The course

AI for Business (MSc)

Upgrade your AI expertise and stand out to employers in the digital economy.

On this innovative course you’ll learn from our experts in generative AI and emerging technologies, data analytics and virtual reality, and discover how to apply them for real-world business impact.

You’ll work on an independent consultancy project where you’ll be challenged to apply everything you’ve learned, gaining hands-on experience and demonstrating your value to future employers.

Develop in-demand expertise

Industry-driven curriculum: developed in collaboration with business leaders to ensure relevance and practical application.
Expert connections: engage with senior corporate managers and researchers through seminars, guest lectures and collaborative projects.
Immersive learning: be part of a vibrant academic community exploring the latest in AI, digital transformation and data strategy.

A strategic decision maker

In the School of Business and Management, you’ll be challenged to think critically about the ethical and societal implications of AI and think about what it takes to be a responsible business leader.

You’ll stand out to employers for your ability to evaluate solutions to problems and make strategic decisions and implement practical solutions.

We sometimes make changes to our courses to improve your experience. If this happens, we’ll let you know as soon as possible.

Course structure

Core Modules

This module is designed to equip students with the necessary knowledge, skills, and hands-on experience to effectively leverage artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in various business functions and industries. The module aims to enhance your employability by providing you with the ability to critically evaluate, propose, and implement AI-driven solutions to address complex digital business challenges.

You’ll learn to explain key AI concepts, propose and evaluate AI-driven solutions and governance frameworks, and critically assess their risks and benefits across business functions.
This module equips students with the knowledge and skills to make informed decisions and develop effective strategies for adapting changes because of AI’s transformative impact on the workforce and the evolving landscape of work and job roles. You’ll develop a deep understanding of how AI technologies are reshaping professions, from automation potential to the emergence of new job functions.

You’ll explore leadership strategies for managing AI-integrated teams and will propose innovative AI-supported solutions for remote work and virtual collaboration, thereby becoming a strategic asset for future employers in evolving work environments.
This module aims to develop an understanding of the principles and practices of gathering data and using it to visualise strategic and operational business intelligence solutions. You will look at the key channels and sources that may be used to gather information, examining how to interpret and prepare data for organisational use and explore how it can be used to promote diversity and inclusivity. You will learn how to visualise patterns and trends for decision making, as well as modelling future activities. Commonly used software tools with a variety of databases and large datasets will be used to enhance your future employability.
This module aims to equip you with a state-of-the-art understanding of the digital business landscape, covering foundational management concepts as well as contemporary digital business innovations. Learning is through interactive lectures and a series of carefully curated case studies of digital innovation and digital transformation projects. The module places an emphasis on the strategic role of digital technologies in securing competitive advantage and sustainable growth, but you'll also be encouraged to dive deep into specific impact of digital technologies on business operations. Through study and discussion, you will develop a critical understanding of the opportunities and challenges in starting and managing a digital business.
This module focuses on the social and ethical implications of AI and digital technologies and innovation with a central focus on the need to prioritise societal wellbeing and sustainability. We will discuss the impact and consequences of the use of AI and digital transformation for individuals, organisations and societies in a global context. You’ll be introduced to Responsible Innovation research and frameworks and learn to apply knowledge in relation to the design, implementation and adoption of AI and digital transformation. With an emphasis on critical thinking, the module will be research-led, drawing on up-to-date academic literature and case studies.
This module explores the intricate relationship between digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and corporate governance in the modern business landscape. Students will gain a comprehensive understanding of how AI drives innovation, while learning to apply agile methodologies to AI-driven digital initiatives. The module delves into critical aspects such as cybersecurity challenges, change management strategies, and the formulation of effective governance frameworks for digital and AI projects. You’ll develop leadership skills essential for successful digital transformation, including the ability to foster an innovation culture and manage change in AI-driven environments. You’ll also learn about measuring and optimising digital transformation efforts, leveraging AI technologies.
The aim of this module is to explore emerging technologies in the context of design thinking and techniques that provide a necessary bridge between potential and actual value in application contexts. The module will provide you with conceptual knowledge and practical skills, to critically evaluate the potential of emerging technologies and design ways to translate that into value in given application contexts. You will design a lightweight prototype demonstrating the user experience associated with that emerging technology and will critically evaluate the benefits and limitations of that same emerging technology.
This module aims to provide you with theoretical and practical guidance on empirical research and consulting related to business analytics challenges in an organisational setting. The emphasis is placed on developing your analytical thinking, qualitative and quantitative research skills and consulting practice to prepare you for your consulting project. The module covers a range of topics from research approaches suitable for business analytics, quantitative and qualitative methods in collecting/harvesting and analysing data, innovations in digital research methods, consulting skills and ethical considerations in conducting research related to business analytics.
The consulting project provides students with direct access to industry professionals and AI-driven management practices in a business setting. The consulting project aims to enhance knowledge of the technical, ethical, and organisational challenges in implementing AI in business contexts. You will work individually, guided by an academic supervisor. The final deliverable will be a comprehensive report or practical AI implementation, demonstrating your ability to integrate AI knowledge with business acumen.
This module will describe the key principles of academic integrity, focusing on university assignments. Plagiarism, collusion and commissioning will be described as activities that undermine academic integrity, and the possible consequences of engaging in such activities will be described. Activities, with feedback, will provide you with opportunities to reflect and develop your understanding of academic integrity principles.

Optional Modules

Below is a taster of some of the exciting optional modules that students on the course could choose from during this academic year. Please be aware these do change over time, and optional modules may be withdrawn or new ones added.

You will take one of the following:

On this module you’ll develop knowledge and skills in cloud computing and its application to modern day business problems. The emphasis is on generating unique web applications using architectures and cloud services that are commonly employed in industry. You’ll gain knowledge of the architecture and operation of cloud platforms and the services they provide, how cloud solutions are employed by organisations in practice and the scaling, security and transitioning issues that arise in deployment. This understanding is reinforced practically via hands-on experience of developing a prototype cloud service using a commercially available platform.
Being more data-informed is now a principal mechanism for customer-based differentiation in all industries. This module addresses the fundamentals of data, progressing through descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytics, to practical uses of analytics such as KPIs, metrics, and analytical tools with a focus on the holistic nature of marketing analytics. By the end of the module you’ll be able to understand the importance of marketing analytics in making strategic decisions in marketing and be able to identify data and information sources for conducting marketing planning and analysis.

Teaching & assessment

Assessment is carried out by a variety of methods including coursework, examinations and a dissertation.

Entry requirements

2:2

UK Honours degree or equivalent in any degree subject.

Candidates with substantial and relevant professional qualifications or professional experience in an associated area will also be considered.

International & EU requirements

English language requirements

IELTS: 6.5 overall. No subscore lower than 6.0.
Pearson Test of English: 67 overall. No other subscore lower than 64.
Trinity College London Integrated Skills in English (ISE): ISE III.
Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) grade C.
TOEFL iBT: 88 overall with Reading 22 Listening 20 Speaking 22 Writing 24.
Duolingo: 120 overall and no sub-score below 115.

Your future career

On graduating with a Masters degree in AI for Business from Royal Holloway you will possess sought-after knowledge and skills needed for a career in today’s fast-changing business world. We will help you to recognise and identify your strengths, skills and abilities so that you can make strong applications for your chosen career, or for further study.

Postgraduate students from our School of Business and Management have gone on to roles in a variety of companies including Amazon, Tesco, Accenture, Ogilvy, KPMG, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bloomberg LP, Ocado Group, HSBC, Fuji film, Huawei, Deutsche Bahn and Qatar Airways.

Fees, funding & scholarships

Home (UK) students tuition fee per year*: £16,700

EU and international students tuition fee per year**: £29,300

Other essential costs***: There are no single associated costs greater than £50 per item on this course.

How do I pay for it? Find out more about funding options, including loans, grants, scholarships and bursaries.

* and ** These tuition fees apply to students starting their course on a full-time basis in the academic year 2026/27. Students studying on the standard part-time course structure over two years are charged 50% of the full-time applicable fee for each study year.

Royal Holloway reserves the right to increase all postgraduate tuition fees annually. For further information, see fees and funding.

** These estimated costs relate to studying this particular degree at Royal Holloway during the 2026/27 academic year, and are included as a guide. Costs, such as accommodation, food, books and other learning materials and printing, have not been included.