MSc Sustainable Business

Alliance Manchester Business School and the university both hold regular events throughout the year, including webinars, information sessions and the annual on-campus Master's Expo. All of which offer the opportunity to find out more about our facilities and courses from our academic and admissions staff.

This year sign up for webinars as part of our ‘Original Thinking for the Next Generation’ Webinar series, exclusively at Alliance Manchester Business School. Join a webinar to hear from academics and employers about the skills students gain, how they are applied in the workplace, and where they could take you next.

We also attend a number of education fairs both in the UK and overseas throughout the year.

For more details on how you can meet us, visit our events page: https://www.alliancembs.manchester.ac.uk/events/masters-events/

Apply online >>

Staged Admissions Deadlines

Applying to multiple programmes

Your statement of purpose should cover the areas outlined below: 

• Tell us why you are interested in the MSc Sustainable Business course at Alliance MBS and how the course will impact on your future
• Describe what makes you an outstanding applicant and describe your potential to contribute to all aspects of the course.

Study sustainable business in a city and business school shaped by original thinking, social responsibility and real-world impact. This MSc is designed for students who want to understand sustainability as a complex business challenge, and develop the skills to influence meaningful change across organisations, sectors and society.

You will explore how businesses, governments and stakeholders respond to environmental, social and economic pressures, while learning to recognise the trade-offs, tensions and opportunities involved in sustainability transitions. Through modules covering key global sustainability challenges you will build a strong understanding of how organisations can respond to sustainability challenges in practical and strategic ways.

The course will help you develop the critical thinking, systems thinking, research, persuasion and advocacy skills needed to engage with contested issues and contribute to sustainable change.

You will learn through participatory teaching, debates, role-play, real-world examples and live projects, giving you the confidence to analyse complex problems, work collaboratively and produce evidence-based recommendations.

Studying at Alliance Manchester Business School places you within one of the UK’s largest campus-based business and management schools, part of The University of Manchester. You will study in Manchester, a globally connected, diverse and enterprising city, while benefiting from a business school with a strong focus on responsible management, sustainability and developing graduates who can think differently.

This course will:

• Help you understand sustainability as a real-world business challenge, shaped by environmental, social and economic pressures.
• Equip you with the skills to apply a business perspective when developing and evaluating sustainable solutions.
• Build your confidence in debating complex issues, considering different viewpoints and responding to resistance to change.
• Prepare you to contribute positively to sustainability transitions, developing the mindset and skills needed to become an effective change agent in organisations and society.

The programme is approved by the Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals (ISEP).

See how the MSc Sustainable Business helps students turn sustainability ambitions into action: Building a greener future with MSc sustainable business

Develop the mindset to lead sustainable change
Our course frames sustainability as a complex organisational and societal challenge, helping you move beyond simple solutions and understand how sustainable change happens across businesses, institutions and wider systems.

Build practical sustainability and ESG skills
You will explore topics including global sustainability challenges, responsible management, accounting, finance and the ESG agenda, sustainable entrepreneurship, business model innovation and international sustainable business. This gives you a strong foundation for roles linked to sustainability strategy, ESG, responsible business, consulting, policy and organisational change.

Learn through real-world, participatory teaching
Teaching combines face-to-face sessions with online resources, using debates, role-play, real-world cases and live projects. This helps you build confidence in analysing contested issues, communicating your ideas and working with others to develop practical responses to sustainability problems.

Apply your learning through a Sustainable Business Research Project
You will complete a research project, either an individual dissertation, or a group dissertation with a piece of individual critical analysis worth 60 credits. The research project may involve real-life or live sustainable business problems, including through The University of Manchester University Living Lab.

Gain professional recognition through ISEP accreditation
The course is accredited by the Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals. Students benefit from free student membership during the course and, on successful completion, may qualify for GradISEP, supporting your development as a future sustainability professional.

Study at a business school committed to responsible management
Alliance Manchester Business School is a member of the United Nations Principles for Responsible Management Education, connecting the course to wider commitments around responsible leadership, sustainability and positive societal impact.

The course will combine face-to-face sessions with online digital resources. Classes will feature debates, role-play, real-world cases and live projects. An international cohort of students will work independently and in teams, building networks of future sustainability leaders.

Throughout the programme, you will develop a broad set of sustainability, business and professional skills, including:

• Sustainability strategy and sustainable business thinking.
• Systems thinking and the ability to understand complex, interconnected challenges.
• ESG, responsible management and ethical decision-making.
• Stakeholder analysis, communication and engagement.
• Critical evaluation of sustainability debates and competing perspectives.
• Research methods, evidence-gathering and analytical judgement.
• Collaboration, persuasion and advocacy.
• Applied problem-solving through real-world cases, live projects and research.

These skills prepare graduates to explore careers where sustainability, organisational change and stakeholder engagement are central. Potential pathways include sustainability management, ESG, responsible business, sustainability consulting, policy-focused roles, corporate social responsibility, supply chain sustainability and project-based sustainability work across private, public and third-sector organisations.

The programme also supports students who want to influence sustainability transitions through leadership, advocacy and evidence-based decision-making. By combining business knowledge with critical sustainability thinking, you will be prepared to help organisations understand environmental and social pressures, evaluate responsible solutions and contribute to more sustainable ways of working.

Careers support

AMBS Master’s students have dedicated careers support designed to build employability and connect you with employers. You’ll have access to employability sessions covering applications, CVs, interviews and LinkedIn; tailored workshops with feedback; and one-to-one support with a careers consultant. You can also engage with employer and alumni insights through guest speaker events, and keep track of opportunities through the online careers platform. The AMBS postgraduate careers support works closely with the University Careers Service, giving access to careers fairs, employer presentations and advertised vacancies.

Read about our Postgraduate Careers Service >>