Business Management (Finance) BA Honours

Course content

What will you study on the BA Business Management (Finance)?

The programme is studied over three years full-time, or four years if the option of a 12 month placement is taken. The course is divided into modules and each has a value of 30 credits. You must successfully pass modules to gain credits. To gain a BA (Hons) degree title you must gain 360 credits of which 120 must be in Year 3.

You will develop key business skills, knowledge and experience in order to excel in a management career. Companies and organisations require graduates who have expert business knowledge, who can also demonstrate analytical and problem solving skills, with the professional acumen to deal with challenges in a fast-paced business environment. You will develop essential skills and knowledge in business management and broaden your knowledge by focusing on key topics, such as the behaviour of people within organisations, and resource management. You will build on your financial knowledge and skills and learn the role of accounting within organisations.

What will you gain?

Upon graduating, you will be able to work effectively in teams and be able to present and communicate business management ideas with confidence. You will understand topics related to managerial decision-making management strategy, managerial leadership, business finance and financial statement analysis. In addition, you will acquire skills of group dynamics and team work, as well as demonstrating numerical, communication and analytical expertise. We also ensure you develop specialist knowledge in:

• Stakeholders: their expectations and behaviour
• The environment of business and its impact on strategy
• Design, production and distribution of products and services
• Business resources: acquisition, application and control
• Business process: planning, improvement and control

Modules

This module aims to develop the financial understanding and knowledge of students withinbusiness organisations so as to enable them to make effective decisions and to assess thecost, economic and financial implications of these decisions. It aims to provide anunderstanding of the fundamental roles of accounting and finance for business students whodo not need to develop specialist knowledge as well as to provide an understanding of keyeconomic principles that inform business thought and practice.

The aim of this module is to provide an introduction to the use of computer software tocollect, analyse and present business data. Students will learn to solve business andmanagement problems using Excel or other appropriate software with an emphasis on theapplication of methods to solve problems, and the interpretation and communication ofresults. The main aim is to enable the student to become a discerning user of quantitativemethods and computers in business analysis, which can be built upon in further study.

This module is designed to provide students with an overview of key marketing concepts and techniques, as they apply in a variety of organisations and in bothconventional and online environments. Students will develop knowledge and understanding of the core role of marketing in determining the growth potential ofan enterprise, including the value of the marketing mix in ensuring successfulmarketing implementation and the significance of external and internal operatingenvironments for marketing practice.

The aim of this module is to develop students understanding of the management oforganisations. It will introduce management concepts such as the business functions,organisational structure, work design, entrepreneurship, and business ethics. Students willdevelop the ability to analyse the strengths and weaknesses of various managementtheories and their application in the management of organisations.

The aim of this module is to develop students understanding of how people in organisations interact. It will introduce various people management concepts and human resource processes and practices. Students will develop the ability to compare and contrast a variety of organisational psychology and sociological theories and their application in the management of people.

This module aims to further develop and enhance the financial understanding and knowledge of students within business organisations on the subject areas of financial accounting, management accounting and financial management. It aims to provide a more in-depth understanding of the roles of accounting and finance for business students who do not need to develop specialist knowledge and to train students to apply their accounting and finance knowledge and skills into a range of different business situations.

This module aims to develop students’ knowledge and understanding of operationsmanagement within a variety of organisations. It examines different aspects of operationsmanagement relevant to the design, planning, control and improvement of businessoperations. Students will learn to evaluate, select and apply relevant operations management concepts, tools and techniques to solve problems, make informed decisionsand improve the efficiency and effectiveness of operational processes.

This module aims to develop students’ knowledge of internal and external business environment and their impact upon choices available to business in planning and decision making. Students will learn to analyse business environments and handle information using different techniques, models and frameworks.

This module aims to provide students with the ability to apply key skills in information systems to the business management domain. The module also aims to enable students to obtain important aptitudes towards using information technology solutions such as business intelligence (e.g. data analytics), digital technology solutions (e.g. smart environments) and modern forms of communication (e.g. social networks) to improve business processes.The module enables students to acquire knowledge in a number of topics aligned to the following key areas: (i) information systems and business intelligence (in particular the development, management, application and implementation of information systems and the impact upon organisations, (ii) communications (in particular the comprehension and use of relevant communications for application in business and management, including the use of digital tools) and (iii) digital business (in particular the development of strategic priorities to deliver business at speed in an environment where digital technology has reshaped traditional revenue and business models).The cross-discipline nature of the module ensures that students will gain experience in using information systems, while engaging in strategic management activities and following a pattern of work resembling project management practices in controlled environments.

This module provides students with an introduction to innovation and entrepreneurship. It examines different forms of innovative and entrepreneurial practice including commercial and social enterprise. This includes an introduction into management issues faced by entrepreneurs and small business owners. The module will also introduce students to such concepts as opportunity recognition and the ability to act upon opportunities and problem solving.

The aim of this module is to enable students to identify the multifaceted social processesthat are imperative to organisational life. The module will cover a wide array of theoriespertaining to organisational behaviour. Students will develop their own abilities to analysethese theories, build up their own views on how to think and feel about these emergentissues as well as empower themselves with the capacity to argue and support these views inan academically rigorous manner.

This module aims to provide you with the tools for the analysis of financial information, in particular for the purpose of business valuation. In doing so, you will become familiar with how investors and corporate financiers utilise financial and non-financial information in corporate reports.

The primary objective of this module is to provide you with solid understanding of contemporary corporate finance and the tools to solve the financial problems confronting business today. The module will explain the main aspects of corporate finance, including investment decision, working capital management, and financing decision. It will enable a critical appreciation of the interaction between financial decision-making and capital market behaviour. You will be able to apply your financial skills in practical problems solving, case studies and coursework to develop your understanding of business environments and prepare for a future career.

The aims of this module are organised in two parts: in the first part students use the essential components of strategic analysis with the primary aim of developing an applied knowledge of tools and techniques. In the second part students explore a variety of special topics with the primary aim of examining strategy concepts applied in different organisations. Overall, the module aims to build students’ ability to process and interpret information from different internal functions and from multiple external sources for decision-making leading to long term organisational success.

The aim of this module is to introduce to students the complexities of starting a business. Itdraws together a range of theories, concepts, and notions from several sources such asFinance, Marketing, and Strategy. The module utilises the development of a unique businessplan through which students will learn, practice, and apply the necessary academic andpractical knowledge and skill sets, including team working, required for the establishment ofa new business, as well as an understanding of the complexities relating to the functioning ofa small business.

The module provides students with an understanding of the concepts and key issues in corporate governance and corporate accountability. Students will also get an overview of the high profile cases of corporate failure and analyse them from corporate governance perspective. By extending the traditional corporate governance theoretical framework to address broader corporate social responsibility issues students will understand the significance of corporate transparency and accountability in modern corporations.

The module aims to equip students with knowledge sufficient in depth to critically engage with modern investment theory and practice. It incorporates a study of portfolio theory as the basis for contextualising challenges in investment decision-making, especially those related to asset price determination, understanding risks, asset management practice, the merits of rival investment philosophies, financial market liquidity and information disclosure. It investigates how these challenges drive institutional, product, regulatory and technological innovation in financial markets.

The primary aim of the internship module is to provide you with the opportunity to undertake a period of work experience for a minimum of 30 days. This will facilitate you in gaining an insight into the world of work and appropriate conduct at work, as well as the process of becoming and staying employable through assertiveness, continuing development and reflection on both your development and the link between theory and practice. You will also develop an understanding of the organisation, sector and the environment in which it operates.

The module builds on learning from prior modules and provides you with a theoretical introduction to consulting and the idea of the learning organisation. The module then provides an opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge to organisation practice by working in small teams on a real-time consultancy project which takes place in a variety of public, private and voluntary sector organisations. It gives you the responsibility of approaching and pitching to potential clients, managing yourself, your time, your team relationships and your relationships with external clients, to achieve outcomes that make a real difference to the organisation. The module provides a bridge between academic study and full-time employment by focusing on the significance and relevance of the consultancy experience. It aims to enhance your prospects of employment following the completion of the degree.

This module aims to demonstrate to students the importance of integrated businessfunctions to achieve business success. The module uses a business simulation to providestudents with experience of how a firm can integrate key aspects of business andmanagement in order to succeed in a competitive environment.

Modules

Operations Management (30 credits) - Compulsory

This module aims to broaden and expand your knowledge of the concepts and techniques required for the design, operation and control of business processes. Cases and practical exercises are relevant to a variety of commercial, manufacturing and service organisations. The module builds on the IT and quantitative skills developed in the first year.

Work, Organisation and Society (30 credits) - Compulsory

The aim of this module is to enable you to develop a critical understanding of the multifaceted social processes that are imperative to organisational life, and through which organisations may exert influence on ourselves as much as on society at large in order to pursue their objectives. The module will cover a wide array of theories pertaining to organisational behaviour, organisation theory, sociology, psychology and economic issues as far as they are relevant for the understanding of these social processes. You will develop your own abilities to analyse these theories critically, build up your own views on how to think and feel about these emergent issues as well as empower you with the capacity to argue and support these views in an academically rigorous manner.

Business Environment (30 credits) - Compulsory

In this module, you will begin to acquire the knowledge and skills typically required for more advanced study of businesses and in managerial decision-making. You will learn to analyse business environments and handle information using techniques, models and frameworks that will also start to build higher level employability skills.

Managerial Finance (30 credits) - Compulsory

This module aims to further develop and enhance your financial understanding and knowledge within business organisations. It aims to provide a more in-depth understanding of the roles of accounting and finance for those who do not need to develop specialist knowledge and trains you to apply your accounting and finance skills into a range of different business situations.

Developing Employability through Work Placement (60 credits) - Optional

The primary aim of these work experience modules is to provide you with flexibility to undertake a period of work experience without having to take an extra year of study. This is achieved by integrating your learning at work and your studies. You will attain a sandwich degree within three rather than four years. In the first year of study you will be required to record and reflect upon your learning at work and in the second year to reflect on how you have developed and built on your learning from the previous year and complete a report on the organisation you have worked in. The modules will therefore support you to process of reflect on your own development, integrate theory and practice, develop your commercial awareness and thus enhance your personal and professional development.