Business Management with a Foundation Year - BA (Hons)

This course has recently been updated. Please download the course specification for the up to date information.

The BA (Hons) Business Management with Foundation year course at Birmingham City Business School provides a valuable introduction to the management of key resources including human capital, financial management, strategic management and cultural awareness.

We create graduates who possess a global outlook, with the conceptual and applied knowledge in the field of business management that will enable them to make a positive impact on society.

The foundation year is designed to give you the opportunity to develop your academic and interpersonal skills whilst developing your business skills further to support you to success on your academic path.

You will gain specialist knowledge on a number of core functions of management, building your self-confidence to prepare you for a progressive and successful career in management. Exciting opportunities including integrated work projects and business placements in the UK or abroad are all featured in your course, therefore your career can start whilst achieving your qualification. You will have the benefit of renowned industry speakers and live projects to inspire and help you to develop.

The international focus of the course is derived through a variety of means including the student body, the teaching team and the use of international teaching materials. Moreover, you can choose to spend a year or a full semester studying your modules overseas at a partner institution. Similarly, the Business Management course embeds the UN Sustainable Development Goals as an integral part of the course.

• This course is designed to progress students who fall below normal entry requirement levels on to full Undergraduate degrees.
• This degree course is aligned with the Chartered Management Institute (CMI).This means that the course is as professionally relevant and up-to-date as possible, taking into account the very latest developments in the profession.
• On all of our courses you will gain a professional focus and real world experience of management, ensuring you are equipped to make an immediate impact in the business world. You have the opportunity to embark on a year-long professional placement as part of your degree course.
• You’ll be involved in real world business projects and hear from leading industry speakers, who will share current thinking around business and management. You’ll also get the chance to go behind the scenes at places such as the luxury outlet shopping centre Bicester Village and Manchester United Football Club with our trips and visits.
• Recognising the global scope of business, all our courses have an international focus. This is embedded throughout the curriculum, giving you the opportunity to transform your experience with us into a global one. There are a variety of exciting possibilities open to you, including our many overseas study exchange programmes.
• As a student on one of our undergraduate degrees, you will be able to benefit from our Graduate+ initiative. This three-year award course enables you to gain award levels for all the extra-curricular activities you undertake so that you can stand out from the crowd on graduation.
• Our staff have worked in managerial roles for some of the biggest brands in the world, including the likes of Tesco and Selfridges.
• You’ll be able to choose from three distinct associated courses – Supply Chain Management, Consultancy or Enterprise, enabling you to tailor your interests to a specific course. Conversely, you could stay on the main Management route. The flexibility of the course means you aren’t tied down to any set career path – the skills you learn can be applied to any industry, whether you’re working in large teams or individually.
• We put a heavy emphasis on the hands-on skills needed in modern business management, with practical assessments as well as exams.
• You will study in our state-of-the-art City Centre Campus, ideally located for you to take advantage of our links to Birmingham’s business district, one of the largest in the UK
• The course will prepare you for a variety of management roles, whether they are based in the public, private or voluntary sector, a multinational company, a local organisation or your own business.
• You will be able to work on exciting projects for real-life clients through our Business Advice Centre, giving you exposure to the challenges and issues faced by businesses as well as the chance to develop successful solutions. Opportunities are available with local, regional, national and even global businesses such as BMW.
• The Centre also offers expert support for your own entrepreneurial ideas, so you can start planning your own start-up or take your existing business to the next level. Following graduation, you will have the opportunity to apply for STEAMhouse Business Incubator membership.

Find out more

• Our Facilities
• Our Graduates
• Our Placements
• Our Students
• Our Trips

Additional information for EU/International students

Guidance for UK/EU students

UK and EU students applying for most undergraduate degree courses in the UK will need to apply through UCAS.

The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) is a UK organisation responsible for managing applications to university and college.

Applying through UCAS

Welcome to the Birmingham City Business School, home to students from over 70 countries all around the world!

Birmingham City Business School is one of the UK’s largest, most established and most respected business schools. Our programmes are practice based and many have an international focus, which means your course will be entirely relevant to today’s business world. Almost all of our courses, both at undergraduate and postgraduate level, are open to international students.

We also have links with universities across the world, including Europe, the USA, China, India and Malaysia.

Our international pages contain a wealth of information for international students who are considering applying to study here, including:

• Explore some of the good reasons why you should study here
• Find out how to improve your language skills before starting your studies
• Find all the information relevant to applicants from your country
• Learn where to find financial support for your studies

The University is conveniently placed, with Birmingham International Airport nearby and first-rate transport connections to London and the rest of the UK.

Our Facilities

We are constantly investing in our estate and are currently in the process of spending £340 million on new learning facilities.

The Curzon Building

This course is based at our City Centre Campus – and specifically The Curzon Building, alongside other Social Sciences, Law, Business and English students.

The £63m building offers students a unique social learning space, including a dedicated student hub incorporating student support services, in the heart of Birmingham’s Eastside development.

The Business floors house an extensive number of IT facilities, breakout areas, and specialised rooms. The Marketing Link Agency is designed to replicate a modern marketing firm, allowing students to get real-life experience of working in the marketing sector. There is also the City Trading Room, which features state of the art stock market tracking equipment, keeping you up to date with all the financial comings and goings of the London Stock Exchange and Wall Street.

The Curzon building is also conveniently close to Birmingham’s business and financial centre, allowing for strong links between your studies and the real world.

The Curzon Building also features:

• An impressive new library with access to over 65 million full text items and stunning views of Eastside City Park
• Your Students’ Union which is located in a beautifully restored 19th century pub, The Eagle and Ball
• A modern 300-seat food court with space to study and socialise
• Brand new, accessible IT facilities with full Office365 for all students for free
• Shared facilities with the wider campus including the recently opened Parkside Building and Millennium Point