Business Management

Our Business Management BA degree 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, preparing you to become future leaders in a fast-changing world.

Creativity and innovation underpin everything you'll do. You'll explore real-life business challenges and learn how to generate innovative solutions. You'll benefit from authentic assessments that will build your creative and critical thinking skills, readying you for the world of business. 

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 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.

Year one
In your first year, you'll gain an understanding of organisations and how they interact with society and the wider economy. You'll develop skills in finance and data analysis, which will be essential throughout your studies, but also in the workplace.

You'll be challenged to consider your personal and professional development, setting objectives and you'll learn to adopt a reflective approach. 

Year two
In your second year, you'll develop your creative thinking skills and learn how to implement innovative ideas in the workplace through effective project management. You'll explore business functions such as human resource management and marketing, with the opportunity to select optional modules that match your interests.

In addition, you'll have a chance to complete a placement or start preparing for a Professional Placement Year. 

Year three

In your final year, you'll build on your existing business and management knowledge, delving into the challenges and opportunities that organisations and leaders face today. With a focus on ethical, sustainable and responsible management, you'll engage with complex questions and issues, developing your critical thinking abilities and learning more about your professional interests and ambitions.

You'll have the opportunity to specialise in your passion by choosing between a research or industry project that focuses on a topic of your interest. At this stage, you’ll be able to confidently demonstrate the knowledge, skills and abilities you’ve gained during all three years of the course, building your portfolio of experiences and outputs.     

You'll be assessed in a wide range of ways, ensuring that you develop a range of skills throughout your studies and that each learner has the opportunity to shine.

Assessments include presentations, digital outputs using a range of applications, and reflective tasks, as well as academic or professional reports. Some assessments will be conducted in collaboration with external partners, to help you develop your professional network and skill-set. 

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 workshops. These provide you with an opportunity to take part in discussions and practical tasks in a supportive environment.

Throughout your studies, you'll meet a range of industry guest speakers, who will share their professional and personal experiences. 

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 information on Your Learning and Teaching at BSU.

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

You'll be able to choose optional placement modules in your second and third years, and you can choose to complete a Professional Placement Year. You'll be encouraged to take advantage of these opportunities to boost your employability. Our Careers and Employability team will be available to support you in finding and securing placements.

Across the Business School, depending on the modules you study, you can gain accreditation by professional bodies and get exemption from professional exams. Please note, this is currently under development for this course.

A business management degree opens up a wide range of professional opportunities. You'll gain knowledge and skills that can be applied in different types of organisations, including profit and non-profit organisations, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises or global businesses. You could apply for graduate programmes or graduate roles in a range of business functions, such as human resource management, accounting, marketing or operations. 

You could also consider continuing your education with a postgraduate degree, either at Bath Spa University or a different institution.

Previous graduates have gone on to 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:

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

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.

The Professional Placement Year (PPY) 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.

Before your PPY, you'll work to identify roles of interest and secure a placement. The Placements Team will support through timetabled sessions and 1:1 appointments.

As well as completing a minimum of 900 placement hours, you will complete two assessments demonstrating your skill development, growth in professional behaviours and how the PPY has impacted your future career aspirations.

You'll have access to excellent facilities at our Newton Park campus, as well as online resources, creating flexibility to accommodate your schedule. These include:

• Commons building
• Newton Park library
• Academic Skills support (ASk)
• Specialist resources and subject librarian
• Our Virtual Learning Environment
• Free access to courses via LinkedIn Learning
• Support from the English Language Unit if English isn't your first language
• The Studio in Bath

As a Business Management student, you have access to our library, which offers a range of business and management resources. Our dedicated subject librarian can support you in making the most of these resources and undertaking independent research as you prepare for assessments.