UEBMGEXT - BA Business Management (Extended Degree)

This course provides students with an opportunity to develop both their academic and practical skills in preparation for further study and/or their chosen career. It is foundational in its approach to preparing students who may not have traditional qualifications for admission to a degree course at university. There is a strong emphasis on developing students’ ability to learn in preparation for their future learning. The first year ‘extends’ the Business Management degree in order to provide the basics on which students’ can build in order to be able to take their place on either the full BA Business Management degree course or other full degree courses, such as Marketing, Business Law, and/or Economics. It includes a strong focus on employability. Its overall aim is to provide students’ with the confidence and the transferable knowledge and skills required for their chosen careers and/ future study.

Students who successfully complete the Level 3 foundation year are automatically transferred onto the BA (Hons) Business Management course or an equivalent course of their choice at Level 4.

The BA (Hons) Business Management course provides a broad, analytical and highly integrated programme for those who wish to study business management. It reflects the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) for Higher Education subject benchmark statement for Business and Management. It is accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) which means that on completion of the full course students receive the dual awards of: BA (Hons) Business Management Degree, and a CMI Level 5 Diploma in Management and Leadership.

Effective business management requires both theory and practice, and the BA (Hons) Business Management Course provides students with an opportunity to develop both their understanding of theory and its application in a wide variety of situations, as well as developing their practical skills. The degree provides students with knowledge and understanding of organisations, the business environment in which they operate and the management of organisations and the people in them. Students develop their understanding of the purposes, structures, size, scale, governance, operations and management of the functions and processes of business organisations, as well as the corporate behaviours and cultures which exist within and between different organisations. The course is designed to prepare students to deal with contemporary issues and challenges in the world of business. It reflects the breadth and depth of opportunities for learning, practice, placement and employability.

As well as providing students with opportunities to develop their understanding of the business environment they will have opportunities to develop their understanding of management theories, models, frameworks, tasks and roles, including the management of people and corporate social responsibility. They will develop their practical management skills and decision-making through participation in on-line business simulations, which are embedded in the course. In addition to enhancing their theoretical understanding, managing a ‘virtual’ company contributes to students’ confidence as young managers.

The degree has a central all encapsulating theme of employability with the aim of providing students with the confidence and the transferable knowledge and skills required for their chosen careers. Students are offered the opportunity to acquire business experience in their second and final years through Work-Related modules. 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 course utilises a blended learning approach to teaching and learning through a mixture of interactive workshops, lectures including virtual lectures, seminars and a wide range of multimedia. Students are provided with opportunities to analyse and discuss core principles and concepts and obtain peer and formative feedback. The course adopts a student centred learning approach, which requires synthesis and critical analysis of key issues generated through their own research. Workshops, lectures and seminars are designed to convey broad principles, concepts and knowledge, as well as offering students the opportunity to analyse and apply knowledge through field work, the business simulation, and through case studies and business management scenarios.

The approach to teaching and learning on the course is to help students develop an inquisitive, critically analytical, and independent but supported level of scholarship in which they are able to set personal goals and targets beyond those prescribed by their tutors. Experiential learning is fostered, that is, students are encouraged to learn from their own current or previous experiences of work. The course also utilises industry expertise through the inclusion of business problems, current employers, visiting professors and course patron input.

The requirements for the CMI’s Level 5 Diploma in Management and Leadership are embedded in the course modules, which means students’ do not have to engage in further study to attain the Level 5 Diploma. The purpose of the CMI qualification is to develop the role and skill of managers.

The aims of the BA (Hons) Business Management (Extended) are to:

1. Orientate students to study at university level and provide them with an opportunity to develop their academic and practical skill sin order to progress to further study;

2. Introduce students to the context of business management and the concepts of dealing with customers.

The course has been designed with reference to the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) for Higher Education subject statement benchmark for Business and Management (2016).

The overall aim of the full BA (Hons) Business Management degree course is to deliver a contemporary and dynamic programme of study which provides students with the knowledge and skills inherent in the subject to prepare them for a career in business management by increasing their understanding of organisations, their management, the economy and the business environment.

To enable students to explore and examine key concepts, principles and techniques that make businesses successful and efficient and to link the multi-disciplinary subjects of business management coherently in the context of the business world.

To develop student’s knowledge of the decision-making process, as well as the social, cultural and ethical environment in which businesses operate. Students are provided with opportunities to engage with leading edge themes of business management including sustainability, leadership, globalisation, entrepreneurship, innovation and corporate social responsibility.

To develop students’ academic, intellectual and practical skills and promote the development of their ability to critically 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 core modules on the full BA Business Management course meet the requirements for the CMI Level 5 Diploma in Management and leadership, with the aim of helping students to develop personal management capabilities, make effective use of information in decision-making, operations and the development of skills in managing people.

In addition to the above, the aim of the CMI qualification is to:

3. help students to develop personal management capabilities, make effective use of information in decision-making, operations and the development of skills in managing people.

The degree is organised into four levels with specific aims, as follows:

Level 3 (Extended) aims to orientate students to study at university level in preparation for further study, introduce them to business contexts and concepts and help them to develop both academic and professional skills. .

Level 4 aims to provide the underpinning theoretical principles and approaches inherent in the disciplines of business management, and it develops students’ critical, analytical, and self-reflection skills.

Level 5 deepens the student’s knowledge in each of the main subjects, such as managing, leading, marketing and decision-making. The aim is to develop their intellectual skills such as understanding and problem solving and to promote their ability to analyse, synthesise and critically evaluate business decisions.

Level 6 aims to utilise the skills and knowledge gained at previous levels and challenge students intellectually and promote independent learning through an individual research project.

In addition Business Management students are offered the opportunity to undertake a work placement year prior to completing their final year of study (see point 19 below).

The learning outcomes are based on the integration of the QAA Benchmark statement for Business and Management and the Chartered Management Institute’s (CMI) requirements for the Level 5 Diploma in Management and Leadership.

On successful completion of the Extended course students will be able to:

LO1: Explain the structure of their course at university, and describe the content of various different courses;

LO2: Demonstrate a wide range of academic, professional and practical skills in order to progress to further study;

LO3: Discuss the contexts of business management and the functions of business organisations;

Learning outcomes relevant to

LO4: Organisations: demonstrate in-depth knowledge and understanding of organisational design and development, including the internal aspects, functions and processes of organisations encompassing their diverse nature, purposes, structures, size/scale, governance, operations and management, together with the individual and corporate behaviours and cultures which exist within and between different organisations and their influence upon the external environment.

LO5: The business environment: critically analyse the business environment including the economic, environmental, cultural, ethical, legal and regulatory, political, sociological, digital and technological factors, together with their effects at local, national and global levels on the strategy, behaviour, management and sustainability of organisations.

LO6: Management: illustrate sound understanding and knowledge of the various processes, procedures and practices for effective management of organisations, including theoretical models, frameworks, tasks and roles of management, including the management of people and corporate social responsibility, together with rational analysis and other processes of decision making within different organisations. Analyse contemporary business management issues and formulate solutions to identified problems in a clear and coherent research plan.

LO7: People Management: demonstrate a wide range of people management skills and ability including communicating, team building, leadership, motivating, planning, and performance managing others, as well as the development of people and organisations including the implications of the legal context.

Within the framework of (LO1) organisations, (LO2) business environment and (LO3) management (above) graduates should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding in the following areas:

Markets: the development, access and operation of markets for resources, goods and services.
Marketing and sales: different approaches for segmentation, targeting, positioning generating sales and the need for innovation in product and service design.
Customers: management of customer expectations, relationships and development of service excellence.
Finance: the sources, uses and management of finance and the use of accounting and other information systems for planning, control, decision making and managing financial risk.
Organisational Behaviour: design, development of organisations, including cross-cultural issues, change, diversity and values.
Operations: the management of resources, the supply chain, procurement, logistics, outsourcing and quality systems.
Information systems and business intelligence: the development, management, application and implementation of information systems and their impact upon organisations.
Communications: the comprehension and use of relevant communications for application in business and management, including the use of digital tools.
Digital Business: the development of strategic priorities to deliver business at speed in an environment where digital technology has reshaped traditional revenue and business models.
Business policy and strategy: the development of appropriate policies and strategies within a changing environment to meet stakeholder interests, and the use of risk management techniques and business continuity planning to help maximise achievement of strategic objectives.
Business innovation and enterprise development: taking innovative business ideas to create new products, services or organisations including the identification of Intellectual Property and appreciation of its value.
Social responsibility: the need for individuals and organisations to manage responsibly and behave ethically in relation to social, cultural, economic and environmental issues

In addition to the above, on successful completion of this course students will be able to

LO8: Demonstrate a wide range of skills relevant to business management, including

Problem solving and critical analysis: analysing facts and circumstances to determine the cause of a problem and identifying and selecting appropriate solutions.

Research: the ability to analyse and evaluate a range of business data, sources of information and appropriate methodologies, which includes the need for strong digital literacy, and to use that research for evidence-based decision-making.

Commercial acumen: based on an awareness of the key drivers for business success, causes of failure and the importance of providing customer satisfaction and building customer loyalty.

Innovation, creativity and enterprise: the ability to act entrepreneurially to generate, develop and communicate ideas, manage and exploit intellectual property, gain support, and deliver successful outcomes.

Numeracy: the use of quantitative skills to manipulate data, evaluate, estimate and model business problems, functions and phenomena.

Networking: an awareness of the interpersonal skills of effective listening, negotiating, persuasion and presentation and their use in generating business contacts.

LO9: Illustrate the acquisition of generic skills and attributes, including:

Ability to work collaboratively both internally and with external customers and an awareness of mutual interdependence.

Ability to work with people from a range of cultures.

Articulating and effectively explaining information.

Building and maintaining relationships.

Communication and listening including the ability to produce clear, structured business communications in a variety of media.

Emotional intelligence and empathy.

Conceptual and critical thinking, analysis, synthesis and evaluation.

Self-management: a readiness to accept responsibility and flexibility, to be resilient, self-starting and appropriately assertive, to plan, organise and manage time.

Self-reflection: self-analysis and an awareness/sensitivity to diversity in terms of people and cultures. This includes a continuing appetite for development.

Communicate ideas, principles, theories and information effectively by oral, written and visual means Demonstrate development of personal and professional skills relevant for career and personal development planning.

These undergraduate attributes will be delivered primarily through 30 credit and 15 credit core modules, supported by a choice of 15 credit elective modules, and independent learning.

The QAA Benchmark statement for Business and Management has been adopted.

Students are assessed in a variety of formats, such as written coursework, portfolios, blogs, essays, exams, group presentations, business reports, problem-based activities, practice-based projects, group research projects, videos, computer-based tests, business simulations and a final dissertation.

Formative Assessment: students engage in ongoing formative tasks within workshops and seminars that may include brainstorming, idea generation, role-play, and case study analysis. These are conducted in pre-identified modules and classes. Feedback provided with one either face-to-face or through VLEs and online interaction.

Assessment strategies are designed to help students attain the best practice in meeting learning outcomes. Our modules cover all industry sectors and assessment across modules frequently feeds into subsequent learning and practice activities. We cover all learning styles in an inclusive manner.

Assessment criteria for the Chartered Management Institute’s (CMI) Level 5 Diploma in Management and Leadership are detailed within each individual module.

In addition to a mandatory core employability module at Level 5 or Level 6 the course offers an optional 12 month professional work placement at Level 5. In addition, it provides opportunities for a wide variety of work experience at Levels 5 and 6 in the Work-Related modules. These modules are designed to enable students to gain business experience in the widest possible sense. They are flexible in delivery and will enable students to capture and build on their existing work and other experience. Students will be able to develop their action learning ability and reflect on their current and future course of action in setting goals for improved performance.

As part of our Undergraduate Student Promise, every student will benefit from accredited work-related learning (in either the form of a work placement or ‘live’ project with a partner organisation or practical small business planning) as a core, compulsory element within the study programme.

Standard University Regulations apply – all four modules on the extended are core compulsory.

PDP and Reflective learning are embedded throughout the curriculum of the BA (Hons) Business Management course. Students are exposed to the concept of reflective learning at Level 4 and are able to practice and develop the skills necessary to be a effective reflective practitioner. Reflective learning and personal development planning is central to the students’ academic and career development. Reflective learning is linked to assessment throughout the curriculum and students will have the opportunity for formative feedback to guide them in the development of this key skill. 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.

If you choose Business Management BA as your pathway you will gain membership to the Chartered Management Institute (CMI). As a member you can access their facilities, attend events and access over 200,000 live management jobs as well as a mentoring scheme.

The course includes a number of business management related activities during the academic year as well as number of career oriented workshops which help students to identify and develop key employability skills. Presentations by industry experts will be included and students will be able to participate in workshops designed around identified self-development issues.

At all levels students can present their ideas to a variety of business people including those from London Metropolitan’s business incubator, the Accelerator. These initiatives are linked to improving the students’ employability prospects and their transferable skills.

After successfully completing the foundation year, you can choose to complete your degree from one of the following options:

• Accounting and Finance BA
• Airline, Airport and Aviation Management BSc
• Banking and Finance BScBusiness Management BA
• Business Management BA
• Economics BSc
• Events Management BA
• International Business Management BSc
• LLB (Law)
• Tourism and Travel Management BA

Each option will further improve your skills and knowledge for postgraduate study or developing your professional career. For example, graduates from our Business Management BA and International Business Management BA degree have gone on to develop careers in leading international corporations, management, government, consultancy and business research.

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

• at least one A level (or a minimum of 40 UCAS points from an equivalent Level 3 qualification, eg BTEC Subsidiary/National/BTEC Extended Diploma)
• English Language and Mathematics GCSEs at grade C (grade 4 from 2017) or above (or equivalent)

If you're a mature student with significant work experience, you're invited to apply for this course based on the knowledge and skills you've developed through your work.

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.