Study Business & Management Studies, why & how to study

CONTENTS

1. What’s Business & Management Studies?

2. What Business & Management Studies degrees can you study?

3. What do you need to get onto a Business & Management Studies degree?

4. What topics does a Business & Management Studies degree cover?

5. How will you be assessed?

6. Why study Business & Management Studies?

7. What do Business & Management Studies graduates earn?

8. What jobs can you get as a Business & Management Studies graduate?

9. What are the postgraduate opportunities?

10. Similar subjects to Business & Management Studies

11. Have any questions?

What’s Business & Management Studies?

A Business & Management Studies degree is concerned with the way a company or organisation operates and functions. This can include the financial, administrative and marketing aspects of the business.

Courses can include business studies, human resource management and management studies.

What Business & Management Studies degrees can you study?

Business & Management Studies is almost always studied in tandem with another subject, covering a broad spectrum of areas. Undergraduate degrees in Business & Management Studies include:

• Accounting and Management BSc
• Biochemistry with Entrepreneurship BSc
• Business Analytics BSc
• Business and Management BA/BSc
• Commercial Management and Quantity Surveying BSc
• German and Business Studies BA

Options may include an integrated foundation year, professional placement year or study abroad. January start dates are available.

What do you need to get onto a Business & Management Studies degree?

Most undergraduate Business & Management Studies courses ask for 96–159 UCAS points. Not every university will base their offer on UCAS points and some courses may have lower or higher requirements. Qualifications may include:

• A Levels: AAA–CCC
• BTECs: DDD–MMM
• Scottish Highers: AAAAB–BBBB (Advanced Highers: AAB–BBB)
• International Baccalaureate: 38–26

Good subjects to have studied include:

• Good grades in maths at GCSE (or equivalent)
• General studies and related A Levels may be excluded from offers

Experience that would look good on your application:

• Work experience in any field of business, talking to those in management about their role
• Volunteering with a social enterprise or any role involving team working
• Taking an online course or MOOC to stretch your skills and understanding of business and management
• Expanding your knowledge by reading books, relevant business magazines or journals online, and checking the websites of professional bodies
• Summer schools, if eligible, such as the Sutton Trust or UNIQ

Other requirements for this subject include:

• Pass in the practical element of science if taken at A Level

What topics does a Business & Management Studies degree cover?

Typical modules for courses in this subject include:

• Business and environmental sustainability
• Business economics
• Corporate governance, risk and ethics
• Data analytics
• Fundamentals of accounting and finance
• Human resource management
• International business and management
• Management and society
• Managing change
• Marketing principles and contemporary practice
• Organisations and analysis
• Strategic leadership
• Understanding the economy

How will you be assessed?

Assessments are usually carried out by a mixture of the following, and will vary from module to module:

• Coursework
• Essays
• Exams
• Group projects
• Presentations
• Seminar performances

Why study Business & Management Studies?

Studying for a degree in Business & Management Studies gives you great employability and highly marketable skills, reflected in the graduate prospects scores shown on our subject league table.

Career-specific skills:

• Knowledge across a range of business functions which could include management theory, human resources, supply chain and logistics, and marketing
• Skills that could include project management, financial planning, people management, leadership and delegation, and negotiation

Transferable skills:

• Communication
• Critical reasoning
• Decision making
• Interpersonal skills
• Presentation
• Research
• Team working
• Time management

Professional accreditation:

• Degrees may be accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), which may include the opportunity to complete a Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management as part of your studies
• Degrees combined with other subject areas could be accredited by professional accounting bodies such as the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), or the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) or Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD)

To be honest, before applying for university, I did not know what I wanted to do. However, having been exposed to the commercial world of Hong Kong following a number of internships, I developed a keen interest in entrepreneurship and meeting people from all walks of life.

I opted for Business Management in the UK as a means to equip myself with the skills and tools required to run a successful business, whilst developing my global network simultaneously.

Colinette, London School of Economics and Political Science

What do Business & Management Studies graduates earn?

Business & Management Studies graduates earn a good average graduate starting salary, ranging from £19,000–£25,000.

Mid-career, the average salary for an experienced business analyst could be £55,000, while for a project manager it could be as much as £70,000 or more. However as well as your specific role, salaries will also depend on the size of company in which you work, your geographic location and seniority.

What jobs can you get as a Business & Management Studies graduate?

Typical career paths include management consultancy, human resource management, marketing and insurance. These are competitive areas, so hard work is required to ensure a high return.

• Account executive
• Arbitrator
• Business development manager
• Business process manager
• Chartered management accountant
• Corporate investment banker
• Data analyst
• Forensic accountant
• HR recruiter
• Lecturer
• Management consultant
• Operations manager
• Project manager
• Risk manager
• Stockbroker
• Supply chain manager

What are the postgraduate opportunities?

There's a range of master's and taught postgraduate courses in this area, which will increase your employability as you develop previously learned skills to an even higher standard. One of the most popular qualifications is the Master of Business Administration (MBA), offered by several institutions across the UK.

Examples of postgraduate degrees include:

• Business Analytics MSc
• Environmental Change and Management MSc
• Human Resource Management MLitt
• Management and Organisational Behaviour MRes/PhD

Similar subjects to Business & Management Studies

Other subject areas that might appeal to you include:

• Accounting & Finance
• Economics
• Marketing
• Psychology
• Sociology
• Social Policy

Have any questions?

If you’ve got any questions about studying Business & Management Studies, you can email our experts at ask@thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk. We’ll be happy to hear from you!