
Professor Matthijs Bal and Dr Andy Brookes - Programme Leaders
Matthijs is a professor of Responsible Management at the Lincoln International Business School. His research interests concern absurdity, hypernormalization, ideology, sustainability, and workplace dignity. He is the co-founder of the FOWOP Movement, a Movement for a more sustainable future for work and organizational psychology (www.futureofwop.com). Andy teaches across a range of subjects in the field of business and management at undergraduate and postgraduate level. His research area is interorganisational collaboration, particularly in the domain of social problems. He has more than 30 years' experience as a manager in a number of organisations across the public and private sector.
Academic Staff List Make an EnquiryWelcome to (MSBA) Master of Sustainable Business Administration
The world is currently facing numerous challenges such as climate change, global pandemics, biodiversity-loss, hunger, poverty, and gender and racial inequalities. Although an increasing number of organisations are striving to take action to operate in more sustainable ways, our contemporary wealth creation processes continue to have an increasingly destructive impact on human and environmental wellbeing.
This MSBA programme will not simply offer a critique from the sidelines but will actively seek to imagine and create fairer and sustainable modes of organising. The programme aims to make the connection between global-level challenges and the day-to-day practice of organisations and managers.
Benefits for students could include:
- A satisfying and stimulating learning experience that can lead to personal growth.
- An opportunity to develop skills and knowledge that may enable you to make a make a difference and an ongoing contribution to the social good.
- A recognised management qualification that may improve career development and opportunities.
Benefits for sponsoring organisations could include:
- Developing staff with the skills and knowledge that could help with the transformation to more ethical and sustainable organisations.
- Providing tangible demonstration of a commitment to adopting increasingly responsible practices.
- Increasing knowledge and understanding of sustainable management across the organisation.
How You Study
The primary mode of delivery will be ten learning events over a two year programme. These two-day events will be delivered in the style of a conference, providing the participants with an immersive and intensive learning experience. The detailed content of the individual events will be developed in a flexible and iterative manner through genuine collaboration between the teaching team and the participants.
Each event will be designed around a primary theme and will explore a number of key questions with the aim of generating knowledge and a deeper understanding. These events are taking place on:
- Event 1: 6-7 October 2022
- Event 2: 8-9 December 2022
- Event 3: 26-27 Jan 2023
- Event 4: 23-24 March 2023
- Event 5: 25-26 May 2023
- Event 6: October 2023
- Event 7: December 2023
- Event 8: January 2024
- Event 9: March 2024
- Event 10: May 2024
On this programme we aim to provide a space for dialogue, contestation, and the generation of radical alternatives. There will also be strong emphasis on enabling students to engage in critical self-reflection and reflective practice.
The two-day learning events may include expert contributors from universities, government, business, and civil society. We will also aim to include alternative voices and perspectives through the participation of groups and individuals impacted by social and environmental injustice.
Between the learning events students will continue to work together in collaborative action-research groups. Students will undertake a final research project worth 60 CATS, to be submitted six months after the last two day event. The project will be focused on the creation and implementation of a new and more sustainable mode of organising and managing.
An Introduction to Your Modules
† Some courses may offer optional modules. The availability of optional modules may vary from year to year and will be subject to minimum student numbers being achieved. This means that the availability of specific optional modules cannot be guaranteed. Optional module selection may also be affected by staff availability.
How you are assessed
The assessment strategy is designed around two key principles:
1 - the support and assessment of learning through formative and summative assessment through the programme.
2 - the production and co-creation of purposive knowledge that has a meaningful impact on social and environmental injustice.
The approach will be to conceive of the student cohort as participant action researchers. This will be reflected in the learning assessment with numerous group activities throughout the programme, some of which will form part of the assessment. This also aligns with the University's 'student as producer' philosophy.
The students will work on projects e.g. an intervention in an organisation, or a new initiative to sustainability or social justice. These projects will form the basis of the assessments. We will support the students to generate outputs using a range of media that will promote imagination, creativity and critical thinking.
Range of assessment formats and approaches could include:
- Written: Essay, articles, blogs
- Verbal: Presentations, podcasts, viva
- Visual: Video, artwork, graphic novel
Each individual student will have the freedom to develop their own portfolio of assessment outputs throughout the programme. Guidelines around the development of the portfolio will ensure that all key skills are assessed and developed appropriately throughout the programme. Social transformation requires cooperative and collective action.
Fees and Funding
For eligible students, there are more ways than ever before to fund your postgraduate study, whether you want to do a taught or research course. For those wishing to undertake a Master's course, you can apply for a loan as a contribution towards the course and living costs. Loans are also available to those who wish to undertake doctoral study. The University offers a number of scholarships and funded studentships for those interested in postgraduate study. Learn how Master's and PhD loans, scholarships, and studentships can help you fund your studies on our Postgraduate Fees and Funding pages.
Programme-Specific Additional Costs
For each course you may find that there are additional costs. These may be with regard to the specific clothing, materials or equipment required, depending on your course.
With regards to text books, the University provides students who enrol with a comprehensive reading list and you will find that our extensive library holds either material or virtual versions of the core texts that you are required to read. However, you may prefer to purchase some of these for yourself and you will be responsible for this cost.
International Postgraduate Taught Application Deadline
Please note that international applications for taught postgraduate programmes starting in September 2022 have now closed.
Entry Requirements 2022-23
A minimum 2:2 honours degree and at least 3 years of work experience.
In addition, students whose first language is not English are required to have an English Language qualification of IELTS 6.0 or equivalent.
Features
Highlights of the MSBA Sustainable Business Administration programme include:
- Real world sustainability projects that can make a difference
- Wide range of contributors to the programme with expertise from government, business, and civil society
- Collaborative working and active participation in the development of the learning programme
- Membership of LIBS Connect for business networking.
Career and Personal Development
This course aims to develop essential managerial skills with entrepreneurial value, critical in becoming a responsible manager in the modern business world.
Students have the opportunity to access a large business network through a variety of activities. LIBS Connect membership provides students with access to a series of business networking events, where they can engage with the local business community.
Working in Partnership
Lincoln International Business School works with students and organisations to enhance the contribution of business to society. For students, that means developing their business skills and knowledge to improve their career readiness.
The University of Lincoln is a member of AACSB, a global nonprofit association connecting educators, students, and businesses to achieve a common goal: to create the next generation of great leaders. Find out more.

Postgraduate Events
Find out more about how postgraduate study can help further your career, develop your knowledge, or even prepare you to start your own business at one of our postgraduate events.
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