MSc Business Strategy, Leadership and Change

1 Year On Campus Masters Program

Heriot Watt University Edinburgh

Program Overview

The MSc Business Strategy, Leadership and Change at Heriot-Watt University is designed for students who want to become confident strategic thinkers and effective leaders in modern organisations. It’s a great fit if you’re aiming to move into management, shift careers, or build the skills needed to guide companies through growth, competition, and transformation.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1

You’ll start the year by diving into the core areas that shape strong business leaders — modules like Competitive Strategy, Strategic Innovation Management, Leadership, and Strategic Change. These are the subjects that help you understand how successful companies make decisions, stay competitive, and lead people through organisational changes with confidence.

As the year progresses, you’ll develop solid research skills through Research Philosophy and Practice, which teaches you how to analyse real business challenges using both qualitative and quantitative methods — a foundation that will support your dissertation and your future career.

You also get to personalise your degree through optional courses such as Project Management, Quality Management, International Marketing, Systems Thinking and Analysis, Green and Sustainable Logistics, Business Economics, or Business Start-up. This flexibility allows you to tailor your learning toward consulting, strategy, sustainability, entrepreneurship or general management, depending on where you want your career to go.

The year concludes with your Strategy Dissertation, where you explore a topic you care about and demonstrate your ability to think strategically and solve complex organisational problems.

Focus areas: Business strategy, leadership, organisational change, innovation, project and quality management, sustainability, entrepreneurship

Learning outcomes: Graduates will be able to design and evaluate business strategies, lead change with confidence, make research-driven decisions, and adapt their leadership style to different organisational environments.

Professional alignment (accreditation): The programme is accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), and students earn a CMI Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership, giving you a strong professional edge.

Reputation (employability rankings): Heriot-Watt is ranked 5th in the UK for graduate outcomes and is recognised as the top UK university for producing CEOs and Managing Directors, showing the strength of its leadership-focused education.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

At Heriot‑Watt, the MSc Business Strategy, Leadership and Change isn’t just about lectures or textbooks — it’s about getting your hands on real-world business challenges and developing practical skills you can use in your career. From day one, you’ll be applying strategy and leadership concepts through group projects, case studies, presentations, and workshops, giving you the chance to test ideas, solve problems, and collaborate just like you would in a professional setting. You’ll also work closely with experienced faculty whose insights come straight from industry, so what you learn is always current and relevant.

To give you a sense of how this plays out in practice:

Case studies & group projects: Most modules include interactive workshops and team-based assignments, helping you practise decision-making, communication, and leadership in realistic business scenarios.
Customisable optional modules: Choose from areas like Project Management, Quality Management, Green & Sustainable Logistics, Business Start-up, International Marketing, or Systems Thinking to focus on what matters most for your career.
Strategy Dissertation: Conduct in-depth research on a topic you’re passionate about, tackling a real business problem and showing off your analytical and strategic skills.
Access to top-notch facilities: Make use of Heriot‑Watt’s libraries, innovation spaces, and student resources, all designed to support learning, research, and entrepreneurial projects.
Industry-informed teaching: Learn from faculty who collaborate with an advisory board of business leaders, ensuring your studies reflect the challenges and opportunities businesses face today.

This approach ensures that by the time you graduate, you’re not just knowledgeable — you’re ready to step into a business role with confidence and hands-on experience.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates of the MSc Business Strategy, Leadership and Change often step into roles where they can really make an impact — shaping business direction, leading change, and helping organisations grow. Typical first jobs include strategy consultant, change manager, leadership development specialist, or business development/management analyst. With the practical skills and strategic insight you gain from this programme, you’re well-placed not just for your first role, but for moving into senior leadership over time.

Here’s how Heriot‑Watt supports your journey into the professional world:

Dedicated career support: The Careers & Employability Service helps with CVs, applications, interviews, and connects you to job opportunities tailored to your skills and goals.
Strong employment outcomes: Heriot‑Watt consistently ranks highly for graduate employability, with a large proportion of students securing jobs or further study soon after graduating.
Professional accreditation: The programme is accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), giving you a Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership — a qualification recognised and valued by employers worldwide.
Industry-aligned skills: The curriculum is shaped with input from business leaders, so the skills you graduate with — in strategy, leadership, project management, and change — match what employers are looking for today.
Career-ready graduates: Beyond your first role, the broad toolkit you build prepares you for long-term career growth, whether that’s moving into senior management, consultancy, or executive positions.

Further Academic Progression:

After completing this MSc, you could continue your studies with a PhD or other specialised master’s in areas like strategic management, leadership, organisational behaviour, or business analytics. Alternatively, pursuing an MBA or advanced management qualifications could accelerate your path to senior leadership, consultancy, research, or teaching roles.