Business Management, Entrepreneurship and Innovation with Foundation Year

This module will introduce you to key concepts of business and management, looking at what business is (and isn’t). You will be encouraged to draw on real-life examples found in the businesses you use in your every day life. You will develop an understanding of the key functions used within contemporary businesses and learn about the tools and techniques used in business for analysis and planning. 

This module takes you through how to get to grips with the technology you need to succeed, as well as using the library, how to reference and how to produce the different styles of academic writing. It also helps you to develop yourself; you will create a CV, learn how to write a cover letter and find out what your learning style is. The module has guest speakers who share their expert knowledge and experience with you. All the skills covered in this module will help you to succeed in your chosen degree.

This module looks at what’s involved in starting up a sustainable business. You will discover what is needed for long term business success. We’ll look at financing and funding, business formation, planning, business ethics and sustainability along with other core aspects of start-ups. You will work closely with industry partners to gain insight into the world of start-ups. If you are interested in starting a business, this module will really help you to discover what is involved. You also gain key knowledge which your degree will build upon.  

This module will explain the importance and key elements of digital business. You will explore how digital business ideas drive technology choices and how those technologies support the development of the business.  

This module brings together everything you have learned so far and gives you the opportunity to put your knowledge into practice. Working in teams, you will develop a business idea and take it through the process of setting up a start-up. You will pitch your idea to a panel to secure investment, launch the business and organise an event, with profits donated to a local charity of your choice. Whatever your chosen business discipline, this module allows you to demonstrate and further develop your skills in a real-world context.

The module aims to acquire and develop an understanding of the employability skills required to succeed in your chosen industry. This is a practical module which will help you create and develop a professional CV and will develop your understanding of the recruitment and selection process. You will learn essential life-long skills to help you succeed in job applications whether they are for part-time work whilst you are a student or for your future graduate career.

Through an immersive and intensive delivery, this introductory module explores how businesses operate through core functions like people management, finance, marketing and operations. Via an organisational visit and case studies, you will learn how organisations work and respond to external change. 

You will compare business types alongside developing essential academic and professional skills in analysis, reporting and presentation of information to support future study and careers. The module will leave you with understanding of appropriate academic practice and expectations of professional behaviour alongside a strong foundation of business knowledge to build on for the remainder of your degree discipline.

This is the start of your professional career, and this module lays the foundation that will support you in being a successful graduate. In your first year, you will research potential career options and map-out skills and opportunities to be developed through your second and third years. By building a graduate portfolio, and demonstrating employability skills, you will identify your strengths and weaknesses to create a personalised and targeted plan alongside your programme pathway. Starting early will give you the confidence and adaptability as you progress through your undergraduate career.

This module examines the twin forces shaping the future of business: the urgent drive toward sustainability and the disruptive potential of emerging technologies. You will explore ecological economics, climate change and the global energy transition alongside the dynamics of digital transformation, including artificial intelligence, Industry 4.0 and 5.0, robotics, automation, 3D printing, the Internet of Things, blockchain and virtual reality. 

Through case studies and applied learning, you will develop the ability to lead and innovate responsibly in a rapidly changing world, applying creative and sustainable solutions to transform industries and shape next-generation business strategies.

This module develops the mindset and practical skills needed to lead, innovate and sustain in today’s dynamic business environment. You will explore what it means to think and act entrepreneurially from generating creative ideas to applying them ethically within new or existing organisations. 

Through teamwork, reflection and live challenges, you will learn to make informed decisions using evidence and data, apply curiosity and creativity to design solutions, and develop a sense of responsibility for people and planet. By the end, you will have the confidence to inspire positive change and create value that endures.

This module explores how entrepreneurs use core principles of marketing to lead with insight, innovate with curiosity, and sustain value for people and planet. You will learn to make informed, evidence-based decisions, using data to understand customers and inspire meaningful change. 

Through practical projects and real examples, you’ll apply entrepreneurial skills to design creative, resourceful marketing solutions that respond to contemporary challenges. The module encourages you to think critically, interrogate information, and act responsibly developing the confidence to create impact that matters and to champion sustainable, purpose-driven marketing within new or growing ventures. 

It explores how start-ups, small businesses and social enterprises use marketing to create value, understand their customers and compete in fast-changing environments. You will examine both traditional and digital marketing strategies and consider how to apply these tools when operating with limited resources.

Building on the knowledge and skills gained in the first year, this module aims to provide you with a more detailed understanding of how data is used and applied in a business setting. This module will introduce the concepts of business intelligence as a service that underpins decision making in different business functional areas, providing you with experience of using industry standard business intelligence tools to lead and inform evidence-based decision making in your subject specialisms. You will understand how to use data visualisations to inform decision making to influence change in the organisations. This will include human centred design approaches, developing understanding of user experience and people in organisations.

This module will examine various aspects of project management through a variety of means, including online content and practical seminars informed by research and industrial collaborations. It will focus on theoretical approaches, tools and techniques of planning and controlling projects. You will learn to appreciate project management as an important and integral part of a business whether product or service based.

This module will enable you to build on the embedded employability skills developed during year one of the programme. Through engaging in various professional development and reflection activities, you will be able to identify or realise, evaluate, plan and lead on the development of your future-focused knowledge, skills, behaviours and activities required to help secure your professional career aspirations, according to your programme of study. You will develop knowledge on how to access career-specific and professional graduate-level job opportunities through exploring graduate-level labour market trends, and job-specific employer requirements. 

You will also draw on the expertise of the school’s Career’s and Employability team, employer visits and workshops delivered by the academic team within the school. This will enable you to identify and engage in innovative development strategies to improve your work experience and employability, enabling you to further strengthen in a sustained way your career-focused digital footprint in relation to your professional career goals and around the graduate level employer selection process.

This module offers the opportunity to gain valuable real-world experience by collaborating directly with one of our partner organisations. Working in teams that reflect the dynamics of today’s workplace, you are challenged to address a live business problem, applying key skills in leadership as well as people, project and time management. 

The module encourages creativity, critical thinking and innovation, enabling you to design solutions that inspire and deliver genuine impact. By combining academic learning with professional practice, you will develop the confidence, adaptability and problem-solving abilities needed to succeed in your future careers.

The module runs in collaboration with Young Enterprise (UK) who focus on enhancing and embedding entrepreneurial learning and enterprise in education through adopting experiential learning. This module gives you the opportunity to lead, innovate and sustain through real entrepreneurial experience. Working in teams and supported by industry mentors, you will create and manage your own start-up enterprise as part of the Young Enterprise (UK) programme. You will apply business decision-making tools, develop creative solutions and engage directly with customers, stakeholders and advisors. Through this hands-on process, you’ll strengthen critical thinking, teamwork and leadership skills while exploring how ethical, sustainable and data-informed decisions drive enterprise success. The experience provides practical insight and a strong foundation for future entrepreneurial and professional growth.

This module develops the financial insight needed to lead, innovate and sustain in entrepreneurial settings. You will learn how to use data to make informed decisions, evaluate funding options and plan for growth with purpose. Through applied case studies and hands-on projects, you’ll explore how curiosity and evidence-based thinking can shape sound financial strategies and inspire meaningful change. 

The module encourages critical and creative engagement with real financial challenges, helping you to design responsible, resilient plans that support long-term success for people, planet and enterprise. You will learn how to prepare financial statements, forecast cash flow, budget effectively and evaluate funding options. 

The module covers key performance indicators, pricing strategies and the financial implications of choosing different business structures.

You have the option to do a placement year, taking a year in industry to learn in a real-life environment whilst earning a salary and paying no tuition fees.

This is an excellent opportunity to take advantage of and we will help you find out about vacancies and make the right connections with high profile employers through regular events and presentations.

 For more information, please visit the placement and internships page. 

In this forward-thinking module, you will critically examine the impact of local business decisions across globalised value chains. The module builds on prior learning and integrates multi-disciplinary themes, including ethical leadership, innovation and digital transformation, to explore how businesses can accelerate progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Through case-studies, co-creation activities and student research, you will critically reflect on the assumptions and systems that underpin business as usual before examining the role of managers and leaders in leading change to address the complex challenges of environmental sustainability and social inequalities. The module prepares you for your final year of study and future as an independent learner, by developing your academic skills and problem-solving mindset as you investigate, present and recommend innovative solutions to inspire positive change in both local and global communities.

This module enables you to step confidently into your future as a professional graduate. Building on your development at Levels 4 and 5, you will critically reflect on who you are, what you offer, and how you will make your contribution. You will deepen your emotional intelligence, evaluate workplace behaviours, and identify strengths and aspirations to shape a compelling professional identity. Using strengths-based diagnostics and simulated recruitment environments, you will learn to lead through critical thinking and data-driven decisions, innovate with curiosity and entrepreneurial skills, and sustain positive impact for people and planet while building a lifelong learning plan.

This module provides you with in depth understanding of strategy and leadership. Using scenarios, you will be equipped to lead transformational change, make evidence-based strategic decisions and contribute meaningfully to sustainable organisational performance in complex, dynamic environments. You will examine and critique the underlying principles of key leadership theories and critically evaluate how effective leaders embed a culture of innovation in organisations. Finally, you will review and critically examine the strategic role of leaders within organisations.

This module develops practical Python programming skills for financial services, enabling you to lead with data-driven, secure and scalable solutions. You will learn programming concepts and apply them to real-world challenges such as data ingestion, API integration and automation. Alongside software craft (e.g. testing, packaging, type hints, performance), you will integrate code within modern cloud environments, security protocols (OWASP) and governance frameworks typical of regulated firms. 

Emphasising innovation, the module fosters curiosity and entrepreneurial thinking through the design of robust, adaptable software. It also highlights sustainability by promoting responsible coding practices and secure systems that support long-term resilience in regulated financial environments. 

The Integrated Learning Project is a capstone module which allows you to apply the knowledge that you have acquired during your degree in a substantive real-world project. You will be able to select from three different types of project: a research dissertation; a consultancy project; or an entrepreneurial simulation project. The module allows you to apply your skills in critical thinking, independent research, project management, communication, and problem-solving, whilst engaging in an in-depth exploration of a topic relating to your degree. The output will be a portfolio that showcases your innovation in the generation of a sustainable and responsible solution to the selected problem which showcases your academic and professional abilities as a future leader. The project outputs will provide evidence of your knowledge and skills within your graduate portfolio, supporting your graduate career journey.

This module enables you to lead with insight, innovate with purpose and sustain growth responsibly as you transform entrepreneurial ideas into scalable ventures. You will explore how to design and implement strategies for business expansion, drawing on research, stakeholder engagement and real-world feedback. Through applied projects and reflective learning, you’ll develop critical, data-informed decision-making skills and the confidence to navigate complex, fast-changing markets. The module blends theory and practice to help you refine your business concept, assess growth opportunities and design strategies that deliver lasting value for people, planet and enterprise. This module will support you in moving from start-up ideas to venture ready for sustainable growth. It will equip you with the tools, mindset and strategic insight needed to design scalable businesses in competitive markets.  

This module explores how entrepreneurs lead with purpose, innovate for social change and sustain impact responsibly. You will learn how to design, fund and grow ventures that balance social, environmental and financial goals. Using real-world case studies and creative tools such as human-centred design and systems thinking, you will examine how social enterprises tackle complex challenges and measure their impact. The module encourages critical reflection, collaboration and ethical awareness, preparing you to become a confident changemaker who can design and lead initiatives that create lasting value for people, planet and communities. This module provides a critical examination of social entrepreneurship and moves beyond foundational concepts to focus on practical applications, strategic analysis and developing business models with a triple bottom line.  

This module explores how entrepreneurs lead with vision, innovate across borders and sustain growth responsibly in global markets. You will examine how ideas, ventures and resources move internationally and how cultural, economic and institutional differences influence entrepreneurial success. Through case studies and applied projects, you will learn to analyse international opportunities, evaluate market entry strategies and design creative, data-driven solutions for global challenges. The module encourages curiosity, critical thinking and ethical awareness, enabling you to make informed decisions, collaborate across cultures and develop entrepreneurial strategies that create lasting value for people, planet and enterprise.