Department of Business and Enterprise

Business School

Welcome to our Department of Business and Enterprise

Thank you for taking the time to check out what we offer at University College Birmingham, the highest-ranking university in the region as voted by students at the 2024 Whatuni Student Choice Awards. Our student support is the best in the region too, according to students, as is our provision for international students and postgraduates.

If you are looking at joining us to carve out a career in business, here is a glimpse into our student and staff community - with insight into the placements and enrichment we offer - to see if we are right for you. 

Read about our Whatuni award wins

Paul Massiah
Head of Business and Enterprise

Welcome from Paul Massiah

Welcome to our Department of Business and Enterprise.

This department is part of our Business School, a centre of excellence for the delivery of high quality higher education, producing highly-skilled graduates succeeding across many sectors, along with breaking into new areas to meet the nation’s skills gap.

Our alumni run multi-million-pound retail businesses, manage top businesses, both large and small, work in companies on a global scale and are leading the way in marketing for big brands and independent ventures.

And to ensure your learning is informed in line with industry trends and insight, you will benefit from our fantastic network of industry contacts, made up of successful leaders from the business community and entrepreneurs, and membership of influential organisations. We look forward to welcoming you to our department.

“This really is a university where you will not only receive a high quality teaching and learning experience, but award-winning support at the very highest level. We pride ourselves on our industry connections to give you the best opportunities to gain the graduate advantage."

Professor Elaine Limond Vice Dean Business School

Nicky Millard
Deputy Dean, Curriculum Development and Student Recruitment for the Business School

Meet Nicky Millard

We’re really proud of our links and partnerships with employers and alumni. At the heart of what we do is preparing you for a graduate career in your industry. Our industry partners regularly visit to speak to students, set projects and provide graduate employment opportunities.

We’re also really proud of the outstanding support we’ve been recognised as providing for students while on their journey with us. It gives us great pleasure to pass on our skills to the next generation and your future starts here. We are ready to kick-start your career and we look forward to seeing you soon.

*Nicky gained her degree with us before launching a career in hotel business management in the USA and the UK before moving into HR and lecturing

Read more about Nicky

Our teaching and learning 

Whether you want to go into international business management, work for a major company or organisation, make your mark in smaller enterprises, launch your own business or anything else business or finance-related, our aim is simple - to turn you into a stand-out professional. We have an award-winning reputation for the highest quality courses and a learning experience that sets us apart from bigger universities.

Our degrees are designed to develop you personally and professionally, with graduate advantage, employability and enrichment sessions threaded throughout the curriculum, sitting alongside really interesting theory modules. Our partnership with the University of Warwick, a top-ranking Russell Group university, also brings extra opportunities including access to guest speakers and additional resources.

Theory

Our courses are developed and taught by experienced lecturing staff, meaning they can draw on their industry expertise and years of experience to make scenario-based discussions, debates and concepts come to life, supporting the linking of theory to practice.

You will learn so much from our lecturing teams, who are passionate about their profession and eager to inspire and nurture the next generation of business professionals.

We also have many invited guest lecturers from industry participate in our courses, sharing their knowledge and experiences to enhance your learning.

Students also have a lot to bring and as a team, we will also learn a lot from you! We encourage you to share your perspectives and viewpoints, especially when reflecting on your own life and placement experiences.

Practical

Placements are key to success as employers want you to have real experience. We have excellent links with businesses and organisations across the world, so we can allocate you to a diverse range of placements.

This exposure to different learning environments opens opportunities for you when you qualify. And you will receive real-life training in our Financial Trading Suite and access to entrepreneurism experts.

Support

Our support is exceptional, so much so, our students voted to make us the winner of the Student Support award at the Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2022 and we came a close second in 2023. In 2024, we were voted the best for student support in the West Midlands.

Throughout your studies, you will not only have a personal tutor, but a link tutor during placements and module leaders to support you through academic modules. And we have a whole range of additional support services available, providing you with as much or as little support as you need to succeed in your degree. Our smaller teaching groups enable all students to grow and flourish, with strong peer support and friendship.  

Our Learning and Teaching Strategy 2021-24 is key to how we approach the educational journey, focusing on three main pillars that set out our commitment to your learning and teaching experience while you are studying with us.

  • Pillar 1 – Provide accessible and inclusive teaching and learning across a wide range of vocationally-led courses
  • Pillar 2 – Develop next generation opportunities and skills through innovative, future-focused curriculum and pedagogy
  • Pillar 3 – Shape local and global sectors, promoting sustainable futures and global citizenship

Read our Learning and Teaching Strategy

Industry testimonial

"I have been very impressed with University College Birmingham's committed focus to driving entrepreneurism in the region. In today’s business world, being a founder and an entrepreneur is a viable career option and the University is helping to provide the necessary skills and support required to help individuals take this vital first step." 

Ken Valledy Director of Startup Eco-systems: Anthesis Group | Author ‘The Startup Lexicon’

We look forward to seeing you on campus

As you prepare to join us, here's a refresher on some of the essentials:

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