BSc (Hons) - Business Management (Integrated Foundation Year)

How you will learn

The Business Management programme is designed to provide you with a theoretical understanding and practical skills related to:

• Managing and leading yourself and others
• Using innovation and creativity to develop solutions for customers, organisations and communities.
• Analysing, understanding, and influencing the internal and external environments and systems within which you will work, live and volunteer.

We use a variety of approaches to learning and teaching to make sure you develop an appropriate level of understanding of concepts, knowledge, theories and practices, alongside academic and work-related skills. On your programme you can expect to participate in all the following:

• Lectures are used by both practice and theory tutors using a variety of media as support. You will be expected to take notes, ask questions and contribute to any group discussions that ensue.
• Seminars will explore issues in greater depth with both tutor and student-led formats. These will require you to engage in research and background reading and will consider the relation of theory to practice and help develop wide ranging transferable skills.
• Tutorials provide individually tailored feedback to you. They can range from one-to-one to small group situations.
• Practical Workshop Sessions will provide the opportunity for you to develop and apply skills and knowledge.
• Problem based learning is a key element of your learning as ‘problem solving’ is an important skill for those working in business. Over the course you will be given a number of ‘business problems’ to solve, either independently or as a team, and these will require thorough research, synthesising the information you have discovered and developing and presenting an appropriate response.
• Simulations are a great opportunity for you to apply their knowledge and skills to a ‘real-life’ scenario. For example, you might be asked to draw up a business plan for a new business or develop a digital marketing strategy for a struggling high street business
• Group work is very important in business, as teamwork, getting input from different voices, the demands of different bodies and situations require that you develop skills in working with others, communication, trust, responsibility, flexibility and reliability. Many of the projects and tasks that you will be given will allow you to experience, consider and develop your team-working skills.
• Research throughout your programme you will be asked to read and research various topics, both independently and with your peers (this is often called secondary research as you are identifying and reading material which already exists in books and papers). However, whilst on the programme you will also develop skills to enable you to carry out your own research and data collection.
• Independent Learning forms a natural and expected extension of the formal aspects of the course. Your ultimate success will be dependent on your willingness to develop, experiment with and extend the concepts and approaches introduced by project briefs. It is only with continued application that lasting and valuable progress can be made.
• E-learning and Blackboard is the portal to access to project briefs, timetables and lecture notes, to submit module assessments and receive summative feedback. Learning packages which can be completed at your own pace are also a feature in some modules.

How you will be assessed

On the programme we use a variety of assessments to test both knowledge and skills. Where possible, across the programme we have designed authentic and applied assessments. This means that we have designed assignments to reflect the demands of business and the workplace and which will require you to apply your learning to ‘real life’ business problems and scenarios.
Modules are typically assessed by asking you to apply your knowledge and understanding to a business problem or scenario. Alongside formal (summative) assessment and feedback, there will also be opportunities within the module to practice and apply your knowledge and understanding and receive feedback which will help you progress (known as formative feedback). There will also be occasions when you receive feedback from your peers (e.g., in presentations). It is important that you take note of all types of feedback as they can all help you develop. In all modules we will introduce you to and develop professional and employability skills (often known as key, transferable or graduate skills).

Examples of the types of assessments you are likely to encounter include:

• Written work is central to a degree course and many of the learning approaches and emphasis is put upon clarity of style and argument as well as presentation. Different forms of written language will be explored to ensure appropriate critical skills and creative authorship are examined. Written work can be either formatively or summatively assessed and this is always made clear in the assessment brief.
• Digital Portfolios are a method of presenting a collection of your work. For example, you might be asked to develop a ‘professional development’ portfolio whilst you are on programme. In the portfolio you might be encouraged to record examples of academic and professional training and development courses you have completed, application forms and an up-to-date CV.
• Presentations provide an alternative way of conveying research and offer an opportunity for all learning types to develop their verbal communication skills. Confidence in being able to speak about your work is absolutely necessary in the workplace. Practicing these skills will contribute to your confidence and personal development.
• Posters are one method to share your ideas with a wider audience. In each year of your degree you will be invited to produce a poster.
• Business Reports
• Video Blogs

Tuition Fees

2024 - 2025

• £9,250 - UK
• £13,575 - International

The figures above don't include accommodation and living costs.

Tuition fees are set annually and are subject to review each year. The University may therefore raise tuition fees in the second or subsequent years of a course, in line with inflation and/or the maximum permitted by law or Government policy. Students will be notified of any changes as soon as possible.

International Finance

At the University of Cumbria, we offer affordable tuition fees for international and EU students looking to study at one of our main four campuses. No matter your choice of course or career path, our International Team is here to support you.

Additional Costs

There will be some additional costs associated with the course including stationery, textbooks, field trips and membership fees although some of these features are optional.

Books are reviewed annually and are therefore subject to change, course welcome information will provide you with an indicative list for the year.