Strategic planning is an organisation’s process of defining its strategy or direction and making appropriate decisions on the allocation of resources to best achieve its objectives.

The course contains significant elements of finance and management accounting. It provides the necessary tools for quantitative assessment of corporate performance and investment opportunities.

What you'll learn

You will cultivate a skill set that will enable you to influence financial and strategic decisions from inside a company. Management accounting and financial analysis each play a leading role in the development of these skills.

You will gain a strong foundation of financial knowledge and analytical skills. You will develop an appreciation of managerial decision making and investment.

Your development 

On completion of the course, you will be able to show practical skills and the ability to:

• implement appropriate business strategies that optimise the financial interests of key stakeholders in various organisational environments
• systematically collect, analyse and interpret data
• provide advice about how to apply financial models, tools and techniques to improve organisational performance
• understand and apply as appropriate product costing, budgeting, capital budgeting, and other management accounting techniques to make strategic decisions

Course accreditation

This course is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and the Associate of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and provides you exemptions from professional examinations.

You have two options to choose from to join CIMA:

• A gateway route which is an accelerated route which allows you to take the CIMA’s Master’s gateway assessment. Once successfully passed, you will be granted 11 exemptions from CIMA’s certificate, operational and management level exams.
• A non-gateway route which provides you with the following exemptions:
  • BA1 Fundamentals of Business Economics
  • BA2 Fundamentals of Management Accounting
  • BA3 Fundamentals of Financial Accounting
  • E1 Organisational Management
  • P1 Management Accounting
  • P2 Advanced Management Accounting

You will also be eligible for the following exemptions from Associate of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA):

• F1 Accountants in Business
• F2 Management Accounting
• F3 Financial Accounting
• F5 Performance Management (upon passing Performance and Decision Management (NBS8224) and Managerial Decision Making and Planning (NBS8233))

Read about our CIMA and ACCA exemptions on the Newcastle University Business School site.

Delivery

The course is modular, comprising 180 credits.

You must also complete a dissertation, which takes the form of a consultant’s report. You will choose a company and use available information to produce your report along with recommendations on performance and strategy. 

Practitioner and research led teaching

Profiles of academic staff who teach on the course:

• Dr Lana Liu (Degree Programme Director)
• Dr Bo Che
• Prof. Dimitrios Gounopoulos 
• Dr. Donald Halliday
• Prof. David Higgins
• Mr. Andy Holden
• Ms Gillian Holmes
• Professor Simon Hussain
• Dr Chen Su
• Dr Zhijuan Wu
• Dr. Doris Xin
• Dr. Yan Zeng

Module changes

Module changes

Modules change annually to take account of:

• changing staff expertise
• developments in the discipline
• the requirements of external bodies and partners
• student feedback.

Most module information for 2018 entry will be available from mid-May 2018.

Career development 

The course is for graduates who are looking to develop a career in:

• management
• accounting
• financial planning
• corporate investment

Graduate destinations

Graduates of this course have undertaken various roles including:

• Financial Trader
• Auditor
• Risk Analyst
• Investor
• Revenue Analyst
• Tax Assistant
• Accounting Associate
• Management Consultant

Careers Service

Our award-winning Careers Service will help you to explore your options and make informed choices to achieve your career goals.

Work experience

Work experience placements are a great way to develop relevant skills to excel in your chosen career.

Find out about paid and unpaid work experience options and other ways you can add to your degree.

Find out more about our tuition fees, including how to pay them and available discounts.

EU students starting at Newcastle in 2018 will pay the UK (Home) tuition fee for the full duration of their course.

Funding opportunities

If you have lower English Language scores, you may be accepted onto a pre-sessional English course. 

Pathway courses

Our Business and Humanities Graduate Diplomas will prepare you for Master's study at Newcastle. If you're successful then you're guaranteed a place on this Master's course. Depending on your level of English, you can choose from:

• Business and Humanities Graduate Diploma
• Business and Humanities Graduate Diploma with Pre-sessional English

Start dates

The course starts in September. There is no application closing date for this course.

We suggest international students apply at least two months before the course starts. This is so that you have enough time to make the necessary arrangements.

Application fee

There is a non-refundable application fee of £50. You need to pay this before we can process your application.

To pay your application fee and make an application please visit our WebStore.

Deposit

If you live outside the UK/EU you must:

• pay a deposit of £1,500
• or submit an official letter of sponsorship

The deposit is payable after you receive an offer to study at Newcastle University. The deposit is non-refundable, but is deducted from your tuition fees when you register.