5 UK Schools producing tomorrow’s best business brains

29 Mar 2017

Do I pursue a postgraduate degree or not? This is a dilemma many students face as the job market becomes increasingly competitive. Gone are the days where gaining a First-Class Honours is enough to set you apart from the crowd. Now it takes more than a top qualification to shoehorn your way into the working world. Recruiters actively look for graduates with a CV that stands out, and a sure-fire way to achieve that is to obtain a postgraduate degree.

A Master’s represents an opportunity to gain advanced knowledge on your chosen subject, boosting you up to ‘specialist’ level of your respective field. Not only does this increase your chances of getting a job, it also helps advance your career as a sound demonstration of persistence, determination and discipline – qualities that employers seek in potential hires.

But when it comes to postgraduate education, you need to figure out what specialisation will eventually enhance your career. According to Forbes, the top master degrees for getting hired in 2017 include Business Administration, Finance, Accounting and Marketing – hardly a surprise as business-oriented degrees grant students the business expertise and ‘soft skills’ that are in high demand among graduate employers.

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As the website Good Call states, some companies welcome graduates who have had the advanced level of education and training that a postgraduate education offers. And the great thing about studying a business-oriented Master’s is the fact that students from non-business backgrounds also have the opportunity to pursue a degree in this lucrative field.

For instance, Master of Business Administration (MBA) programmes have an interdisciplinary approach to education, and are specially-designed for professionals who have a few years’ experience already under their belts and are looking to advance their careers. On top of this, many Business Schools recognise that liberal arts or science graduates often want to boost their credentials with a business-focused Master’s to give them an edge over competition, reports Business Because.

So, if you’re thinking about boosting your prospects with a postgraduate business degree, we’ve got just the thing for you; here are 5 outstanding UK Business Schools that can help advance your career…

SALFORD BUSINESS SCHOOL, UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD – MANCHESTER

With an excellent reputation for teaching, research and industry links, Salford Business School is the ideal place to kick-start your professional journey. The postgraduate courses offered have been developed in partnership with business leaders to maximise employment prospects. Accredited by 14 internationally-recognised professional bodies, programmes can be studied on a full or part-time basis in order to fit around any existing responsibilities. Led by award-winning staff, students learn by a balanced combination of lectures, seminars and tutorials that are research informed but business-focused.

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The School has strong partnerships with local, national and international businesses and all courses come with a range of placement opportunities to build on your existing experience. Through the School’s Employability Hub every postgraduate student has the opportunity to do a Business Innovation Project. This gives you the chance to pursue a live industry brief set by a partner organisation, meaning students can apply what they’ve learned from their course in a real-world professional setting.

Salford Business School offers the best of all worlds, based on a beautiful campus just minutes walk from the centre of vibrant Manchester and easily accessible from London. The School also offers international scholarships and bursaries for overseas students.

OXFORD BROOKES BUSINESS SCHOOL, OXFORD BROOKES UNIVRSITY – OXFORD

Designed to propel students to great heights, the Oxford Brookes postgraduate business degrees will develop your professional skills and business exposure to help advance your career. The School boasts full-time postgraduate programmes in four areas of study, including Accounting, Finance and Economics, Business and Management, Marketing, and Hospitality. Students learn through a combination of live consultancy projects, skills workshops, and networking events with industry leaders.

On top of that, the School also offers the Oxford Brookes Global MBA, a flexible part-time and online programme for experienced and globally-connected professionals. Ranked 5^th in the world in the QS Distanced Online MBA Rankings 2016, the course provides flexibility to accommodate every aspect of your existing work and personal life. The School is known for its well-established industry connections, giving students with the chance to pursue international study tours to meet industry leaders and tour global companies.

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PORTSMOUTH BUSINESS SCHOOL, UNIVERSITY OF PORTSMOUTH – PORTSMOUTH

Founded in 1985, this ambitious Business School is known for its quality teaching, dedicated academics and world-leading research. The School offers postgraduate courses with specialisations in accounting, business, economics, finance, human resource management, law, marketing, leadership and other specialist management subjects. For those aiming to do an MBA, the School offers an Executive MBA, a globally-recognised business management degree that gives you the chance to develop leadership skills, while inspiring confidence, improving performance and advancing your career.

All courses are practical and career-focused with the chance for students to gain professional accreditation. Students also benefit from state-of-the-art facilities that include a Business Simulation Suite, Bloomberg Suite, Mock Court room, and access to a Technology Enabled Active Learning (TEAL) room. Here, Faculty believe that collaboration with multiple organisations ensures that teaching remains current, giving students with the expertise employers actively seek.

DUNDEE BUSINESS SCHOOL, ABERTAY UNIVERSITY – DUNDEE

As seasoned providers of business-focused education, students of Dundee Business School can expect exciting and current postgraduate courses that allow them to rise to complex business issues of business in our global economy. Known for innovative and student-centred courses, the Dundee Business School offers the MSc International Human Resource Management or MSC International Management. Both courses instil a solid understanding of organisational structures in the public and private sectors, and also teach how to effectively manage small to large business corporations.

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And with Faculty deriving from a wide range of academic, professional and industrial backgrounds that span from law to economics, students gain a unique insight into the ways different industries work. The School also has a ‘Making the Most of Masters’ project which offers opportunities to pursue work-based projects to enhance employability as they complete their Master’s. With a recognised business degree, you can also potentially enter the public or private sector graduate fast-track management scheme for an extra prospect boost.

NORWICH BUSINESS SCHOOL, UNIVERSITY OF EAST ANGLIA – NORWICH

Recognised for high graduate employment rates and overall student satisfaction, students can rest assured they’re in good hands at the Norwich Business School. For those who do not come from a distinct business background, there’s the option to pursue an applied career course from a wide range of programmes, including MSc Investment and Financial Management, MSc Enterprise and Business Creation, MSc Business Management, MSc Finance and Management, MSc Marketing, MSc Marketing and Management, MSc Human Resource Management and MSc International Accounting and Financial Management.

But for students who already have a degree in business, physics, engineering, psychology or maths, the School offers academic and professional courses in MSc Accounting and Finance, MSc Banking and Finance, MSc Operations and Logistics Management, MSc Brand Leadership and MSc Management. Besides providing comprehensive programmes, the School equips students with the knowledge and expertise needed to form careers with creative thinking and a foundation in sustainable business practice.

*Some of the institutions featured in this article are commercial partners of Study International