BA (Honours) Business Management with Entrepreneurship
This is a degree with enterprise at its core. Designed, developed and delivered with our industry partners, including Unilever, IBM, WPP, BT and British Heart Foundation. It’s more ambitious than a traditional course and will give you the perfect balance of academic theory and practical experience, through real-world learning.
Where better to learn entrepreneurship than from within an international FTSE 100 company? You’ll be studying from within the heart of a business with a number of outstanding industry partners and you’ll be taught by our academics, many of whom are also entrepreneurs that have created successful companies. We also have a business incubation space at the heart of the campus so you’ll meet entrepreneurs and professionals on a daily basis.
Welcome to the degree where you’ll be in the driving seat, learning first hand what it’s like to set up your own company with the support of talent development sessions, industry professionals and entrepreneurs themselves.
- UCAS code: N190
- Institution code: P34
- Location: London Campus
- Start dates: September
- Tuition fees: £9,250 for 2021 entry (£9,000 for 2020 entry)
- Mode of study: Full time
- Programme duration: Full time over 3 years
- Entry requirements: Typical offer: 120 UCAS points (BBB at A levels) and an interview
Validated by
Why choose this course
- Students on this course set-up and run their own business as part of the programme with mentoring from business experts provided along the way.
- You'll have the opportunity to provide consultancy to other start ups in your second year and write a business plan for their company.
- Make a head start on your business in your final year by forward-planning your own business as part of the degree.
- We have a business incubation space at the heart of the campus so you’ll meet entrepreneurs and professionals on a daily basis.
- You'll receive talent development sessions to help you prepare for setting up your own business or making it in industry after graduation.
- Completion of this degree gives exemption to paper F1 of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). You could also gain exemption from papers F2, F5, F8 and F9, depending on module choice – see Module Information for more details.
Module information
First year (level 4)
All Business Management students study the same core module in their first year. This module introduces you to key business topics in the context of a real organisation.
Core modules - Principles of Business 1 and 2
Principles of Business is made up of two 30 credit modules which complement each other: Principles of Business 1 and Principles of Business 2. These modules have been designed to give learners a holistic introduction to business.
In Principles of Business 1, learners will be made aware of the many interconnected core areas of business (such as strategy, finance, organisational behaviour, people management, and marketing) that need to be considered in successfully running an organisation. The assessment for this module is by an assignment and an exam.
In Principles of Business 2, students will develop an integrated understanding of the operations of a business in the context of real organisations, to inspire them with a real interest in the discipline at the beginning of their degree study. This module proceeds in two parts. The first part consists of an experiential project, and in the second part, students will need to consider and reflect upon the key issues around strategy, leadership, governance and the ability to function as a team. The assessment for this module is by an assignment and a group presentation.
During the first term, you will be studying two further modules (compulsary by logistics)
- Introduction to Research (15 credits)
- Professional Behaviours and Customer Management (15 credits)
Elective modules
During the second term you will be able to choose 30 credits from the indicative list below, so you can explore business and management broadly in your first year.
- Agile App Design for Business (15 credits)
- Business Mathematics (15 credits)
- Industry Studies 1 - Consumer Goods (15 credits)
- International Business Regions 1 - Greater China (15 credits)
- Introduction to Business Economics (15 credits)
- Principles of Management Reporting and Decision Making (15 credits) - This module gives exemption to ACCA paper F2.
- Self-Managed Learning (30 credits)
The Self-Managed Learning module gives you the opportunity to demonstrate the use of your initiative and level of autonomy by applying your skills and knowledge to a specialist area which is of particular interest to you. As an example, you could draft a report in an area of interest not covered in the main syllabus, study a module at another institution (e.g. a language at another university), create a practical project by applying a topic in depth, write a report on work based learning on an internship, or complete a professional qualification. You can design some of your own learning, incorporate learning from other sources, or incorporate work- based or entrepreneurial activities. This will help to ensure that you have the confidence to take your learning and personal development further into new areas and emerging sectors, and will allow you to pursue your own unique interests.
Second year (level 5)
Once students have had exposure to the different areas of business in their first year then they can either choose or switch their specialism before the second year begins. We aim to have more industry involvement than any other Higher Education institution and you’ll really start to focus on building connections and gaining experience. There are lots of exciting industry projects from internships to trips abroad that you can be involved in.
Core modules
All Business Management students study these core modules in order to build an understanding of the central functions within an organisation.
- Strategic Marketing (15 credits)
- People Management and Leadership (15 credits)
- Operations and Project Management (15 credits)
- Introduction to Contract Law (15 credits)
Specialist modules
- Entrepreneurship Consultancy Project (30 credits)
- Self-Managed Learning (30 credits)
In the Entrepreneurship Consultancy Project you will prepare a business plan for the start of a new business and will advise, as a consultant, on the business proposals of other students. In the Self-Managed Learning module you will start a new business in consultation with your supervisor and mentor, incorporating the learning from the Consultancy Project module.
Third year (level 6)
By your final year you will have developed a thorough understanding of the principles of business and will have had lots of exposure to real organisations, industry case studies and working practitioners. This final year is focused on bringing everything you have learnt together to solve real business problems.
Core modules
In your final year, all Business Management students study three core modules:
- Strategic Management (15 credits)
- Strategic Innovation Management (15 credits)
- Final Project (30 credits)
Specialist modules
- Entrepreneurship Research and Reports (30 credits)
- Self-Managed Learning (30 credits)
Within the Entrepreneurship Research and Reports and the Self-Managed Learning module, you’ll continue setting up and running your business. In the Entrepreneurship and Reports module you will write reports and consider the next steps, for example, you may choose to close the business down, or to continue to run in post-graduation (in which case you will graduate with a degree and your own micro business), or to seek further investment or other input.
We’ll challenge you academically, with inspiring, up-to-the-minute course content developed to give you the competencies that employers value. Best of all, we work with a wide range of professional bodies to make sure our degrees are aligned to their qualifications. So, as you study, you’ll gain exemptions from various professional business, management and finance examinations and have the opportunity to take professional qualifications.
Our students have also chosen to set up a number of companies themselves including Reel Time Art an initiative whereby artists attend a wedding and paint a scene of the special occasion in real time, Once Upon a Doug, a social enterprise project whereby our students have been helping cotton farmers in India to earn supplemental income which in turn has helped a whole community, and Yaantu - take a look at the video below to find out more about what Yaantu's all about!
Assessment information
How will your work be assessed?
Formative assessment
Each module contains at least one piece of practice or ‘formative’ assessment for which you receive feedback. Formative assessments are developmental and do not count towards your overall module mark.
Summative assessment
As you will be able to greatly personalise your degree by choosing elective modules to suit your needs, we cannot provide a precise break-down of your assessments. Typically for elective modules, your assessment will be designed to reflect the kind of activities you may be asked to do in the
workplace, either individually or as part of a team. For example, report writing, data analysis, preparing strategies and presentations. You’ll also submit different types of coursework and sit written exams as part of the assessment for some modules.
Here is the assessment breakdown for the core modules:
First year (level 4)
- 50% coursework
- 25% written exams
- 25% oral assessment
Second year (level 5)
- 80% coursework
- 15% written exams
- 5% oral assessment
Third year (level 6)
- 65% coursework
- 35% oral assessment
Apart from receiving feedback for your formative assessment, you will also receive feedback for your coursework and practical exams, and upon request, for your written examinations.
Progression
In order to progress to the next stage (from first to second year, and from second to third year), you will have to achieve 120 credits at the end of the academic year.
For further information, including pass marks and progression rules, please see the Student Handbook.
Teaching and learning
Your overall workload will be divided between teaching sessions and independent learning.
Teaching
You will be taught through a combination of lectures, seminars and industry workshops. Seminars enable you to discuss and develop your understanding of topics covered in lectures in smaller groups. Industry Workshops, jointly led by an industry expert together with the academic tutor, will give you an opportunity to solve authentic work-related tasks to gain hands-on experience. You will be taught by an experienced teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course.
The team includes both academics and professional practitioners with industry experience.
Independent learning
Independent learning plays an important role in your academic development. When not attending lectures or seminars you are expected to learn by self-study. Typically, this will involve reading books and journal articles, working on individual and group projects, preparing coursework assignments and presentations, and preparing for examinations.
You also have an opportunity to tailor your degree by choosing elective modules with a higher level of independent learning, including our Self Managed Learning modules which are available at every level.
You will have an access to a variety of materials to aid you in your learning. At the start of your programme, you will attend a workshop on Good Academic Practice. Moreover, our OLE platform offers an online module focused on improving your study and research skills and academic writing. Finally, the Online library also offers an extensive range of literature on both study skills and academic writing.
For further details, go to our Learning Resources page. Students with additional needs or disabilities are supported by the Student Services team.
Overall workload
The academic year consists of three terms: Autumn, Spring and Summer. Students attend classes during the Autumn and Spring term, for a total of 30 weeks, and will normally not attend during the Summer term, unless they have to re-attempt assessments. Students on the two year accelerated programme attend classes during the summer term.* See term dates.
During one term, you will typically be attending four modules of 15 credits each. A taught 15 credit module consists of approximately 10 hours of Lecture content, 15 hours of Seminar content and industry days. On top of this, you will be expected to spend around 100 hours on independent learning as a preparation for the module. More information can be found in our Learning and Teaching Strategy 2017/2018.
If you choose independent learning electives (such as Self-Managed Learning), you will usually attend one hour supervision per week. This means, that per week, your overall workload will be approximately 40 hours, typically, you will spend 4 hours in Lectures, 10 hours in Seminars and 26 hours on independent learning in each.
Moreover, you will attend four industry workshops per term.
*The 2 year accelerated option is not applicable to the law programmes:
Entry requirements
UCAS tariff points
Typical entry - 120 UCAS points and interview.
Our UCAS tariff entry is 120 points or above which is equivalent to BBB from three A Levels or equivalent qualifications. If you have, or are predicted to get, those grades/points, we still invite you for an interview. We want to find out more about you and make sure the course you've chosen is right for you. Just as important, it's also a chance for you to find out more about us.
We also welcome applications from students who have studied (or are studying) a range of qualifications, inclulding but not limited to: the International Baccalaureate, Access to Higher Education diplomas, Higher National qualifications, BTECs, Scottish Highers, Cambridge Pre-U, Welsh Baccalaureate and equivalent non-UK qualifications. You can calculate your UCAS points by visiting www.ucas.com/tariff-calculator.
Assessment-based entry
If you do not have the UCAS tariff points you need, or traditional entry qualifications, you can still apply through our assessment-based entry route. You’ll be invited to a Professional Workshop, where you’ll take part in four tasks (including an interview) to help us assess your suitability for the course. Your performance at the Workshop will determine whether we can offer you a place on our programmes.
Travel Bursary
At Pearson College London, we’re committed to admitting the best students regardless of their background. For this reason we offer travel bursaries for students who meet our eligibility criteria. Click here for more information.
English Language requirements
If your first language is not English you may need to complete an English language test, such as a Pearson English language test (PTE Academic) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test, to demonstrate you have the language skills needed to complete your degree. All of our courses are taught in English.
Qualification |
Score required |
IELTS |
6.5 IELTS (with a minimum of 6.0 in Reading and Writing and 5.5 in Speaking and Listening) |
PTE |
62 including 60 in each subtest |
Cambridge English: Advanced & Proficiency |
176 (with a minimum of 169 in Reading and Writing and 162 in Speaking and Listening) |
Internet-based TOEFL |
90 Overall including at least 22 in Reading, 21 in Writing, 17 in Listening and 20 in Speaking |
How to apply
If you'd like to study at Pearson Business School full-time, you'll need to apply through UCAS. Our institution code is P34.
If we make you an offer for a place on the programme, it will be subject to our Terms and Conditions.
Where will this get me?
Students who have studied this course have gone on to set up their own businesses and work for a range of different companies. Three of our students are continuing to work on a business that they set up as part of their commercial enterprise project. James Willetts, Paloma Shakouri and Christian Emmans set up Birdcage Gin, a luxury gin brand, which was developed with the help of ongoing mentorship and access to a wealth of knowledge and business connections. They have big plans for the company, saying, “Looking towards the future, there is no end to our ambition for Birdcage Gin, through development and diversification, we have the desire to create a truly opulent product range.”
Other possible career paths from this degree include:
- Entrepreneur
- Working within a Social Enterprise
- Product development roles
- Business Graduate Schemes
To find out what our trailblazing alumni are up to now, read our alumni success stories.
Fees and funding
Visit our finance pages for more information on fees, funding and scholarships.
Additional costs
In addition to your tuition fee you will need to budget for your living costs and some other costs associated with your studies. An additional re-attendance fee of £750 per 15 credit module is charged if you need to repeat a module.
Pearson Business School has a “bring your own device” policy: you will need to have your own laptop or tablet computer to access the learning materials on the Online Learning Environment, as well as the books, journals and databases available from our online library. The cost of a laptop or tablet varies according to your personal preference but we have prepared some guidance on the specification to choose.
At our Midtown campus you will have the benefit of access to free printing and photocopying facilities. However, you will have to purchase, notebooks and other ordinary stationery items. You may wish to purchase your own copies of the recommended textbooks, but please note that all textbooks are available to students in electronic editions.
If you will not be living at home, you will need to pay for accommodation. For up to date details of Pearson College London’s accommodation partners and estimated rental costs, visit our accommodation pages. You will incur transport costs travelling to your classes and to events, such as industry workshops, which may take place elsewhere in central London. Details of public transport costs are available from the Transport for London website. There may occasionally be an optional opportunity for you to attend an event outside central London for which you would need to pay the transport costs, should you choose to attend.