Business Management BA (Hons)

Pathway options provide an insight into different business careers and help you to develop appropriate knowledge and skills to transition into professional work. If you choose a pathway, this will be named in your final degree award e.g. BA (Hons) Business Management (Marketing). We have six pathway options available:

Economics

• Year 2 modules: Resource Management and Decision Making (20 credits) and Economics Analysis (20 credits)
• Final year modules: Games in Business and Politics (20 credits) and International Economic Policy Analysis (20 credits)

Entrepreneurship

• Year 2 modules: Issues in Small Business Entrepreneurship (20 credits) and Creativity and Feasibility (20 credits)
• Final year modules: Entrepreneurial Strategy (20 credits) and Business Planning (20 credits)

Finance

• Year 2 modules: Financial Environment (20 credits) and Financial Statements and Systems (20 credits)
• Final year modules: Financial Strategy (20 credits) and International Money and Finance (20 credits)

Human Resource Management

• Year 2 modules: Managing Human Resources (20 credits) and Value Creation in HRM (20 credits)
• Final year modules: Strategic HRM (20 credits) and Sustainable and Ethical People Practices (20 credits)

Law

• Year 2 modules: Introduction to Business Law (20 credits) and Business Law in Context (20 credits)
• Final year modules: Business Law in Practice (20 credits) and Dispute Resolution (20 credits)

Marketing

• Year 2 modules: Tactical and Strategic Marketing (20 credits) and E-Marketing (20 credits)
• Final year modules: Global Marketing Consultancy (20 credits) and Consumerism and Sustainability (20 credits)

This Business Management BA degree is accredited by, and work closely with, the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) which is the Charted Body for Management and Leadership. CMI work with business and education providers like ourselves to inspire people to become skilled, confident and successful managers and leaders.

During your studies, you can enjoy free CMI membership which extends to one year after graduation. As a member, you have access to a wide range of CMI resources and events which can help you with your studies to connect with potential employers and business professionals. When you successfully complete the BA Business Management degree, you can graduate with a Diploma in Leadership and Management*, a respected professional qualification proven to boost earnings potential.

*Subject to moderation of relevant assessments by CMI

At the University of Northampton, everything we do, from funded trips to paid internships, is to give you everything you need to make a difference when you leave.

If you join our full-time BA Business Management degree, you will receive a laptop when your course begins*. The laptops are built to a bespoke custom specification ideal for use in the seminar room, collaborative group work or studying at home.

Whatever your ambitions, we’re here to help you to achieve them. We’ll support you to identify the skills you’re learning during your business management degree, find your strengths and secure practical experience so that when it comes to applying for jobs or further study you’ll feel confident in standing out from the crowd. We’ve created the Northampton Employment Promise because we are so confident that if you focus on your studies and complete one of our awards you’ll be highly employable by the time you graduate. Putting you in a great position to secure employment or continue your studies.

To check out the full list of perks, visit our Student Perks page or dedicated International Perks page.

*UK fee payers only (see Terms and Conditions for further details).

The Integrated Foundation Year (IFY) offers a new and exciting route into studying for a degree in business management, attracting ambitious and driven students who are willing to learn and advance.

If you have non-standard qualifications or do not quite meet the admissions requirements for the Business Management degree, we can offer you a fantastic opportunity to study a four year Business Management programme which includes an Integrated Foundation Year. The Integrated Foundation Year will help you develop the theoretical/practical and academic skills you need, in order to successfully progress to the full award.

Our four-year courses will enable you to successfully follow the degree pathway of your choice while gaining essential study skills. The foundation year of your chosen degree will be studied on a full-time basis and is aimed at supporting the transition to higher education. Years two, three and four are then studied as a standard degree programme.

Please see our Integrated Foundation Year page for more details.

The optional placement year enables you to put into practice what you have learned on your degree and gain practical industry experience. Your Business Management degree is extended to four years and the placement is undertaken at the end of your penultimate year, this is for one year (48 weeks) and paid. If you meet the entry criteria, and choose to take up a placement year, you will find it an invaluable experience that helps you to apply your learning in your final year and prepares you for your career. We offer a lot of support in helping you to find a placement, which can be in the UK or overseas.

Where have previous Business Management students worked during their placement year?

• Nissan
• Enterprise Rent A Car
• Volkswagen Financial Services
• RSM

Hear from previous Business Management students about their placement experience

• Ellie Roberts

Throughout our business management degree, you will have multiple opportunities to engage in events, trips and experiences which will extend your business knowledge and networks. These may include:

• Annual Business Conference – showcasing hot topics and key-note speakers
• Face-to-face and virtual business trips e.g. factory tours, presentations and career talks
• CMI events
• Guest speakers from industry.

How will I be taught on the Business Management degree?

Our Business Management degree is taught through a combination of face to face sessions, self-study, and online learning comprises live sessions and interactive work units.

How will I be assessed?

We have worked hard on the programme development to ensure that assessments are authentic towards building relevant workplace skills. Assessments are predominantly coursework based and include tasks such as management reports, presentations, research based projects and applied tasks. All assessments are available at the start of the academic year and include clear guidance on grading criteria and expectations.

What jobs can I go into from studying the Business Management degree?

This is one of the true advantages of the BA Business Management. The career options are broad which is an asset in the dynamic workplace today. We prepare students with transferable skills and knowledge that can be applied in many business functions and role types. The pathways offer specialist areas to give students a sense of specified fields that they may be interested in, and the core programme ensures that students who choose to leave their choices until later receive a strong foundation to apply in many areas. Typical graduates from our previous Business programme went on to roles such as product management, marketing executive, business analyst, strategic analysis, and account management. The pathway offering will help to strengthen graduate opportunities to secure their ideal role.

Any specialist facilities/ features?

We encourage our students to pursue their business interests and have students who set up their own micro businesses during their time with us. We also work closely with industry to provide opportunities for development, internships, guest speakers and mentoring. There are many extracurricular business-related activities that students can get involved with such as the Students Union Business Society, the Changemaker programme and our Enterprise club.