Business Management (with Placement) | University of Bedfordshire

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Summary:

Applying through UCAS? Apply here (N230)
Course Code: N230

Applying through UCAS? Apply here (N231)
Course Code: N231

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Why choose the School of Leadership and Management

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We are 1st in the UK for successful graduate social-enterprise start-ups still trading after three years; 2nd for all business start-ups (HESA, 2024).

This course offers a guaranteed 12-week placement, a dedicated, work-placement coordinator and on-going support.

In 2023/24, our Business School students engaged with real-life businesses around 7,000 times, using their knowledge and skills to support live projects.

About the course

On this course, you study all the essential aspects of business management such as accounting, marketing and strategy, with the opportunity to put your learning into practice through a 12-week work placement. This strong practical focus means you graduate with the skills to successfully manage a wide variety of organisations or set up your own business. The course also prepares you for today’s global business environment with units in intercultural management; sustainable practices; and digital business.

Our other Business Management pathway options are:

Business Analytics
Digital Marketing
Finance
Human Resource
International Business
Law

Facilities and specialist equipment

New, state-of-the-art business analytics suite to support data analytics, 'big-data', data mining, digital marketing, SEO and other management skills
Harvard Business Publishing - learning resources providing advanced business simulations in areas such as sustainability and digital processes
Our London Stock Exchange Group trading room, reacting to live ‘stock-market’ data
Software includes Microsoft Power BI and Vensim simulation, for analysing complex and messy business problems, plus VR immersive skills practice; access to Sage, Eikon and the econometrics software STATA

Student experience

Gain hands-on work experience a 12-week practice placement introducing you to the challenges and excitement of a career in management.

Learn from research-driven academics actively involved in consultancy work.

Take up opportunities for consultancy experience during the second year of the degree, assisting businesses – from start-ups to established corporations - to solve problems, up-skill and innovate.

Benefit from masterclasses from industry experts so you benefit from their experience and keep at the leading edge in your field.

Access virtual business-management simulation software that allows you to participate in running a business and experience collaborative working.

Extend your experience via field trips to see business management in action at companies such as John Lewis, Volvo, PW Gates Logistics and Luton Recycling.

with Professional Practice Year

This course has the option to be taken over four years which includes a year placement in industry. Undertaking a year in industry has many benefits. You gain practical experience and build your CV, as well as being a great opportunity to sample a profession and network with potential future employers.

There is no tuition fee for the placement year enabling you to gain an extra year of experience for free.

*Only available to UK/EU students.

with Foundation Year

A Degree with a Foundation Year gives you guaranteed entry to an Undergraduate course.

Whether you’re returning to learning and require additional help and support to up-skill, or if you didn’t quite meet the grades to pursue an Undergraduate course, our Degrees with Foundation Year provide a fantastic entry route for you to work towards a degree level qualification.

With our guidance and support you’ll get up to speed within one year, and will be ready to seamlessly progress on to undergraduate study at Bedfordshire.

The Foundation Year provides an opportunity to build up your academic writing skills and numeracy, and will also cover a range of subject specific content to fully prepare you for entry to an Undergraduate degree.

This is an integrated four-year degree, with the foundation year as a key part of the course. You will need to successfully complete the Foundation Year to progress on to the first year of your bachelor’s degree.

Why study a degree with a Foundation Year?

Broad-based yet enough depth to give you credible vocational skills
Coverage of a variety of areas typically delivered by an expert in this area
Gain an understanding of a subject before choosing which route you wish to specialise in
Great introduction to further study, and guaranteed progression on to one of our Undergraduate degrees

The degrees offering a Foundation Year provide excellent preparation for your future studies.

During your Foundation Year you will get the opportunity to talk to tutors about your degree study and future career aspirations, and receive guidance on the most appropriate Undergraduate course to help you achieve this; providing you meet the entry requirements and pass the Foundation Year.

What will you study?

Studying our Business Management (with Placement) BSc (Hons) course will equip you with the in-depth knowledge and skills in accounting, marketing and strategy alongside a 12-week industry work placement. In introductory areas of study, our Evolution and Revolution of Business unit will allow you to explore how businesses operate, develop, progress and impact society. To help with this, our unit in Applied Numeracy for Business will give you the confidence to develop the mathematical and numerical skills used for decision making and problem solving for businesses.

Another crucial skill in the business world is risk management – and this is where our Risk and Responsibility unit will develop your understanding of business challenges, responsible management and business ethics in a global context. Here, you will learn to apply risk management frameworks and risk mitigation strategies across systemic, financial, operational and strategic risks. However, you will still be encouraged to take risks in our Innovation and Entrepreneurship unit. Here, you will learn to design innovative business models, discover how to start a new business and build your understanding on concepts of entrepreneurship.

Similarly, our Strategic Leadership unit will enable you to design realistic and practical strategies for businesses and identify trends while developing your employability skills. In areas of law study. To diversify your learning, you will also be provided with a range of skills for leadership, entrepreneurship, marketing, management analysis, strategy setting and finance in our Management in Practice unit. More importantly, you will be equipped with data manipulation techniques in our Data Driven Business unit while exploring trends and ethical concerns around data collection, use and analysis. In other areas of study, you will tackle environmental issues in our Business Continuity and the Planet unit that will allow you to investigate the strategic risks and challenges posed towards business operations including climate change, cybersecurity and supply chain risks.

To prepare you for your career, our Employability and the Future Workplace unit will support you in developing the skills needed to prepare for interviews, psychometric tests and assessment centres. You will receive similar support in our Beginning your Professional Business Journey unit that will help to ease your transition into the workplace and provide an insight into professional business environments.

How will you be assessed?

Assessment takes a variety of forms including essays and reports portfolios individual and group presentations (individually assessed) research proposals and exams. Many of the assessments tend to be focused on employability thus tend to be based on real case studies project work and other employability focused activities. Most units include elements of individual and group work to reflect the type of work undertaken in business and management. Assessment focuses on tasks that develop vocational skills underpinned by subject knowledge requiring higher levels of cognition in the later years of the course. Assessment becomes more nuanced and more demanding in Levels 5 & 6 with the expectation that students will be increasingly able to create their own subject specific knowledge. The enterprise Unit is assessed via portfolio and reflection thus allowing for experiential learning.

Careers

The strong focus of this degree on employability skills and the wide range of business areas covered open up many opportunities and possibilities for future employment. On completing the course you are well placed to take up a mid-level management position in accounting; marketing; human resources; e-business; operations/project management; and general management. You also have the entrepreneurial knowledge and skills you need to start your own business.

You may like to progress to further study at postgraduate level. The University of Bedfordshire Business School offers related taught Master’s courses in Business Administration (MBA) Project Management and Sustainable Management. We also offer a range of professional development courses and research degree opportunities.