Business Management (Finance) (Top-up) BA Honours

Course content

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

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, and the professional acumen to deal with challenges in a fast-paced business environment. You will focus on building financial knowledge and skills and will learn the role of accounting within organisations.

What will you gain?

You will learn to work effectively in teams, and be able to present and communicate business management ideas with confidence. 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

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. It draws together a range of theories, concepts, and notions from several sources such as Finance, Marketing, and Strategy. The module utilises the development of a unique business plan through which students will learn, practice, and apply the necessary academic and practical knowledge and skill sets, including team working, required for the establishment of a new business, as well as an understanding of the complexities relating to the functioning of a small business.

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.

This module provides you with an understanding of the concepts and key issues in corporate governance and corporate accountability. You 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 you will understand the significance of corporate transparency and accountability in modern corporations.

The module builds on learning from prior modules and provides you with a theoretical introduction to consulting and the idea of the learning organisation. You will then have 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 will give you the responsibility of approaching and pitching to potential clients, managing yourself, your time, your team relationships and 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 consultancy experience. It also aims to enhance your prospects of employment following the completion of your degree programme.

This module aims to present a view of management applied in an ever more competitive environment in which firms need to excel in the areas cost, quality, speed, innovation, service and sustainability. It uses the four traditional management functions of planning, organising, leading, and controlling to examine how firms develop strategic value, build a dynamic organisation, mobilise people, learn and change.

This module aims to provide you with knowledge of theories of exchange rate and balance of payments, and skills of managing international financial assets and exchange rate risks in a global environment. You will have the opportunity to study the operations of the world capital markets, grasp the principles essential to understanding of global financial issues and policies, and apply tools to effectively evaluate and manage foreign exchange risks in order to succeed in international financial environment.

The primary aim of the work placement module is to provide students with the opportunity to undertake a period of work experience (minimum of 36 weeks) from which they learn about, business in general, and the organisation and the sector within which it operates as well as the key drivers of business success. The work placement will provide an insight into the world of work and appropriate conduct at work. The module will therefore facilitate students in the process of becoming and staying employable through assertiveness, continuing development and reflection on both their development and the link between theory and practice.

You can find more information about this course in the programme specification. Optional modules are usually available at levels 5 and 6, although optional modules are not offered on every course. Where optional modules are available, you will be asked to make your choice during the previous academic year. If we have insufficient numbers of students interested in an optional module, or there are staffing changes which affect the teaching, it may not be offered. If an optional module will not run, we will advise you after the module selection period when numbers are confirmed, or at the earliest time that the programme team make the decision not to run the module, and help you choose an alternative module.