BA (Hons) Business and Management (Including Foundation Year)

Year 1 Business and Management - Introduction to Contemporary Management Challenges

The first year of study focuses on management and looks at the different functions of business and how they inter-relate.

In the first teaching block in year 1, students will study the following modules:

People, Work and Society

Students will look at the experience of people in the workplace and the impact this has on wider society. The module looks at some of the historical and more modern approaches to management in the workplace, including the advent of technologies (for example automation and artificial intelligence) which are reshaping the workplace and the skills people require. This also leads to the impact of new workplace technologies on society in general.

Economics, Law and the Business Environment

The module helps students consider the internal and external environment and how it impacts on the current decision making and future direction of business. Looking at the importance of economic and legal factors, students will assess the impact these key external pressures, building scenarios of how this can force change in business. In addition, the internal organisational environment will be considered to understand the capabilities of companies to deal with change.

Becoming a Professional; Critical Enquiry

Students will be assisted in the transition to learning in Higher Education with the first of the skills based modules which will provide an introduction to thinking critically and crucial research skills which provide the foundation for the next 3 years of study.

In the second teaching block in year 1, students will study the following modules:

Principles of Supply Chain Management

This module assesses the importance of recognising and managing the holistic supply chain as being increasingly seen as a key constituent of any organisations' ability to deliver value to its customers and stakeholders.

Marketing and Consumer Behaviour

Marketing is the management process used to identify, anticipate, and satisfy the requirements of customers both efficiently, and profitably. At the heart of marketing is the idea that your customer is your best asset. This module teaches you how to understand and market to your customer. These are fundamental skills in the diverse and fast paced marketing industry.

Becoming a Professional; Enterprise Project

Students will evaluate the key traits and skills required to manage a new enterprise and will self-reflect on their own entrepreneurial competencies by evaluating their own traits, characteristics and current skill set. This self-reflection will enable students to identify skills required for employment/self-employment and recognise further training and skill development to enhance their self-employment/employability potential. The module content will also draw upon the theories and models presented in the other level 4 modules e.g. marketing, HR, management to enable students to understand the inter-disciplinary nature of their course and collaborative working. 

Year Two Business and Management - Developing Industry Practice

In the second year of study, students will be developing key skills which the CMI outlines are crucial for managers and leaders in the workplace. The year also provides the opportunity for students to complete a 10 week internship in a graduate level role or to engage in a live business case study through the South Wales Business School Business Clinic.

In the first teaching block in year 1, students will study the following modules:

Project Management

This module aims to critically explore and examine project management skills in a business context enabling students to understand, explore and apply key project management techniques and principles and assess the impact that they have on operations and business processes.

The Digital Workplace:

Many organisations are becoming increasingly more ‘digital’, in order to capture value from new innovations, by cutting costs, enhancing performance and delivering new services. Future managers need to be able to appreciate the capabilities of digital technologies, but also the organisational contexts in which they will be embedded. 

Business Analytics for Decision Making

The ability to make informed decisions is crucial for the success of any business. Through the analysis of financial and statistical data and information, students will be guided through the interpretation of figures to make sense of data and inform decision making. 

In the second teaching block in year 2, students will study the following modules:

Managing People

If we want to become future managers and leaders, there is no getting away from having to manage people! Having difficult conversations, negotiation skills, recruitment and selection and managing performance are just some of the areas which the module will concentrate on to develop key employability skills.

Employment Experience 1 & 2

These two modules are delivered simultaneously and are where students can engage with a real business with the option of completing a 10-week internship or a live business case through the Business Clinic. Either option provides the opportunity for students to reflect on the development of their own personal skills and behaviours which employers most require from Business Graduates, in addition to creating a report which links an issue in the workplace to the previous academic theories studied, providing a bridge between theory and practice.

Year Three Business and Management - Critical Enquiry or Consultancy Project

Throughout the final year of study, students have the option to undertake a critical enquiry (dissertation) project or a consultancy based project. Both project options are double modules and will be developed throughout the whole of the final year of study.

In the first teaching block in year 1, students will study the following modules:

International Business Management:

The module facilitates a systematic, critical understanding of global business environment and enhances students’ ability to critically analyse emerging themes in international business and to link theory with business practice.

Business Ethics and Sustainability

In contemporary business, simply complying with the law is no longer seen as an acceptable way to operate. This module develops a critical understanding of the current ethical considerations for business which drive them towards being more socially responsible and sustainable bodies.

In the second teaching block in year 2, students will study the following modules:

Contemporary Global Leadership

This module will provide any student who aspires towards management in any industry (including SME’s), with a critical insight into contemporary discourses on leadership in a global context. Students will develop an understanding of the myriad of complexities inherent in managing or leading a diverse contemporary workforce. 

Strategic Management

This module is the ‘capstone’ module of the BA (Hons) Business and Management degree and draws on the student experiences from a number of other modules studied throughout their course. At the end of the module, students will work in cross-disciplinary teams on a full day, class-based simulation exercise which will require students to select and apply a range of tools, techniques, theories and frameworks to address a changing, dynamic business case study.

Foundation Year

The BA (Hons) Business Management is also available as a four year course including an integrated Foundation Year, and is designed for students who do not currently meet admissions criteria for direct entry onto the degree. You will start by completing a foundation year, which provides well structured support, allowing you to develop your skills and knowledge before continuing onto the three year degree programme.