Business and Financial Management
BSc (Hons)

Salford Business School - THE Business School of the Year award winners logo

Salford Business School

2014 THE Award Winner
Business School of the Year

Industrial Placement
Work placement opportunity
International Students can apply

3 good reasons to study Business and Financial Management at Salford

1.

Opportunity to manage a virtual company as a group competing against fellow students

2.

Opportunity to gain a paid placement with organisations such as NatWest, Barclays and The Cooperative Bank

3.

Average starting salary of £18,000 six months after graduating (source: UNISTATS)

Course Summary

This course provides you with the knowledge, insight and skills needed by employers in today's global economy.

You will be able to specialise in areas including Financial and Management Information Systems, Financial Planning, Software Applications and Business Taxation.

You will gain exemptions from some Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) exams, and the professional experience year is also recognised by ACCA as one of the three years of postgraduate experience required for formal certification.

The Professional Experience Year will give you the opportunity to apply the skills, knowledge and understanding you have gained in the first two years of the course. There are different entry requirements and course codes for the Professional Experience Year option.

Course Details

Course Structure

The course has been developed to prepare students for a career in business and management and develop the next generation financial/business managers. The course aims to produce graduates with a capacity for conceptual understanding that enables them to identify and apply appropriate methods and techniques to support organisational decision-making through the development of arguments concerning the application of approaches to business and financial management in organisations and further allows them to demonstrate awareness of the limits of current knowledge in the discipline.

This course allows you to either specialise or follow an integrated route and the modular design gives you considerable choice.

Year 1 - Level 4

Principles of Accounting
The aim of the module is to provide students with a theoretical and practical introduction to Accounting,  This module will help students understand the fundamentals of basic accounting methods.  It will introduce students to the production of financial statements for decision makers in various organizational structures.
Principles of HRM
This module will provide an insight into the distinct contribution of Human Resource Management policy and practice to employee and organisational performance and success within a UK and international comparative context.  It will help students develop an understanding of the interrelationship between the dynamic nature of social relationships within a range of organisations, the broader external environment, and the effective management of human resources and employment relations.
Principles of Economics
The aim of this module is to introduce students to key concepts in modern economics, in particular the functioning of markets as the foundation of contemporary economies;  It will present an overview of the main microeconomic principles of economic behaviour and the main concepts within macroeconomics, and to explore the relationship between these microeconomic principles and macroeconomic concepts.
Principles of Marketing
This module aims to provide an introduction to key foundational aspects of the theory and practice of marketing, which are essential to the long term prosperity of organisations and applicable to all specialisations within business. It will enable students to apply marketing principles to real life marketing situations.
Business Statistics
This module enables  students to present, evaluate and interpret quantitative data in order to develop a capacity for making business decisions.  It will introduce students to the mathematical prerequisites for developing lines of argument and making sound judgements  It will help students to develop an awareness of established mathematical and statistical techniques to initiate and undertake critical analysis of information and propose appropriate solutions to business problems.

Choose one option from:

Organisations in a Global Environment
This module introduces students to the nature of organising and organisations within a global context.  It provides students with a foundational context for the study of the functional areas of business organisation.

OR

Language
This module further consolidates and develops students’ knowledge of and competence in the foreign language, within the general context of the countries where it is spoken, and more specifically for professional purposes.  It further prepares students linguistically and interculturally for work in or relating to a country where the target language is spoken.

Year 2 - Level 5

Professional Development
Building on the embedded skills developed during level 4 of the programme the module aims to enable the student to plan and carry out appropriate professional development activities to increase employability and performance, including self presentation, professional networking, project planning and implementation, team working, influencing and multimedia communication. The module aims to equip the student with the experience required to position themselves in the global employment marketplace.
Operations Management
The overall aim of the module is to develop a systematic understanding of the management of resources and operations within a global marketplace.. The module will focus on developing an advanced appreciation of the functions and processes within the organisation and their impact on and responsiveness to the external environment in which they operate.
Financial and Management Information Systems
This module introduces present-day costing techniques and their uses in the contemporary manufacturing and business environment.  It explores the use of management accounting information for decision making and performance measurement; it introduce current issues in information technology together with a theoretical evaluation of the process of developing and implementing accounting information systems.
Financial Planning and Software Applications
This module promotes the student’s understanding  of management accounting information, tools and techniques and to explore the significance of techniques to internal business functions.  It will promote the development of students' practical skills using accounting specific ICT packages and further consider the use of information technology in supporting the activities of the accountant and the management within an organization.
Law in a Business Context
This module introduces students to the operation of legal systems in the global business context and the areas of law that underpin the practice of effective business management.  Students will develop a working knowledge of the law relating to contracts in different business contexts and their effective negotiation.

Choose one option from:

Entrepreneurial Project
This module will develop a student's ability to initiate, implement, review and appraise management objectives and decisions within the context of a dynamic, competitive market environment.  It will help to develop an understanding of the complex interactions that characterise decision-making in organisation, and consequently the importance of thinking beyond a single functional perspective.

OR

Language
This module further consolidates and develops students’ knowledge of and competence in the foreign language, within the general context of the countries where it is spoken, and more specifically for professional purposes.  It helps  prepare students linguistically and interculturally for work in or relating to a country where the target language is spoken.

Optional Year

On completion of year 2 you may choose to undertake either a paid placement, or study abroad for a year. If you choose to study abroad you will spend your academic year at one of our partner universities, enhancing your language skills and international business knowledge.

Year 3 - Level 6

Business Taxation
This module evaluates the UK taxation system and its place in the global environment. It appraises core areas of taxation related to businesses and evaluates the taxation situation of sole traders, partnerships and limited companies.
International and Business Finance
This module demonstrates the concepts of finance such as raising capital, capital markets, the capital structure of firms and to evaluate the external global financial environment in which firms operate.  It introduces the concept of risk management, investment decisions, financing decisions and asset management decisions and their related risk/return trade offs.  This module also evaluates the processes of mergers and takeovers and analyses the risks in international finance , including foreign exchange, foreign trade and investment risks, and techniques used to manage such risks.
Management Accounting for Control
This module develops student’s ability to evaluate and analyse the financial control processes of a business. It develops student’s ability to evaluate alternative mechanisms to deliver information to management for control and decision making purposes.

The module demonstrates the centrality of management accounting information to effective global business control and develops an understanding of the management accountants role in sustainability.

Applied Business Research and Analysis
This module aims to develop students’ understanding of the secondary sources and primary research methodologies available to solve business problems.  In particular, it aims to develop the knowledge and skills required to evaluate published business research and consultancy in relation to its methodology and findings and to prepare viable proposals for future research/consultancy.
Business Ethics and Sustainability
This module equips students with an appreciation and in-depth understanding of the implications of Business Ethics, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Sustainability within national and international organisations.  This module will also develop students’ knowledge with respect to the importance of the balance between shareholders, stakeholders and the purpose and values of the organisation. It will explore the roles of social and technological innovation in global ethical organisations in order to prepare students for future employability.
Strategic Management
Student’s will acquire an organization-wide perspective through exploring strategy techniques and processes within the global environment.  The module prepares students for a career in business and management and to develop the next generation manager. It allow students to apply the knowledge and understanding of strategy to a variety of real-word organizations and helps students ability to deploy accurately established techniques of analysis and enquiry, some of which are at the forefront of strategic research and practice.

Please note that it may not be possible to deliver the full list of options every year as this will depend on factors such as how many students choose a particular option. Exact modules may also vary in order to keep content current. When accepting your offer of a place to study on this programme, you should be aware that not all optional modules will be running each year. Your tutor will be able to advise you as to the available options on or before the start of the programme. Whilst the University tries to ensure that you are able to undertake your preferred options, it cannot guarantee this.

Entry Requirements

Qualification Entry requirements
GCSE Minimum of five at grade C or higher, to include English language and maths
UCAS tariff points BSc: 104-120 points
With Professional Experience: 280-320 points
GCE A level BSc: BCC with a minimum of two A2 passes
With Professional Experience: BBC with a minimum of two A2 passes
BTEC National Diploma DMM/DMM - DDM with placement
International Baccalaureate Indicatively 26 points for International Baccalaureate Diploma

Salford Alternative Entry Scheme (SAES)

We welcome applications from students who may not meet the stated entry criteria but who can demonstrate their ability to pursue the course successfully. Once we have received your application we will assess it and recommend it for SAES if you are an eligible candidate.

There are two different routes through the Salford Alternative Entry Scheme and applicants will be directed to the one appropriate for their course. Assessment will either be through a review of prior learning or through a formal test.

English Language Requirements

International applicants will be required to show a proficiency in English. An IELTS score of 6.0 (no element below 5.5) is proof of this.

Applicant profile

Teaching

Teaching is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars and tutorials using a wide range of learning activities. All students will experience small group tutorials during your first and second year modular studies. These ensure you are highly skilled in time for your placement or year abroad and final year studies. In the final year, you may choose to manage a small virtual company in a small group, competing with others.

Assessment

The majority of modules are examined. The weighting between exams and coursework varies between modules and years, but exams still play a major role.

Employability

Graduates have gone on to work with companies like Ernst & Young, Dixons Group plc, British Airways, Cooperative Insurance Services, BMW, American Express, BBC, Citibank, Ladbrokes, Numberica, Office of the Legal Services Ombudsman, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers, Premier Travel Inn, BUPA, Thomson Holidays, BT, DTS Logistics, Greater Manchester Police, and the NHS.

Recent graduate careers have included personnel management, accountancy, marketing management, publicity, market research, corporate planning, operational research, systems analysis, computer programming, purchasing, banking and the City.

Career Prospects

Alumni Profile

Jaya Patel, Business Studies with Financial Management (Professional Experience), Greater Manchester Commissioning Support Unit, says

"Lecturers and staff are very helpful in assisting with any queries.  The consultation hours offered by Lecturers was very helpful because it may you aware of when the lecturer was free so you could drop in without making an appointment.  Studying at Salford Business School has improved my confidence and because I learnt so much, I wasn't afraid to try new thing at work. I completed a one year paid work placement,  I cannot even describe how valuable this was.  I think the work experience gained from a placement is very appealing to employers.  As a result of my placement I was offered a full time job with the company who originally employed me for my placement year."

Links with Industry

Placement Opportunities

Taking a placement between your second and final year helps to further develop your management skills and enhances your CV and employment prospects. A placement also provides a real context for the subjects studied on the course and helps in the preparation for your final year.

Students at Salford have been placed in a large number and wide variety of organisations, from global corporations to small enterprises, from financial services to manufacturing. You will receive considerable assistance from the industrial placements tutor and team in obtaining a placement.

Current and recent students have enjoyed placements with: NatWest, Barclays and The Cooperative Bank; BP, Esso and Shell; IBM, Hewlett Packard and Compaq; Ford, Vauxhall, Jaguar and Nissan; Marks & Spencer, Selfridges and Sainsbury's; Eli Lilly, Glaxo and ICI.

Other placements have included the NHS, the education sector, environmental, arts and cultural organisations.

Further Study

Fees and Funding

Fees for entry in 2017-18 will be published as soon as possible.

Fees 2016-17

Type of StudyFee
Full-time£9,000
Part-timeYour annual fee will be calculated pro rata to the full-time fee according to the number of credits you are studying
Full-time International£12,000

 

Find a course

Key Information

Course Code: N1N3 (three years), N1NH (four years with placement)
Start Dates: September
Duration:

Three years full-time
Four years with work placement

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