Business Management with Marketing with Foundation and Placement Years

The BSc (Hons) Business Management with Marketing with Foundation and Placement Years is ideal for those interested in a future career in Business or Marketing. The programme offers students a detailed grounding in business and the more specialist concepts of marketing management. Students will study the relational nature of marketing and how strategic marketing planning and marketing communications can help aid the success of a business organisation. The curriculum is also complemented by guest lectures and ‘live’ workshops to promote independent learning and increase students' employability skills for the future.

The degree programme is designed so that the Foundation Year provides an underpinning year, incorporating both academic and work/professional related learning, for applicants needing to improve their academic skills. The year develops students academic and professional skills within the contexts of the disciplines offered by the university, e.g. Business, Law, Psychology, Computer Science and Criminology, to enable students to continue and participate in the undergraduate business programmes at levels 4, 5 and 6. This includes developing communication skills, digital and research skills, and understanding the importance of sustainability, diversity and inclusion.

Year 1 provides students with a good understanding of the foundations of business alongside the fundamentals of marketing. Years 2 and 4 give students a thorough grounding in the more specialist concepts and applications of marketing management. In particular, students will examine business in a global context as well as digital marketing communications. The programme equips applicants with the knowledge and skills required for a professional career in a rapidly changing work environment, while supporting self-awareness, personal development and providing access to valuable work-experience opportunities.

If taking a Placement Year, this will fall in the 3rd year of a 4-year degree. Students have the opportunity to find paid work, putting the learning of their first 2 years into practice to develop and enhance real world skills to launch your career.

BSc Business Management with Marketing has been approved as part of The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) Accredited Degree scheme and students are eligible to claim exemptions towards the CIM Certificate in Professional Marketing/Digital Marketing.

Students will have an opportunity to qualify for the CMI Level 5 Diploma in Management and Leadership (5D1V2) or the Level 5 Certificate in Leadership and Management (5C1V2) dependent on successful completion of modules which are mapped to one of these CMI awards.

The emphasis in the course design is a focus on employability. Throughout the course students will get to develop transferable skills such as research, presentation, critical analysis, problem solving, team work and entrepreneurship. They will be equipped with the knowledge and expertise required to add immediate value to any business organisation.

Course Modules

Foundation Year

Term 1:
• Communication Skills (20 credits)
• Digital and Research Skills (20 credits)
• Sustainability and Society (20 credits)

Term 2:
• Foundation Year Project (20 credits)
• Core Concepts of Business (20 credits)
• One option from the following: Core Concepts of Computer Science; Core Concepts of Criminology; Core Concepts of Law or Core Concepts of Psychology (20 credits)

Year 1

The first year will consist of six compulsory modules:
• Essentials of Management (20 credits)
• Academic and Employability Skills (20 credits)
• Principles of Marketing (20 credits)
• Accounting and Finance (20 credits)
• Quantitative Methods for Business (20 credits)
• Managing and Leading People (20 credits)

Year 2

The second year will consist of six compulsory modules.

Three modules in Semester 1:
• Ethics and Law in the Gig Economy (20 credits)
• Corporate Governance and Social Responsibility (20 credits)
• Economics for Business (20 credits)

Three modules in Semester 2:
• Strategic Brand Management and Social Media (20 credits)
• Consumer Psychology and Behaviour (20 credits)
• Introduction to Digital Marketing (20 credits)

Students who select to undertake a placement year in industry will spend the penultimate year of their BSc programme working for an organisation under academic supervision. This supervised work placement will connect them with the employment market.

Students will gain job-related skills, awareness of the structure of an organisation, practical problem-solving, responsibility, interpersonal skills in professional settings, and understanding of the unwritten rules of workplaces. They will have the opportunity to reflect on their learning, supervised by an academic supervisor. They will also enrich their CVs with important practical experience.

Year 3 or 4

The third year will consist of six compulsory modules.

Three Modules in Semester 1:
• Global Leadership and Change Management (20 credits)
• International Strategic Management (20 credits)
• Creativity Innovation and Entrepreneurship (20 credits)

Three modules on Semester 2:
• Digital Marketing Strategies (20 credits)
• Market Research and Digital Marketing Analytics (20 credits)
• Digital Sales Management (20 credits)