How long is the MSc in Strategic Management?

One year full-time, or two years part-time via online / distance routes. The MSc in Strategic Management allocates a dissertation supervisor from term one and runs a live sponsor strategy commission in term two.

Can the MSc in Strategic Management be studied online?

Yes. The MSc in Strategic Management runs on-campus in London, fully online with UK / APAC cohort calls and by distance learning, all assessed against the same dissertation or sponsor capstone.

Is the MSc in Strategic Management recognised by UK employers?

Yes. The MSc in Strategic Management is designed around senior CMI Level 7, ILM and IoD board-level material, so UK Managing Directors and non-executive directors engage with the credential.

What are the entry requirements for the MSc in Strategic Management?

A UK 2:2 (or international equivalent), or three years' senior leadership/strategy experience on portfolio, IELTS 6.5 for international applicants, plus a 600-word statement and two references.

What does the MSc in Strategic Management cost?

Tuition varies by route and domicile. Contact LSIBM admissions for the current schedule, instalments and bursary eligibility for the MSc in Strategic Management.

MSc in Strategic Management | LSIBM London | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The MSc in Strategic Management at the London School of International Business and Management (LSIBM) is a one-year UK Master's for professionals moving into senior strategy, head-of-function or director-track responsibility inside UK mid-market operators, City corporates and consultancies. Sitting inside the Business & Management faculty, the degree combines senior CMI Level 7 leadership content, Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) senior practice and IoD board-level material with academic strategy theory, and closes with a dissertation or a sponsor consulting project.

You will work with a dissertation supervisor from term one, undertake a live strategy commission with a UK operator in term two, and defend the dissertation or capstone in front of a working senior leadership panel — typically a UK Managing Director or IoD-affiliated non-executive director. The MSc in Strategic Management is available on-campus in central London, fully online with UK / APAC cohort calls, or by distance learning from 2026 (two years part-time).

Key Features

Curriculum designed around senior CMI Level 7 leadership content, ILM senior practice and IoD board-level material.
Three delivery modes — central London campus, fully online with UK / APAC cohort calls, or distance learning.
Dissertation supervisor allocated from term one, with weekly one-to-ones from term two.
Live sponsor strategy commission with a UK mid-market operator or a Big Four industry-hire pool.
Senior-practitioner panel defence — dissertation or capstone reviewed by a working UK MD or IoD non-executive director.
Executive-application coaching in the final term.

What You Will Learn

The MSc treats strategic management at senior-Master's level — the working craft of the senior strategy voice shaping a UK board discussion. You will graduate operating as a credible senior UK leadership voice.

Advanced strategy diagnosis, MECE and hypothesis-driven work.
Corporate portfolio and capital-allocation strategy.
Business-model, pricing and go-to-market design.
Strategic planning cycles, OKRs and quarterly rhythm.
Change and transformation leadership.
M&A strategy and post-merger integration.
Corporate governance, ethics and Companies Act 2006 duties.
Boardroom persuasion and audit-committee interface.
Research methods for dissertation or capstone.

Who This Course Is For

Working strategy managers moving into head-of-strategy responsibility.
Line leaders moving into head-of-function or director roles.
Big Four industry-hire candidates preparing to move into industry leadership.
International leaders aligning to a UK Master's leadership credential.
Sponsored candidates preparing for CMI Chartered Manager status.

Career Pathways

Graduates typically progress into head-of-function, head-of-strategy and director-track roles across UK operators, corporates and consultancies. The degree supports applications but does not by itself guarantee job offers or visa outcomes. Typical destinations include:

Head of Strategy
Head of Function (Operations, Commercial, People)
Strategy Manager (senior)
Chief of Staff
Director-level Leader (mid-market)
Programme Director (junior)

The MSc in Strategic Management is the natural end-point of the CMI Chartered Manager route and supports IoD Chartered Director progression.

Entry Requirements

A UK 2:2 honours degree in a relevant discipline, or an equivalent international qualification. Applicants with three years of substantive senior leadership or strategy experience may apply on a portfolio route.
GCSE English Language at grade 5/C (or equivalent) is required for domestic applicants; international applicants meet the language rule below.
IELTS 6.5 overall (no band below 6.0) for non-native English speakers.
A short statement of intent (600 words) explaining research or applied interests, plus two references (one academic, one workplace or professional-body).

Why Study at LSIBM

The London School of International Business and Management (LSIBM) is a specialist business-education provider based in central London and part of Harold International College. Postgraduate cohorts run in small tutor-visible groups, are shaped by working senior practitioners (partner-level at a Big Four firm, Fellow-level at CIM or CIPD, CFA charter-holders in investment routes) and close with a substantial dissertation, sponsor consulting project or applied capstone defended in front of a working panel.

London puts the City, Canary Wharf, Whitehall, Companies House, the FCA, the Bank of England, the West End and the major consulting, banking and multinational headquarters within a short tube ride of every classroom. LSIBM postgraduates attend a fortnightly senior-practitioner clinic and a structured executive-application coaching programme in the final term.

Apply for the MSc in Strategic Management

Step into the senior track with the MSc in Strategic Management. Click Enrol Now and admissions will reply within one working day with intake dates, dissertation supervisor allocation guidance and the current fee schedule. LSIBM postgraduates are supported by dedicated executive-application coaching in the final term.