Business Management with Accounting and Finance (with Foundation Year) - BA(Hons)

In the Foundation year (Year zero) the content is designed to develop your academic skills. It also raises awareness of the relevance law, economics, accounting, plus business and management, will play in your future, professional lives.

You are encouraged to develop as reflective learners and will gain an understanding of the attributes that graduates of UWE Bristol attain, such as being self-reliant, enterprising, future-facing, collaborative and globally responsible citizens.

Much of the scheduled class time will be spent in rooms equipped for technology-supported work in groups.Teaching methods will be engaging as staff use the latest techniques and technologies to enhance the learning experience.

The four modules will have three hours of teaching each week (12 hours of scheduled class time in total). On four occasions during the year, the whole 12 hours will be spent team-working on a joint project. One of the weeks will result in an exhibition of assessed group posters, another will produce individual personal development plans.

Foundation year (Year zero)

You will study the following compulsory modules:

• Becoming a Professional
• Introduction to Organisations, Enterprise and Management
• Economics and Accounting for the Real World
• Introduction to Law in a Social, Business and Global Context.

You will study the Foundation year alongside students from other business and law courses and so you may transfer to another course in one of these areas at the end of a successful Foundation year. The normal expectation is that you must pass all Year zero modules before progressing to Year one. Students seeking transfer to BA(Hons) Business (Team Entrepreneurship) would be required to pass an interview process. Transfer to BSc(Hons) Economics (as distinct from BA(Hons) Economics) would require an A level in Mathematics.

For the specialist courses such as Business Management with Accounting and Finance, there are accounting and finance modules in years two and three that reflect your choice of degree.

Year one

The first year provides a foundation for the development of the knowledge, skills and attributes necessary for your future success.

You will study the following compulsory modules:

• Introduction to Management
• Financial Accounting 1
• Economic Principles in a Contemporary Context (Accounting, Economics and Finance)
• Understanding Organisations and People (Accounting, Economics and Finance)
• Understanding the Principles of Marketing (Accounting, Economics and Finance)
• Statistics and Data Management
• Accounting and Finance in Society.

Year two

In the second year, you will study modules relating to the main functional areas of business where you will also develop your research and enquiry skills. In addition you will study two accounting and finance modules (one in each semester).

You will study the following compulsory modules:

• Managing People (Accounting, Economics and Finance)
• Management and Cost Accounting
• Financial Accounting 2
• Research Methods for Business (Accounting, Economics and Finance)
• Introductory Research Project (Accounting, Economics and Finance)
• Managing Business Processes (Accounting, Economics and Finance)
• Corporate Finance.

In addition, you will study one of the following optional modules:

• Principles of Taxation
• Market Analysis for Private Investors
• Business Law
• Credit Management Theory and Practice
• Good Business, Bad Business and Sustainability OR Governance and Accountability.

All students are encouraged to spend their third year on placement and the curriculum in the second year provides support for the process of securing the placement.

Final year

The final year will include a major project, modules which require the integration of the knowledge gained in the earlier years of study and the ability; again you will study up to three further specialist accounting and finance modules. The final year curriculum also includes a focus on managing change, both in organisational terms and in terms of your own career.

You will study one of the following major final projects:

• Work-based Enquiry Project
• Critical Business Enquiry Project
• Business Project
• Applied Business Project.

In addition, you will study the following compulsory modules:

• Strategic Management (Accounting, Economics and Finance)
• Accounting for Managers
• Managing Organisational Change (Accounting, Economics and Finance)
• Integrated Business Simulation.

As well as the above, you will study two optional modules OR one if you have completed Study Year Abroad (SYA) or Placement year.

• Personal Financial Planning
• Investment Management
• International Financial Management
• Credit Risk Analysis and Management
• International Business in the Emerging Markets
• Financial Crime
• Islamic Banking and Finance
• Auditing
• Further Tax Theory and Practice
• Work Integrated Learning.

The University continually enhances our offer by responding to feedback from our students and other stakeholders, ensuring the curriculum is kept up to date and our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the real world. This may result in changes to the course. If changes to your course are approved we will inform you.

The course is taught through a diverse mix of learning environments including face-to-face tutor-led, independent student-led and group projects.

Lectures, workshops/seminars and group project work account for 12 hours of contact time per week and you will spend at least as much time again in essential independent study including research, online work and preparation for assessment.

For more details see our full glossary of learning and teaching terms.

Students have access to cutting-edge facilities and resources such as the financial trading room, the UWE Audit Simulation and a well-resourced specialist library. In addition, students are encouraged to gain high quality work experience ideally through the 40-week placement in Year 3 or through short-term internships, paid work as a Student Ambassador, a Peer Assisted Learning Leader or through volunteering.

Guest speakers and real-life case studies broaden knowledge of the industry and ensure graduates are work-ready and informed of the latest developments in the field.

You will be assessed through a mix of coursework and examinations, all of which aim to assess not only what you know and can do but also develop the graduate attributes that are valued by employers. These attributes include communication and presentation skills, IT and numeracy skills, team work, project and time management skills as well as the intellectual skills of problem solving, critical thinking, analysis and evaluation, creativity and innovation.

Coursework comes in many different forms: essays and reports; business plans and applied research projects; portfolios and weekly notes; assessed group and individual presentations and posters. You will also be required to reflect and comment on your own learning and personal development.

For more details see our full glossary of assessment terms.