MSc Strategic Procurement

Prepare for your procurement leadership career with this fully CIPS accredited MSc Strategic Procurement course. 

With a focus on strategy, sustainability and digital transformation, you’ll graduate ready to make a direct impact on your company’s future. You’ll even have a professional exam exemption — so if you choose to become an associate Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) member you’ll have one less step to complete. 

As a professional with a Master’s degree in procurement, you’ll contribute to the strategic decisions of your company, shaping the way it achieves success in managing its supply chain, suppliers and supply markets as well as internal business stakeholders.

Build an in depth understanding of the methods and roles of procurement in business as you explore digital procurement technologies, use ERP (such as SAP) tools, and access our SAP Next Gen facilities on this masters programme.

You’ll learn how to enact world class procurement processes, drive business transformation and explore procurement's critical role in securing advantage through sustainability management. You’ll develop procurement and sourcing strategies for different business scenarios, discover goal and performance metrics, and perform in active simulations in case examples as you study.

Whether you hold an undergraduate degree in a logistics or business related subject, or you’re a professional looking to upskill, this course will help you build your procurement and negotiation skills as well as your understanding of procurement processes. You don't need to have studied maths to enter this course.

• A second-class honours degree or equivalent in a business/management subject, or a masters degree in an appropriate subject

• Or, a second-class honours degree in any subject plus two or more years experience in a relevant business function(s). Relevant functions include: procurements, buying, supply chain, operations, logistics, sales, or production. Exceptionally, equivalent qualifications in combination with relevant business experience will be considered.

• Applicants may be asked to submit a portfolio in support of their application.

If you're applying as an international student with a non-UK degree, you’ll need to show you meet the UK entry requirements listed above.

To find out if your non-UK degree or other qualification is accepted, please visit our page for your country and view the UK equivalent of your qualification. 

• English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5 with no component score below 6.0.
• You do not need an IELTS or equivalent certification if:

• you have a UK degree
• you have a degree from a majority English speaking country (not taught by Distance Learning)
• you are a national of a majority English speaking country

Degrees taught solely in English from non-majority English speaking countries will be considered on a case by case basis. Find out more about our English language requirements.

Procurement professionals excel in both the public and private sectors, with the UK government alone holding more than a thousand procurement vacancies in 2022.

You’ll graduate from this MSc Strategic Procurement degree in an excellent position to enter the evolving procurement sector or progress your current career in the industry. 

The procurement profession is governed by the UK Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS), with a structured career path from graduate buyer to Chief Procurement Officer. If you choose to join CIPS as a member after you the course, you’ll start your career journey with a module exemption. 

The average UK salary for a graduate trainee/buyer in 2021 was £27.5k, with UK procurement professionals earning an average of £53k (CIPS 2023 Salary Guide).

Procurement has a role in all fields of commerce, including private and public sectors, large and small organisations, and manufacturing and service based enterprises — so you can work in any sector that interests you. 

Career planning

During your course you'll have expert career support from our Careers and Employability Centre, your tutors and our Business and Law Career-Ready Programme. This support will continue for 5 years after you graduate.

You'll benefit from:

• Networking events
• Applied projects with companies such as IBM, Boeing and Hampshire County Council
• Workshops to enhance your employability skills
• Recruitment events including the Student and Graduate Opportunities Fair
• 1-to-1 appointments 
• CV and cover letter advice
• Interview preparation and practice

• Support starting your own business