Course specification and structure
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UDBSNMGT - BA Business Management

Course Specification


Validation status Validated
Highest award Bachelor of Arts Level Honours
Possible interim awards Bachelor of Arts, Diploma of Higher Education, Certificate of Higher Education, Bachelor of Arts
Total credits for course 360
Awarding institution London Metropolitan University
Teaching institutions London Metropolitan University
School Guildhall School of Business and Law
Subject Area Business and Management
Attendance options
Option Minimum duration Maximum duration
Full-time 3 YEARS  
Part-time 4 YEARS 6 YEARS
Course leader  

About the course and its strategy towards teaching and learning and towards blended learning/e-learning

This degree course provides a broad, analytical and highly integrated programme for those who wish to study business management. It is accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) which means that on completion of the 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 this course provides students with an opportunity to develop both their understanding of theory as well as its

application in a wide variety of situations, as well as developing their practical skills. There is an emphasis on knowledge and understanding of business organisations, the business environment in which they operate and their management and the management of the people in them. The course provides students with the skills and attributes that will enable them to compete and succeed in a wide range of fields that require management.

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.

Teaching, study and assessment approaches help students to develop their understanding of management theories, models, frameworks, tasks and roles, including the management of people and corporate social responsibility. Students can enhance their theoretical understanding and develop their practical management skills and decision-making through participation in on-line business simulations, which are embedded in the course. Managing a ‘virtual’ company is a powerful mechanism for providing feedback to students on their performance as well as enhancing their 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 can acquire business experience in their second and final year through Work-Related modules, which 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 deep 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, business simulations, 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, and visiting professors.

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 skill of managers.

Course aims

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 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 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.

The degree is designed across three levels with specific aims, as follows:

Level 4 aims to provide the underpinning theoretical principles and approaches inherent in the disciplines of business management, and it develops students’ intellectual, 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 here is also 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, promote independent learning and challenge students intellectually through an individual dissertation.

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).

Course learning outcomes

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 this course students will be able to:

LO1: 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.

LO2: 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.

LO3: 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.

LO4: 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, logisitics, 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

LO5: 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.

LO6: 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.

Course learning outcomes / Module cross reference

Insert table mapping modules (with code) against the course learning outcomes:

PLEASE SEE APPENDIX 1 FOR LEARNING OUTCOMES.

Please see below for Level 6 Learning Outcomes


BA (Hons) Business Management
Level 6 Learning Outcomes Mapped to QAA and CMI


BABM: Level 6 Learning Outcomes QAA Subject Standard Benchmark for Business and Management integrated with CMI
MN6P12: Management Dissertation
LO1: construct a well-thought out and
considered research idea and present a
proposal;

LO2: manage an independent survey of
literature and design an empirical piece of
research based on the literature;

LO3: conduct their study, collect, analyse and synthesise data present their findings, discuss their findings in relation to their research question, write up their dissertation and present it as a professional document;

LO4: illustrate scholarship in terms of academic writing and Harvard referencing.
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.
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.

CMI: Conducting a management project.

MN6003; Strategy: Choices and Change
LO1: Apply the major theories of strategic
management to the analysis of organisations
within their specific contexts;

LO2: Formulate and evaluate a range of
strategic options to address strategic
issues in a particular organisational or
industry situation using appropriate
frameworks and concepts, and justify
selection of a particular strategic course
of action;

LO3: Apply the assessment of the main
issues and risks confronting an organisation
when implementing strategic change to the
creation of context-specific recommendations
for the effective delivery of strategic change.
Organisations: encompassing…, functions and processes of organisations including… 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.
Organisational Behaviour: design, development of organisations, including cross-cultural issues, change, diversity and values.
Problem solving and critical analysis: analysing facts and circumstances to determine the cause of a problem and identifying and selecting appropriate solutions.

CMI: Meeting stakeholder and quality needs.
MN6066 The Practice of Management
LO1: Distinguish between various theories of
Governance and evaluate their impact.
LO2: critically evaluate business policy and discuss the development of appropriate policies and strategies within a changing environment to meet stakeholder interests and the se of risk management techniques and business continuity planning to help maximise achievement of strategy objectives;

LO3: judge actions as right or wrong in various business case studies in relation to the four main ethical theories of Utilitarianism, Kantianism, Liberal Individualism, and Communitarianism. Be able to discuss contemporary trends in ethical theory in terms of diversity, discrimination and harassment in the workplace;

LO4: evaluate stockholder management versus stakeholder management. Be able to critically evaluate Carrolls' (1991) pyramid of corporate social responsibility and propose an alternative contemporary view.
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.
Social responsibility: the need for individuals and organisations to manage responsibly and behave ethically in relation to social, cultural, economic and environmental issues
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.
Problem solving and critical analysis: analysing facts and circumstances to determine the cause of a problem and identifying and selecting appropriate solutions.

CMI: Being a Leader

Principle QAA benchmark statements

The QAA Benchmark statement for Business and Management has been adopted

Assessment strategy

Both formative and summative assessment take a variety of 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. Feedback is provided on both formative and summative in keeping with the university guidelines.
30 credit modules have three assessment points.
15 credit modules have 2 assessment points.

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

Organised work experience, work based learning, sandwich year or year abroad

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.

Course specific regulations

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.

Modules required for interim awards

Standard University Regulations apply.

Arrangements for promoting reflective learning and personal development

PDP and Reflective learning are embedded throughout the curriculum commencing at Level 4. Reflective learning and personal development planning is central to the students’ academic and career development – it is linked to assessment throughout the curriculum and is a formal element of formative feedback in several modules for the development of this key skill. Students’ experiential learning is encouraged throughout, and action learning sets are a feature at levels five and six, which promote reflective learning.

All modules have formative and summative assessment requiring varying degrees of critical self- evaluation and reflection in the context of business management professional practice.

Professional Statutory and Regulatory Body (PSRB) accreditations & exemptions

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.

Career, employability and opportunities for continuing professional development

Employability and workplace skills are inherent in all modules throughout the course, commencing with the business simulation at Level 4. At Level 5 along with the business simulation there are two options for experiential learning, one is a Work Related Learning module where each student can do a short work placement, or alternatively students can take a taught module which focuses on developing their own business in partnership with the Londonmet Accelerator. In addition, 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 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. These initiatives are linked to improving the students’ employability prospects and their transferable skills.

Career opportunities

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.

Entry requirements

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

  • a minimum of grades CCC in three A levels in academic or business subjects (or a minimum of 96 UCAS points from an equivalent Level 3 qualification, eg BTEC National, OCR Diploma or Advanced Diploma)
  • English Language and Mathematics GCSE at grade C/grade 4 or above (or equivalent)

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.

If you do not have traditional qualifications or cannot meet the entry requirements for this undergraduate degree, you may still be able to gain entry by completing the Business Management BA extended degree.

Official use and codes

Approved to run from 2013/14 Specification version 1 Specification status Validated
Original validation date 01 Sep 2013 Last validation date 01 Sep 2013  
Sources of funding HE FUNDING COUNCIL FOR ENGLAND
JACS codes N200 (Management Studies): 100%
Route code BSNMGT

Course Structure

Stage 1 Level 04 September start Offered

Code Module title Info Type Credits Location Period Day Time
BA4008 Business Decision Making Core 30        
FE4053 The Business Environment Core 15        
MN4001 Business and Enterprise Core 30        
MN4002 Fundamentals of Management Core 30        
MN4055 Personal and Academic Development Core 15        

Stage 1 Level 04 January start Offered

Code Module title Info Type Credits Location Period Day Time
BA4008 Business Decision Making Core 30        
FE4053 The Business Environment Core 15        
MN4001 Business and Enterprise Core 30        
MN4002 Fundamentals of Management Core 30        
MN4055 Personal and Academic Development Core 15        

Stage 2 Level 05 September start Offered

Code Module title Info Type Credits Location Period Day Time
BA5004 Business Research Methods Core 30        
MN5006 Serving Customers in Global Markets Core 30        
MN5009 Leadership and Leading Core 30        
MN5W50 Creating a Winning Business 1 Alt Core 15 NORTH SPR FRI PM
          NORTH AUT WED AM
          NORTH SPR WED AM
          NORTH AUT WED PM
          NORTH SPR WED PM
          NORTH AUT THU AM
          NORTH SPR THU AM
          NORTH SPR THU AM
          NORTH AUT THU PM
          NORTH AUT FRI AM
          NORTH SPR FRI AM
          NORTH AUT FRI PM
MN5W55 Learning through Work Alt Core 15 NORTH AUT WED AM
          NORTH SPR WED AM
          NORTH AUT WED PM
          NORTH SPR WED PM
          NORTH AUT THU AM
          NORTH SPR THU AM
          NORTH SPR THU PM
          NORTH AUT FRI AM
          NORTH SPR FRI AM
          NORTH AUT FRI PM
          NORTH SPR FRI PM
          NORTH AUT THU PM
HR5053 Organisation Design and Management Option 15 NORTH AUT FRI PM
          NORTH AUT WED AM
          NORTH AUT WED PM
          NORTH AUT THU AM
          NORTH AUT THU PM
          NORTH AUT FRI AM
HR5062 Resourcing, Retaining and Motivating Talent Option 15        
MN5061 Organisational Development, Performance and Rew... Option 15        
MN6W04 Professional Experience Year Placement Option 30 NORTH AUT+SPR NA  
OL0000 Open Language Programme Module Option 15 NORTH SPR NA  
          NORTH AUT NA  

Stage 3 Level 06 September start Offered

Code Module title Info Type Credits Location Period Day Time
MN6003 Strategy: Choices and Change Core 30        
MN6066 The Practice of Management Core 30        
MN6067 Achieve Your Potential Core 15        
MN6P12 Management Dissertation Core 30        
MN6W50 Creating a Winning Business 2 Alt Core 15        
MN6W55 Learning through Work 2 Alt Core 15        
BA6052 Project Management Option 15        
BA6060 Quantitative Data Analysis Option 15        
FE6051 Economics of Multinational Business Option 15        
MN6055 Managing Corporate Reputation Option 15        
MN6068 Financial Decision Making for Managers Option 15 NORTH AUT MON AM
          NORTH AUT MON PM
          NORTH AUT TUE AM
          NORTH AUT TUE PM
MN6069 Business Writing and Communication Option 15        
MN6W04 Professional Experience Year Placement Option 30 NORTH AUT+SPR NA  
OL0000 Open Language Programme Module Option 15 NORTH SPR NA  
          NORTH AUT NA