BA(Hons) International Business
Page last updated 15 May 2025
This course is open for applications
Introduction
The BA(Hons) International Business gives you a solid grounding in business management fundamentals, focusing on international business. This is ideal if you're interested in preparing for an international business career where you shape your learning with international experiences.
Why study this course?
There's a growing demand for graduates who understand global markets and management and the challenges of conducting business across borders.
Why UWE Bristol?
The BA(Hons) International Business gives you a solid grounding in business management fundamentals, focusing on international business. This practice-led course is ideal if you're interested in preparing yourself for an international business career where you shape your learning with international experiences.
You'll develop a diverse skillset including technical competencies, digital literacy, critical thinking, ethical values, entrepreneurial and communication skills, shaping you into a 'career ready' graduate. Learn up-to-the-minute digital skills, so you can embrace the emerging technologies and artificial intelligence that are rapidly transforming modern business. You'll also learn the importance of ethical and sustainable practices to play your part in shaping a more sustainable global future.
Benefit from a core international placement year gaining significant international experience. You can choose between applying for a study year abroad with a partner institution offering business courses in English, or an internationally focused work placement.
Take part in fieldwork, pitches, and industry guest lectures all to enrich your learning experience and take advantage of the many networking opportunities.
We'll challenge you to develop professionally and reach your full potential and support you every step of way through your personal tutor, a learner's group, and mentor support. Working in mentor groups alongside your group mentor and personal tutor, you'll develop a portfolio of practice and complete activities. This allows you to identify your skills, develop action plans, and reflect on how your degree, and other activities, are helping you to gain the skills needed for your personal and professional development.
Where can it take me?
Our strong industry links enable you to graduate, equipped to make a positive contribution in an international business role or further study from the moment you leave us.
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Content
The optional modules listed are those that are most likely to be available, but they may be subject to change.
Year one
You'll study:
- Entrepreneurial Decision Making
- International Business and Economic Environments
- Principles of Marketing
- Professional Knowledge: International Management and Organisational Behaviour
- Using Financial Information for Business.
Year two
You'll study:
- Developing Cross Cultural Practice
- Managing Human Resource in Global Business
- Multinationals in the Domestic and Global Context
- Professional Skills: International Business Research
- Strategy, Innovation, and Operations.
Placement year
In your third year you'll spend a year studying abroad or undertaking a work placement internationally.
Depending on which you choose, you'll either complete a Study Year Abroad Learning or Practice-Based Learning module.
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:
- Transformation of Work
- Project Management with Data Analytics
- Financial Management and International Finance
- Brand Evolution: Identity, Values and Market Edge.
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.
"I completed an internship as a Qualitative Research Assistant at a market research company, which gave me valuable research skills for my Research Masters. These experiences led me to a career in Higher Education, working in academia as an Assistant Support Lecturer." Gina, International Business graduate
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 undertake field visits.
See our full glossary of learning and teaching 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 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
You're required to undertake either an internationally focused placement or study year abroad in English.
Through an internationally focused placement, you'll gain real-world international experience and skills to increase your employability internationally. We have a strong, growing network of placement organisations to offer you international business experience. Past students have secured roles at Rolls-Royce, HP, IBM, VW, Microsoft, Maclaren F1, Disney and Lidl. Some placements have been UK based with extensive international experience; others have been in a non-UK context.
You'll be supported during your sandwich year by the Placements team, your tutor, and the Global Centre at UWE Bristol to get the most from your experience.
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 isn't a paid placement, and selection is through a competitive process. You'll be supported by our Study Year Abroad team, your tutor, and the Global Centre at UWE Bristol to get the most from your experience.
Study facilities
The Bristol Business School has modern facilities in its £55 million building, including financial trading rooms.
The course collaborates with the University Future Space at Frenchay Campus, which provides growth space for start-ups in robotics, biosciences, and biomedicine.
The Business School building features learning spaces for individual and group study, conference rooms, and collaboration areas for students and business.
Our specialist library and learning hub supports you with vast collections, workshops, and study skills resources.
The library and Business School offer group study spaces, access to books, press, journals, and databases.
Learn more about UWE Bristol's facilities and resources.
Take a Virtual Tour of the Business Management facilities and see what's on offer here for you.
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
This broad business degree is an ideal launch pad for an international career in any area of business, management and entrepreneurship, and your skillset and knowledge base will be relevant to many other careers. You might choose to work for multinational enterprises, governmental organisations or start your own global company.
Our graduates are employed across both the private and public sectors, working in the UK and overseas.
Our award-winning Careers Service helps you develop your employment potential through career coaching, a vacancy service for internships, placements, jobs, global opportunities, volunteering, and community activity plus support for entrepreneurial activity, and access to employer events.
Learn more about our graduate destinations.
Fees
Full-time; Sandwich
Indicative Additional Costs
Supplementary fee 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 for example you register for the four year course and then transfer to the three 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.
Additional costs
Additional costs are for 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.
Entry
Typical offers
You will need to meet the following Level 2 requirements:
- GCSE: Grade C/4 in English and Mathematics, or equivalent.
In addition to the above Level 2 qualifications, you'll need to achieve the published tariff points from your Level 3 studies prior to entry. Below is an indicative list of the main qualification types. However, we will consider any Level 3 qualifications towards meeting our entry requirements.
- Tariff points: 112
- Contextual tariff: See our contextual offers page.
- 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. We accept the IB Career-related Programme in conjunction with other Level 3 qualifications.
- Irish Highers: No specific subjects required.
- T Levels: No specific subjects required.
Entry requirements
If you don't meet the entry requirements, you may be eligible for BA(Hons) International Business (with Foundation Year).
International applicants
For country specific entry requirements please find your country on the country information pages. If you are an international student and do not meet the academic requirements to study this course, you can qualify by completing preparatory study at our International College.
If you are applying to study at UWE Bristol and require additional support to meet our English language requirements, you may be able to attend one of our pre-sessional English courses. Read more about our Pre-Sessional English Programme.
Direct entry
If you are interested in direct entry to Final year, please see our BA(Hons) International Business Management (Top Up) course.
Read more about entry requirements.
How to apply
Read more about undergraduate applications.
Read more about international applications and key international deadline dates.
For further information
- Email:
UK applicants
Admissions@uwe.ac.ukInternational/EU applicants
International@uwe.ac.uk - Telephone:
UK applicants
+44 (0)117 32 83333International/EU applicants
+44 (0)117 32 86644