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Business

Undergraduate Pathway in Business

Birmingham City Business School is based in the heart of Birmingham, surrounded by industry opportunities and head/regional offices for global companies including HSBC and PwC.

The School works with local, national and international businesses to provide placements, workshops, live briefs and guest lectures from industry professionals.

With various enterprise schemes available, you’ll have the opportunity to turn your business idea into reality.


Duration

  • One or two semesters

Intakes

  • September
  • January
  • May

Entry Points

  • Foundation or International Year One

Progression Degrees

BA (Hons) Business with Marketing

This degree will explore the operation of business markets and the management of key resources. You will also get an insight into digital business, looking at how technology has remodelled the business world. After gaining a solid grounding in business functions, you will develop the communicative, administrative and creative skills needed for a successful career in marketing.

Find out more: BA (Hons) Business with Marketing

BA (Hons) Business Management

With a strong focus on employability and links with local businesses, this degree will prepare you for employment in a wide range of sectors. You will be able to contribute to critical debates on contemporary, industry-related issues and understand the dynamic needs of business managers today.

Find out more: BA (Hons) Business Management

BA (Hons) Human Resource Management

This degree, accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), teaches you the importance of motivating and managing people within a business – highlighting the link between successful performance and the people you employ. You will explore the evolution of the HR profession and what’s to come, such as immersive realities for Recruiting and Selection.

Find out more: BA (Hons) Human Resource Management

Study at Birmingham City Business School

Programme Details

Foundation Modules

Interactive Learning Skills and Communication

Throughout this module, you will learn the academic skills needed for success at a UK university, such as:

  • Time management
  • Public speaking techniques
  • Appropriate language styles
  • Professional communication and presentation
  • Researching and referencing techniques.

Business Studies*

You will learn to define what a business is and its functions in relation to the different types of business costs. You will also be introduced to marketing, the marketing mix and product life cycle.

Critical Thinking

You will be introduced to the fundamentals of critical thinking. You will learn how to examine and comment on components of an argument, so that you can develop a structured and analytical response.

Composition and Style*

This module will define the core principles of effective academic writing, including:

  • How to argue a position coherently and appropriately
  • Distinguishing between descriptive and analytic writing
  • Identifying academic systems of researching and referencing.

Accounting*

This module will introduce you to basic accounting and finance, as well as accounting definitions, calculations and costings.

Business Mathematics*

You will be introduced to basic arithmetic, and the application of mathematics to real-life problems in the business and everyday world.

ICT Skills

This module will introduce you to the concepts of ICT skills, including applications and reporting mechanisms.

Globalisation

You will explore how the concept of globalisation has evolved, looking at:

  • The economic, political, technological and social forces involved
  • Local/regional beliefs that become global.

* Modules covered in the one-semester programme

International Year One Modules

Finance for Managers

You will learn how basic financial statements are prepared and how you can assess both the performance and position of a business; this will help you understand financial information presented to you in business management roles. You will also gain an insight into the preparation of budgets and how profit is affected by changes in selling prices, costs or the volumes of products or services sold.

Principles of Marketing

During this module, you will explore:

  • The marketing concept
  • The customer
  • The marketing environment
  • The marketing toolbox
  • Social impacts of marketing.

Whether or not you plan to specialise in marketing, the topics covered here will prove valuable in all areas of business.

Developing Your Personal Brand

This module aims to kick-start your personal journey of continuous professional development, helping you to develop the types of competencies that organisations are looking for. It also provides opportunities for you to gain experience of the job application and recruitment process, so you can optimise your chance of success when applying for graduate roles.

Insights into Management

This module will introduce you to the field of business management that focuses on processes and actions within an organisational context. Concepts like management theory, organisational behaviour and the HR role of a manager will be explored. You will learn to challenge the traditional models of management and explore them in today’s business environment.

Introduction to Entrepreneurship

You will study the basic concepts and theories of entrepreneurship, considering how entrepreneurs develop and grow individually. There will be a range of case studies of successful/unsuccessful entrepreneurs, and you will explore the extent to which success of entrepreneurs is based on traits, styles and behaviours.

Operations Management

You will learn about supply chain, logistics, operations management, and their implementation in real businesses. You will gain an understanding of the following operational functions, learning how each works together to run a business:

  • Procurement
  • Manufacturing
  • Inventory
  • Distribution and delivery
  • Customer service following the supply chain.

Interactive Learning Skills and Communication

Throughout this module, you will learn the academic skills needed for success at a UK university, such as:

  • Time management
  • Public speaking techniques
  • Appropriate language styles
  • Professional communication and presentation
  • Researching and referencing techniques.

Career Prospects

  • Auditor
  • Marketing Manager
  • HR Manager
  • Market Research Analyst
  • Security Analyst

Industry-standard Facilities

Birmingham City Business School is based on BCU’s City Centre Campus, walking distance from Birmingham’s thriving Business District. Take a look at where you will be studying and the facilities available to you.

Our Facilities – Birmingham City Business School
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