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Why should I choose this course?
- INDUSTRY APPROVED – Complete our CMI-accredited business management course and get a Level 5 award in leadership, with membership of the CMI and BGA through your degree and access to a wealth of additional learning resources
- WORK PLACEMENT – Boost your work-ready skills and industry experience on an optional 48-week paid placement - no tuition fees during your placement year
- PRACTICAL APPLICATION – Develop a variety of practical skills working and studying in our Financial Trading Suite and Digital Creative Studio on campus
- ENRICHMENT – Learn from experts through real-world simulations, workshops and guest lectures
- AWARD-WINNING UNIVERSITY – Study at the highest-ranking university in the region according to student choice (Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023)
Our facilities
Our business courses at University College Birmingham offer students opportunities to develop practical skills in our cutting-edge Financial Trading Suite, while our Digital Creative Studio enables you to learn an array of skills for producing digital content including video and audio. We also provide a range of support services for student entrepreneurs through our Enterprise Hive.
Course breakdown
Students on the FdA have the option of progressing onto the final year upon completion of the foundation degree.
- Year 1
- Year 2
- Year 3
- Year 3/4
Core modules
The People Perspective
Working successfully within teams and on projects will determine your career achievements and help you achieve your business goals. This module will teach you to meet the challenges facing businesses today by focusing on the people perspective and enhancing your knowledge of leadership and management within current agile business environments.
Business Agility in Context
This module is designed to provide you with a foundation to analyse the dynamic international business environment. You will be able to gain an understanding of the diverse range of external influences (political, economic, socio-cultural, legal and technological) and have an appreciation of the opportunities and challenges these present for businesses operating in international markets.
Essentials of Marketing
Assuming the role of a marketing manager, you will learn how to make and justify a range of marketing decisions, as well as learn about market segmentation and marketing tactics within differing types of organisations. You will be able to appreciate the importance of customer orientation and of satisfying customer needs in an increasingly competitive environment.
Finance for Managers
This module is an introduction to different branches of accounts, key financial terminology and financial statements that business owners and managers employ. You will construct, interpret and analysis data in order to assess the financial performance of a business or project. This analysis will further explore how financial data can be utilised to inform business decisions in a dynamic environment.
Business Operations and Supply Chain Management
The module will introduce you to the concepts of supply chain management. In a world where customers expect fast delivery and excellent service, supply chain needs to be competitive and customer-focused. You will gain a comprehensive understanding of inventory management, demand, capacity and the IT solutions currently being explored by industry as well as how large organisations ensure quality control and how small companies are taking advantage of new technology to compete.
Developing Your Personal Brand
Everyone is unique. What is your USP? Do you have an idea of the type of job and career you see yourself in? You will be asked to reflect on your transferable skills, your personality and attributes to develop your own individual brand ‘persona’. You will undertake an audit of your current skills and attributes in order to develop an idea of your person/job fit and how this aligns with your future career aspirations. You will also consider the key employability skills, mindsets and attributes that are required for your potential career path and taking ownership of your own learning. You will develop a feasible Personal Development Plan and use reflective practice as a tool to facilitate this.
Core modules
Digital Marketing and Campaign Planning
Digital marketing channels are revolutionising the way all businesses operate and market their business activities. Everyone is looking for opportunities to enhance and support their core marketing communications objectives in this customer-centric multi-channel environment. You will be learning digital marketing principles, the role of social media and how to apply them to create a successful strategy.
Value-Based Leadership
In a volatile and challenging business environment, strong leadership and effective human resource management is vital to business success. To become adept in such uncertain times, with such a diverse workforce, individuals need to develop agile leadership and interpersonal competencies. Initially, this module introduces contemporary theories and models underpinning leadership and inclusive employee engagement. It later moves onto the importance of strong values, culture, followership and transparency in leadership approaches. Furthermore, the module aims to help you appreciate the international context of human resource issues that impact on business performance. It is also structured to highlight the importance of good leadership and the role of the line manager in engaging and developing creativity in their people. The module is also designed to develop your understanding of the contribution of effective leader development to sustainable team and business performance.
Big Data for Business Insights
This module focuses on the development of strategic priorities to deliver business at speed in an environment where digital technology has reshaped traditional revenue and business models. It includes an exploration of innovation and digital technologies and their impact on organisations, and how their application can inform organisational improvement and development. Critiquing innovation and digital technology’s impact on data and knowledge management for analysing business decision making will be incorporated, as well as developing an awareness of interpersonal skills of effective listening, influencing techniques, negotiation and persuasion.
Accounting and Finance for Managers
Business managers are required to have an understanding of key financial concepts that are critical to business success. There are constant reminders of the national budget and business budgets. In this module you will begin with the budgeting process and learning how to prepare cash budgets for a business entity. From here the module examines financial statements for a sole trader and a company. Business managers need to make decisions based on the financial performance of a business – the analysis of financial statements is a key requirement to make decisions and monitor growth. You will also learn about the different form of a business entity and the various sources and providers of finance available to the different types of organisations.
Developing Collaborative Relationships
An organisation has a variety of stakeholders and networks which need to be engaged with and managed either as a business owner, manager or an employee. In this module, you will explore how to approach various stakeholders, learn how to develop relationships, build rapport, negotiate and overcome conflicts with a range of internal and external stakeholders and networks from various backgrounds, as well as holistically developing your own personal effectiveness. Knowing how to maintain personal presence in a collaborative setting and investigating the power of networking to develop powerful partnerships will be a key feature. Evidence will be generated throughout the academic year which will culminate in developing a portfolio to demonstrate increased personal effectiveness and relationship building.
Plus one option from:
Brand and Media Management
Given that brand reputation is now the biggest risk facing businesses today, you will explore how digital brands are viewed, built, managed and measured to ensure firms' superiority and sustainability in profits. This module focuses on the development of industry-based knowledge and practical skills required to succeed in management. The importance of digital media will be analysed in the communication of brands to key stakeholders.
E-Commerce and Customer Experience Design
E-commerce has revolutionised the way in which customers interact with businesses. More than ever, it is important for brands to build a powerful online presence. This module will furnish you with the theoretical and practical knowledge required to build your own e-commerce platform and design optimised customer journeys which delight customers and keep them coming back to your website again and again.
Social Enterprise
The aim of this module is to develop a practical understanding of the role of social enterprise. Social enterprises are more commonly referred to as the Third Sector, which is a move away from the terms ‘not-for-profit’, no longer used by social enterprises. Indeed, social enterprises are very much for profit and the profit is a joint primary focus with social impact. There is a recognition of the need to generate profit to create the impact. First and foremost, social enterprises are set up for social good and to trade to fulfil that impact – businesses that trade for people and the planet, not personal profit of shareholders. The emergence of the nascent Fourth Sector which combines private, public and non-profit sectors (Third sectors) will also be incorporated.
Creative Communications
The skills of effective communication are vital to successful business enterprise and marketing. This stimulating and highly interactive module equips students with the skills to produce original, effective, persuasive and engaging communications regardless of media channel. You will also develop your own approaches to effective critical analysis, enhance your personal and business communications skills, and amplify and extend your employability prospects.
Sales Management
You will learn the concepts involved in managing sales and salespeople, getting a clear understanding of selling within a marketing organisation, the different types of buyers and how to sell to them. In light of the ever-increasing 'internationalisation' of business, you will also be looking at sales on an international scope.
Work Placement
Work Placement (Optional)
You will gain valuable work experience on a 48-week work placement. This is an exciting opportunity to put what you have learned into practice, broaden your experience and demonstrate your abilities to potential employers.
Core modules
Change and Transformation Strategy
Change is inevitable in an increasingly competitive global environment. This compels firms to proactively design strategies to deal with the resulting turbulence. This module develops an understanding of the role of leadership in conceptualising, designing and instituting effective change within organisations. The module content comprises two complementary components: the first involves the understanding and learning of the main strategic management concepts and theories, while the second implies its application in organisations. The practical orientation of the module enables you to experience the stages and activities underpinning the strategic change process.
Measuring Success
This module is about making decisions which ensure the most effective and efficient use of organisational resources. It discusses the techniques used by performance managers in planning, control, decision making and overall performance evaluation of organisational activities. It focuses on information needs, technologies and systems necessary for efficient and effective performance management of organisations. A key aim of performance management is to measure costs and revenues relating to specific operations divisions and products. Information gathered in this way is used to plan and control activities in order to ensure that key organisational objectives are achieved.
Research Project
You will have the opportunity to engage in an independent research project of your choice. You will have support with preparing your proposal and understanding the competent characteristics of good research. An appointed tutor will help guide you through this important and rewarding process.
Plus two options from:
Freelancing
A new way of doing business, freelancing is emerging as a vessel for modern, busy people to thrive as entrepreneurs. It gives them freedom to manage multiple careers in a way that works for their life and commitments. In this module, you will develop your creativity skills and learn to 'think outside the box' and create and critically assess your own opportunities to identify tangible market potential and sustainability. In addition, you will have the opportunity to learn a range of skills including creating an online presence and social media, as well as traditional marketing, on and offline networking, project management, influencing and negotiating skills and strategic career planning.
Financial Strategy
This module will build upon both practical and theoretical financial concepts and methods developed through earlier modules. The intention of this module is to provide an in-depth knowledge of concepts previously studied and to develop new concepts relevant to the financial operations of business. This module will be particularly useful if you wish to develop a career within a financial role and/or want to examine further how finance influences the short-term and long-term strategies of businesses.
International Marketing
We live in an interconnected world, so it's important to examine how organisations explore new market opportunities beyond national boundaries. As a result, you will become more aware of the technological, communication and transportation challenges businesses face and the options they consider when seeking a foothold in a new country.
Strategic Human Resources Management
In order to offer meaningful career pathways, what sort of strategies should a business consider? How can it meet the challenges it faces while creating an environment that retains talented employees? You will be exploring contemporary strategies in HR that shape benchmark employers in the industry.
The modules listed above for this course are regularly reviewed to ensure they are up to date and informed by the industry as well as the latest teaching methods. On occasion, we may need to make unexpected changes to modules – if this occurs, we will contact all offer holders as soon as possible.
Entry requirements
Business Management BA (Hons)
A-levels: An A-level grade profile of CDD.
T-levels: A T-level graded Pass with a core component of grade C.
BTEC: A BTEC grade profile of MMP. This can be achieved from either an Extended Diploma or a combination of smaller BTEC qualifications.
Tariff: Other Level 3 qualifications are accepted for entry. A minimum of 80 UCAS Tariff points will be required.
Access to Higher Education Diploma: 80 UCAS Tariff points, including a minimum of 15 Level 3 credits at Distinction.
Business Management FdA
A-levels: An A-level grade profile of DD.
T-levels: A T-level graded Pass with a core component profile less than C.
BTEC: A BTEC grade profile of PP. This can be achieved from either an Extended Diploma or a combination of smaller BTEC qualifications.
Apprenticeship: Achieve an advanced apprenticeship (Level 3).
Tariff: Other Level 3 qualifications are accepted for entry. A minimum of 32 UCAS Tariff points will be required.
Access to Higher Education Diploma: 32 UCAS Tariff points.
Non-tariff: Non-UCAS Tariff-based Level 3 qualifications are also considered for entry. Please complete our enquiry form here to check your eligibility.
Work-based: We also give equal consideration to applicants who are currently in work and wish to apply to University College Birmingham. To apply, you must have a minimum of 3 years’ relevant work experience, demonstrating management or supervisory duties. Your application must also include a reference from your line manager supporting your entry to higher education. For further details, please contact Admissions.
International students
For academic and English entry requirements for EU and international students, please visit the Country Specific Information page.
Please note: As an International Student, when choosing optional placement, a visa extension may be required.
Key information
Teaching and assessment
Note: Indicative information only – actual timetables and assessment regimes will be issued at your induction.
Teaching
Example of a typical teaching week (up to 14 contact hours):
- Large group teaching – 5 hours
- Smaller group teaching – 7 hours
- Tutorials – 2 hours
- Graduate Advantage – 1 hour
- Subject related workshops – 1 hour
You will also need to commit around 20 hours per week for individual study time.
Assessment
Estimated breakdown of assessment for this degree course:
- Coursework – 78%
- Practical assessment – 22%
Our teaching and assessment is underpinned by our Teaching, Learning and Assessment Strategy 2021-2024.
Additional qualifications and training
This course is accredited by the CMI, granting you a Level 5 CMI Award in Leadership when you graduate.(This is subject to payment of an additional fee.)
Tuition fees
Home students
If you are a home student enrolling on a bachelor's or foundation degree course at University College Birmingham, the 2024/2025 or 2025/2026 academic year tuition fee for full-time study will be £9,250. For part-time study, the fee will be £4,625.
View tuition fees for home students
International students
If you are an international student (or have been fee assessed as an international fee payer) and are enrolling on a full-time bachelor's degree course in 2024/2025, the fee for the academic year will be £14,000. In 2025/26, the tuition fee for the academic year will be £16,000 [Band 1] per year. If you complete a placement year, there will be an administration fee of £500 for a full year or £250 for a half-year placement.
Kick-Start Scheme
As a new student studying this course full-time, you will receive £300 per year through our Kick-Start Scheme (UK students only, eligibility criteria applies). This scheme will support your studies and future career by contributing to course-related materials, uniform or selected items on campus. You may also qualify for an additional £500 per year.
Find out more about the Kick-Start Scheme here.
Unibuddy Community - meet other students on your course
Starting university is an exciting time, but we understand that it can sometimes feel a little daunting. To support you, you will be invited to join our Unibuddy Community, where you can meet other students who have applied for the same course at University College Birmingham, before you start studying here.
As soon as you have been made an offer, you will be sent an invitation email to complete your registration and join the Unibuddy Community. For more information, check out our Unibuddy Community page.
Accreditations, endorsements and partnerships
University College Birmingham works with a wide range of organisations to ensure you receive the best possible training and qualifications recognised by industry.
Work placements
Work placements are vital for gaining real-life experience and for building your confidence and skills before you finish your course – and they may even lead to a job when you graduate. Our HIRED team can help find the ideal placement for you.
Our FdA and BA (Hons) Business Management courses both offer you the option of a 48-week paid work placement, during which you will not incur any tuition fees.
Career opportunities
The example roles and salaries below are intended as a guide only.
Business manager
Average Salary: £50,000
Management consultant
Average Salary: £50,000
Business graduate
Average Salary: £25,000
Business owner
Variable
Sales executive
Average Salary: £34,000
Graduate assistant
Average Salary: £20,000
Want to take your studies to the next level? Completing the BA (Hons) degree will enable you to move onto our postgraduate courses such as Enterprise Management MSc/PGDip, Global Meetings and Events Management MSc/PGDip or Marketing Management for Events, Hospitality and Tourism MA/PGDip.
Our student-voted awards and accolades
When it comes to student feedback, our university stands out. Our students value their time with us, as can be seen from the outcomes of several nationally-recognised student surveys.