BA (Honours) Business Management

• Have the benefit of flexibility by choosing a business management degree with the option to choose a specialism at the end of tour first year or continue on the main programme.
• Learn business from real world businesses through a guaranteed internship, regular industry workshops and access to our in-house business incubator, The Access Platform.
• Choose from a wide range of modules to study a degree that is tailored to you. 
• Design your own modules through our unique ‘self-managed’ learning options. 
• Explore both the commercial and social sides to business with direct exposure to businesses and social enterprises.

Our business management degrees are all about choice and you’ll be able to personalise your degree. You can choose from modules below to personalise your learning and sort your careers aims.

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 module - Principles of Business

Our unique 60 credit module Principles of Business, consists of four interlinked parts which are designed to give you a holistic introduction to key business topics in the context of a real organisation, including finance, marketing, people, law, organisational behaviour and technology.

Part 1 of the module focuses on the overall purpose of business, including the set-up and infancy of organisations.

Part 2 gives a technical introduction to the pillars of business: finance, law, management, marketing and innovation.

Part 3 consists of simulated placements where students are given the opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills by replicating tasks performed in the workplace by industry professionals.

Part 4 brings together each of the pillars of business in the context of strategy, governance, ethics, and leadership before concluding with the end of an organisation’s life-cycle

Principles of Business is assessed in four parts over the course of two terms.

See how our current students are getting on with the Principles of Business module

Electives

You can then choose 60 credits from the list of first year modules, so you can explore business and management broadly in your first year. Modules on offer include:

• Agile App Design for Business (15 credits)
• Business Mathematics (15 credits)
• Industry Studies 1 (15 credits)
• International Business Regions 1 (15 credits)
• Introduction to Business Economics (15 credits)
• Introduction to Research (15 or 30 credits)
• Principles of Management Reporting and Decision Making (15 credits)
• Professional Attitudes and Customer Management (15 credits)
• Self-managed learning (15 or 30 credits)

The self-managed learning modules 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 & Project Management (15 credits)
• Introduction to Contract Law (15 credits)
  

Specialist modules

You are then free to choose 60 credits worth of electives across a range of contemporary and established business subjects:

• Analytics and Data (15 credits)
• Business Ethics (15 credits)
• Company Law (15 credits)
• Consultancy Project (15 or 30 credits)
• Corporate Reporting and Finance (15 credits)
• Creative Campaigns (15 credits)
• Digital and Social Marketing (15 credits)
• Employment Law (15 credits)
• Evolution of Global Economics (15 credits)
• Financial Assurance and Risk Management (15 credits)
• Global Markets (15 credits)
• Industry Studies 2 (15 credits)
• International Business Regions 2 (15 credits)
• Introduction to Tort Law (15 credits)
• Managing Organisational Performance (15 credits)
• Sales Management (15 credits)
• Self-managed learning (15 or 30 credits)

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

You can then choose from a range of specialist modules worth up to 60 credits:

• Advanced Financial Management (15 credits)
• Brand Building and Management (15 credits)
• Consultancy Project (30 credits)
• European Union Law (15 credits)
• Industry Studies 3 (15 credits)
• Innovative Marketing Strategies (15 credits)
• Intellectual Property Law (15 credits)
• International Business Regions 3 (15 credits)
• Predictive Analytics and Big Data (15 credits)
• Self-managed learning (15 or 30 credits)
• Sustainability (15 credits)

Transnational Economics and Financial Markets (15 credits)

Final year electives

You will study 120 credits in total over your final year. The remaining credits can be completed by choosing from the range of modules listed above.

How will your work be assessed?

Throughout your degree we use a range of methods, 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.

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 Business students go on to pursue a range of different careers from setting up their own businesses to earning a place on some of the country's top Graduate Schemes with companies like Sainsbury’s and IBM.

Pearson Business School graduate Jack Preston set up his own business during his time with us with the help of his tutors and other business founders. He then went on to gain a place on the Notonthehighstreet.com Graduate Scheme as a Technology graduate where he is now completing four, six-month placements within different teams. He’s worked on projects such as making traffic predictions for Black Friday, developing new features on the site, and defining key success metrics and monitoring ROI of these. He sums up his time with usl as “inspiring” and “the most valuable thing that Pearson Business School has been able to provide, has to be opportunities”.

Other possible career paths from this degree include:

• Operations and product assistant/manager
• Buying/ Merchandising
• Human Resources
• General management

For more advice and information on careers, download our Careers Guide.