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

Entry year
2025/26
Course code
N10F
Application
UCAS
Level
Undergraduate
School
Bristol Business School
Tariff points
48
Campus
Frenchay
Duration
Four years full-time; five years sandwich
Delivery
Full-time; sandwich
Programme leader
Ms Chathushka Kiriella

This course is open for applications

Introduction

Study our broad, interdisciplinary Business and Management degree and benefit from embedded opportunities to gain practical experience, enhancing your employability. Engage with industry professionals and get business and management experience through placements, studying abroad and live briefs.

Why study business and management?

Businesses must constantly challenge and re-invent themselves to adapt to the fast-paced, increasingly competitive global market. Employers need graduates who can integrate theory with real-world business experiences, and the practical skills needed by today’s business managers.

Our BA(Hons) Business and Management offers an interdisciplinary education guided by supportive tutors and research-active experts and practitioners. Through combining theory and practice you’ll explore key business functions like marketing, operations, strategy,   and human resource management.
 

Why UWE Bristol?

The curriculum challenges your thinking and supports your professional development with entrepreneurial perspectives, academic research, and social sustainability. You’ll also engage with industry professionals through fieldwork, pitches, and guest lectures.

From day one, you’ll engage in real-world learning experiences through our embedded Professional Practice Stream. This stream supports your development, enabling you to work closely with your Group Mentor and Personal Tutor to develop a portfolio of practice to present to potential employers. 

Your final year will include real-world practice modules, such as a final professional development module, designed to bring together you’re learning for the professional world. Plus, you’ll have the chance to gain further experience through sandwich year placements, study abroad opportunities and live briefs.
 

Where can it take me?

This course is ideal if you’re seeking a business career and want a course that grows with you as you discover different specialisms. You’ll have the flexibility to follow your interests through specialist optional modules, offering you access to broad career pathways. 

Graduates often secure management roles in various business functions and industries, including retail, marketing, HR, and recruitment. Whichever specialism you choose, you’ll gain the practical skills, ability for life-long learning, and real-world experience you need to thrive in a competitive global market.
 

Structure

Content

The optional modules listed are those that are most likely to be available, but they may be subject to change.

You usually need to pass your foundation year before going onto Year one.

Year zero (foundation year)

All foundation year students in Bristol Business School study together on ‘Year Zero’ and take the below compulsory modules, which includes an introduction to university-level academic and study skills. This will ensure that you have the necessary grounding, enabling you to develop a range of perspectives and skills that will enrich your learning at Year one and beyond.

You'll study:

  • Becoming a Professional
  • Introduction to Organisation, Enterprise and Management
  • Economics and Accounting for the Real World
  • Introduction to Law in a Social, Business and Global Context.

Year one

You'll study:

  • Business and Economic Environments
  • Entrepreneurial Decision Making
  • Principles of Marketing
  • Professional Knowledge: Management and Organisational Behaviour
  • Using Financial Information for Business.

Year two

You'll study:

  • Applied Human Resource Management
  • International Business
  • Professional Skills: Business Research
  • Strategy, Innovation, and Operations.

Plus, one optional module from:

  • Digital Age: Ethical Decision-Making and Sustainable Practices
  • Employment Law and Employment Rights for Managers
  • Entrepreneurship Thought and Action
  • Management Accounting in an A.I. World
  • Marketing Innovation and Influence
  • Perspectives on Social and Organisational Behaviour.

Placement year (if applicable)

If you study on the four year (sandwich) course, you'll spend a year away from the University on a work or study placement after Year two.

Depending on which you choose, you'll either complete the Practise-Based Learning Year or Study Year Abroad Learning module as appropriate.

See the Placements and Fees sections for more information.

Final year

You'll study:

  • Social Value and Sustainability for Business.

Plus, one optional module from:

  • Cross Border Trade Development and Migration
  • Global Supply Chain for Advanced Strategy
  • Humans vs AI: Leading and managing change for future organisations
  • Marketing in a Digital World.

Plus, one optional module from:

  • Brand Evolution: Identity, Values and Market Edge
  • Coaching and Mentoring in Organisations
  • Financial Management and International Finance
  • Project Management with Data Analytics
  • Transformation of Work.

Plus, one optional module from:*

  • Cross Cultural Learning
  • Work Based Learning.

*Neither of these modules will be available to study if you complete the sandwich year.

Plus, one optional module from:

  • Professional Development: Business Simulation
  • Professional Development: Consultancy
  • Professional Development: Contemporary Enterprise and Innovation.

The University continually enhances our offer by responding to feedback from our students and other stakeholders, ensuring the curriculum is kept up to date and our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the real world. This may result in changes to the course. If changes to your course are approved, we'll inform you.

Learning and Teaching

Learning and teaching on this course emphasises active participation and learning by doing, supporting you to gradually become more independent in your learning as you progress through the course. Each module is inspired and informed by a learning and teaching approach that enables you to prepare for and participate in your classes and practise your skills

You’ll prepare by engaging with suggested materials, such as pre-recorded lectures, to gain background knowledge. This will support you to participate in timetabled interactive sessions, applying your knowledge to develop your understanding and skills. Finally, you’ll practise applying your knowledge to real-world business challenges.

Learn through a mixture of lectures, tutorials and workshops, involving both individual and group work. You’ll explore a variety of course materials and activities, such as case studies, live briefs, portfolios, pitches, presentations, online exercises and simulations. You’ll also interact with guest practitioners and speakers and potentially undertake professional practice field visits . 

See our glossary of teaching and learning terms.
 

Study time

In a typical week, you could expect to be timetabled with academic staff for an average of 12 hours. You’ll also engage with a range of additional academic and professional development activities, and work on practice and assessment tasks through independent self-study for 28 hours per week on average. 

The balance between taught sessions and independent study hours may vary between modules and at points across the academic years. This enables both the development of new skills, concepts, and knowledge and to facilitate the space to produce assessment tasks.

Assessment

Our assessment strategy focuses on developing subject knowledge, practical skills and professional attributes within key business environments, including your chosen area of specialism. The scaffolded structure ensures your assessments progressively challenge you as you advance through each year of the course.

You’ll be assessed through a broad range of methods, such as written assignments, presentations and posters, projects, case studies, reports, examinations and set exercises. 

Throughout the course, you’ll also complete a professional practice portfolio of evidence, alongside a reflective workbook to document your own personal development. Your portfolio will demonstrate that you have developed the required professional skills and attributes for a career in business.

In your professional practice modules, you’ll be encouraged to engage in collaborative learning and contribute to group tasks as part of your assessments. These modules will include support through mentor groups to facilitate your collaborative learning.

Learn more about our assessments.
 

Features

Placements

We encourage you to do a paid sandwich placement after Year two. It can be in the UK or abroad.Your placement is valuable because it allows you to gain real-world experience and skills that increase your employability.

We have a strong, growing network of placement organisations. Past students have secured roles at Rolls Royce, HP, IBM, the NHS, Hayes, Microsoft, Maclaren F1 and Lidl in business and management areas.

You'll get help to find your placement and support throughout from your department and the careers service.

Study year abroad

You'll also have opportunities to study overseas on courses that are taught in English and relevant to your degree. The study year abroad is not a paid placement.

Students are selected for this through a competitive process.

Study facilities

Our £55 million Bristol Business School is home to the latest facilities. The School collaborates with Future Space on Frenchay Campus, supporting robotics, biosciences, and biomedicine start-ups by offering practical business experience.

Designed with student input, the building includes individual and group study areas, conference rooms, and spaces for collaboration between students and businesses. The library and Business School provide silent and group study areas, access to books, trade press, academic journals, and industry databases

Take a personalised virtual tour of the Business Management facilities and experience what a typical day could look like here for you.

Developing crucial skills

This course helps you develop crucial skills to give you an edge in the graduate market.

From day one, you'll take part in skills workshops and employability sessions.

You'll learn how to present, write reports, critically analyse, evaluate and self-reflect. Find out how to interpret data, work in teams, deal with conflict and manage time. Become flexible, resilient and self-motivating.

This ability to adapt to different situations and work settings will make you attractive to future employers.

Life

Accommodation

An excellent range of options for all of the Bristol campuses and the city centre.

Bristol

A stunning city for student living with all the qualities to make you want to stay.

Sports, societies and activities

There is more to your experience here than study. Choose to make the most of it and try new things.

Health and Wellbeing

We provide support in the way you need it.

Campus and facilities

Discover our campuses and the wealth of facilities provided for our students.

Careers

Careers / Further study

Our BA(Hons) Business and Management will give you a broad understanding of key business functions, from marketing to operations, offering broad career options. Practical experience is embedded into the curriculum, enabling you to engage with placements, internships, paid work, volunteering, cross-cultural teamwork or overseas study.

This includes the modules for the sandwich year placement, the study year abroad module and a work-based learning module for students in employment. You’ll also have the chance to complete a global teams live brief module, enabling you to gain experience in a business and management context.

In your final year, you’ll have a choice of real-world practice modules, including a capstone module choice which draws together learning into practice. Another choice is our “beyond campus” module, which focuses on student-centred, practice-led activity to enhance your CV. You’ll also benefit from extracurricular activities, including seminars, field trips, workshops and a guest lecture series. 

You’ll develop a diversified skillset, including technical skills, digital literacy, critical thinking, ethical values, collaboration, enterprise and communication, problem solving, project management and presentation skills. 

In today’s fast-paced business world, digital skills are crucial. The course integrates digital literacy and emerging technologies  to ensure you’re ready to thrive in the modern business landscape. 

Plus, the course integrates the latest research from ethics and sustainability, both critical contemporary business and management issues. You’ll be challenged to consider your role in shaping a sustainable future through authentic case studies, giving you a competitive edge.

Previous graduates have secured roles at Rolls Royce, HP, IBM, the NHS, Hayes, Microsoft, Maclaren F1 and Lidl in business and management areas. You could also progress to further study in a related business area, such as a postgraduate degree.

Get inspired

Our award-winning careers service will develop your employment potential through career coaching and find you graduate jobs, placements and global opportunities.

We can also help find local volunteering and community opportunities, provide support for entrepreneurial activity and get you access to employer events.

Visit our Employability pages to find out about careers, employers and what our students are doing six months after graduating.

Fees*

There is currently no published fee data for this course.

Supplementary fee information

*The UK Government has set a tuition fee cap for some integral foundation years from 1st August 2025. The tuition fee cap is £5,760 and applies to home students only. The final list of integral foundation courses which will attract the lower fee has yet to be confirmed but is expected soon.

Any tuition fee which is impacted by this change will be updated in due course.

The tuition fee for years of study after the integral foundation year will be charged at a higher level which will also be updated on the course web page (also see below update).

Please see GOV.UK for further information.

*The UK Government recently proposed that tuition fees for Home students will increase by 3.1% to £9,535 from 1st August 2025. This increase is subject to Parliamentary approval and the vote is expected to take place later this year.

Any tuition fee which is impacted by this change will be updated following approval.

Please see GOV.UK for further information.

Your overall entitlement to funding is based on how long the course is that you're registered on. Standard funding is allocated based on the standard number of years that your course lasts, plus one additional year.

You'll apply for funding each year that you study and Student Finance will take into account how long the course is in each year that you apply. So if you register for the five year course and then transfer to the four year course, the number of years you can apply for funding will change. Student Finance will reassess your funding based on how many years you have been in study, not just those years for which you received student finance.

Always seek advice before taking any action that may have implications for your funding.

Learn more about funding.

Additional costs

This refers to items you could need during your studies that aren't covered by the standard tuition fee. These could be materials, textbooks, travel, clothing, software or printing.

Learn more about costs.

Entry

Typical offers

  • Tariff points: 48
  • Contextual tariff: See our contextual offers page.
  • GCSE: Grade C/4 in English and Mathematics, or equivalent.
  • English Language Requirement:

    International and EU applicants are required to have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.0 with 5.5 in each component (or approved equivalent*).
    *The university accepts a large number of UK and International Qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades you'll need in our English Language section. Please visit our English language requirements page.

  • A-level subjects: No specific subjects required.
  • EDEXCEL (BTEC) Diploma: No specific subjects required.

    For information on required Guided Learning Hours please see our minimum entry requirements page.

  • Access: No specific subjects required.
  • Baccalaureate IB: No specific subjects required.
  • Irish Highers: No specific subjects required.
  • Welsh Baccalaureate: We accept tariff points achieved from the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales in conjunction with other Level 3 qualifications.
  • Cambridge Technical: No specific subjects required.
  • T Levels: No specific subjects required.

Entry requirements

If you exceed the entry requirements you may be eligible for BA(Hons) Business and Management.

International applicants

If you are an international student your recommended route of study for this degree is through our International College, which upon successful completion to the required level and with good attendance, guarantees entry to Year one of the degree.

Read more about entry requirements.

How to apply

Read more about undergraduate applications.

For further information

Unistats

UWE Main Campus

Full Time

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