Curriculum Information

The course along with the specialism pathways offer students a future facing and integrated business education covering the main disciplines and operational areas of business, whilst focusing on supporting students to develop the skills and competencies required in a contemporary and future labour market. The curriculum aims to challenge students in their cognitive models and foster self-development. The course actively seeks input from the external environment and student learning is grounded in the external context wherever appropriate. Through external speakers, live management projects, case studies, showcase activities and a variety of formative and summative assessment activities, students apply theoretical concepts in practice, and places academic concepts into a range of managerial contexts. Student achievement is supported by embedded and explicit personal development of transferable skills and competencies; supporting student transition into higher education, underpinning employability and professional practice and the ethos of lifelong learning.
Each specialist pathway provides a comprehensive business education, equipping students with the business knowledge and skills for a successful career in a complex business world. The course offers a broad range of modules, ensuring breadth of knowledge to support students in their future career aspirations. Successful completion anticipates students to be entrepreneurial, creative, independent, analytical and critical. It requires them to work effectively within diverse teams and demonstrate strong information literacy, a spirit of enquiry and to be reflective in practice. It will also require a broad theoretical and practical knowledge of a range of business functions and the wider international business environment.
Each specialism pathway has dedicated learning objectives, the course aims below feature in the main Business Management and all specialist pathways.
• To support students in their development and provide a critical understanding of organisations and their management in relation to the current, dynamic business environment.
• To develop students with relevant, transferable employability skills and confidence to enhance their ability to work effectively in their chosen careers, by providing relevant knowledge, skills and organisational experience.
• To develop a range of interpersonal and analytical skills that will enable students to function as effective managers and which enables them to contribute effectively to businesses and wider society, becoming effective global citizens.
• To build upon the business awareness at previous levels and to develop further knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours required in a modern business environment.
• To equip students to understand the range of contexts, both nationally and internationally, within which business decisions are taken.
• To enhance career development in a business studies environment to include an appreciation of lifelong learning skills and personal development.
• To provide an opportunity for students to develop academic interests and consolidate the prior learning through an integrated focus of study.
• To develop students’ understanding of business studies, focusing on the critical analysis of theoretical and contemporary issues.
• To provide a broad-based programme of education suitable for employment in a range of organisations as well as for professional and post-graduate study.
• To enable students to use appropriate critical, analytical and vocational skills in order to resolve problems relevant to a wide range of business organisations.

Events Management
The BA (Hons) Business Management (Events Management) enables students to be able to combine specialisms within two interrelated disciplines, covering the main operational areas of events while maintaining a broad-based business education in the key business and management areas. This course allows students to attain the competencies required in a contemporary and future labour market. Specifically, the aims of the Events specialist route are:
• To support students in their development to provide a critical understanding of organisations and their management in relation to the current, dynamic business environment with specific consideration of the impact on the Events Industry.
• To develop a range of interpersonal and analytical skills that will enable students to function as effective managers and/or Events Managers and which enables them to contribute effectively to businesses and wider society, becoming effective global citizens.
• Develop students’ critical understanding of the processes and practices of event operations, planning and delivery.

Active/simulation based  

Students will be offered the chance to engage in the Universities Business Challenge (a realistic simulation of running an organisation), but this is extra curricula activity. 

Lectures 

Lectures are used sparingly and where appropriate to deliver theoretical foundations.  Some modules will trial virtual lectures, so students undertake some independent learning in advance, so that the lecture time become more interactive, with an opportunity for a wider discussion and debates. 

Seminars/ Workshops 

Seminars and workshops enable more interactive learning and are an opportunity for contextualisation and application of the module content.  Where appropriate, live and current case studies are used to support students’ development, understanding and ability to apply theory to practice.  Workshops also allow contextualisation specific to the Business Management (specialisms). 

Tutorials 

CAS sessions are timetabled but are not credit bearing.  They incorporate tutorial activity for targeted academic and employability skills development support. In addition, international students will benefit from support by the Centre for International English. 

Groupwork 

Group work will be an important learning and teaching method, which will be inculcated with students in the immersive learning week at the start of each term.  However, it will only be minimally used for assessment (eg 10% of the Business Strategy overall module grade), to minimise impact on degree classifications. 

Work-based 

There is no work-based learning, but opportunities for volunteering are publicised by the Careers and Employability team and all students are encouraged to participate. Students can also apply to work as Business Analysts in the Business School’s Business Clinic.  

Project Supervision 

Students will be fully supervised through the Management Project / Enterprise Based Learning / Live Event modules. 

External Visits 

All students are offered the opportunity to engage in an industry visit, at least once during the academic year. 

Directed Study (including Online Learning) 

All modules include materials posted on the VLE. These include lecture slides and recordings/streaming of key lectures or assessment information. Some modules will encourage students to use online discussion boards to continue discussion outside the classroom.??Students will be given tasks to perform outside of the taught sessions. These could take a variety of formats such as online discussion boards, readings, or researching case studies.?? 

Independent Study 

Independent study is essential and the importance of this will be emphasised in induction.  During all modules students will be give tasks to complete independently either in groups or individually with dissemination of the results to the whole cohort or group.? 

Students will utilise the independent study time to complete summative and formative assessment activities. They are also expected to stay abreast of current affairs and business news. 

Formative assessment -scheduled 

Opportunities for early feedback are embedded in some modules, with opportunities for tutor and peer review and self-reflection, 

This is of particular importance in term 1, so students can gauge their progression and performance with their studies. 

Formative assessment – independent 

Students new to UK study will complete a progressive workbook during induction and the first immersive learning week, and this will enable them to identify and development needs for success at level 6 study. 

Timetabled CAS during the term will offer opportunities for regular formative assessment to support academic skills development.  Students will also be encouraged to utilising MyCareers resources and to complete Gradedge, to enhance their employability.