UDBSNMNG - BA (Hons) Business Management (Top-up)

This year-long Top-Up course offers students an opportunity to enhance their knowledge and understanding of business management, particularly the international dimensions of business, while completing the final year of their undergraduate degree. The course provides a broad, analytical and integrated programme for those wishing to study Business Management. It reflects the QAA Subject Benchmark for Business and Management which sees the of purpose business and management programmes as threefold:
❖ increasing understanding of organisations, their management, the economy and the business environment;
❖ preparation for and development of a career in business and management, and
❖ enhancement of a wide range of skills and attributes which equip graduates to become effective global citizens.

The central aim of the course is to build on the students’ existing knowledge of business and management. The core modules provide students with the advanced theoretical and practical knowledge and skills necessary to operate in a global business environment and to develop their understanding of the realities faced by international business managers. Along with a language modules, the range of elective modules reflect the diversity of international business management and is intended to accommodate the wider learning background experiences of non-UK students.

Students develop their understanding of the governance, operations and management of the functions and processes of business organisations, as well as the corporate behaviours and cultures that exist within and between different organisations. Students have opportunities to enhance their existing understanding of management theories, models, frameworks, tasks and roles, including the management of people and corporate social responsibility. They will explore the factors that influence business from an international perspective, with an emphasis not only on understanding but also on responding and shaping the dynamic and changing nature of business and the consideration of the future of organisations within the global business environment.

The course is designed to prepare students to deal with contemporary issues and challenges in the world of business. Contemporary case studies help to prepare students to deal with issues and challenges, such as change management and values, in cross-cultural environments, and with the management and development of people of ethnically diverse backgrounds. Throughout the course students are exposed to social, ethnic, and cultural issues inherent in the student body.

The degree has a central all encapsulating theme of employability with the aim of providing students with the transferable knowledge and skills required for their chosen careers, and which reflects the breadth and depth of opportunities for learning, practice, placement and employability.

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, 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. Experiential learning is fostered, whereby students are encouraged to learn from their own current or previous experiences of work. The course utilises industry expertise through the inclusion of business problems, current employers, and visiting professors.

The learning and teaching approaches considers circumstances around the learning and teaching environment to ensure the safety of learners and lectures, particularly at the time of pandemic. Approaches such as virtual teaching, and learning; mixture of virtual teaching and face to face and live streaming are some of the considerations the course is going to take. These approaches will allow the learning and teaching process to continue without interruption together with various student learning support strategies delivered by tutors and academic mentors.

The aims of the BA(Hons) Business Management (Top-Up) are to:

1. increase understanding of organisations, their management, and the business environment;

2. provide a contemporary and dynamic programme of study which enhances students existing knowledge and skills, and prepares them for a wide range of careers in the international business arena.

3. provide opportunities for students to develop their intellectual, critical and practical skills through the synthesis, analysis and evaluation of business and management in a variety international contexts.

4. 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 international 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.

In addition Business Management students are offered the opportunity to undertake work placement

The BA (Hons) Business Management (Top-Up) course offers students an opportunity to focus on key dimensions of business management while completing the final year of their undergraduate degree. The learning outcomes for this course are informed by the QAA statement for Business and Management.

On successful completion of this course students will be able to: demonstrate confidence, resilience, ambition and creativity and will act as inclusive, collaborative and socially responsible professionals in their discipline .(ULO)

Thus, upon graduating with an honours degree in Business Management, students will typically:

1. Have the confidence needed to take leadership decisions in challenging situations (LO1).
2. Possess the necessary communication skills that will help them adopt a global and multicultural perspective in their professional context (LO2).
3. Be cognisant of the effects of the social and environmental of their decisions and will remain active citizens of the places they live and work (LO3).
4. Demonstrate application of creative thinking skills to practical problems, and possess the analytical and organizational skills to translate creative ideas to operational solutions (LO4)
5. Have a wide knowledge and understanding of the broad range of areas of business and management and the detailed relationships between these and their application in practice (LO5).
6. Consistently demonstrate a command of subject-specific skills as well as proficiency in generic skills and attributes (LO6).
7. Have a view of business and management influenced by a wide range of learning sources, based on a proactive and independent approach to learning (LO7).
8. Be distinguished from the basic standard (threshold) of achievement by their enhanced capacity to develop and apply their own perspectives to their studies, to deal with uncertainty and complexity, to explore alternative solutions, to demonstrate critical evaluation and to integrate theory and practice in a wide range of situations (LO8)

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

The QAA Benchmark statement for Business and Management Nov 2019

The course adheres to university guidelines on assessment and feedback. Both formative and summative assessment involve a wide variety of assessment formats including: 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 feedback is provided throughout the course. The assessment strategies consider student and other circumstances so can be adjusted accordingly. Particularly, when face to face delivery is not possible, the course team will consider alternative assessment approaches.

The Placements and Employability Unit (PEU) provides assistance to obtain a variety of placements that are tailored to students’ needs and/or circumstances. Its service is targeted to support students before, during and after their placement. Placement preparation workshops or one-to-one interviews run during the year to provide advice and support on aspects such as CVs, job applications, interview technique and job search strategies.

Currently it is possible to undertake work placements or internships worth 15 credits during or outside term-time, for a minimum of 5 weeks (or the equivalent of this, part-time). Two modules are offered: ‘Learning Through Work’, which focuses on the learning experience in an employee position, and ‘Creating and winning business’ which applies to entrepreneur experience.

There are no specified part-time structures for this course. Students on a part-time mode of study are required to take between 30 and 90 credits per academic year to complete the degree programme within the maximum time length allowed (6 years for a three-year course).

Programme planning is therefore agreed between the student and course team, in accordance with regulations on progression and completion.

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.

PDP and Reflective learning are embedded throughout the course. Reflective learning and personal development planning are central to students’ career development. Reflective learning in embedded in core modules throughout the course. Optional modules also assess the students’ reflective practice through learning journals or logs contributing to personal development planning and career management. In this way, students are encouraged to develop specific skills increasing their employability prospects by the end of the course

A key aim of this course is to prepare students for a career in business and management whilst enhancing life-long learning skills. These skills are a fundamental part of the curriculum and are developed within each module. In particular, students are provided with opportunities to engage with employers through a variety of activities.

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 experts are included and students are 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, and this opportunity is also available to BA Management Top-Up students. These initiatives are linked to improving the students’ employability prospects and their transferable skills.

Our business and management graduates have gone on to careers as area managers, assistant management accountants, business, merger and acquisition analysts and directors at organisations such as Amazon, Office Holdings, E Movement, Coca-Cola, the Royl Bank of Scotland and WizzAir.

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.

Continuing your studies with us

The Guildhall School of Business and Law has a range of industry-linked postgraduate courses available on a full-time and part-time basis in business management, tourism and events, marketing and fashion, law, human resources and finance banking. These courses would be ideal for postgraduate progression:

• International Business Management - MSc
• International Business Management with Project Management - MSc
• International Trade and Finance - MSc
• Marketing - MA
• Human Resource Management - MA

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

• 240 credits from a Higher National Diploma (HND), a foundation degree (FdA/ FdSc) or equivalent international qualification in a relevant subject
• 240 credits from years 1 and 2 of an undergraduate degree (BA/BSc) in a relevant subject at a different institution