Business Management

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 module develops practical understanding of the critical importance of good people management practices in the organisational context. It will examine how effective people management, guided by the employee cycle model, enhances organisational performance and success in both UK and international contexts. You will explore the dynamic interplay between social relationships, external environmental factors and human resource management. 

The module will provide practical, research-informed guidance for management practice, while fostering personal awareness and self-reflection in the management of people and teams.

This module will introduce you to the fundamental principles of corporate finance, equipping you to lead through critical thinking and data-driven financial decision-making. Key topics include capital budgeting, financial analysis, risk and return, time value of money and capital markets. You will be encouraged to innovate by applying financial tools to evaluate performance and explore strategic investment decisions. 

With a focus on sustainability, the module also considers the long-term impact of financial choices on businesses, society and the environment. By the end, you will be prepared to make informed, responsible financial decisions in a corporate context.

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 explores the role of marketing within organisations and its contribution to business performance, brand development, and audience engagement. You will examine core marketing principles and gain practical experience with digital marketing tools, channels, and techniques. The module emphasises how marketing activities create and deliver value across business functions, while also developing your ability to apply persuasive approaches to real-world scenarios. 

In addition, the module encourages reflection on contemporary issues in digital marketing, such as ethical practice, sustainability and the expectations of digitally aware consumers.

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.

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.

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 introduces the principles of systems thinking, providing you with a framework for developing innovative and creative solutions to the complex and interconnected problems that businesses face. The module will explore how systems approaches can be applied to understand organisational challenges and to identify holistic and sustainable solutions. You will gain an understanding of the research approaches which can be used to gather data, providing insights to support decision making and evidence-based approaches to change. 

The module emphasises the development of core analytical, problem-solving and decision-making skills, encouraging creative and critical thinking. By applying these skills to case studies and practical examples, you will gain valuable experience that supports your ongoing studies and establishes a foundation for future professional practice.

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.

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. 

This module equips you to lead and transform global operations in a dynamic business environment. You will explore how to design, optimise and manage international supply chains that are resilient to disruptions. The curriculum focuses on how to innovate by leveraging digital technologies like AI and IoT to enhance visibility, agility and decision making. A core emphasis is on developing strategies that not only drive efficiency and competitive advantage but also sustain ethical practices and environmental stewardship. This module prepares you to become a strategic thinker capable of building responsible and robust global supply chains for the future.

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.

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 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 supports you in developing a deep understanding and practical application of innovation and entrepreneurship, to develop innovation skills that will support your future career, whether you plan to launch your own enterprise as an entrepreneur or drive change within an organisation as an intrapreneur. Working with a partner organisation you will gain an in depth appreciation of the current status of, and external landscape influencing the core business functional areas. This serves as the foundation for exploration of evidence based opportunities for growth and innovation. You will research and respond to contemporary issues, asking critical questions and use the authentic business challenge to research and develop a sustainable and ethical innovation solution which focuses on your chosen area of the business. Building on prior learning, you will develop the confidence and creativity needed to lead innovation and create sustainable value in your chosen career. On completion you will have created a tangible innovation solution that you can use as evidence of your capabilities in a job interview.

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 provides a business focused introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its applications. You will explore a range of AI tools and technologies, including machine learning and generative AI, and consider their role in driving digital transformation and data-driven organisations. Emphasis will be placed on how AI can deliver strategic impact across different industries, while also examining the human and organisational challenges of implementing digital change. You will develop the ability to critically evaluate AI applications, supported by an introduction to AI ethics and analytical frameworks that guide the responsible, sustainable and effective use of AI in contemporary business contexts. The assessment will provide you with the opportunity to develop practical approaches to lead innovative change using AI.