UDBSNMGT - BA Business Management

The course will be taught through a mixture of interactive workshops, lectures and seminars. The lectures and workshops are designed to convey the broad outlines of knowledge pertinent to each module whilst the seminars are built around student activity in response to a set of prepared tasks that require students to apply knowledge, discuss and analyse business problems.

A Problem Based Learning (PBL) approach will be used in a number of workshops designed to foster student centred learning and engagement. This approach enables students to analyse and discuss core principles and provides opportunities for students to present their work and obtain formative feedback. Within the PBL context, task exercises will be used to focus on student centred learning requiring synthesis and analysis of key issues generated through student research.

Lectures will be designed to convey broad principles, concepts and knowledge, while the seminar sessions offer students the opportunity to analyse and apply knowledge. Students will also have the opportunity to practice and apply knowledge through field work and through business simulations focussing on business management scenarios.

Students will be issued with tasks and reading which they will be required to prepare for the workshop and tutorials using a variety of learning sources including, textbooks, standard and bespoke texts, module handouts, interactive WebLearn, on-line resources and databases.

The approach to the teaching and learning for the course is to help students develop an inquisitive, independent but supported level of study in which students are able to set personal goals and targets beyond those prescribed by their tutors. The course will also utilise industry expertise throughout with the inclusion of real world business problems and employer input. Students’ experiential learning will be encouraged throughout and action learning will be developed once confidence is boosted and students are fully aware of their learning environment.

Each student will experience an interactive and engaging induction to the university and their course. The induction will be designed to foster a sense of belonging from the first day and all students will be allocated to their seminar groups at this point so that they will begin to form immediate friendships and a sense of identity.

All students will be timetabled in an organised and student-centred way. This will require careful planning to ensure students’ time is maximised as efficiently as possible. A major characteristic of this course is the core requirement of work based and similar learning. In order for students to get the most out of this aspect of their course, they need to be able to engage with this type of learning fully and with sufficient time. A student-centred timetable will enable this aim to be achieved.

The main aim of the Business Management course is to provide a contemporary and dynamic programme of study which gives students knowledge and understanding of fundamental subjects and prepares them for a wide range of careers in business management. This course aims to provide an integrated business management curriculum which will enable students to explore and examine key concepts and principles and link the multi-disciplinary subjects of business management coherently and in the context of the real business world. By doing this, it is specifically intended to engage the students fully in their studies, increase their motivation and raise their aspirations to be successful throughout their course and in the future.

The curriculum provides students with an understanding of business and the techniques, concepts and principles that make businesses successful and efficient. Students will learn about the decision making process of business organisations and the social, cultural and ethical environment in which they operate. The domestic and international influence on business will be thoroughly explored. Students will have to opportunity to engage with leading edge themes of business management including sustainability, leadership, globalisation, entrepreneurship, innovation and corporate social responsibility.

The Business Management course will develop students’ intellectual and practical skills and will promote the development of students’ ability to analyse, synthesise and evaluate business management principles in a wide range of appropriate contexts. A central feature of this course is the development of students’ lifelong learning skills including self-evaluation and reflection with the aim of placing students in the best position to make informed decisions about their future professional career.

The Business Management course has a central all encapsulating theme of employability. Students will acquire business experience in their second and final year through the core modules Transferable Learning. These modules are designed flexibly to allow students to acquire a diverse range of business experience and give them crucial skills relevant for their future careers. This aspect of the course underpins the importance of the employability agenda and demonstrates a serious commitment to the professional development of students.

The purpose of the course follows that set out in the QAA Benchmarks for Business and Management:

• the study of organisations, their management and the changing external environment in which they operate;
• preparation for and development of a career in business and management;
• enhancement of lifelong learning sills and personal development to contribute to society at large.

On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

Knowledge and Understanding

1. Evaluate a wide range of theories and conceptual frameworks from the major disciplines relevant to Business Management
2. Analyse general business management related areas of study as well as the more specialised and contemporary issues including entrepreneurship, leadership, innovation, sustainability, governance, ethics, diversity and globalisation
3. Explain how management procedures and processes allow for effective decision-making against different objectives
4. Discuss and debate the impact of the external environment (domestic and international) in the context of business management, including economic, ethical, legal, political, sociological and technological influences
5. Analyse contemporary business management issues and formulate solutions to identified problems in a clear and coherent research plan

Subject specific skills

1. Produce and analyse appropriate information from a variety of sources. Specifically, to use IT to access sources of information and to work with discipline based software programmes
2. Conduct general business analysis using a variety of theoretical tools
3. Search, handle and interpret relevant information in the analysis of the operations of modern business environments
4. Communicate complex ideas and analysis through written and oral expositions
5. Design, plan organise and deliver an individual research project and demonstrate knowledge of appropriate business research methodology
6. Critically apply knowledge to comment on and evaluate real business world scenarios
7. Gain real world business experience and apply developed skills for the purpose of future career planning

Transferable skills

1. Communicate ideas, principles, theories and information effectively by oral, written and visual means
2. Develop personal skills including skills in study, problem-solving, working with others, independent learning, self-awareness, self-management, self-presentation and decision-making
3. Interpret and critically analyse business problems in order to produce solutions which demonstrate an evaluation of the impact of ethical issues and cultural diversity
4. Evaluate the appropriateness of data for alternate purposes and handle complex data with ease
5. Demonstrate development of personal and professional skills relevant for career and personal development planning

Intellectual skills

1. Apply intellectual skills and critical faculties with particular emphasis on the development of the skills of analysis, synthesis and evaluation of concepts, ideas and theories that characterise the major disciplines of Business Management
2. Develop intellectual discussion and awareness of contemporary debates in the business management related core disciplines
3. Initiate and undertake independent and scholarly research and investigation, specifically to develop the ability to review critically relevant literature, retrieve data, to interpret and apply complex information
4. Develop a capacity for critical reflection and judgement in the light of evidence and argument about business management issues
5. Apply the skills of seeking, handling and interpreting business information as part of the process of addressing business problems and formulating new or alternative solutions through independent research

Knowledge and Understanding

1. Evaluate a wide range of theories and conceptual frameworks from the major disciplines relevant to Business Management:

All core modules

2. Analyse general business management related areas of study as well as the more specialised and contemporary issues including entrepreneurship, leadership, innovation, sustainability, governance, ethics, diversity and globalisation:

Challenges for the 21st Century Manager
Understanding People and Organisations
Entrepreneurship, Innovation and
Leadership
Regulation and Management in the Global
Community

3. Explain how management procedures and processes allow for effective decision-making against different objectives:

Managing Information and Accounting
Understanding People and Organisations
Business Decision Making
Challenges for the 21st Century Manager
Strategy: choices & impact

4. Discuss and debate the impact of the external environment (domestic and international) in the context of business management, including economic, ethical, legal, political, sociological and technological influences:

Global Business Environment
Serving Customers in Global Markets
Regulation and Management in the Global
Community

5. Analyse contemporary business management issuesn and formulate solutions to identified problems in a clear and coherent research plan:

Strategy: choices & impact
Management Investigation &Recruitment
Report

Subject specific skills

1. Produce and analyse appropriate information from a variety of sources. Specifically, to use IT to access sources of information and to work with discipline based software programmes:

Management Information and Accounting
Business Decision Making

2. Conduct general business analysis using a variety of theoretical tools:

All core modules

3. Search, handle and interpret relevant information in the analysis of the operations of modern business environments:

Global Business Environment
Challenges for 21st Century Manager
Serving Customers in Global Markets

4. Communicate complex ideas and analysis through written and oral expositions:

All core modules

5. Design, plan organise and deliver an individual research project and demonstrate knowledge of appropriate business research methodology:

Management Investigation &Recruitment
Report

6. Critically apply knowledge to comment on and evaluate real business world facts:

All core modules

7. Gain real world business experience and apply developed skills for the purpose of future career planning:

Work-related modules

Transferable skills

1. Communicate ideas, principles, theories and information effectively by oral, written and visual means:

All core modules

2. Develop personal skills including skills in study, problem-solving, working with others, independent learning, self-awareness, self-management, selfpresentation and decision-making:

All core modules

3. Interpret and critically analyse business problems in order to produce solutions which demonstrate an evaluation of the impact of ethical issues and cultural
diversity:

Global Business Environment
Understanding People and Organisations
Regulation and Management in the Global
Community

4. Evaluate the appropriateness of data for alternate purposes and handle complex data with ease:

Managing Information and Accounting
Business Decision Making

5. Demonstrate development of personal and professional skills relevant for career and personal development planning:

All core modules and
Work-related modules

Intellectual skills

1. Apply intellectual skills and critical faculties with particular emphasis on the development of the skills of analysis, synthesis and evaluation of concepts, ideas
and theories that characterise the major disciplines of Business Management:

Strategy: choices & impact
Regulation and Management in the Global
Community
Management Investigation &Recruitment
Report

2. Develop intellectual discussion and awareness of contemporary debates in the business management related core disciplines:

All core modules

3. Initiate and undertake independent and scholarly research and investigation, specifically to develop the ability to review critically relevant literature, retrieve data, to interpret and apply complex information Serving Customers in Global Markets Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Leadership:

Strategy: choices & impact
Regulation and Management in the Global
Community

4. Develop a capacity for critical reflection and judgement in the light of evidence and argument about business management issues:

Challenges for 21st Century Manager
Understanding People and Organisations
Entrepreneurship, Innovation and
Leadership
Serving Customers in Global Markets
Work-related modules

5. Apply the skills of seeking, handling and interpreting business information as part of the process of addressing business problems and formulating new or alternative solutions through independent research:

All core modules

General Business and Management Benchmarks

This course uses a wide variety of assessment methods to test students’ ability. These assessment methods have been mapped to ensure that they are evenly spread and allow the student to perform at their best.

The assessment methods include:

Course work
Problem Based Learning tasks
Business simulations
Group work
Presentations
Computer based tests
E-Portfolio
Video clips

As part of our Undergraduate Student Promise, every student will undertake accredited work-related learning (in either the form of a work placement or ‘live’ project with a partner organisation or planning to set up small business) for a minimum of 70 hours as a core, compulsory element within their course programme.

You will have the option of taking the “Learning Through Work” or “Create a Winning Business” 15 credit module in the second or third year of your course programme. Additionally you have the option of taking an additional 30 credit 12 month sandwich placement module (which would extend your course to four years).
Work-related learning provides students with:

• the experience of a competitive recruitment process or pitching for an opportunity
• a work-related experience or project which impacts a real organisation
• assessment and feedback on their reflections on their experience of the work-related learning and planning for their future career.

Where required, students will be supported in finding suitable opportunities which can be either be a placement, part-time role or ’live’ project for an external organisation untaken within the University. We have dedicated placements and careers teams who will assist learners with all aspects of their job search and application. The suitability of the opportunities will be assessed by the Module Leader on an individual basis. It is the student’s responsibility to apply for opportunities and engage with the relevant University personnel who to assist them in gaining a suitable role.

Learners may be able to utilise their existing part-time / vacation employment (whether or not this relates to their subject area), providing they can demonstrate that it is personally developmental and involves responsibility (decided upon submission of the role details by the Module Leader)

Level 3 Core Modules: Preparatory Diploma

Development for Success in Business

The Context of Business

Understanding and Dealing with Customers

Using and Managing Data and Information

Level 4 Core Modules: Certificate in Higher Education – 120 credits

Understanding People and Organisations

Challenges for the 21st Century Manager

Managing Information and Accounting

Global Business Environment

Level 5 Core Modules: Diploma in Higher Education – 240 credits

Level 4 modules plus

Business Decision Making

Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Leadership

Serving Customers in Global Markets

Transferable Learning (15 credit alternative core)

Plus 1 x optional 15 credit module

Level 6 Core Modules: - BA (Hons) 360 credits

Level 4&5 modules plus

Strategy: Choices and Impact

Regulation and Management in the Global Community

Management Investigation &Recruitment Report

Transferable Learning (15 credit alternative core)

Plus 1 x optional 15 credit module

You'll gain a Level 5 Diploma in Management and Leadership on completing this degree.

This course is accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), an internationally renowned professional body. While studying on this course you'll gain membership to CMI, and will be able access its facilities, attend events, join a mentoring scheme and access over 200,000 live management job postings.

This course will give you the skills you need to pursue a career as an entrepreneur or to work in business management as part of a national or multinational organisation. Previous graduates have gone on to work at organisations such as Coca-Cola, the Royal Bank of Scotland and even London Metropolitan University.

The knowledge base, transferable skills and hands-on work experience you'll gain throughout the course will place you in an advantageous position once you enter the job market.

This course is also excellent preparation for postgraduate study or a graduate training scheme.

In addition to the University's standard entry requirements, you should have:

• 280 or more UCAS points, including at least 180 from two or more A levels (or equivalent, eg BTEC National, OCR Diploma or Advanced Diploma) in academic or Business subjects.
• English Language and Mathematics GCSE at grade C or above (or equivalent) are also required.

All applicants must be able to demonstrate proficiency in the English language. Applicants who require a Tier 4 student visa may need to provide a Secure English Language Test (SELT) such as Academic IELTS. For more information about English qualifications please see our English language requirements.