Course overview
This professionally recognised course will provide you with a unique combination of strategic insight and consulting expertise to help organisations navigate uncertainty, drive digital transformation, and achieve sustainable growth.
The MSc Strategic Management and Business Consulting will develop your skills on how to solve complex business challenges and drive sustainable organisational success, allowing you to become a trusted strategist and business advisor equipped to shape the future of organisations.
The course is dual-accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), allowing you to gain a recognised professional qualification alongside your degree and strengthen your career prospects in business management and consulting.
Shaped by senior industry practitioners and enriched by Leeds University Business School’s worldwide corporate links, the course equips you with the strategic and consulting capabilities sought by organisations across a range of sectors.
Our strong alumni network and global corporate connections provide extensive opportunities to engage with industry leaders through guest lectures, workshops, and masterclasses.
Course Highlights
Real-world application and hands-on learning: Apply learning to real business challenges through the capstone Consulting Project module, where you will have the opportunity to work with an external organisation and develop practical experience in diagnosis, stakeholder engagement and strategic recommendation development.
Curriculum shaped by world-leading experts and professionals: You will be taught by academics involved in cutting-edge research and consultancy examining major societal issues, informing business, policymakers and government bodies in the UK and overseas.
Acquire a broad range of skills: Develop strategic management, leadership, organisational change and consulting capabilities, applying analytical and evidence-based decision-making approaches in both generic and specialist areas of business.
Gain from cutting-edge research: Benefit from access to our advanced specialist research centre, the Centre for Employment Relations, Innovation and Change (CERIC), and the ESRC Centre for Digital Futures at Work (DIGIT), where we are involved in cutting-edge research on contemporary national and international issues around changing business dynamics, the future of work, digitalisation, employment and labour markets.
Dedicated and tailored support: Build versatile employability skills through our dedicated and comprehensive professional development support.
Dual Accredited course: Benefit from Chartered Management Institute (CMI) accreditation and access to CMI resources to develop an appreciation of the professional, governance and ethical standards relevant to the discipline.
Global opportunities to broaden your experience: you will have an opportunity to apply for a place on a week-long international study tour which will include company visits, guest lectures and networking events, as well as an opportunity to visit local places of interest. Previous study tours have included visits to Berlin, Frankfurt, Milan, Toulouse and Zurich.
Find out more about studying your Masters at Leeds University Business School
Guaranteed industry experience
While studying at Leeds, you’ll have the chance to work with clients and gain consultancy experience as part of a 2-week online Global Industry Programme.
As well as allowing you to build key industry connections, you’ll also develop invaluable professional and practical skills that are highly valued by employers.
Explore Leeds
Discover our campus, facilities and accommodation with our 360 virtual experience platform.
With immersive 360 experiences, image galleries, virtual tours, videos and day-in-the-life content, you can take a personalised, interactive tour of campus and explore the University's academic, social and residential environments from anywhere in the world.
You can get a feel for what it's really like to live, learn and belong at the University of Leeds – all from the comfort of home.
Accreditation
Our MSc Management Consulting is dual accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI). Graduates of the course achieve both a degree from the University and a Level 7 Diploma in Professional Consulting from the CMI.
Course details and modules
Through the core modules, you’ll critically examine key theories, concepts and facts that underpin strategic management and contemporary consulting, alongside the latest business challenges, management trends and organisational developments shaping organisations worldwide. Alongside this, you’ll explore how organisations formulate and implement strategy, develop sustainable competitive advantage and manage change.
You'll also gain a detailed understanding of the consulting project life cycle, the relationship between strategy and consultancy, and the research skills needed to successfully undertake consulting projects.
Choosing from a range of optional modules, you’ll develop your understanding of contemporary areas such as business analytics, adoption of Artificial Intelligence decision-making, entrepreneurship, people development, diversity management and sustainability. These modules enable you to develop specialist knowledge while strengthening your ability to analyse and solve complex business problems.
These contemporary modules complement the development of strategic thinking and core consultancy skills and capacities, ensuring your knowledge remains highly relevant in a rapidly changing business environment.
The course culminates in a consulting project, allowing you to apply strategic management and business consulting concepts to a real organisational challenge. Working with an external organisation or University research centre, you will gain first-hand experience of consultancy practice, client engagement, and evidence-based problem-solving. Along the way, you will develop highly valued skills in stakeholder management, project delivery, research, analysis, and communicating insights to diverse audiences, preparing you for careers in business consulting, strategy, organisational development, transformation, and leadership.
Course structure
The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our terms and conditions.
Year 1 compulsory modules
Strategic Management (15 credits)
Critical Perspectives on Management Consulting (30 credits)
Applied Consulting: Engagement Design and Execution (30 credits)
Research Methods and Practice for Consultants (15 credits)
Management Consulting Project (45 credits)
Learning and teaching
You’ll be taught using a range of methods including lectures, tutorials, seminars and workshops. The rest of your time will be spent in independent learning, which allows you to develop your skills in research and analysis.
Our Virtual Learning Environment will help to support your studies: it’s a central place where you can find all the information and resources for the school, your course and modules.
On this course, you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.
Assessment
Assessment methods emphasise not just knowledge, but essential skills development too. This may include formal exams, group projects, reports, computer simulation exercises, essays and written assignments, group and individual verbal and poster presentations and reflective logs.
This diversity enables you to develop a broad range of skills as preparation for professional life.
Applying
Entry requirements
A bachelor degree with a 2:1 (hons) in any subject.
International qualifications
We accept a range of international equivalent qualifications.
English language requirements
IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.
Improve your English
International students who do not meet the English language requirements for this programme may be able to study our postgraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.
This pre-sessional course is designed with a progression route to your degree programme and you’ll learn academic English in the context of your subject area. To find out more, read Language for Business (6 weeks) and Language for Business (10 weeks).
We also offer online pre-sessionals alongside our on-campus pre-sessionals. Find out more about our six week online pre-sessional and our 10 week online pre-sessional.
You can also study pre-sessionals for longer periods – read about our postgraduate pre-sessional English courses.
How to apply
Documents and information you’ll need
- a copy of your degree certificate and transcript, or a partial transcript if you’re still studying
- contact details for two academic references
- a personal statement
- an up-to-date CV
- your approved English Language test* (if applicable)
- a letter of sponsorship, if you need one.
* Applicants who have not yet completed an approved English language test may apply for a Masters course prior to taking a test.
Read about visas, immigration and other information in International students. We recommend that international students apply as early as possible to ensure that they have time to apply for their visa.
Admissions policy
University of Leeds Admissions Policy 2027
This course is taught by
Leeds University Business School
Contact us
Postgraduate Admissions Office
Email: masters@lubs.leeds.ac.uk
Telephone:
Fees
UK: £17,200 (Total)
International: £33,200 (Total)
Read more about paying fees and charges.
For fees information for international taught postgraduate students, read Masters fees.
Additional cost information
There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more on our living costs and budgeting page.
Scholarships and financial support
If you have the talent and drive, we want you to be able to study with us, whatever your financial circumstances. There may be help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and from the government. Learn more about Masters funding.
Scholarships are also available to help fund your Masters. Find out more and check your eligibility below:
Career opportunities
From day one, we help you look beyond your time at Leeds and prepare for a meaningful career. This course is designed with a strong employability focus, equipping you with the skills and experience to pursue a consulting career—whether with a management consultancy firm or as an internal practitioner in any organisation.
With its strong focus on developing research capability, the course equips you to analyse diverse business challenges and apply your knowledge effectively in different industry contexts, and to thrive across a wide range of organisational environments.
Your qualification is also highly valuable for managerial or corporate roles across the public, private, and third sectors, where advisory expertise and collaboration with consultants are essential. You can use this course to build on your first degree. For example, if you studied marketing, you could utilise this consulting degree and position yourself for success in marketing and brand consultancy. Likewise, if your background is in biological sciences, you can leverage this qualification to pursue roles in life sciences consultancy.
Graduates of this course have built successful careers in consulting across strategy, leadership, general management, finance and risk management, life sciences, operations, and technology. Others have moved into business roles such as marketing, brand and product management, human resources, and supply chain management.
Our alumni work with Big Four and other global consultancy firms, specialist advisory consultancies, and leading blue-chip companies in the UK and internationally, such as:
- Accenture
- Advantage Reply
- Amey
- Atkins Realis
- Capgemini
- Capgemini Invent
- Deloitte
- EY
- EY-Parthenon
- Financial Conduct Authority
- Forvis Mazars
- Grant Thornton
- Johnson and Johnson
- KPMG
- Lloyds Banking Group
- Mitsubishi Financial Group
- PA Consulting
- PwC
- Veeva Systems
The course also provides a robust foundation for further academic pursuit, with some of our graduates progressing to PhD courses to continue their research interests.
Skills for your future
The MSc in Strategic Management and Business Consulting will equip you with employability skills that are highly valued by organisations and consultancies worldwide, allowing you to take your career forward. Throughout the course, you’ll benefit from professional development workshops teaching and learning activities to help enhance your employability skills, including:
- Analytical and Problem-Solving Skills – essential attributes for consultants strategic management and business consulting
- Digital and Technology appreciation – familiarising you with emerging technologies and their impact on businesses
- Strategic thinking and communication – helping you consider business problems from a strategic perspective and communicate solutions persuasively
- Intellectual, ethical and research skills – enabling you to apply a range of methods and techniques to address practical issues in consulting
Careers support
As part of the course, our dedicated Professional Development Tutor offers tailored academic and career support to help you achieve your career ambitions. You’ll receive guidance on career choices, job applications, and interviews. In addition, you will receive coaching to develop and showcase the professional skills employers value most.
Employability workshops give you practical support to prepare for the job market with confidence. They cover essential skills like CV writing, applications, interviews, communication, teamwork, and presentations, while offering insights into recruitment processes and industry expectations. You’ll also benefit from our alumni mentoring scheme to build networks and strengthen your professional connections.
You’ll also benefit from the University’s Careers Service, where you can access a range of support to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions, even after you graduate.
Read more about our careers and professional development support.
Work placements and industry experience
As a Masters student at Leeds, you’ll have the unique opportunity to gain real-world industry experience with our Global Industry Programme.
You’ll develop key professional skills and gain invaluable insight into working in your chosen field, helping to solve a real business problem from a live company brief.
This experience will enhance your CV, helping you to stand out in the competitive graduate jobs market and improving your chances of securing the career you want.
Benefits of the Global Industry Programme:
- Fully online and designed to fit around your studies.
- Opportunities to make professional networks in areas such as digital marketing, business growth, sustainability and funding strategy.
- Gain valuable insight and build consultancy experience with a UK or international organisation, working on a time limited brief.
- Work as part of a team across disciplines to tackle real business needs.
- Advance your experience and hands-on skills by putting the course teachings into practice.
- Improve your employability prospects.
- Make new friends, build confidence and consider your future plans.