Masters in Strategic Planning
School of Business & Economics
Academic Freedom to Discover Your Purpose
Open Curriculum Design at Atlantic International University
Begin your Graduate Degree in Strategic Planning to change your life as you learn about higher order management and organizational strategy. Attaining this qualification through distance learning, or through a program that balances distance learning with traditional learning options, provides a program that builds steps to new skills for greater workplace complexity. Realistically, distance learning through a postsecondary institution provides you the opportunity to manage your study and academic journey with greater success as it is less reliant or dependent on your time. This program is based on an andragogical conception of study and development as it will be centred on how adults learn in ways that suit their individual circumstance and support the acquisition, construction and use of knowledge in real-world settings. A Strategic Planning Master’s Degree allows participants to identify their growth and development in a planned way when learning or engaging with contemporary strategic planning theories and methods for leading and managing innovation in knowledge-rich uncertainty.
What are the Core Courses & Topics of Masters in Strategic Planning ?
Students pursuing a Master’s in Strategic Planning will study a variety of core courses and content, including strategic management, organizational leadership, business policy, decision-making, financial strategy, project management, strategic marketing, operations management, risk analysis, and innovation management. Students will explore global strategy, change management, sustainability, and organizational performance measurement, helping them develop skills to conceptualize, implement, and evaluate long-term organizational strategies.
Important: Below is an example of the topics or areas you may develop and work on during your studies. By no means is it a complete or required list, as AIU programs do not follow a standardized curriculum. It is meant solely as a reference point and example. Want to learn more about the curriculum design at AIU?
Check here: Course and Curriculum
Graduate programs in strategic planning are designed to expose students to a full toolbox for effective organizational leadership and decision-making. Core courses in these respective programs (including many online master’s in strategic planning programs) will likely emphasize certain topics. Students will study advanced strategic management in the context of frameworks for competitive analysis and plan implementation, and will study organizational behaviour and change management in order to understand how to lead and manage change in organizations. Strategic financial management and risk management are also important because they provide evaluations and feedback for strategic initiatives. Advanced modules will also likely deal with global strategic planning and innovation management as graduates will surely have to deal with problems in a transnational and fast-changing business environment.
Orientation Courses for Masters in Strategic Planning
Orientation courses in a Masters in Strategic Planning program set out to equip students with a strong foundation and the necessary skills for advanced study. Orientation courses are normally the first courses in the program and focus on relevant concepts and methods in strategic planning. Completing these orientation courses establishes a base knowledge of the discipline for the more specific courses in the program. During the orientation modules, students will be given opportunities to learn basic principles, research methods, and ways to use strategic tools.
- Communication & Investigation (Comprehensive Resume)
- Seminar Administrative Development (Book Summary)
- Organization Theory (Portfolio)
- Seminar Cultural Development (Practical Experience)
- Experiential Learning (Autobiography)
- Seminar International Development (Publications)
Research Projects
Having research projects in a Masters in Strategic Planning program is an important way for students to broaden their ability to take knowledge about strategy out of theoretical ideas and into practice. Research projects allow students to apply their work to realistic problems, and simultaneously create knowledge that is helpful to the field of strategic plans – including real, specific assessments of the issues and actionable recommendations. Also in general, research projects can address a range of issues; and usually give practice in important ways such as developing organizational strategy, analyzing strategic competition, and undertaking strategic innovation.
For example, students could explore gaps or challenges facing their own organizations, business models to support market entry strategies, strategic plans to grow into new markets, or strategic responses to changing technologies affecting practice in industry. Although less common, students might even examine research projects in the form of case studies on the story of greater organizational success, OR on more robust studies of failures of organization due to gaps in their strategy to develop and execute. In going through research projects students extend their understanding of strategic issues, while experiencing the value of engaged learning to foster data analysis, strategic thinking, and problem-solving capabilities.
- MBM300 Thesis Proposal
- MBM302 Masters Thesis (5,000 words)
Publication – Publishing your work as a student in a Masters in Strategic Planning program embodies a major accomplishment and significant contribution to the field. Such publications often grow from rigorous research projects, case study, or strategic analysis assignments conducted during the course of study. In doing so, students contribute to the academic and professional community ways of thinking about emerging trends and practical solutions, as well as strategic frameworks and lenses.
Publication serves both to boost students’ academic cred with respect to publishing work, but also as a demonstration of their positioning themselves as thought leaders in strategic planning. Publications may take the form of peer-reviewed publications in an academic journal, industry reports, or publications associated with professional conferences; all these forms of publication demonstrate students’ ability to apply theory to real world problems while highlighting their skills and knowledge of creating effective organizational strategies. Overall, such achievements exemplify an academic program’s high standards for research and practice-based excellence.
What Does the Thesis Defense for Masters in Strategic Planning Look Like ?
At AIU a master’s thesis defense represents the capstone of a student’s educational experience and research endeavors. During this vital component of the student’s academic journey, students present their original research, strategic analysis, or strategic solution to a panel of faculty and industry professionals. The master’s thesis defense allows students to demonstrate their competency of the theory, practice, and application of strategic planning at a high level to complex real-world problems.
The master’s thesis defense consists of a formal presentation of the student’s thesis work followed by an in-depth question and answer session whereby the student must defend their methodology, results, and conclusions. The master’s thesis defense process is a test of the student’s breadth of understanding and research capabilities and helps to sharpen their critical inquiry/critical thinking, applications of verbal and written communications, and professional presentation skill sets. Upon successfully defending their thesis, it demonstrates their potential to contribute meaningful insights and strategic solutions to the profession of strategic planning.
Masters in Strategic Planning Student Experience
At AIU, we are enhancing the student experience in the Masters in Strategic Planning with modern AI technologies to develop a creative and collaborative learning experience. Our use of sophisticated AI tools such as ChatGPT, Dall-E, and MidJourney elevates students’ experiences from improved individualized support and creative insights to complex analysis about their academic experience. ChatGPT is just-in-time academic support and guidance at your fingertips. Instead of presenting strategic concepts as vulnerable entities using real-life representations that can be captured through the lens of Dall-E and MidJourney, students are free to use their talents of imagination based on combining scientific evidence with persuasive language from ChatGPT.
It is clear that the student experience of AIU is enhanced because students are encouraged and supported to create their own ways to engage with strategic planning to develop new ways of supporting strategic planning, collaborate with others and respond in advance to develop solutions with their cutting-edge technology. AIU set out to enrich the student experience while expanding their thinking about what strategic planning could involve with further applications of these capabilities. This ensured an engaging educational and forward-looking experience for students that opened new narratives about strategic management in a rapidly changing environment.
Community & Social
At AIU, the social and community experience for the Masters in Strategic Planning students is both lively and deeply embedded in the online learning environment by a strong set of digital tools and platforms. Even though it is an online program, AIU provides a community so that students are not isolated but are collectively part of an active and participatory academic environment. The Virtual Campus, Mobile App and various other digital tools allow students to connect, socialize and be part of the academic community with fellow students, faculty and alumni.
The platforms MYAIU and AIULink provide students to socially interact with peers and professionals around the world, attend symposiums, conferences, webinars, and competitions, and connect to AIU’s international network of alumni.
AIUTV and the Curriculum Builder Tool provide students a rich access to different areas of learning and professional development, while the Merlin Media Center and CampusAPP are channels to access course material and academic support. Live and archived webinars, virtual conferences, live chat spaces and the like provide opportunities for live interactions with content delivery and exchanges of knowledge between students.
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Academic Resources
The Masters in Strategic Planning program at Atlantic International University (AIU) is enhanced by a robust range of academic resources that will foster the development, growth and success of our students. The Virtual Campus is at the centre of this support, as it incorporates, with a new Virtual Reality 3D immersive experience, more that 25 different tools to assist with and enhance the educational journey. This exciting and new technology provides an interactive and rich learning environment that allows learners to investigate and grasp theories in a dynamic way.
To that end, we supply our students with exceptional academic resources to ensure students have the ability to enhance their advanced studies. The Online Library provides outstanding academic resources like no other university in the world. Students will have limitless access to one of the biggest available academic knowledge bases in the universe. It includes 260,000 books and more than 30 million peer-reviewed academic articles, journals and publications. This knowledge base will provide students a vast arena for informative research to strongly support any or all of their academy authorship ventures and decisions in strategic management.
Virtual Campus
Complete assignments online or offline at your convenience with 24/7 access to distance learning through AIU’s Virtual Campus. Step by Step guides including videos, tutorials, live webinars and examples for each course. All materials can be access on all web browsers as well as via AIU's Mobile App which brings all the features of the Virtual Camus to your Mobile Device.
My AIU Elements
MyAIU’s primary goal is to go beyond Academics, it looks to guide students through 11 elements that are key to living life optimally in all aspects. By identifying and reflecting on these key areas, an opportunity arises to holistically address them, through positive change, habits, reinforcement and tools to keep students on their chosen path.
AIU TV & Radio
The students have the opportunity to produce, edit and host their own show reaching a worldwide audience, the AIU community and giving notice of their expertise/passion in the subject. AIUTV & AIU Radio allow students to explore new ways to communicate, develop a platform and form potential collaboration with likeminded individuals.
AIU Campus Mundi
AIU Campus Mundi is a monthly magazine that gathers the most notable news and information about the university and its members in one convenient place. The magazine allows our community to be well informed, involved and keep in tough regardless of their geographic location. AIU Campus Mundi publishes, news, research, events, awards, academic achievements.
Graduation Ceremony
Each year AIU organizes graduation ceremonies where the students can assist and share their experiences with fellow students and academic members Participation in the ceremony is optional, the day’s events include conferences, research presentations, group meetings, networking, lunch and formal dinner.
Symposiums & Webinars
Explore advanced methodologies and real-world applications of strategic planning in our Masters in Strategic Planning symposiums. Gain insights from industry leaders and enhance your ability to drive organizational success through innovative strategies.
Live Classes
We offer an excellent level of interaction in the Master of Strategic Planning program, as it utilizes a unique method of instructional delivery with live classes. Every day students experience two live classes so there is an opportunity to interact with live synchronous classes, where students can expect to receive frequent instruction. Live classes are an ideal opportunity to interact in real time with faculty, engage in dialog on a variety of strategic management topics, and to explore difficult questions and case study examples.
Repeated interaction reinforces theoretical ideas and concepts, and allows students a chance to work with peers and instructors doing advanced studies in strategic planning, to enhance learning how to navigate strategic planning concepts in a practical way. By being able to participate in a daily synchronous class, students will gain a sense of current course content, receive feedback in a timely manner, and will have the ability to contribute to a collaborative and dynamic academic space.
AIU Live Classes Examples on Strategic Planning:
Special Projects, Research Publications, & Co-Authoring
While completing the Masters in Strategic Planning program, students take part in special projects, research publications, and co-authoring opportunities that add greatly to their academic and professional development. Special projects help students do case studies on and solve real-world strategic problems and develop innovative solutions.
The community actively supports research publications so students can present their findings in academic journals and industry reports. Co-authoring research with faculty and classmates on a project or future publication also adds to the research experience. These dynamic experiences act synergistically so graduates from Atlantic International University will be better positioned to move the field of strategic planning forward and make a real difference.
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Career Center for Masters in Strategic Planning
The Career Center helps students in the Master’s in Strategic Planning to find their ways into their careers. It offers a great selection of services intended to support students’ career growth and job placement.
Students have access to career coaching services, which include help with resume writing, interview preparation, developing a job search strategy, and more specifically appropriate to the strategic planning profession. The Center also includes an array of connectivity opportunities to: potential employers, alumni, and broader industry connectivity through career-oriented networking events (can do this at a higher level) as well as events facilitated by the CPDC (Career Planning and Development Center) including career fairs, workshops, and seminars from industry-related experts to expand students’ options.
There are also lots of additional resources from the CPDC, including job boards, internship placements, and career assessment tools to help students identify and advance their careers
What is the Job Description for Masters in Strategic Planning ?
Graduates of the Masters in Strategic Planning Degree will be highly valuable talents to organizations and will be able to function and innovate in many different industries and functions as strategists and leaders. The degree program develops and builds their competencies and knowledge towards being leaders in strategic planning and management, competitive analysis, and organizational development and change both to established organizations and new ventures.
The following highlights what we offer as potential strategic roles in organizations which would be taken on by our graduates:
- Strategic Consultant – This person may be advising an organization about their strategic direction, structure, processes, and systems thinking to develop better organizational operations; reviewing the market or sector as a driver for their realistic future direction; and transitions to improved business practice.
- Business Development Manager:- Will be searching for and identifying advances for growth for the company. This person will spend their time both developing potential partnerships and or processes to be a conduit for potential, companies advance through the adoption of its business model.
- Corporate Strategy Manager: Will lead the company’s long term strategies. Will develop corporate strategies within the context of the overall importance of the rationale for the existence of its company.
- Market Research Analyst.- This person will market research to what and when consumers will demand and purchase a competitor product and pricing to give them advance with a cohesive setting and competitive advantage.
- Product manager.- Will think about bundles of product for the purposes of planning, product development, marketing, and its introduction taking into account the consumer demand, their competitors and the reality of motivation with the organization for that product.
- Chief Strategy Officer: Engages in an executive role and involvement at the company strategy level, down to the lowest level of member involvement in their collective strategy process flow as is indicated progress towards a recognition of moving forward with accomplishing their company’s global strategic vision and preferred positioning.
- Management Consultant.- Hired to provide advice with respect to how to change, manage and resolve organizational problems and issues, develop options to further a transitional possibility, inform new initiatives intended to effect changes in processes.
- Financial Analyst.- Role will have responsibilities related to the organization’s financials for the purposes of understanding new formats of capital investment for new methods initiatives for their organization but for the company in this role will be approximating the new format decisions as the outputs from the CEO or the new format decisions last ascertain.
Tools for Masters in Strategic Planning
Students enrolled in the Master in Strategic Planning are able to leverage a range of sophisticated tools that will enhance their ability to analyze strategies and decision-making. Tools such as these, are essential not only for creating successful strategies, but to oversee complexity in today’s business environment. Each of these tools offers unique features supporting rigorous strategic planning – from data analysis to project management.
Associations for Masters in Strategic Planning Professionals
Participating in professional associations is an essential part of career development in strategic planning. For students who are undertaking the Masters in Strategic Planning program at Atlantic International University (AIU), being involved with professional associations in the field is a way to meet others in the industry, have greater access to knowledge and information in planning as a discipline, and take advantage of professional development opportunities in planning as an area of study. Professional associations have relevant industry contacts, provide industry updates on trends and latest best practice, and participate in other events that help further develop expertise as it relates to the strategic planning and management field.Here is a list of notable associations relevant to the field of strategic planning:
- Strategic Management Society (SMS)
- Association for Strategic Planning (ASP)
- Institute of Management Consultants USA (IMC USA)
- Project Management Institute (PMI)
- Business Strategy Association (BSA)
- American Management Association (AMA)
- International Association for Strategy Professionals (IASP)
- Chartered Management Institute (CMI)
- European International Business Academy (EIBA)
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What are the Masters in Strategic Planning Admission Requirements ?
To gain acceptance to the Masters in Strategic Planning program at Atlantic International University, applicants must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university with a large background in business or other related area. This business or related area background is important for applicants to fully immerse themselves in the academic and professional demands of this program.
How Can You Apply?
- Review the Course: Review the details for the Master’s in Strategic Planning program to see if it meets your educational and career objectives.
- Click on the ‘Apply Now‘ Button: On the website, go to the ‘Apply Now’ button to begin your application.
- Enter Your Basic Information and Educational History: You will need to complete the application by providing your basic information and education history.
- Submit Your Application: Check all of your entries for accuracy and submit your application.
- Wait for a Follow-Up: An academic advisor will reach out to you to discuss your application and the next steps.
By following these simple steps, you will successfully apply to the Master’s in Strategic Planning program.
Financial Support & Scholarships
Atlantic International University is fully committed to assisting students in the Master’s in Strategic Planning program with an abundance of financial aid options, competitive scholarships, and of exciting scholarships that recognize academic and professionalism achievement by substantially reducing the tuition value of your program. The university also offers payment plans and personalized financial aid counseling that best meets student needs, creating these resources for students to acquire their advanced degree and pursue their academic and career goals without the worry of how to pay for their education.
What’s the Cost Per Year for Pursuing a Masters in Strategic Planning at AIU?
The cost of obtaining a Master’s in Strategic Planning at Atlantic International University is intentionally designed to be low-cost and flexible! AIU online tuition is priced competitively, and affordable for students for advanced studies. Students may also have the opportunity to pay in smaller, affordable, manageable installments, so budgeting and paying for their education is simplified without student debt. While allowing students to use their strategy to afford the investment into their education, students are receiving a great education in strategic planning.
FAQs
What are the admission requirements for the master's in strategic planning program?
To apply for the Master’s in Strategic Planning program at Atlantic International University, applicants must have a bachelor’s degree from a recognized university, preferably in a related field. They should also submit official academic transcripts, a current resume or CV, and a detailed statement of purpose outlining their career goals and motivation for the program.
How long does it take to complete a master's in strategic planning?
The Masters in Strategic Planning at Atlantic International University typically takes about 18 to 24 months to complete, depending on the student’s pace and enrollment status. This flexible duration allows students to balance their studies with professional and personal commitments.
What career opportunities are available with a master's in strategic planning?
With a Masters in Strategic Planning, graduates can pursue a variety of career opportunities, including roles such as Strategic Consultant, Corporate Strategy Manager, Business Development Manager, Market Research Analyst, and Chief Strategy Officer (CSO). These positions leverage advanced skills in strategic management, analysis, and planning to drive organizational success and growth.
Are there online options for the strategic planning program?
AIU offers an online Masters in Strategic Planning that opens up career opportunities in roles such as Strategic Consultant, Corporate Strategy Manager, Business Development Manager, and Chief Strategy Officer (CSO), allowing graduates to apply their expertise in strategic management and planning across various industries.
What courses are included in the strategic planning curriculum?
The strategic planning curriculum includes courses such as Strategic Management, Business Analytics, Competitive Analysis, Organizational Development, Strategic Leadership, and Risk Management. These courses provide a comprehensive foundation in developing and implementing effective business strategies.
