example if there are not enough applicants to ensure you have a good learning experience. Where this is the case we will notify you as soon as reasonably possible and we will contact you to discuss other suitable courses with us we can transfer your application to. If we notify you that the course you have applied to has been withdrawn or combined, and you do not wish to transfer to another course with us, you may cancel your application and we will refund you any deposits or fees you have paid to us.

Changes to your course after you enrol as a student

We will always try to deliver your course and other services as described. However, sometimes we may have to make changes as set out below:

Changes to option modules

Where your course allows you to choose modules from a range of options, we will review these each year and change them to reflect the expertise of our staff, current trends in research and as a result of student feedback or demand for certain modules. We will always ensure that you have a range of options to choose from and we will let you know in good time the options available for you to choose for the following year.

Major changes

We will only make major changes to the core curriculum of a course or to our services if it is necessary for us to do so and provided such changes are reasonable.A major change in this context is a change that materially changes the services available to you; or the outcomes, or a significant part, of your course, such as the nature of the award or a substantial change to module content, teaching days (part time provision), classes, type of delivery or assessment of the core curriculum.

For example, it may be necessary to make a major change to reflect changes in the law or the requirements of the University’s regulators; to meet the latest requirements of a commissioning or accrediting body; to improve the quality of educational provision; in response to student, examiners’ or other course evaluators’ feedback; and/or to reflect academic or professional changes within subject areas.Major changes may also be necessary because of circumstances outside our reasonable control, such as a key member of staff leaving the University or being unable to teach, where they have a particular specialism that can’t be adequately covered by other members of staff; or due to damage or interruption to buildings, facilities or equipment.

Major changes would usually be made with effect from the next academic year, but this may not always be the case. We will notify you as soon as possible should we need to make a major change and will carry out suitable consultation with affected students.If you reasonably believe that the proposed change will cause you detriment or hardship we will, if appropriate, work with you to try to reduce the adverse effect on you or find an appropriate solution.Where an appropriate solution cannot be found and you contact us in writing before the change takes effect you can cancel your registration and withdraw from the University without liability to the University for future tuition fees. We will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring to another university if you wish to do so.

Termination of course

In exceptional circumstances, we may, for reasons outside of our control, be forced to discontinue or suspend your course.Where this is the case, a formal exit strategy will be followed and we will notify you as soon as possible about what your options are, which may include transferring to a suitable replacement course for which you are qualified, being provided with individual teaching to complete the award for which you were registered, or claiming an interim award and exiting the University.If you do not wish to take up any of the options that are made available to you, then you can cancel your registration and withdraw from the course without liability to the University for future tuition fees and you will be entitled to a refund of all course fees paid to date.We will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring to another university if you wish to do so.

When you enrol as a student of the University, your study and time with us will be governed by a framework of regulations, policies and procedures, which form the basis of your agreement with us. These include regulations regarding the assessment of your course, academic integrity, your conduct (including attendance) and disciplinary procedure, fees and finance and compliance with visa requirements (where relevant). It is important that you familiarise yourself with these as you will be asked to agree to abide by them when you join us as a student. You will find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan, where you will also find links to the full text of each of the regulations, policies and procedures referred to. You should read these carefully before you enrol. Please note that this information is subject to change and you are advised to check our website regularly for any changes before you enrol at the University. A person who is not party to this agreement shall not have any rights under or in connection with it. Only you and the University shall have any right to enforce or rely on the agreement.

The Office for Students (OfS) is the principal regulator for the University.

Fair Processing Notice

The University partners with ‘Coursera’ for the delivery of this Distance Learning course. The Data collected in the University’s application portal will be used by the Distance Learning Unit to support you through your application and enrolment. We will share your data with Coursera who may contact you to provide support and guidance throughout your application, enrolment and studies.This may mean that we share your data outside the EU. It will not be shared further without your consent. Information about how Coursera processes your data is available on their Privacy notice here.

The University will store and use the information you provide in accordance with the University’s privacy policy which you can find here.

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