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Why choose the School of Leadership and Management
We are 1st in the UK for successful graduate social-enterprise start-ups still trading after three years; 3rd in the UK for all business start-ups still trading after three years (HESA, 2023)
100% of our graduates in Economics are in highly skilled employment or graduate study, 15 months after graduating (HESA Graduate Outcomes, 2023)
Over 95% of our business and management graduates are in employment or involved in further study, 15 months after graduating (HESA Graduate Outcomes, 2023)
About the course
This one-year course is for those who have already completed two years of undergraduate-equivalent study in a related subject (Level 4 and 5 or 240 credits) and wish to gain a degree in Business Administration with a specific focus. It opens the door to a range of rewarding careers in finance both in the UK and abroad.
This course provides you with a comprehensive knowledge of the main ideas concepts and principles of accounting and finance as they relate to individuals businesses institutions and governments. Blending theory with practice it gives you the necessary financial analytical communication and IT skills to interpret real-life business situations and make confident professional and astute business decisions.
With this degree you should have already studied international banking and finance at an appropriate level and will be ready to expand your existing knowledge capabilities and skills. Your specialty studies prepare you to respond proactively and creatively to contemporary issues in an increasingly global marketplace and your supervised final-year project is expected to take an international focus.
Why choose this course?
- Learn the underlying theory of business finance and banking and how that translates into real-life practice when it comes to accurately identifying recording and processing business transactions and financial manipulations
- Benefit from research-informed teaching delivered by an international faculty recognised for their top-level research in international banking and finance; entrepreneurship; and future digital trends in banking and finance
- Study at a Business School with partners across the world giving you to the cross-cultural perspectives you need to work in the global market
- Extend your understanding of current trends and build your practical business skills though regular seminars masterclasses and events delivered by business leaders and experts from our network of external partners
- Gain transferable skills in communications analysis and IT
- As a graduate you can pursue a career in commerce industry and financial services including accountancy. You can also study at postgraduate and professional level opening up a career path to senior financial positions in a variety of settings
with Professional Practice Year
This course has the option to be taken over four years which includes a year placement in industry. Undertaking a year in industry has many benefits. You gain practical experience and build your CV, as well as being a great opportunity to sample a profession and network with potential future employers.
There is no tuition fee for the placement year enabling you to gain an extra year of experience for free.
*Only available to UK/EU students.
with Foundation Year
A Degree with a Foundation Year gives you guaranteed entry to an Undergraduate course.
Whether you’re returning to learning and require additional help and support to up-skill, or if you didn’t quite meet the grades to pursue an Undergraduate course, our Degrees with Foundation Year provide a fantastic entry route for you to work towards a degree level qualification.
With our guidance and support you’ll get up to speed within one year, and will be ready to seamlessly progress on to undergraduate study at Bedfordshire.
The Foundation Year provides an opportunity to build up your academic writing skills and numeracy, and will also cover a range of subject specific content to fully prepare you for entry to an Undergraduate degree.
This is an integrated four-year degree, with the foundation year as a key part of the course. You will need to successfully complete the Foundation Year to progress on to the first year of your bachelor’s degree.
Why study a degree with a Foundation Year?
- Broad-based yet enough depth to give you credible vocational skills
- Coverage of a variety of areas typically delivered by an expert in this area
- Gain an understanding of a subject before choosing which route you wish to specialise in
- Great introduction to further study, and guaranteed progression on to one of our Undergraduate degrees
The degrees offering a Foundation Year provide excellent preparation for your future studies.
During your Foundation Year you will get the opportunity to talk to tutors about your degree study and future career aspirations, and receive guidance on the most appropriate Undergraduate course to help you achieve this; providing you meet the entry requirements and pass the Foundation Year.
What will you study?
Banking And Financial Intermediation
The aim of this unit is to explore the role of banks and financial intermediaries and to develop your ability to apply economic and finance tools and techniques in a variety of decision-making contexts for banking. The unit emphasises the relationship between international financial systems and economic performance, particularly the mechanisms by which the former may help to improve resource allocation and economic growth and its impact on the stability of banking systems.
It will give you the opportunity to evaluate modern financial structures, including the roots or causes of financial crisis and assess the operations of a regulated banking and financial services system. The investigation of emerging issues and contemporary trends in domestic and international banking, their risk management strategies and their influence on monetary policies and financial regulation will also be an important part of the unit.
The unit is for you if you have no prior knowledge of Banking and Financial Intermediation.
The central question that the unit intends to address is: What is the role of Banks and Financial Intermediaries in the allocation of scarce financial resource for economic growth?
Business Finance
This unit aims to develop your knowledge and analytical skills on the efficient and effective management of the scarce financial resources within the business context in order to achieve set corporate objectives. In addition, you will be enabled to develop a critical comprehension of the implications of long-term and short-term corporate decision making in the wider corporate context.
You will examine the issues that arise from matching the needs of those who want to invest their funds and those who need funds and the impact of this process on corporate and individual wealth generation.
The relevance of this unit is the fact that every business requires financial assets to establish the means for delivery of the client value proposition and the working capital to sustain the business in the short and long term. Corporate finance is the management discipline charged with the knowledge, skills, and responsibility to manage the financial assets of the firm.
The central question that the unit intends to address is: What is the role of corporate finance in the allocation of scarce financial resource to meet corporate objectives?
New Advancements In Business
This unit combines a study of research skills with the development and support required for you to produce an excellent dissertation. The focus of the course is on business research with an emphasis on appreciating the application, strengths and weaknesses of commonly used research techniques. You will develop a deep academic understanding of the concepts underpinning your chosen topic and will be able to use this critically to structure an analytic framework, apply this to real world information and create appropriate conclusions and recommendations. You are expected to make use of secondary research only in order to complete your dissertation. You will be guided on how to retrieve, use and correctly reference academic material; a critical skill required in your dissertation and other final year units.
Additionally, the unit will support students to evidence how their experience at undergraduate level has contributed to the development of their professional profile as required after graduation
Strategic Management For Business
The aims of the unit are to promote understanding of the importance of the role of strategy in organisational success. It aims to develop your understanding of the importance of choice in the design of effective strategy through which it is possible to create a unique value proposition and to enable firms to avoid direct win-lose competition.
To achieve this, you will be enabled to develop your ability to work through complex issues to identify both current and future trends and to assess their potential impacts on both the industry and the business. You will also be enabled to make a careful selection of the appropriate tools, frameworks, and concepts of strategy to assess the appropriateness of strategies and by doing so develop a range of realistic and practical strategies for businesses.
In addition to the technical skills, the unit also looks to develop student’s personal and employability skills to better prepare them for transition to the workplace by providing the transferable and fundamental job relevant competencies necessary for success.
The unit focuses primarily on competitive strategy and therefore you will concentrate on these key themes:
- Strategy as choice
- Identifying trends and their potential impact on the business
- Understanding the importance of resources and capabilities in the implementation of strategy
- Strategy design
- Evaluating strategy
How will you be assessed?
The underpinning philosophy of all assessments is to develop both your knowledge and skills to enter employment as a confidently with a strong base from which to meet your own aspirations. The aim is for you to become an independent and self-directed lifelong learner. Apart from the formal assessments there will be an emphasis on self peer and group assessment.
Tutors will provide feedback on formative assessments to support your development of good academic practice.All assessments are rooted in authentic and practical scenarios are designed to ensure that no credit can be awarded for work that cannot be confirmed to be that of the student submitting.
To facilitate learning for all students a range of assessment methods are used throughout the course including:Business Reports to demonstrate contextual insight and professional practice;Individual written reports based on gathering and analysing information using a subject specific methodology are used to assess case studies or group work.
Formative group presentationAt level 6 you are treated as an independent learner and both the dissertation unit (New Advances in Business) and the Strategic Management unit provide opportunities for you to draw together your business knowledge in an individual and more independent manner. In all units you will find assessment support in terms of careful briefing and the completion of formative stages with detailed feedback designed not only to benchmark your performance but also to give you insights into how you can improve your work.
Careers
You will focus on employability throughout your studies starting with working on real life case studies in your first few weeks. The practice-based part of the curriculum continues throughout your studies with guest lecturers optional weekly discussion groups and case studies in seminars to help you develop your knowledge and understanding of a wide range of industry sectors.
The approach adopted in this course helps you to develop and enhance your transferable skills as well as interpersonal skills and in turn enhance your employability. This means that whilst you are gaining academic knowledge in addition you are also developing practise expertise.
Entry Requirements
Entry Requirements
Entry Requirements
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