Business Management and Finance (with Placement Year) with Foundation Year

Master the numbers that move organisations with our Business and Finance degree

Our Business Management and Finance BSc at St Mary's University London prepares you for a career where financial insight meets real leadership. You'll build deep expertise in finance alongside the wider skills that turn good analysts into trusted decision-makers: strategy, marketing, human resources, and the commercial understanding that ties them all together.

The people who manage money shape what gets built and which ideas get the chance to grow. That's why our course treats ethics not as an add-on, but as central to what it means to do this work well. You'll graduate ready to make decisions that stand up to scrutiny – financially sound and professionally rigorous.

The course is designed by experienced industry professionals – accountants, finance directors, and business leaders – so what you learn reflects how the field actually operates. It's built around the capabilities employers genuinely look for:

• Apply creative business and financial thinking to real situations

• Work confidently with AI, data, and digital platforms

• Lead with strong ethical and professional standards

Study business and finance in the capital
Our Business and Finance degree is based at our Twickenham campus in the beautiful London borough of Richmond-upon-Thames, giving you opportunities to explore the global financial capital and interact with nearby businesses of all sizes.

Gain extra qualifications as you study
During your degree, you can complete specific modules to achieve extra qualifications (subject to validation) from Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and Chartered Institute of Management Accounting (CIMA).

Hear from our students
Lauren, Business student - "The staff here are really helpful and are always on hand when help is needed, both in lectures and tutorials."

About the Placement Year
A placement year enables students to undertake a year of experience in an organisation between their second and final year. It is a substantial piece of paid experience where you can make a real contribution to your employer and it can really make you stand out from the crowd!

About the foundation year
The foundation year will focus specifically on communication (oral and written), critical thinking, research, independent study, digital and employability skills.

This course will enable you to:

• apply the knowledge and skills you gain from your course in a work setting

• build your commercial awareness and insights into organisations and industries you might want to work in

• develop your professional skills through company training, networking skills and confidence in the workplace

• get some great experience for future job applications or even land a graduate job.

Support from St Mary’s every step of the way
Securing a placement can really help you develop your job search skills and the Employability Service placement and Careers Teams can support you to find and apply for available opportunities.

Please note: in the event that you cannot secure a placement you will be able to transfer onto the three year version of your degree programme.

Why St Mary’s?
You will gain skills and support to make a positive impact – for yourself and for others – through high-quality teaching, real-world experience, and a community that lifts each other up. Our campus is a London oasis – blending city energy with open green spaces to think, connect, and grow.

Students will take four core modules as part of the foundation year: Personal Learning Competencies, Taking a professional Approach; Thinking Critically, Creatively and Ethically, The Individual Project, London: A Global City and Fundamentals of Business Management

You will be assessed in a variety of ways to test knowledge, understanding and skills development throughout your degree. The programme uses a broad range of assessments including business reports, essays, practical exercises, presentations, case studies, examinations, seminar performance and simulation exercises. As well as traditional exam-based assessments and coursework, the programme makes use of online technology, such as building wikis and online seminar discussion.