International Strategic Management - Master's Programme (One Year)

Business is increasingly faced with challenges that threaten current business models but also represent huge opportunities. This programme provides you with the knowledge and skills on how to recognise and act upon these challenges to ensure long-term success. You will learn how to make decisions that can make or break your company, but also how to implement them. 

We offer the latest insights into managerial strategy, emphasising both sophisticated scientific insights and linkages with business practice. Sustainability issues, including issues related to business ethics, are key components of our courses, giving you the opportunity to reflect and discuss on the different roles of companies in society. The programme combines state-of-the-art research with strong links to practice through industry projects in which scientific tools are applied to solve real company issues. We also offer the opportunity to combine the Master’s thesis with a company assignment. 

Give your career a flying start with the latest thinking in comparative international strategic management and put your learning into practice with our unique action-learning approach. You will graduate with a thorough understanding of strategic thinking, have the possibility to get a minor in sustainability and the key skills of international business consulting. 

Opportunity to get a sustainability profile

Ethics, responsibility and sustainability dimensions are embedded in all courses at the programme, and specifically addressed in the elective courses Innovation management, Performance measurement and management, Re-imagining capitalism and Global business and sustainability. If you complete your elective courses and your degree project with a sustainability topic, you have qualified for a diploma-based minor in sustainability.

Extra curricular track: Living the Sustainability Idea

Students on the programme can apply to Living the Sustainability Idea, an extra curricular track where you get the opportunity to know more about the concept Inner Development Goals, meet companies, be introduced to the latest research and get individual coaching to start your personal journey. It’s a possibility for you to explore, practice and reflect on your skills and capabilities.

International Master Class

Students with exceptional study results during the first semester at this programme, may compete for seats at the International Master Class programme. The International Master Class is a highly competitive opportunity to go on an exchange semester after finishing your Master’s studies.

The programme uses a variety of small-scale teaching methods, ensuring an exciting and challenging learning experience. The courses in the programme provide you with an understanding of the key areas, balancing theoretical elements with applied and practical aspects related to the topics of the different courses. We aim to educate reflective professionals who are well-informed, trained in critical thinking, possess decision-making abilities, and are globally employable.  

The programme's learning environment is anchored in the belief that long-term business success is better achieved with a business mindset grounded in well-informed and wise decision-making processes. A case-driven curriculum, dialogue-based teaching, student-driven learning and teamwork serve as the primary tools to secure learning environments that create the conditions for the realisation of this belief.  

After graduation, you will be equipped to address complex global business challenges and seize opportunities for innovation and growth. With a strong foundation in strategic thinking, international consulting, and sustainability, students from this programme pursue careers that span industries and geographies.  

Common job titles include Management Consultant, Consultant, Senior Consultant, Audit Associate, and Analyst. Increasingly, graduates enter roles focused on sustainability strategy, ESG advisory, and responsible business development, reflecting the programme’s emphasis on ethics and the societal role of business. 

Graduates are recruited by global consultancies, tech firms, and consumer goods companies. Frequently mentioned employers include Deloitte, EY, IBM, Accenture, and L’Oréal. Alumni are employed across Europe and beyond, including Sweden, Germany, Denmark, Austria, Hungary, Vietnam, Peru, Ireland, and the Netherlands. The programme’s global orientation and emphasis on responsible leadership continue to shape impactful careers worldwide.

Prerequisites

An undergraduate degree (BA/BSc) with at least 60 ECTS credits in business administration. English course 6 (advanced proficiency).

GMAT and GRE aptitude tests

We do not require a GMAT or GRE score but a well-balanced score may strengthen your application to this particular programme.

GMAT code: School of Economics and Management, Lund University: 8VR-PL-07. Lund University does not have a GRE code, but you are welcome to scan and upload officially issued documentation of your test result directly to University Admissions in Sweden.

Selection criteria

Selection will be based on academic merits from previous university studies and a Statement of Purpose in which applicants state their reasons for applying to the programme.

Tuition fees for non-EU/EEA citizens

Citizens of countries outside:

• The European Union (EU)
• The European Economic Area (EEA) and
• Switzerland

are required to pay tuition fees. You pay an instalment of the tuition fee in advance of each
semester.

Tuition fees, payments and exemptions

Full programme/course tuition fee: SEK 160,000
First payment: SEK 80,000

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Note that you may also need to pay an application fee, or provide proof of exemption.

Application fee

No tuition fees for citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland

There are no tuition fees for citizens of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland.

Lund University Global Scholarship Programme

The Lund University Global Scholarship programme is a merit-based and selective scholarship targeted at top academic students from countries outside the EU/EEA.

Lund University Global Scholarship

African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) Scholarship

Within the framework of the Lund University Global Scholarship programme, the University also offers the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) Scholarship targeted at top academic students from selected African research universities. 

ARUA Scholarship

Swedish Institute Scholarship: Global professionals

The Swedish Institute offers scholarships to international students from certain countries who are applying for select Master's programmes in Sweden. 

Scholarship information on the Swedish Institute website 

Country-specific scholarships and funding options

Lund University has agreements with scholarship organisations and funding bodies in different countries, which may allow applicants to apply for funding or scholarships in their home countries for their studies at Lund University. Most agreements are intended for Master’s applicants, although certain opportunities may also be available to Bachelor’s students.

Country-specific scholarships

External scholarships

In addition to scholarships offered by Lund University or through its partner agreements, there are external opportunities. On the page below, you’ll find examples of organisations that may provide financial support for international students from specific countries. 

External scholarships