Business and Management BA (Hons)

This course enables you to develop your learning pathway, depending on your interests. There is a selection of core and optional modules each year. Core modules will depend on your chosen pathway and you can choose optional modules to complement or diversify your core skill-set each year.

Year one (Level 4) modules

• The Business Environment
• Organizational Behaviour and Management
• Economics and Globalisation
• Managing Data
• Design Thinking for Enterprise
• Professional Practice

Year two (Level 5) modules

• Creativity for Business
• Innovation Management
• The Marketing Business
• Human Resource Management
• Financial Accounting
• Operations and Project Management
• Destination Management
• International Business
• Entrepreneurship
• Applying Economics
• Festival and Events Management
• Law for Business Enterprise
• Fashion Marketing and Management
• Work Placement
• Professional Placement Year
• Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

Year three (Level 6) modules

• Business and Management Project
• Economics Project
• Fashion Project
• International Marketing
• Management Accounting
• Strategic Human Resource Management
• Enterprise: Creating Your Business
• Organisational Strategy
• Managing Sustainability
• New Trends in Management
• Cross Cultural Management in International Business
• Summer Placement
• Tourism: Contemporary Issues
• Creating and Hosting Festivals and Events
• Advanced Economics Issues
• Exploring Law in Business
• Business and Academic Skills
• Fashion Marketing Visualisation
• Successful Freelancing
• Leadership and Management

What you'll learn

Overview

Our Business Management course introduces you to many areas of business so that you understand the world of business broadly while benefiting from a range of opportunities to specialize and gain additional accreditation.

You’ll have the flexibility to choose modules that are of particular interest to you, on topics such as successful freelancing, current trends in management, leadership, and design thinking. You can also bring in modules from areas outside your course if you want to explore issues around a particular theme or work with students from across the University in areas as diverse as music, fashion, and festival and event production.

You’ll gain valuable skills and knowledge that you can apply in a wide range of situations in any sector. As a graduate of Business and Management at Bath Spa you’ll be able to take your skills into a range of businesses including large and small organizations in the private or public sectors and/or your own business.

Course structure

Year one

Gain a broad understanding of today’s business environment – from the context that organizations operate into trends in economic thinking and the importance of data in business. You’ll learn to think differently about business challenges, which lays the foundations for you to innovate in your second and final years.

The focus on your employability begins now and extends through all three years of your studies; you’ll be encouraged to reflect on your strengths, performance, and areas for growth and development.

Year two

Focus on the inner workings of businesses and choose from a range of modules in areas such as festivals and events, marketing, entrepreneurship, human resource management, law, and accounting. Use business techniques to solve problems and start developing the skills that employers look for such as strong presentational skills, effective group working, self-reflection, and strategies for improvement.

At the end of the year, you can choose to embark on a ten-week summer placement, and/or a ten-month business placement – applying what you’ve learned so far in the real world.

Year three

Develop and explore your business learning and focus on the role of a manager. Undertake an in-depth business research project in your specialist area. You’ll also have a chance to pitch business ideas to a panel either on your own or with fellow students. Other topics to explore include managing sustainability, new trends in management, and organizational strategy.

In your final year, you’ll focus more and more on practical applications for your business skills looking ahead to your life after graduation. Depending on your module choices, you may choose to work directly with an employer on a business challenge, create and launch a project such as a festival or event, or develop and pitch a business plan. At this stage, you’ll be able to confidently demonstrate the abilities you’ve gained during all three years of the course.

How will I be assessed?

You'll be assessed in a wide range of ways that test your business knowledge and management skills. These could include presentations, work-related projects, group work, computer-based simulations, podcasts, exams, essays, videos, and business reports.

The world is changing and we want to ensure that you have a successful career in business. To do this we focus on building your toolkit with the skills you need to undertake roles in companies such as:

• Hargreaves Lansdown
• Oracle
• Amazon
• New Look
• Rolls Royce
• Veritas
• North Face
• Cloud Direct
• Bath and North East Somerset Council (BANES Council)
• Sky
• American Express
• Primark
• Beauty Pie.

Many of our graduates have used the skills gained in their Business and Management degree to set up their start-ups, microbusinesses, and enterprises, including:

• Novel Wines
• Fun Science
• Euphoric Solutions
• Empower Training.

How will I be taught?

We offer variety in the way we teach: sometimes we’ll set problems so that you can find the answers for yourself; at other times we'll provide lectures on key topics such as the political, social, and technical environments of business Most modules use a mix of lectures and small group seminars and there's a good blend of online activities using our Virtual Learning Environment. We also invite business leaders to talk about their experiences and we arrange visits to local businesses to give you a practical, real-world grounding.

All of our teaching methods for the Business degree facilitate your development as a self-directed learner. You’ll also be given personalized support in your studies – we're a dedicated and approachable team of academics, committed to helping you achieve your goals.

Course length

Three years full-time, or four years full-time with a professional placement year. Part-time available.