Business Management and Entrepreneurship (with a Foundation Year) BA (Hons)

Personal Learning Competencies (Core)

This module aims to support your transition to higher education by learning the key skills for academic development. You will be introduced to academic literacy strategies to build your skill-set to manage, develop and enhance your ability to read and think and to reflect on your own skillset.

Taking a Professional Approach (Core)

This module will equip you with the knowledge, confidence and practical skills to help you to develop your employability skills.

You will be introduced to the workplace through a short observation, will work independently and in groups to understand and recognise work-related success, and will build on your own potential.

London: A Global City (Core)

This module explores the ways in which London is a globalised city, with particular reference to the financial, legal and tourism sectors. The module outlines the effects of global socio-economic developments in London, such as financial deregulation, the changing relationship between the UK and Europe, and the implications of competition with other global cities. By doing so, the module exposes you to the theoretical and practical implications of globalisation.

These concepts are explored through the gathering, presentation and analysis of secondary data sets, enabling you to gain a range of transferable data handling skills applicable to further studies in a range of disciplines including business and management, law, tourism and geography.

Fundamentals of Business Management (Core)

This module explores management as an essential component of all business organisations. Some businesses may have predominantly commercial objectives, while others may have complex social or public objectives. The common themes will be explored across a variety of types of organisations while emphasising the specific challenges found in different organisational contexts.

These include but not limited to topics such as contemporary business practices, role of finance in society, history of management development and the changing nature of human resource management.

Thinking Critically, Creatively and Ethically (Core)

This module explores what makes “thinking” rigorous and logical, and how to detect specious arguments or ideas based on prejudice or fallacies in reasoning.

It will also encourage students to start reflecting on how to present ideas in creative and critical ways, whilst developing a strong understanding of the constant need to be ethical.

Individual Study (Core)

The Individual Project is an opportunity for you to further develop the skills acquired in the first semester and to expand your knowledge in an area of your own choice. You will focus on one area within education of interest to you. You will engage with academic research skills such as finding sources, building an argument and organising ideas, design and delivery of output. This will require planning, preparation, research and autonomous working.

This module will culminate in a small “conference” where will be able to showcase your findings in a short presentation.

Contemporary Marketing Practice (Core)

The dynamics of the marketing environment, namely buyer behaviour, product pricing and product promotion, are all explored within this module. You will examine the role marketing communication plays in business and some techniques used to generate interest and purchasing decisions. As part of this module, you will develop an understanding of the significance of research in market development and product innovation.

Introduction to Management (Core)

This module introduces students to the management skills they will need to develop as they embark on their university studies and into their careers, and to the broad functional disciplines that underpin the study of management and provides an integrative platform upon which to build on in later modules. This will be achieved by examining the discipline of management from both a theoretical and practical perspective. This will be done whilst identifying and building essential management and study skills which will be important for successful progression through the programmes of study.

Please note: this module supports your progress towards the CMI Level 5 Diploma in Management and Leadership and the CIMA Certificate in Business Accounting.

Organisational Behaviour (Core)

This module examines the nature of organisational behaviour from both an individual and corporate perspective. It provides you with a good understanding of work psychology and the important role it plays in managing relationships between colleagues, staff and managers. The module considers the impacts of situational influences and concepts, such as job satisfaction, diversity, work motivation and leadership. You will gain an appreciation of psychology in professional and business settings. You will also realise the interface of human psychology in the workplace.

Digital Business (Core)

Our Digital Business module at Level 4 will begin to equip you with some knowledge and initial practical skills desired by employers. At St Mary's, this course is covering important areas of Digital Business and will provide you with a solid foundation for a career in the contemporary business field - private, public or voluntary sector organisations. This is a core module because the world of 2030 when the students’ careers will be developing is, and will continue to be, characterised by the reinvention of new business models. This core module is deepened by the knowledge and skills that would be acquired in the follow up Digital Business Strategy module (also core) in level 6.

More and more companies establish digital systems to support their business processes and to gain strategic competitive advantage. In this turbulent environment characterised by the acceleration of various technologies, the greater prevalence of AI, new digital infrastructures, and the ‘obsession’ with consumer centricity through worldwide internet connectivity, our students, as the managers of tomorrow must possess the knowledge and skills to exploit digital business opportunities.

This module will set out the basic principles of digital business transformation by organisations and some of the changes in their management. It will help our students distinguish between digital business and e-commerce marketplaces. It will focus on new technology infrastructures, exploring also important issues as the integration of the new business environment in organisational strategies, new transformative business models, the reimagination of customer centred marketing, and, the necessity for cultural change.

The module will help students develop a view of the digital business in practice and in theory through both academic references and major practical consultancy reports.

• Credits: 20

Financial Management (Core)

This module introduces you to methods of research and data collection, data analysis, and some financial mathematics used by decision makers in a business or organisational context. It gives a broad appreciation of the role of key methods and approaches essential to commercial decision-making processes. Emphasis will be placed on the application of essential techniques and methodology, and the interpretation of results. This should help you to understand the value and limitations of data and financial information in decision making.

Please note: this module supports your progress towards the CMI Level 5 Diploma in Management and Leadership and the CIMA Certificate in Business Accounting.

Professional Skills (Core)

This module builds upon the knowledge and understanding students will have achieved in MGT4016 Introduction to Management. They will apply their group-working skills, goal-setting practice and reflection, as well as using their numeracy and business communication skills within this module.

Students will be introduced to professionalism and will experience employment-related scenarios which will develop their ability to assess situations and make judgements. These judgements will be informed by consideration of fundamental ethical principles and the commercial imperatives which drive many business decisions. Students will also focus on their own employability, reflect on their current skills and plan to develop the areas which they have identified as priorities.

• Credits: 20

Principles of Entrepreneurship (Core)

This module introduces you to entrepreneurship in practical and theoretical methods. The module exposes you to different entrepreneurial approaches, including social entrepreneurship, and intrapreneurship across gender and ethnicity. It also explores the importance of entrepreneurship to national economies. You will develop an awareness of key skills needed for exploiting new business opportunities, namely marketing and financial planning. You will also meet people who run SMEs, providing you with real examples to enhance your learning opportunities.

Entrepreneurship and Professionalism (Core)

On this module, you will gain the necessary knowledge and practical skills to enter the world of work (e.g. freelancing, self-employment and small business start-ups in the creative industries). This will include: the legal processes of setting up a small production company; preparing business plans and financial forecasts for investors; bidding for creative projects; and resource management and developing entrepreneurial skills. By the end of the module, you will have gained valuable commercial awareness and experience in business management, both of which are vital for employability.

Business Law (Core)

Understanding how the law affects the operation of a business is crucial to the success or survival of the business. During this module, you will be exposed to the national, EU and international legal environments in which businesses function. This module explores the most important and frequently occurring areas of law relevant to most businesses.

The complex nature of the law means that even deciding the appropriate form of business organisation is a question which results in many legislative outcomes. This module will help you to make that decision.

Please note: this module supports your progress towards the CIMA Certificate in Business Accounting and the CIPFA Professional Accounting Qualification – Diploma Level.

Research Methods in Business and Management (Core)

This module provides you with an understanding of research in management and business as preparation for the Level 6 independent research project. You will be encouraged to consider relevant philosophies, approaches and methodologies in research such as primary and secondary research, self-completion questionnaires and ethnography, and qualitative and quantitative research. You will consider the role of ethics in research and will learn to apply these methods to a realistic business and management situation.

Leadership in Organisations (Optional)

Leadership is the subject of much academic research, debate and analysis and even media headlines regularly attack public figures on their leadership. In this module you are guided through styles of leadership and examine the effectiveness of each. You will consider and identify successful business leaders and understand how and why they have achieved success. The module includes sessions where you get unrivalled access to a panel of business leaders. You are also encouraged to critically analyse current research on leadership to help you define your own style.

Please note: this module supports your progress towards the CIPFA Professional Accounting Qualification – Diploma Level.

Global People Management (Optional)

Module description coming soon.

Business Economics (Optional)

Micro and macroeconomic issues significantly influence many business decisions. In this module you will examine the concepts of supply and demand, equilibrium and elasticities and their impact on business and pricing strategies. You will also question the effects of industry structure and competition. From a macro-economic perspective, you will consider the effect of national income as well as fiscal and monetary policy. You will also debate global aspects of the economy such as balance of payments, international trade and exchange rates.

Behavioural Economics (Optional)

Do people act rationally? This module introduces you to some of the most fascinating human and behavioural insights accumulated by the marketing and communications industries, combining behavioural psychology with economic analysis. You will explore the contrast between what rational agents are supposed to do, according to standard economic theory, and how humans actually behave.

Consumer and Commercial Law (Optional)

The customer isn’t always right: therefore an awareness of consumer and commercial law is very important to any business selling goods to customers. This module will guide you through the important principles of law governing sales transactions and the law of agency. In particular, it will consider contractual arrangements and the Sale of Goods Act; it will look at where responsibility rests when a good is faulty or defective; what exemptions and limitations exist around transactions and what remedies buyers and sellers have at their disposal. You will gain useful knowledge when buying and selling goods which can be applied against everyday purchases as well as in business.

Experience and Employment in Business (Optional)

Module description coming soon.

Contributing to the Community (Optional)

As local employers and suppliers of services, businesses are an integral part of any community or society. On this module, students with business or management ambitions will develop an appreciation of social issues and concerns. This module provides you with practical work experience in a community-focused service, such as a charity, social or education service.

You will develop your societal awareness and gain a greater understanding of local level organisation. The placement acts as a case study for you to explore issues of social justice and community action. The module also helps to develop your employability skills through the process of self-reflection and evaluation and by applying theory to practice.

Research Project (Core option)

Drawing on the research proposal developed in Research Methods in Business and Management, you will refine and carry out your research proposal and develop a body of work in evidence. As part of the module, you will develop the ability to locate and evaluate, academic literature and business reports. The module will enable you to demonstrate a holistic understanding of business management issues and to exemplify your research, reporting and analytical skills through a significant piece of independent research.

Please note: this module supports your progress towards a CMI Level 5 Diploma in Management and Leadership.

Independent Study (Core option)

This module provides students with the opportunity to undertake an extended final year piece of independent study which is a value and integral element of Higher Education. The Independent Study will culminate in an extended essay or report which will be defended and discussed in a viva. The process of undertaking the independent study will require students to develop skills in time management, project management and develop their academic and professional writing and communication skills.

Students will be allocated a supervisor and will receive a combination of small group and individual supervision. Throughout the process, students will be responsible independent learners who will be rewarded for their self and project management and their initiative and problem-solving ability. The independent study should demonstrate and develop students’ ability to think critically and professionally and to synthesize complex ideas through their writing and their discussion.

Corporate Entrepreneurship and Innovation (Core)

Entrepreneurship is a profound social force. For every development in the modern era, the technologies and ideas that constituted those developments have been configured and realized through entrepreneurship, in one form or another. Not only has entrepreneurship found ways to allocate food, energy, and information in society, but it has determined how they will be allocated. This module takes an interdisciplinary perspective on entrepreneurship in its global context, drawing insights from economics, anthropology, sociology, geography, and politics. Using these various lenses, the module will help students think about the functions of entrepreneurship in society.

This is the final entrepreneurship module available to students at St Mary’s, and complements the preceding modules – Principles of Entrepreneurship (MGT5016) and Starting a Business Venture (MGT 5024). The first module in this series was concerned with helping students understand what entrepreneurship is, the second with how to do it. This final module in the entrepreneurship pathway offers students the chance to thoroughly consider the question of why entrepreneurship – both in terms why entrepreneurship has produced the global outcomes that it has, and why the students of this course might want to engage in entrepreneurship themselves.

Social Enterprise (Core)

This module will examine the theory and practice of social enterprise. You will gain a unique outlook on enterprises that reinvest surpluses into society. As part of the module, you will explore the nature and impact of social enterprise in a wider socio-economic context. You consider some challenges and opportunities that social enterprises present and develop a social enterprise proposal for action. On completing the module, you will be equipped with the skills to develop your own entrepreneurial business in the social sector.

Strategy (Core)

The module explores strategies, strategy processes, and strategy concepts associated with multinational organisations. It helps students to develop an understanding of strategy formation in business organisations, as well as non-governmental organisations and other organisational forms.

The module will provide students with a comprehensive appreciation of strategy formulation and implementation from both an organisational and individual perspective. Themes like strategic decision making, organisational structure, organisational learning, and the organisational environment will feature on this module.

• Assessment: Online discussion and seminars 3,500 words 70%; Business Case presentation 12 minutes 30%
• Credits: 20

Starting a Business Venture (Core)

Starting a business is an exciting venture for anyone to take up. In this module, theory and practice combine to provide you with the skills to set up your own business. This module takes you on a journey starting with identifying gaps in the market right through to preparation of a business plan and all stages in between. This module is designed to ensure you are aware of the best conditions for business success, and are given the opportunity to present your business idea to a panel of business leaders in a Dragon’s Den format.

Corporate Governance and Social Responsibility (Optional)

This module progresses themes of business ethics embedded earlier in the degree, in terms of management of finance, human resources, and marketing. It also enables you to engage critically with a number of other issues identifiable in the theory and practice of business ethics, such as different approaches to business ethics, corporate social responsibility, sustainable development, transnational corporations, ethical investment and whistle-blowing. It, therefore, equips you with a critical insight into becoming an ethical and responsible business practitioner.

Financial Markets and Institutions (Optional)

For students who have wondered what FTSE, CAC and Dow Jones are or what happens on Wall Street or the City of London then this module provides some context. It discusses the historical developments and market structure of major international financial markets such as the equity, debt and currency markets as well as the risks and opportunities faced by businesses operating in these markets. The module also touches upon current developments in these markets, and various international funding and investment techniques.

Contemporary Issues in Marketing (Optional)

This module is designed to keep you up-to-date with the latest developments in marketing. These are coming thick and fast, mainly because of the rapid rate of change stimulated by digital marketing techniques, but also by the disruption in markets that digital technology causes and new business models, including platform-based ones. This module uses the latest research from the teaching team and inputs from visiting senior marketers.

International Financial Reporting (Optional)

The globalisation of business has led to a gradual move in the UK away from domestic generally accepted accounting practices (GAAP) to international rules. The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) is emerging as the generally accepted regulator of the international rules. This module will provide you with a detailed understanding of the underlying reasons for the harmonization of accounting standards internationally. Furthermore, you will learn how to prepare a range of financial statements that comply with IASB international financial reporting standards (IFRS).

Please note: this module supports your progress towards the CIPFA Professional Accounting Qualification – Certificate Level.

Digital Business Strategy (Optional)

Digital business involves the creation of new business models by implementing digital technology. 

This module provides students with insights and information on the digital business transformation environment and why organisations must adapt to the disruptions resulting from accelerated digital technologies (cloud, AI, and more), digital and e-commerce marketing, increased customer connectivity, new forms of collaboration among supply chain partners, cultural change and more.

It offers students the ability to absorb leading-edge knowledge, refine their critical thinking and analytical capabilities and apply practical skills to real organisational situations. Whether students intend to develop their professional capabilities inside established organisations in different areas of business or launch their own enterprises, this course is an essential platform for informed decision making and these different career moves.

• Assessment: 4000-word essay; group and/or individual 12 minute presentation
• Credits: 20

Consultancy Project (Optional)

Module description coming soon.

The Enterprising Workplace (Optional)

This module provides you with the opportunity to gain experience in the workplace whilst reflecting on, identifying and improving your own skills, knowledge and professional identity. You will be introduced to the concepts of enterprise, entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship and will explore how these exist within organisations.

Managing in the Workplace (Optional)

In this module, you will consider the challenges of leadership and management. You will learn how these practices impact on the culture and success of an organisation through real-life examples. You will identify, observe and develop skills required to promote positive management practice and will analyse your own management style. You will be encouraged to consider leadership qualities and how you can demonstrate these at all levels in an organisation.

Building a Start-up Business (Optional)

This module complements the Starting a Business Venture in Level 5 and is designed specifically for Business Management students with a viable business idea that they wish to take to market.

The module includes tailored business development sessions where you will learn and collaborate with others in developing your business. You will have access to mentors and successful start-up entrepreneurs and will draw upon their experience. At the end of the module, you will present your business plan to a panel of business owners and can then go on to seek investment and funds to take it to market.