BA (Hons) Business Management

Three male students looking at a computer within a computer lab

This course is an ideal insight into the fast-moving world of business today. It has been designed to provide you with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed within the public, private or third sector.

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Course Overview

Students who wish to study this programme may come from a wide variety of subject backgrounds, including, but not necessarily business management. This programme suits those who prefer to learn a broad repertoire of business skills, rather than focusing on one specialism.

This involves learning core business skills relating to, for example, marketing, human resources, information systems/e-Business, accounting and finance. Students would undertake a range of tasks associated with business organisations and would enjoy developing sophisticated solutions to business problems and opportunities.

Given the broad range of skills learned, graduates would have many career opportunities in a diverse range of business roles (e.g. marketing, HR, project management, etc.) in a wide range of sectors. This programme is also suitable as a stepping stone for those who wish to develop a specialism after a general business education, for those who wish to become business teachers or as a route to self-employment.

This course is available to apply as a weekday or weekend study option.

Those who successfully complete this programme are welcome to continue to study with us on one of our MBA Pathways.

This programme is available to Home and International applicants.

Modules

Level 4

  • Academic Skills (20 credits; compulsory)
  • Upon the successful completion of this module, the student should be able to:
    • produce a fully referenced written work in a relevant topic which is well organised and makes use of appropriate academic writing style;
    • produce written work which is well-organised, relevant and makes use of appropriate terminology and academic style;
    • demonstrate good communication skills in written and oral form;
    • demonstrate effective use of Information Technology (IT) as required, including but not limited to MS Word, MS Power Point, MS Teams, the internet;
    • interpret and analyse a range of information beyond mere description in a critical way;
    • work as a member of a team by cooperating with others, negotiating, listening to others in the group, sharing responsibilities/tasks and meeting deadlines.
  • Accounting Fundamentals (20 credits; compulsory)
  • Upon the successful completion of this module, the student should be able to:
    • explain the nature, behaviour, and purpose of cost accounting, and apply cost accounting concepts, techniques, and methods to business transactions;
    • review the basic principles of accounting, including the use of appropriate software;
    • prepare financial statements from initial data, dealing with both routine and non- routine transactions, and analyse financial statements with confidence.
  • Introducing the Modern Workplace  (20 credits; compulsory)
  • Upon the successful completion of this module, the student should be able to:
    • coherently analyse the relationship between structure, culture, people, and organisational performance;
    • identify the essential nature of managerial work (in terms of both functions and processes), communicate the role of leadership, and furthermore, explain the variables that determine effective management and leadership;
    • evaluate the behavioural approach to management, through understanding the factors that affect differences in individual behaviour.
  • Community Engagement (20 credits; compulsory)
  • Upon the successful completion of this module, the student should be able to:
    • understand and evaluate the concept of transferable skills, and how to adapt them to the requirements of an organisational setting (Organisational analysis and Reflective evaluation);
    • evaluate concepts of community and of personal development, and ways of reviewing and extending interpersonal skills (reflective evaluation) applying theoretical concepts and creative problem solving to real situations (Praxis - theory to practice).
  • Marketing Fundamentals (20 credits; compulsory)
  • Upon the successful completion of this module, the student should be able to:
    • assess the development of marketing in creating value for customers;
    • identify relevant stakeholders and assess their impact on the marketing activities of the organisation;
    • understand the processes and stages of marketing, including the role of the marketing environment, marketing research and the marketing mix.
  • The Global Business Environment (20 credits; compulsory)
  • Upon the successful completion of this module, the student should be able to:
    • recognise the major forces shaping the global business environment, and gain an understanding of the changing global business environment;
    • apply relevant business models (Porter’s Diamond, Value Network, Five Forces, etc.) within the context of an international environmental analysis (PESTEL);
    • identify, and critically evaluate, the reasons why organisations engage in international trade;
    • assess markets in action, understanding their micro-economic and macro-economic foundations, different market structures and their influence on firm strategy, long-run and short-run changes, and major features of the current international economy.

Level 5

  • Data Handling & Business Intelligence (20 credits; compulsory)
  • Upon the successful completion of this module, the student should be able to:
    • identify and critically evaluate the current trends in data warehousing, business intelligence, and data mining;
    • demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge and systematic understanding of essential concepts and principles, by using predictive analytic software.
  • Entrepreneurship (20 credits; compulsory)
  • Upon the successful completion of this module, the student should be able to:
    • evaluate the theoretical knowledge of entrepreneurship;
    • apply the methods and techniques that they have learned, to review, consolidate, extend, and apply their knowledge and understanding, to initiate and carry out a Business Plan.
  • Management Accounting (20 credits; compulsory)
  • Upon the successful completion of this module, the student should be able to:
    • analyse and evaluate the informational requirements of management, particularly in relation to decisions involving revenues and costs, and other financial criteria;
    • select, and apply, appropriate cost and management accounting methods and techniques;
    • demonstrate an ability to produce functional and master budgets for a variety of business scenarios and be able to monitor and evaluate performance based on the targets and standards therein.
  • Management Economics (20 credits; compulsory)
  • Upon the successful completion of this module, the student should be able to:
    • critically evaluate economic data as a guide to policy making, within an international, national and organisational context;
    • apply a number of different economic concepts (supply and demand, price elasticity, cost analysis) with respect to managerial decision-making in organisations;
    • analyse the impact of government policy on markets, and its effect on managerial decisions.
  • Managing People (20 credits; compulsory)
  • Upon the successful completion of this module, the student should be able to:
    • demonstrate a critical understanding of the business environment within which personnel professionals work, and analyse how the management of resourcing an organisation is influenced by internal and external factors;
    • evaluate theoretical and real life approaches used by organisations to attract, engage, deploy, and retain people, in a manner which encourages high performance from individuals, in pursuit of organisation objectives and sustainable competitive advantage.
  • Project Management (20 credits; compulsory)
  • Upon the successful completion of this module, the student should be able to:
    • identify, and critically evaluate, the appropriateness and limitations of the main project management methodologies;
    • apply concepts and principles of project management to a real-world scenario and, in so doing, be able to make a successful contribution to any project environment.

Level 6

  • Dissertation (40 credits; compulsory)
  • Upon the successful completion of this module, the student should be able to:
    • develop a suitable and appropriate research proposal;
    • critically appraise the literature pertaining to a problem domain;
    • evaluate, select and apply relevant research techniques in both primary and secondary fields;
    • rigorously analyse the evidence gathered;
    • generate and justify appropriate conclusions based on the previous analyses, demonstrating awareness of the limitations of the research;
    • produce an organised and structured document that adheres to academic convention.
  • International Business Communications (20 credits; compulsory)
  • Upon the successful completion of this module, the student should be able to:
    • critically understand intercultural communication theories;
    • evaluate and interpret divergent international cultures within business;
    • analyse business communication situations.
  • International Financial Management (20 credits; compulsory)
  • Upon the successful completion of this module, the student should be able to:
    • apply and critically evaluate the relevant theoretical framework and models of international financial management;
    • evaluate, apply and critically discuss various methods and techniques relating to the financing of an international business;
    • apply and critically appraise various theoretical models of corporate value, international cost of capital, and financial structure.
  • Leadership and Management Theory and Practice (20 credits; compulsory)
  • Upon the successful completion of this module, the student should be able to:
    • recognise and evaluate the complexities involved in leading and managing people in organisations, and the practical application of Leadership and Management theory and principles;
    • critically evaluate the design and implementation of strategies, which are focused on enhancing the effectiveness of Leaders and Managers, in order to meet current and future organisational needs.
  • Strategic Management & Sustainability (20 credits; compulsory)
  • Upon the successful completion of this module, the student should be able to:
    • examine the relationship between the external context of an organisation and its internal context, and how these impact on its strategies;
    • critically evaluate the competitive and development strategies of an organisation in the context of contemporary strategic management issues;
    • analyse the factors that must be considered by an organisation in the implementation of a strategy.

Key Features

The specific aims are to provide the student with:

A systematic understanding and detailed knowledge of business organisations, concepts relevant to their management, the environments in which they operate, and issues relevant to innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainability.

The ability to conceptualise, devise, modify and/or apply analytical frameworks appropriate to business management, in order to devise a strategy and exploit current and future opportunities within particular contexts.

On completion of this programme, students will be able to:

Demonstrate detailed knowledge and a systematic understanding of the key issues involved with the management of a range of business functions including accounting and finance, marketing and human resources.

Apply a variety of conceptual frameworks and tools to analyse critically complex problems that occur within business organisations in changing environments, and develop and/or appraise business policies and strategies, including those about sustainability, to meet stakeholder interests.

Appraise the role of data management and business intelligence within an organisation and how the management and exploitation of information support and impacts the functional business areas and competitive advantage.

Demonstrate entrepreneurial skills, self-motivation and analytical abilities through an investigation of specific business problems and opportunities, and the production.

Assessment

This programme offers an academically challenging, vocational experience which incorporates innovative teaching and assessment methods. Students will be expected to be active in managing their learning experience, to be creative and to take initiatives to develop themselves. The modules undertaken by our students within this programme are assessed formatively and summatively in line with the specific module assessment strategy.

The assessments vary but are not limited to the following: assignments, presentations, discussions, workshops, multiple-choice questions, online discussions, wikis, blogs, and a written research project. Students will receive feedback on all assessments undertaken which will come in the form of oral and/or written feedback.

Entry Criteria

This programme is available to Home and International applicants.

A wide range of international qualifications which are equivalent to two A-Level passes, including International Baccalaureate and European Baccalaureate are recognised. The University will normally accept students who have completed a recognised International Foundation Programme, for example, those offered by UK Further Education Colleges, Universities, and Colleges of Higher Education.

English language proficiency at or exceeding an average IELTS score of 6.0 (or equivalent in any other approved test), with no score less than 5.5 in any components of the test.

Tuition Fees and Scholarships

Visit the Fees and Scholarships and Bursaries sections for more information.

Additional Costs

There will be no mandatory additional costs to study beyond the payment of tuition. Students should be prepared to incur the basic costs associated with study such as transport and may wish to purchase coffees, snacks or other sundry items on campus.

Many students also choose to invest in study support tools such as laptops over the course of their study, though this is not a programme requirement. Any activities related to study or student life which bear a cost beyond tuition will be optional, and the expense shall be clearly communicated to students at the time of registration.

Career Opportunities and Employability

The programme boasts a high employability rate for graduating students who are in work within six months of completing the degree. A significant number of graduates also progress to postgraduate studies at this and other universities. Graduates will apply their knowledge and skills in the following fields:

  • Human Resources
  • Marketing and Sales
  • Financial Services
  • Public, private or third sector management
  • Business Consultancy
  • Postgraduate study/research

Questions?

For any questions related to the academic content of the course, please contact the programme manager Dr Anupam Mazumdar.

For all other enquiries, please call us on 0207 127 7404 or email the London Admissions team at londonadmissions@uwtsd.ac.uk.