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Business and Management

BA (Hons)

Undergraduate degree - single or combined honours

Award
BA (Hons) Business and Management
School/s
Bath Business School
Campus or location
Newton Park
Course length
Three years full time, or four years full time with professional placement year. Part time available.
UCAS codes
Institution Code: B20
Course Code: NN12 or 21M9
Campus Code: A,BSU

Entry requirements

We accept a wide range of qualifications for entry to our undergraduate programmes. The main ones are listed under 'Typical offers' in the main column below. For combined courses, please check both subjects. If your qualification is not listed, please email admissions@bathspa.ac.uk with your specific details.

Become a skilled, aware and conscious business and management professional who is ready to thrive in tomorrow’s workplace.

  • Focus on the socially-conscious and sustainable future of business by embedding ethical practices and skills into your studies.
  • In our close-knit School, you'll have the chance to work on real-life, live projects with local and national businesses.
  • Core modules focus on creativity and innovation in business, while varied optional modules allow you to shape your own degree.

University of the Year for Social Inclusion

Sunday Times Good University Guide, 2024

#8 in the UK

for Satisfied with Feedback in Business and Management (Guardian University Guide, 2024)

Gain a thorough grounding in the theory and practice of modern business with our flexible Business and Management degree. Develop the core skills you need to excel in all kinds of business and start to build a clear picture of exactly where those skills could take you. You can specialise in skills areas of business and management by taking one of our pathway programmes.

Your choice of optional modules will enable you to shape your degree to your goals and aspirations, while practical work and assessments focus on what you’d encounter in the professional world: pitching, presenting, reporting, managing groups and leading projects.

As a business professional, you’ll need to be able to lead others into a sustainable future. For this reason, sustainability is a key consideration throughout the course, with many projects underpinned by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A dedicated module on managing sustainability is available in your final year of study to deepen your understanding.

Our students’ careers are as varied as the world of business itself; some work for small businesses while others join graduate schemes within national and international organisations or set up their own enterprises. With the skills you develop throughout your degree, you'll be ready to tackle the challenges of any modern workplace.

If you want to study an area of business in more depth, you can choose one of our specialised pathways which dives deeper.

Choose a pathway that suits your career aspirations

Did you know that you can specialise from the beginning of your Business degree? BA (Hons) Business and Management offers maximum flexibility and choice; you can choose to study the Business and Management degree or follow a specific pathway in one of the following specialisms:


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“The Bath Business School team are very knowledgeable, enthusiastic and dedicated to helping you achieve your potential.”

Alex Appleton, Business and Management graduate

Business and Management FAQs

What is business management?

Ever wanted to run a business, drive growth, change an existing organisation or build your own company? Business management skills suit a variety of roles, from senior positions where you can shape a business from the top down, to specialist and people management roles where you can coach your employees, manage processes and seed change from the ground up.

Business Management is essential, at all levels and in all sectors, including charities and not-for-profit organisations.

What can you do with a Business Management degree?

The things you can do with a Business degree vary. Our graduates have been employed by companies such as Oracle, the NHS, Liberty, Ocado, IBM, Marks & Spencer, American Express and Sky, in roles such as Business Analyst, Project Officer and Brand Planner.

As a Business and Management graduate, you could enter the private (commercial), public (charity) or voluntary sectors. You may also choose to launch your own business, and our Careers team can help with that.

What are the types of business management?

Management in business broadly falls into three camps: managing people, managing resources and managing processes, and most business and management professionals juggle all three in their roles.

There are many different kinds of management, including managing finance, managing sales and product management, to name a few. Business and Management specialisms include accounting, tourism and events, HR, marketing and international business.

Is Business Management a good degree?

A Business degree is designed to help you build a successful career in business and typically suits versatile all-rounders. You’ll benefit from plenty of opportunities to work with real businesses and gain valuable experience that you can take into almost any career.

Business is also surprisingly creative: think problem-solving, visualising data, creating marketing campaigns, promoting yourself as a freelancer, improving sustainability and future-proofing businesses in a fast-paced world.

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 specialise and gain additional further accreditation.

You’ll have 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 organisations 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 organisations operate in through to 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 own 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 organisational 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.

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

To find out more about how we teach and how you'll learn, please read our Learning and Teaching Delivery Statement.

Course modules

This course enables you to develop your own learning pathway, depending on your interests. There are 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. The programme document gives you more information on module choices.

Year one (Level 4) modules
  • The Business Environment
  • Organisational 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

Opportunities

Study abroad

As part of your degree, you could study abroad on a placement at one of Bath Spa’s partner universities.

Work experience, industry links and internships

You'll take a practical approach to your course. Our Business and Management students have the opportunity to take part in a number of work experience opportunities, working on live projects, supported by our dedicated course leaders. You'll work directly with brands to pitch ideas, find solutions and develop your skills.

Some previous examples include:

  • Working on live festival and events projects with Bath Festivals, Komedia and The Forum (both in Bath)
  • HR positions at Butlins, Oracle and Dorothy House
  • Fashion marketing project at Owen Barry, Tallulah and Hope, Savannah Miller and Finisterre
  • Fundraising for Julian House.
Professional accreditation

Depending on your pathway and the modules you study, you can gain accreditation by professional bodies and get exemption from professional exams.

Careers

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 in 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 own start-ups, microbusinesses and enterprises, including:

 

Global Citizenship

If you’re a full-time undergraduate student starting your first year at Bath Spa University, you can apply for the Certificate in Global Citizenship, which you’ll study alongside your degree.

You’ll gain global awareness and add an international dimension to your student experience, and funding is available. On successful completion of the programme, you’ll be awarded a Certificate in Global Citizenship. This is in addition to your degree; it doesn’t change your degree title or results.

Adobe Creative Campus

Develop a wealth of indispensable digital skills that you can take into your future career. One of only three Adobe Creative Campuses in the UK, we provide all Bath Spa students with access to the full Adobe Creative Suite, giving you the tools to communicate creatively, whatever your course or chosen professional field.   

Professional placement year

Overview

This optional placement year provides you with the opportunity to identify, apply for and secure professional experience, normally comprising one to three placements over a minimum of nine months. Successful completion of this module will demonstrate your ability to secure and sustain graduate-level employment.

By completing the module, you'll be entitled to the addition of 'with Professional Placement Year' to your degree title.

Preparation

Before your Professional Placement Year, you'll work to secure your placement, constructing a development plan with your module leader and your placement coordinator from our Careers and Employability team.

How will I be assessed?

On your return to University for your final year, you'll submit your Placement Portfolio, detailing your development on your placement.

Facilities and resources

Where the subject is taught

You'll have access to excellent facilities at our Newton Park campus and city centre studios as well as online resources. These include:

Resources

Our libraries offer a wide range of business resources, including a wealth of online material that can be accessed on- and off-campus, enabling you to work at times that suit you.

Fees

2024 entry
Student Annual tuition fee
UK full time £9,250
UK part time £4,625
International full time £15,750

Professional Placement Year

During the placement year, the fee is reduced to 20% of the full time fee. This applies to UK and EU/International students.

  • UK: £1,850
  • International: £3,150

Interested in applying?

What we look for in potential students

Individuals who are are enterprising, proactive and creative will thrive in the Business School. We're looking for people who have the drive and motivation to achieve in a challenging environment. Above all, you need to be keen to learn, to get involved and to make a difference.

Typical offers

We accept a wide range of qualifications for entry to our undergraduate programmes. The main ones are listed below:

  • A Level – grades BBB-BCC preferred.
  • BTEC – Extended Diploma grades from Distinction Distinction Merit (DDM) to Distinction Merit Merit (DMM) accepted in any subject.
  • T Levels – grade Merit preferred.
  • International Baccalaureate – a minimum of 32 points are required.
  • Access to HE courses – typical offers for applicants with Access to HE will be the Access to HE Diploma or Access to HE Certificate (60 credits, 45 of which must be Level 3, at Merit or higher).

If you don’t meet the entry requirements above, we may be able to accept your prior learning or experience from outside of formal education. See our Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) page to learn more.

English Language Requirements for International and EU Applicants

IELTS 6.0 - for visa nationals, with a minimum score of IELTS 5.5 in each element.

Course enquiries

For further information about the programme or entry requirements, please email us at admissions@bathspa.ac.uk

How do I apply?

Ready to apply? Click the 'apply now' button in the centre of this page.

Need more guidance? Head to our how to apply webpages.

Course leader: Marc Leverton
Email: m.leverton@bathspa.ac.uk

Three year course
With placement year

Website feedback to web@bathspa.ac.uk