Bath Spa University

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Business and Management

The Business and Management programme is designed to develop you as a person to achieve your potential through teaching you about business and how it works. Once you graduate, you'll be looking for employment in different businesses. This could be in a company, an organisation, in the private or public sector, a charity or possibly your own business. We aim to give you the skills to apply your knowledge in a wide range of situations in any sector.

Course Structure and Content

Year 1

Whether you have studied business before or not, Year 1 will ensure that you have a good grasp of what business is all about, the environment within which business operates; key activities at the centre of most organisations, an understanding of economic thinking and of the role of data and information in business.

Modules:

• Organisations and the Business Environment*;
• Economics and Globalisation*;
• Managing Data*.

* Compulsory modules.

Year 2

The first compulsory module for your second year of study is The Business Toolkit. This module will give you the opportunity to work on projects and to use business tools and techniques to solve problems. Also included in this module is the development of your employability skills before you start to seek a placement at the end on this study year.
Another compulsory module for Business and Management students is Financial Accounting. You will then select from a range of other modules related to business and management, and you may also want to choose the Reasoning with Research module to help with your final year Dissertation.

Modules:

• Business Toolkit*;
• Financial Accounting*;
• Human Resource Management;
• The Marketing Business;
• Information and Operations Management;
• Reasoning with Research: Social Sciences Research Methods.

* Compulsory modules.

Placement Opportunities

At the end of Year 2 you have the option to choose a ten month Year in Business or a shorter ten week placement. The ten week placement will be a specific meaningful project in the summer break.

Whichever the length of placement you choose, it will allow you to apply your knowledge and skills in the real world. This will also develop your skills, your confidence and, perhaps most important, your attractiveness to future employers. You will have to set up the placement, but we will provide you with some contacts, help you to complete your application and help with interview skills, some of which will be covered in Business Toolkit module. There is also the option to have either of the placements assessed giving the opportunity to start with 20 credits going into the final year of study.

Final Study Year: Year 3 / Year 4

After you finish your placement, it will be time to return and complete your final study year. This year will offer you the opportunity to practice, develop, challenge and explore your knowledge and skills, and examine management as an integrating activity. You will also be able to go into greater depth by specialising in aspects of your choice. Another option you have in this year is the opportunity to work individually or with colleagues to develop and set up a business. This is an opportunity to put all your business learning together.

In this final year of your study the only compulsory module is the business-related Dissertation. This gives you a great opportunity to reflect on your study so far and to explore in depth a topic of business that really interests you. You will be allocated a Business and Management tutor as your supervisor throughout the whole of your dissertation module.

All other modules in this final year are optional. They fall into three areas:

• Specialist Knowledge:
  • Marketing for Managers;
  • Management Accounting;
  • Applied Human Resources;
  • Managing Sustainability;
  • Business Strategy.
• Specialist Skills:
  • New Trends in Management.
• Integrating:
  • Enterprise: Creating and Developing a Business.

Teaching Methods and Resources

We offer variety in the way we teach: sometimes we will set you problems so you can find the answers for yourself, sometimes we will lecture. Most modules use a mix of lectures and smaller seminars. There is also a good blend of on-line tasks using the Minerva virtual learning (VLE) site. In some modules podcasting is used as a form of assessment.

We will bring in visiting speakers and arrange visits to organisations.

Assessment Methods

We use a number of assessment methods, including essays, reports, presentations, examinations, projects, group-work, computer based tests and podcasts.

Entry Requirements

220-260 UCAS Tariff points (eg BCD; BB+ASc).

Alternative qualifications welcome.