The Masters Qualifying Examination (Business) is a pre-masters programme specifically for non-EU students and aims to provide prospective non-EU students with the business domain knowledge as well as the English language skills required to meet the minimum English language requirements for entry onto the suite of level 9 Masters programmes offered by Business at UCC.

The following entry criteria are required:

• Good results in an undergraduate programme from any discipline (minimum GPA of 2.3 out of 4.0) or equivalent from a primary bachelor degree in any discipline;
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score of at least 6.0 overall, with no single skill below 5.5, or the equivalent TOEFL score.

Note:

• The suite of Level 9 Masters programmes offered by Business in UCC have varying entry requirements. The admission of any student to the Level 9 Masters programme of their choice will depend on their performance on the Masters Qualifying Examination (Business) programme. See Masters Programmes Matrix table below.
• Students must achieve an IELTS score of 6.5 (or the equivalent TOEFL score) with no single skill below 5.5 to progress to any level 9 Masters programme offered by Business at UCC.
• Failure to pass all subjects in the Masters Qualifying Examination (Business) programme within the first year of registration (i.e. Winter, Summer and Autumn examinations) will result in loss of the place on the programme: there is no provision for a repeat year for the Masters Qualifying Examination (Business) programme.
• Applicants must indicate in their MQual application the masters programme which they wish to take. See Masters Programmes Matrix table below.
• MQual applications will be considered by the Programme Director(s) of the relevant masters programme to determine the suitability of the applicant. Specific focus being placed on the subject matter of the applicant's undergraduate degree in order to satisfy entry to the masters programme in the subsequent year.

Masters Qualifying Examination (Business) is available in the following areas: Information Systems, Finance, Food Business, Economics, Management and Marketing.

To be admitted to the University Examinations for the Masters Qualifying Examination (Business) programme, a student must have satisfactorily attended each semester and prescribed modules to the value of 60 credits (20 core module credits and 20 elective module credits, unless otherwise stated, and 20 English language modules credits).

Additional English Language Requirement (provided by Language Centre, UCC)

• General English Class (Semester 1 and 2)

These additional English language classes are used, if required, to support students attain the IELTS score of 6.5 required for progression to the Masters.

English Language Modules (provided by Language Centre, UCC)
Students take 20 credits as follows:
LC0003 Academic English Writing Skills (10 credits)
LC1101 English for Academic Study (10 credits)

Core Modules
Students take 20 credits as follows:
AC3302 Investment Appraisal (5 credits)
IS4001 Business Research Project (10 credits)
IS4002 IT in Organisations (5 credits)

Note: Students applying for the MSc in Management and Marketing will take 40 credits of modules as specified by the Head of School of Management and Marketing and approved by the School of Business. The MG4046 Management/Marketing Research Project (10 credits) will be prescribed as part of this 40 credits.

Students applying for the MSc in Food Marketing will take 40 credits of Food Business modules (see Elective Modules).

Elective Modules
Students take modules to the value of 20 credits from the following:
Finance
AC1102 Financial Accounting (5 credits)
AC2204 Introduction to Management Accounting (5 credits)
AC3303 Introduction to Asset Pricing and Valuation (5 credits)
AC4409 Corporate Financing (5 credits)

Information Systems
IS2205 Principles and Practice of Systems Development (5 credits)
IS3303 Electronic Business (5 credits)
IS4429 Enterprise Systems (5 credits)
IS4440 New Business Forms (5 credits)

Food Business
FE2203 Food Economics (5 credits)
FE3205 Food Marketing Management (5 credits)
FE4002 Global Food Policy (5 credits)
FE4205 Consumer Behaviour in Food Markets (5 credits)
FE4206 International Food Retail Marketing (5 credits)
FE4405 Food Choice Analysis (5 credits)
FE4415 Research Project and Analytical Skills (10 credits)

Economics
EC1202 Business Economics 1 (5 credits)
EC1203 Business Economics 2 (5 credits)
EC3100 Economics of Corporate Strategy 1 (5 credits)
EC3109 Economics of Corporate Strategy 2 (5 credits)

Module Semester Information may be found here. Module Descriptions may be found here.

Masters Programmes Matrix

Masters Programme	Masters Programme Entry Requirement	MQual Core Modules	MQual Elective Modules (Stream)	Required MQual Grade
MSc Corporate Finance	specific subject requirements in business or statistical/mathematical/analytical content	Yes	Finance	2H1
MSc Asset Management	specific subject requirements in business or statistical/mathematical/analytical content	Yes	Finance	2H1
MSc Business Information Systems	primary degree or equivalent, with appropriate information systems or computing technology content	Yes	Information Systems	2H2
MSc eBusiness	primary degree or equivalent in any discipline except those with high levels of software development content (e.g. computer science, business information systems)	Yes	Any Elective (excluding Food Business)	2H2
MSc Information Systems for Business Performance	primary degree or equivalent in any discipline except graduates holding a degree in business information systems or equivalent	Yes	Any Elective (excluding Food Business)	2H2
MSc Business Economics	60 credits of Economics (including MQual Elective Modules), or equivalent.	Yes	Economics	2H2
MA Economics	60 credits of Economics (including MQual Elective Modules), or equivalent.	Yes	Economics	2H2
Economic Science (MEconSc)	60 credits of Economics (including MQual Elective Modules), or equivalent, AND quantitative content.	Yes	Economics	2H2
MSc Health Economics	60 credits of Economics (including MQual Elective Modules), or equivalent.	Yes	Economics	2H2
MSc Financial Economics	undergraduate business, mathematics, statistics, engineering or science degree including quantitative content.	Yes	Any Elective (excluding Food Business)	2H1
MSc Food Marketing	business related primary degree or equivalent	No	Food Business (40 credits)	2H2
MSc Management and Marketing	primary degree or equivalent without a significant management or marketing component	No	Business Research Project (10 credits) and 30 credits as prescribed by Head of School of Management and Marketing	2H2

Examinations
Full details and regulations governing Examinations for each programme will be contained in the Marks and Standards 2016 Book and for each module in the Book of Modules 2015/2016.

See also General Regulations for the Degree of Master.

Programme Learning Outcomes for Masters Qualifying Examination (Business)
On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate an ability to communicate business concepts orally and in writing
• Critique key concepts within their chosen business disciplines
• Manage an academic workload within an academic year
• Participate in group based discussions
• Display a competence in their chosen business disciplines
• Manage a business research project.