Business Management - BA (Hons)

Flexible routes

We offer the following five business management routes:

• BA (Hons) Business Management
• BA (Hons) Business Management with Analytics
• BA (Hons) Business Management with Digital Marketing
• BA (Hons) Business Management with Finance
• BA (Hons) Business Management with Human Resource Management

On our BA (Hons) Business Management routes you will:

• gain a solid foundation in the core principles of business management, including marketing, human resource management, finance, economics, digital business, strategy, law, and operations management;
• hone your practical business expertise with placements, guest speakers and project opportunities;
• choose electives from a range of modules on offer. You will gain the maximum possible flexibility in Years Three and Four by being able to select modules from any of the specialised routes for your electives;
• have the opportunity to apply for an exchange at a university overseas in North America, Canada, Europe or Australia**; and
• gain a degree that has a strong focus on employability, supporting you to develop your project management, problem solving, communication, innovation and other transferable skills valued by employers.

** Subject to availability

Structure

All students enrol on our general Business Management degree for Years One and Two which will give you a solid foundation in the core principles of business management. At the end of Year Two we’ll discuss the route options with you and help you make you decide whether to stay on our general Business Management degree for maximum flexibility or, if you want to, you can move onto one of our named routes. This will allow you to graduate with a specialist award, for example: BA (Hons) Business Management with Analytics.

Whichever business management path you take, you will be equipped with the skills employers are looking for, negotiation, project management, problem solving, critical thinking and team working.

You can opt to study for an honours degree over four years or an ordinary degree over three years. You will complete a range of modules each year as outlined.

Teaching, learning and assessment

You will be taught in lectures, seminars and practical workshops. Outside these formally timetabled sessions you will be expected to continue learning through self-study. You will be assessed by a range of methods such as written exams, reports, poster presentations, business plans, live pitch, group presentations and negotiation role play.

You will have the iterative support of Academic Development (AD) throughout your course to enable you to confidently manage the purely academic challenges of your study, and address the diverse technical requirements of your assignments. AD will be available not only as a regular taught component of your study timetable, but in the form of self-study materials available via your module hubs/websites etc. and as ad hoc one-to-one or small group sessions, which can usually be arranged at short notice.

Experience Semester (placement, exchange opportunity or business plan development)

Placement: In the second semester of Year Three you will undertake an ‘experience’ semester. You will have the opportunity to undertake an organisational placement, study abroad or you can develop your own business plan with a support from our expert academics. Placements are an excellent opportunity to put your learning into practice. Some of our graduates have secured a graduate role within the organisation they undertook their placement. Students are responsible for sourcing a placement host organisation, which can be in the UK or abroad. We support you to find a placement host.

Exchange opportunities: Studying abroad through our exchange programme can be one of the most exciting and rewarding challenges for a student to experience. The opportunity to travel and live in another country, learn different customs and traditions, meet new people and future career draws many students into the exchange programme. The tuition fees are covered in the reciprocal arrangements and there are other funding supports available to cover other costs. Many of our students get additional funding support through grants and other funding schemes. We help you to apply for funding support in pursuing these opportunities. Find out more about studying abroad.  

Develop a Business Plan: If you are keen to set up your own business in the future, then this is an excellent option.  Expert advice and guidance is available to help you with planning your business – all designed to give you the skills to succeed.

Teaching staff, class sizes and timetables

You can read more about the teaching staff on this course at the bottom of this page. Please note that teaching staff is subject to change.

For more information, please also visit ‘How we teach and how you’ll learn’.

Year One

You will:

• Develop a foundational understanding of key areas of Business Management, including leadership, finance, marketing and digital business;
• Build your analytical and data visualisation skills in readiness for more advanced analytical modules as you progress through the course; and
• Focus on your personal development through enhancing self-reflection and creative thinking skills.

Modules

• Introduction to Management and Leadership
• Development of Professional Skills in Business and Management
• Marketing and Consumer Behaviour
• Introduction to Finance and Accounting
• Digital Business and Innovation
• Data Management

Year Two

You will:

• Focus on operational aspects of managing businesses in an ethical and fair manner across a range of business environments;
• Explore concepts linked to sustainability, ethics and social justice to gain an understanding of ethical, responsible and sustainable approaches to managing businesses and organisations; and
• Enhance your analytical skills even further using analytical methods and software valued by employers.

Modules

• Human Resource Management
• Operations Management
• Economics, Financial Institutions and Markets
• Digital Marketing and E-Commerce Management
• Business Law
• Ethics, Social Justice and Sustainability

Year Three

You will:

• Examine business and management themes at a more strategic level, choosing electives from a range of modules on offer;
• Develop valuable project management skills and experience in the application of project management techniques through a client brief; and
• Gain management-related experience, through completion of an experience semester, to enhance your career prospects when you graduate. You can opt to undertake an organisational placement; study for one semester at a university overseas; create a fully costed business plan for a new business venture; or develop a new web-based application.

Modules

• Project Management
• Two optional modules
• Research Methods (Online)
• Choose from one of the following experience options: Placement; Semester Abroad; New Enterprise Start-up; or Web-based Application

Year Four

You will:

• Deepen your understanding, and awareness, of contemporary issues and challenges facing organisations at a strategic level;
• Complete an independent piece of research in an area of your choice in the form of a dissertation or a consultancy project; and
• Develop a range of practical skills necessary for management roles such as hard and soft leadership skills alongside negotiation, collaboration, conflict resolution and change management skills.

Modules

• Strategy
• Negotiation Theory and Practice
• Organisational Behaviour
• Leading and Managing Change
• Dissertation or Consultancy Project

NB The modules listed here are correct at time of posting (Feb 2023) but may differ slightly to those offered in 2024. Please check back here for any updates.

A Business Management degree can open the door to a wide range of exciting career options and opportunities and as a QMU Business Management graduate you will be well-prepared to enter the world of work. Our graduates are highly employable, internationally recognized and desired by employers. Some graduates have secured graduate level employment after completing their placement with organisations such as BlackRock, Enterprise Rent a Car, Turner & Townsend and others. The structure of our Business Management courses ensures that our graduates are ready to hit the ground running when they graduate.

This is a degree that works. In general management, marketing, sales management, logistics, financial services, operations management and human resource management, our graduates are proving their worth to companies in the UK and internationally. Our courses open up doors for a variety of jobs. A few examples of our recent graduate roles include Partnership Manager at Amazon; Analyst at HMRC, JP Morgan Chase, Baillie Gifford, and Whyte and Mackay; Project Manager at Thales, Area Manager at Aldi, Audit Associate at Grant Thornton and so on.

With initial help from QMU’s on campus Business Innovation Zone, many new graduates also go on to set up their own business. See the one of the case studies at the foot of this page.

Many graduates also choose to pursue postgraduate study, whether it be with us here at QMU or elsewhere. Our MSc International Management and Leadership and MSc International Marketing courses are very attractive to graduates who want to further their studies.

Entry requirements

Scottish Higher: Standard - BBBC, Minimum - BCCC

A Level: BCC

Irish Leaving Certificate: H2 H3 H3 H3

International Baccalaureate: 28 points

International: IELTS of 6.0 with no element lower than 5.5

T-Level: Management and Administration Full T-Level Passing Grade A*- C

Required subjects: English Required and Maths preferred at Nat 5/GCSE. We can also accept National 5 Application of Maths or Lifeskills at the same grade.

Mature/Access: We welcome applications from mature students with other relevant qualifications and/or experience. 

For more information on related HNC and HND courses, visit our College Leavers and Mature Students Advice page.

Direct Entry:

Year Two

• HNC in a related subject with B in the graded unit
• Scottish Higher: BC at Advanced Higher in relevant subjects plus BB at Higher
• A Level: BBB in relevant subjects

Year Three

• HND in a related subject with CB in the graded unit

For details of related HNC and HND courses, visit our College Leavers and Mature Students Advice page.

Am I a Widening Access student?: We apply the minimum entry criteria to applicants who meet one or more contextual factor. To see if this would apply to you, please refer to the access and application page.

Disability/health conditions

If you have a disability, long-term physical or mental health condition, or learning disability, it should not stand in the way of your studying at QMU. However, if you are not sure whether your disability might be a barrier in your studies or in relation to the professional standards, please contact the disability service who will be able to have a conversation with you about reasonable adjustments and supports available to you.

Terms and Conditions

The delivery of this course is subject to the terms and conditions set out in our 2024/25 Entry Terms and Conditions (Undergraduate).

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