Business Management

Our programmes are delivered using a variety of lectures, seminars, workshops, tutorials and hands-on computer labs. Assessment is by a mixture of coursework (for example, an essay), computer labs, projects based on group assignments and exams.

In Level 1, three subjects are delivered per semester - each having approximately 5 hours of classes. We expect students to undertake a minimum of an additional 20 hours of individual study per week to prepare for classes and revise material covered in lectures or tutorials.

Honours Degree

An honours degree normally takes four years, full time, you study levels 1-4, as described below.

Advanced Entry Honours Degree

It is possible to study for most of our honours degrees in 3 years if you have the required grades and subjects as listed in the Entry Requirements section. There are definite advantages to considering this route as the time needed to study is reduced by one year which enables you to start working and earning earlier.

Typical Degree Programme

Level 1

• International Business Environment - introduces to the relationship between firms and their immediate environment, as well as discussing aspects of managerial theory and material relating to personal financial planning.
• Foundations of Economics Analysis - introduces students to the tools needed to analyse how an economy works. It helps students to understand consumer choice, how prices are set, the way firms and markets operate, whether monopoly is efficient, why governments might choose to regulate industry or provide services such as health and education. Issues such as the determination of national income are examined along with policy options available to governments to reduce unemployment and inflation.
• Business Statistics - This module introduces statistical methods such as probability theory and regression analysis, as well as other quantitative techniques relevant to modern business activity.
• Business Information Systems - This module provides hands-on experience of the modern software applications relevant to accounting and business as well as introducing students to some of the theoretical concepts relevant to the processing of information in large organisations.
• Introductory Financial Accounting - This module introduces students to the basic concepts of accounting practices, including book-keeping and the production of external financial reports.
• Introductory Management Accounting - This module introduces students to the foundations of costing and accounting for planning and control.

Because the 1st year of our Business Management, Business Management (Accounting and Finance) and Bachelor in Accounting degrees are identical, students on either of the BSc Business Management degrees can, if they wish, transfer into another degree in the School after successful completion of Level 1.

Level 2

The Level 2 modules are designed to build on and develop the theoretical and practical material covered at Level 1.

• Intermediate Financial Management - This module builds on level 1 material by introducing students to techniques used in practice to appraise financial and capital investments as well as discussing working capital management and long-term fund raising.
• Financial Decision Analysis - This module introduces students to the modern techniques used in financial decision analysis, including linear programming, queuing and inventory modelling.
• Business Law - This module focuses on the main legal principles that affect firms' commercial activities by covering aspects of modern contract and company law as well as relevant aspects of delict, agency and commercial law.
• Management Concepts in Context - This module explores the development and application of management and organisational theories over time with the aim of enhancing students' appreciation of business management and organisational knowledge and skills needed for practice.explores the development and application of management and organisational theories over time with the aim of enhancing students' business management and organisational knowledge and skills needed for practice.
• Management Information Systems - This module builds on some of the material from level 1 by discussing contemporary management theory and case studies as well as developing information technology skills and systems theory. provides a sound framework for understanding information systems in general, and management and accounting information systems in particular, to enable students to become informed users, providers and managers of information.
• Business Management Internship Module - This module provides students with meaningful work experience through an Internship Placement whilst also developing project management, report writing and a range of career management skills including CV writing, interview performance and presentation training.

Level 3

Performance in the first two Levels helps determine whether students are offered the chance to study for the Honours version of the degree (awarded after four years) or the non-Honours version (awarded after three years). Students taking the non-Honours version of the degree take six modules at Level 3, most of which build directly on those taken at earlier Levels. Honours students take twelve modules over Levels 3 and 4, seven of which are compulsory with the remaining five being selected from a wide range of degree-appropriate subjects.

• Managing Human Resources - This module addresses issues in human resource management such as recruitment and selection, human resource development, performance appraisal and rewards management. The problems for the firm are placed within the wider context of the firm's overall objectives and strategy, and links are developed between this and wider issues of labour economics.
• Business Systems - This module aims at developing students' understanding of Business and Information Systems, and the role of the business manager in the development, management and operation of such systems.
• Strategic Management and Policy - This module explores the practical applications, implications of the principles, concepts, theories and frameworks of strategic management in order to obtain an insight into why strategy and business policy is important for organisations.
• Research Methods in Business Management - This module aims at developing understanding of the methodologies and methods appropriate to conducting research in Business Management and develops the student's ability to write a robust dissertation research proposal.

Plus one option - a typical list includes:

• Introduction to Marketing - This module introduces students to the principles of marketing and provides the opportunity to gain a practical understanding of modern marketing methods. Through the extensive use of case studies, the module examines the history of marketing, consumer behaviour, the nature of the marketplace and the key elements of the marketing mix.
• Advanced Financial Management - This module introduces students to modern theories of corporate financial management and further development of analytical techniques in financial management that were previously introduced. It covers topics such as dividend theory, capital structure, asset pricing at the efficient market hypothesis.
• Higher Management Accounting - This module aims at extending, in breadth and depth the more basis principles of management accounting, as well as introduce some new management accounting techniques and topics. In addition to quantitative expertise, the module aims to develop the ability to critically examine the development of management accounting theory and practice to provide a basis on which later management accounting modules can build.
• Practical French
• Practical German
• Practical Spanish
• Plus one other approved module

Level 4

• Change Management - This module develops in students a critical appreciation of the processes associated with change as it operates at the societal, organisational and individual employee levels, and the complex challenges they pose to the successful management of organisations and those responsible for such tasks.
• Managing Human Rights - This module aims at developing students' critically engaged understanding of ethics and Human Rights Issues within Social and Business contexts, both nationally and internationally.
• Advanced Management and Information Systems - This module builds on the student's understanding of Management Accounting principles such as the use of internal accounting information in planning, control and decision making processes. It also emphasises on the competencies required for professional management accounting examinations, emerging roles of accountants and provides practical applications of some of the theoretical issues in management accounting.

plus two options - a typical list includes:

• Social & Environmental Accounting & Reporting - Taking a critical engaged and socially aware perspective, this module provides a theoretical foundation for understanding developments in social and environmental accounting, auditing and reporting, extending beyond the discipline of accounting to encompass the wider frameworks of business and management.
• Dissertation - This module aims to show students how research is undertaken and written up in a dissertation style. It provides students who are considering postgraduate study with a platform upon which masters and doctoral work can be based. It also provides an opportunity for greater self-direction and motivation, and for students to author a substantial piece of structured work.
• Practical French
• Practical German
• Practical Spanish
• Plus one other approved module

Honours Degree

An honours degree normally takes four years, full time, you study levels 1-4, as described below.

Advanced Entry Honours Degree

It is possible to study for most of our honours degrees in 3 years if you have the required grades and subjects as listed in the Entry Requirements section. There are definite advantages to considering this route as the time needed to study is reduced by one year which enables you to start working and earning earlier.

Typical Degree Programme

All students on the BSc Business Management (Accounting & Finance) degree take a set of modules at Level 1 that are similar to those taken by students on the BAcc, BFin and BSc International Business and BSc Business Management degrees. Thus, at the end of Level 1, students can transfer between degrees if they want to specialise in certain areas such as Accountancy, Finance or International Business (Economics).

Level 1

• International Business Environment - introduces to the relationship between firms and their immediate environment, as well as discussing aspects of managerial theory and material relating to personal financial planning.
• Foundations of Economics Analysis - introduces students to the tools needed to analyse how an economy works. It helps students to understand consumer choice, how prices are set, the way firms and markets operate, whether monopoly is efficient, why governments might choose to regulate industry or provide services such as health and education. Issues such as the determination of national income are examined along with policy options available to governments to reduce unemployment and inflation.
• Business Statistics - This module introduces statistical methods such as probability theory and regression analysis, as well as other quantitative techniques relevant to modern business activity.
• Business Information Systems - This module provides hands-on experience of the modern software applications relevant to accounting and business as well as introducing students to some of the theoretical concepts relevant to the processing of information in large organisations.
• Introductory Financial Accounting - This module introduces students to the basic concepts of accounting practices, including book-keeping and the production of external financial reports.
• Introductory Management Accounting - This module introduces students to the foundations of costing and accounting for planning and control.

Level 2

The Level 2 modules are designed to build on and develop the theoretical and practical material covered at Level 1.

• Intermediate Financial Management - This module builds on level 1 material by introducing students to techniques used in practice to appraise financial and capital investments as well as discussing working capital management and long-term fund raising.
• Financial Decision Analysis - This module introduces students to the modern techniques used in financial decision analysis, including linear programming, queuing and inventory modelling.
• Business Law - This module focuses on the main legal principles that affect firms' commercial activities by covering aspects of modern contract and company law as well as relevant aspects of delict, agency and commercial law.
• Management Concepts in Context - This module explores the development and application of management and organisational theories over time with the aim of enhancing students' appreciation of business management and organisational knowledge and skills needed for practice.
• Management Information Systems - This module builds on some of the material from level 1 by discussing contemporary management theory and case studies as well as developing information technology skills and systems theory.
• Intermediate Management Accounting - This module builds on level 1 material by introducing higher level concepts in costing and managerial reporting in general.

Level 3

Performance in the first two Levels helps determine whether students are offered the chance to study for the Honours version of the degree (awarded after four years) or the non-Honours version (awarded after three years). Students taking the non-Honours version of the degree take six modules at Level 3, most of which build directly on those taken at earlier Levels. Honours students take twelve modules over Levels 3 and 4, seven of which are compulsory with the remaining five being selected from a wide range of degree-appropriate subjects.

• Strategic Management and Policy Strategic Management and Policy - This module explores the practical applications, implications of the principles, concepts, theories and frameworks of strategic management in order to obtain an insight into why strategy and business policy is important for organisations.
• Advanced Management Accounting - This module builds on the student's understanding of Management Accounting principles such as the use of internal accounting information in planning, control and decision making processes. It also emphasises on the competencies required for professional management accounting examinations, emerging roles of accountants and provides practical applications of some of the theoretical issues in management accounting.
• Research Methods in Business Management - This module aims at developing understanding of the methodologies and methods appropriate to conducting research in Business Management and develops the student's ability to write a robust dissertation research proposal.

Plus one option - a typical list includes:

• Managing Human Resources - This module addresses issues in human resource management such as recruitment and selection, human resource development, performance appraisal and rewards management. The problems for the firm are placed within the wider context of the firm's overall objectives and strategy, and links are developed between this and wider issues of labour economics.
• Introduction to Marketing - This module introduces students to the principles of marketing and provides the opportunity to gain a practical understanding of modern marketing methods. Through the extensive use of case studies, the module examines the history of marketing, consumer behaviour, the nature of the marketplace and the key elements of the marketing mix.
• Advanced Financial Management - This module introduces students to modern theories of corporate financial management and further development of analytical techniques in financial management that were previously introduced. It covers topics such as dividend theory, capital structure, asset pricing at the efficient market hypothesis.
• Practical French
• Practical German
• Practical Spanish
• Plus one other approved module

Level 4

• Change Management - This module develops in students a critical appreciation of the processes associated with change as it operates at the societal, organisational and individual employee levels, and the complex challenges they pose to the successful management of organisations and those responsible for such tasks.
• Advanced Management Information Systems - This module explores recent developments in accounting and management research and practice and the environment in which accounting and management practises operate and change. Strategic and operational issues relating to the management of information in organisations is also explored.
• Managing Human Rights - This module aims at developing students' critically engaged understanding of ethics and Human Rights Issues within Social and Business contexts, both nationally and internationally.

plus two options - a typical list includes:

• Security Analysis and Portfolio Management - This module explores the range of techniques and models that are used by investors in analysing both security and portfolio performance, to further develop students' understanding of security analysis and portfolio management and to introduce students to both the theoretical and the applied literature which investigates how securities should be priced and how investors appraise securities in practice.
• Social and Environmental Accounting & Reporting - taking a critically engaged and socially aware perspective, this module provides a theoretical foundation for understanding developments in social and environmental accounting, auditing and reporting, extending beyond the discipline of accounting to encompass the wider frameworks of business and management.
• Dissertation - This module aims to show students how research is undertaken and written up in a dissertation style. It provides students who are considering postgraduate study with a platform upon which masters and doctoral work can be based. It also provides an opportunity for greater self-direction and motivation, and for students to author a substantial piece of structured work.
• Practical French
• Practical German
• Practical Spanish
• Plus one other approved module

Assessment is by a mixture of coursework (for example, an essay), computer labs, projects based on group assignments and exams. The weightings allocated to assessed coursework and the final examinations vary from module to module.