Business Economics BSc (Hons) with foundation year

Undergraduate

Our Business Economics BSc (Hons) course provides training in analytical and empirical methods that can be applied to a wide range of real-world economic and business problems.

Course option

Degree with foundation year

Year of entry

2025-26 2026-27

Location

CU Coventry (Coventry) and
Coventry University (Coventry)

Study mode

Full-time
Sandwich

Duration

4 years full-time
5 years sandwich

UCAS codes

L1DF

Start date

January 2026
March 2026
May 2026
June 2026

How to apply

Your UCAS Guide

Download a prospectus

Course overview

Our degree with foundation year could be the stepping stone you need to achieve your goals. The foundation year aims to prepare you for degree-level study and is a great way to build the confidence, skills and knowledge needed to succeed on your degree course.

Foundation year

The foundation year aims to provide a credible broad-based preparatory course that will equip you with the necessary skills and competencies to study at degree level.

Degree

This course covers current real-world issues and aims to help you understand how economics can be applied to solve problems and address challenges affecting businesses, financial organisations and wider society.

Rated Gold Overall

Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023

5 QS Stars for Teaching and Facilities

QS Stars University Ratings

Top 5 Student City in England (Coventry)

QS Best Student Cities Index 2026

Why you should study this course

Foundation year

Supports you to gain the academic skills required for degree-level study.
Provides a grounding in key areas of economics and finance.

Degree

tailor your studies
Our wide range of economics and finance courses share a common year one and aim to offer you opportunities to achieve a thorough grounding in economic and financial concepts and principles.
build industry insight
Learn from experienced staff who have worked extensively in economics and hear from industry professionals who in the past, have included speakers from HM Treasury, Lloyds Bank, Barclays and the European Commission². (Staff may be subject to change).
Explore both microeconomics and macroeconomics with extensive exposure to how businesses and other organisations operate in a global context, drawing on business case studies from the UK and internationally.
Develop highly sought-after skills in economic analysis as well as a wide range of transferable skills relevant for a variety of career paths including those in business, finance, and the public sector.
Access maths and statistics support: our sigma centre offer maths and statistics support thought drop-in sessions and bookable appointments with experienced tutors.

Accreditation and professional recognition

Chartered Insurance Institute

This course is recognised by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) for the 2025/26 intakes. CII recognition allows students to gain certain exemptions from some professional examinations, upon successful completion of this course (subject to application, availability, meeting applicable visa requirements and additional fees may apply). If there is any change to the recognition of this course by the CII, we would seek to notify applicants and students as soon as possible.

Additional certificates

As part of the degree you will have the option to work towards two additional certifications (outside of your study modules):

[1] Bloomberg Market Concepts Certificate: Optional certification to help our students stand out and demonstrate their understanding of financial markets, central banking and the application of economic indicators, as well as hone their skills in utilising Bloomberg terminal functionalities for a fast moving market.

[2] Bloomberg ESG Certificate: Optional certification for students to demonstrate their understanding of the Environmental, Social and Governance factors, and their implications for strategy development and regulatory compliance.

Memberships

CISI – Chartered Institute for Securities Investment

We offer students the opportunity to take a professional exam - Introduction to Investment and Securities. This is offered as we are awarded Centre of Excellence for its teaching in Securities and Investments by CISI, as an official education partner teaching certain modules (verified by CISI) that covers the syllabus or meets the standard benchmark for one of the certificates.

Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS)

Coventry Business School is currently an active member of the Chartered Association of Business Schools, which has a membership of over 120 business schools and higher education providers, and supports its members in maintaining world-class standards of teaching and research.

European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD)

Coventry Business School is currently an active member of the European Foundation for Management Development, a global membership organisation dedicated to management development, covering over 900 members across 91 countries.

PRME - The Principles for Responsible Management Education

Coventry Business School is currently an active member of The Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME). PRME is a United Nations-supported initiative founded in 2007 that aims to raise the profile of sustainability in their classrooms through seven principles focused on serving society and safeguarding our planet.

AACSB- The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business

Coventry Business School is currently an active member of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). AACSB is the world’s largest network of business schools and organisations committed to advancing business education and making a lasting, positive impact on society to create next generation of great leaders.

BGA - Business Graduates Association

Coventry Business School is currently an active member of the Business Graduates Association (BGA). BGA’s student and graduate benefits have been crafted to enhance your learning experience, providing a range of tools to support professional and personal development.

SBC - Small Business Charter

Coventry Business School is a recipient of the Small Business Charter (SBC) Award. The award is a mark of excellence for business schools, recognising their expertise in supporting small businesses, student entrepreneurship, and effective engagement in the local economy.

Memberships are reviewed on an annual basis and are not guaranteed. Applicants and students will be informed of any changes as soon as possible.

The support and insight provided by the educators was exceptional from all modules, across all three years of the degree. I truly felt that everyone in the Economics department had my best interests at heart from recommended reading to coursework feedback.

One of my most enjoyable experiences within course included the annual participation of Collaborative Online International Project (COIL) with other students from foreign universities where we would tackle a topical economic issue and provide policy recommendations for governments in our respective countries.
Alex Hill, Economics BSc (quoted 2023)

Lecturer showing a student something on a Bloomberg terminal in the trading floor

What you'll study

Coventry University is committed to continually enhancing its curriculum. As part of this, the degree years of this course will transition to a block teaching format from September 2026. This approach supports deeper subject learning and greater opportunities for collaboration. The updated curriculum may include revised module content, updated module titles and new assessment methods. Click here to view the degree modules from September 2026.

The foundation year offers an introduction to your chosen subject and supports you to develop the skills required for degree-level study.

Modules

Business Communication and Numeracy - 30 credits

Finance and Capital Markets - 30 credits

You should be able to demonstrate an understanding of how the financial markets - such as foreign exchange, bonds and stocks - operate. You will also have the opportunity to gain fundamental knowledge of financial institutions, such as banks and insurance companies involved with the flow of funds globally.

Compulsory

Business Economics - 30 credits

This module aims to enable you to examine the impact of economics on the operation of business entities, competition, financial markets and the influence of government policies.

You will study the context of economics and current regulatory changes that have come about as a result of recent events in the business sector. You will be introduced to some of the key economic concepts, such as the economic objectives of stakeholders and organisations, and market forces determining prices and their impact on business revenue income.

Compulsory

Global Economics - 30 credits

In this module, you will study the context of economics and current regulatory changes that have come about as a result of recent events in the business sector. You will be introduced to some of the key economic concepts, such as the effect on a country’s national income, changing economic growth rates and prices, and international trading.

You will also be able to engage with techniques and analytical tools used within the business sector, to better prepare for a career in economics and other relevant sectors.

Compulsory

We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.

How you'll learn

Our teaching methods are varied, offering a number of teaching styles to suit the needs of all our students, so in addition to lectures, we also use online learning, workshops and group work.

Progression through the modules develops knowledge and skills, including communication (written and oral), study skills, research methods, project management, presentation and career development. We will also encourage you to consider your employability and/or entrepreneurial development.

Teaching contact hours

As a full-time undergraduate student, you will study modules totalling 120 credits each academic year. A typical 20 credit module requires a total of 200 hours study. This is made up of teaching contact hours, guided and independent study.

Teaching hours:

Teaching hours vary each semester, year of study and due to module selection. During your first year you can expect 15-18 teaching hours each week. You will also have the option to attend optional sessions including time with a progress coach or to meet with staff for advice and feedback. As you progress through your studies, teaching hours may reduce.

Guided and Independent study:

Throughout your studies, you will be expected to spend time in guided and independent study to make up the required study hours per module. You'll be digging deeper into topics, review what you've learned and complete assignments. This can be completed around your personal commitments. As you progress through your studies, you'll spend more time in independent study.

Online learning:

As an innovative university, we use different teaching methods including online tools and emerging technologies. So, some of your teaching hours and assessments may be delivered online.

Assessment

This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which will vary depending upon the module. Assessment methods may include:

phase tests
group work
presentations
reports
projects
coursework
individual assignments.

The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.

This course adopts a range of teaching, learning and assessment methods such as the use of interactive teaching and learning online platforms, online quizzes, in-class feedback sessions, group projects, class experiments and bargaining simulations.
You will gain hands-on experience of relevant quantitative software and statistical packages, such as GRETL, as well as market leading economic and financial databases such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), World Economic Indicators, the Office for National Statistics (ONS), EuroStat, Refinitiv (Thomson Reuters Eikon and Datastream) and FitchConnect.
You will also be taught in one of the largest educational trading floors in Europe⁴, running Bloomberg trading terminals and giving access to a wealth of live and historical trading market data.
Typically, a module involves interactive lecture(s) weekly, delivered synchronously online or on campus, followed by a range of active learning sessions such as seminars and workshops.
In addition, you will meet other students on the course and your tutors weekly during term time to engage in community-building activities, receive support and raise concerns relating to the course.
We aim to offer you the opportunity to attend a range of guest lectures from industry experts who come to teach in our immersive authentic learning environments (subject to availability).

If you choose to start this course in January it will be run as a condensed programme. You’ll start your course in January and finish your first year in August. Upon successful completion of Year 1, you will progress onto Year 2 in September and then continue to start subsequent years of your course in September, completing your degree at the same time as the September starters unless you opt to do a placement year.

Teaching contact hours

Teaching hours:

Guided and Independent study:

Online learning:

As an innovative university, we use different teaching methods including online tools and emerging technologies. So, some of your teaching hours and assessments may be delivered online.

Assessment

This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which will vary depending upon the module.

Assessment methods may include:

phase tests
essays
group work
presentations
reports
projects
coursework
exams
individual assignments.

The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.

International experience opportunities

You will have the opportunity to take part in an overseas study trip, or a full year abroad². Coventry University aims to give you the global opportunities needed to become a truly global graduate, enhancing your employability on a global scale. Choose from language classes, studying or working abroad, international field trips, summer schools, leadership development or work experience².

In the past, our students have had the opportunity to visit universities in China and Malaysia to study alongside students, see how finance is taught internationally, appreciate the issues in different countries and broaden their perspectives.

Closer to home, you might have the opportunity to participate in European field trips² as part of events like the annual Tax Week initiative or the annual Audit Week, both of which are conducted in collaboration with European universities, and see students work collaboratively on related projects.

Please note that all international experience opportunities may be subject to additional costs, competitive application, availability, and meeting applicable visa and travel requirements, and are therefore not guaranteed².

My research background is in the economics of healthcare, and I am passionate about applying research to contemporary global challenges. In my teaching, I embed research findings into economic concepts, which helps to stimulate a continuous learning process beyond the classroom. Learners begin to view their environments with an economic lens and become economic advisors, seeing the real impact of economic decisions in the world around them.
Dr Judith Kabajulizi, Assistant Professor in Economics, 2024

Two lecturers sitting at a table discussing what they can see on the tablet.

Entry requirements

Typical entry requirements:

64 UCAS tariff points. All foundation courses require GCSE maths and English at grade 4 / C or Functional Skills Level 2, or other equivalent Level 2 awards.

Other qualifications and experience

Our students come from a variety of backgrounds, each with a unique story. We recognise a breadth of qualifications. If your qualifications differ from the above, contact our Admissions Team who will be happy to discuss your qualifications and routes into your chosen course.

Contextual/Fair Access Offers

If you meet the criteria for our Fair Access Offer, you could automatically receive a contextual offer which is 16 UCAS points lower than our standard entry requirements. View the criteria for our Fair Access Offer.

Got higher grades? Have you considered direct entry to the degree without foundation year?

Fees and funding

Foundation year

Student	Full-time	Part-time
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man	£5,760	Not available
International/EU	Not currently available***	Not available

Degree

Student	Full-time	Part-time
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man	£9,535 per year	Not available
International/EU	Not currently available***	Not available

If you choose to study this course with a professional placement² or study abroad year, you will need to pay a tuition fee³ to cover your academic support throughout your placement year. Students commencing their professional placement in the academic year 2027/28 will pay £1,500 if they are paying UK fees, or £1,800 if they are paying international fees.

For advice and guidance on tuition fees and student loans visit our Undergraduate Finance page and see The University’s Tuition Fee and Refund Terms and Conditions.

The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated in the above table for the first Academic Year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, if Parliament permits an increase in tuition fees, the university may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation.

If you choose to study this course with a professional placement, the University will charge the tuition fees stated above for those on a placement during Academic Year 2027/28. The University will review professional placement tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, the University may increase fees for each subsequent year of study, but such that it will be no more than 5% above inflation.

For international students, we may increase fees each year, but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation. If you defer your course start date or have to extend your studies beyond the normal duration of the course (e.g. to repeat a year or resit examinations) the University reserves the right to charge you fees at a higher rate and/or in accordance with any legislative changes during the additional period of study.

We offer a range of International scholarships to students all over the world. For more information, visit our International Scholarships page.

Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessments, facilities and support services. There may be additional costs not covered by this fee such as accommodation and living costs, recommended reading books, stationery, printing and re-assessments should you need them. Find out what's included in your tuition costs.

Applies to degree only:

The following are additional costs not included in the tuition fees:

Any optional overseas ﬁeld trips or visits: £400+ per trip.
Any costs associated with securing, attending or completing a placement (whether in the UK or abroad).

Foundation year funding

In order to receive funding for degree with foundation year courses, you will need to complete a four-year degree programme which includes the integrated foundation year, otherwise you may be responsible for your foundation year fees. For further information, please refer to the 'Tuition Fee Loan' details in the 'Funding your undergraduate course' section of our 'Fees and finance' page.

*Irish student fees

The rights of Irish residents to study in the UK are preserved under the Common Travel Area arrangement. If you are an Irish student and meet the residency criteria, you can study in England, pay the same level of tuition fees as English students and utilise the Tuition Fee Loan.

**This course with foundation year is not currently available to international students. If you do not meet the entry requirements to directly join year 1 of the degree, please take a look at our International Pathway courses for additional options.

How do you know if you need to pay UK or international tuition fees?

We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Your fee status determines your tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available to you. The rules about who pays UK (home) or international (overseas) fees for higher education courses in England are set by the Department for Education. The regulations identify all the different categories of student who can insist on paying the home rate. The regulations can be difficult to understand, so the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) has provided fee status guidance to help you identify whether you are eligible to pay the home or overseas rate.

If you meet all the criteria required by any one category, including any residence requirements, your institution must charge you the home rate. You only need to find one category that you fit into.

Facilities

Our foundation years are taught at CU Coventry’s Mile Lane building, a short walk from the city centre. You’re part of the university from day one, so during your foundation year you’ll have access to the wider facilities⁴ at Coventry University. Once you successfully complete your foundation year, you'll transfer over to studying your chosen degree at Coventry University, where you'll be taught on campus in the relevant academic buildings.

Located on our Mile Lane campus, you will have access to our Library and Learning Services (LLS), fully equipped seminar rooms and IT suites⁴. You can also take advantage of reading rights in Coventry University’s Lanchester Library, make use of sport centre facilities and receive full membership to Your Students' Union.

Study location

The Foundation Year study route will be delivered by CU, part of the Coventry University Group, for and on behalf of Coventry University. If you choose to study at CU Coventry for your Foundation Year, then your learning will be based at CU Coventry, Mile Lane, Coventry. Subject to meeting requirements you will then transition to the relevant Coventry University subject building for your progression degree.

Two students walking outside with the CU Coventry building behind them.

Mile Lane

The campus is home to an on-site library with bookable one-to-one academic writing service and library support sessions, fully equipped seminar rooms, open-access study areas, a café and an IT suite. Our labs contain industry-standard equipment so that you learn using the same equipment as many industry professionals.

The Hub

At The Hub you'll find the Health and Wellbeing Centre, the Students’ Union and Square One (which provides entertainment from quiz nights to live music), the Spirituality and Faith Centre, Tank Studio, Careers Office and a fantastic food court.

Lanchester Library

Coventry University’s Lanchester Library is usually open 364 days a year, and has 1,400 study spaces, including group and silent areas. It also currently offers more than 550 computers and an additional 120 free-to-loan laptops.

Our facilities and technology aim to replicate what you would expect in real-world industry environments⁴.

The Trading Floor allows you to get hands-on with industry-standard software. Housing contemporary dual-screen Bloomberg terminals, the facility adds a dynamic practical element to your course.
The sigma centre offers free maths and statistics support through drop-in sessions and bookable appointments with friendly tutors - the ideal place to help you navigate any issues you might have while studying an economics, accounting, or finance degree.
Employability is at the forefront of all our accounting and finance courses. You will have access to our dedicated employability service, the careers team, from the first day of your course, to graduation and beyond.

Careers and opportunities

Upon successful completion, you will be able to:

critically evaluate modern economic theory and the empirical methods used by economists,
demonstrate knowledge of the workings of economic systems and business organisations, both within the UK and the wider global economy, including the ability to interpret relevant data and evaluate business strategies and government policies,
apply economic theories and empirical methods to real-world business scenarios by making appropriate use of data, abstraction, and logical reasoning to analyse economic events and issues,
communicate technical concepts related to economic analysis and policy debates to a diverse range of audiences, and develop the ability to influence relevant stakeholders, thus allowing students to successfully proceed to a professional career or further study,
examine issues of sustainability and ethics from an economic perspective, and critically appraise the ethical and sustainability implications of business operations and relevant economic policies,
integrate issues of national economic policy and analysis into a global business context, and hence appreciate the value of international cooperation,
use a range of transferable, entrepreneurial and innovative skills, such as writing clear and concise reports based on evidence and logic, making effective use of information technology, confident delivery of presentations, creative problem solving, financial skills and self-motivation.

Upon successful graduation, you should possess an in-depth knowledge of economic theories and models, with strong analytical and problem-solving skills and mathematical ability. You should also be able to demonstrate a wide range of desirable professional skills, including team working, critical evaluation, self-directed learning, problem-solving, action planning and organising, written and oral communication, questioning and listening. The following personal qualities will also be addressed in each of the skills modules: achievement orientation, initiative and creativity, self-confidence, decisiveness, reflectiveness, adaptability and flexibility.

Where our graduates work

Upon successful completion, you should be well placed to pursue a wide variety of potential future career options in investment banking, accountancy, business data analysis, the public sector, auditing, management, business consultancy, mergers and acquisitions, and many more. Past graduates have found employment in a wide variety of careers at the managerial level in both the private and public sectors.

Further study

Alternatively, you may decide to pursue postgraduate study opportunities which could further enhance your employability by studying courses such as our Accounting and Financial Management MSc or Finance MSc at Coventry Business School, or our Global Finance MSc, Global Financial Trading MSc or Financial Technology (FinTech) MSc. You may be entitled to an alumni discount on your fees if you decide to extend your time with us by progressing from undergraduate to postgraduate study.

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How to apply

BSc (Hons) with foundation year

Apply via UCAS

C85

Institution code

View our courses on UCAS

Visit UCAS

This course with foundation year is not available to international students.

UK students

Full-time students can apply for this course through UCAS. Read our application pages to find out your next steps to apply.

How to apply

Apply via UCAS

If this course has a part-time option you will need to apply directly to the university.

Apply via the portal

If you'd like further support or more information about your course get in touch with us today.

+44 (0)24 7765 2222

ukadmissions@coventry.ac.uk

Complete our contact form

Disclaimers

Study location

The Foundation Year study route will be delivered by CU, part of the Coventry University Group, for and on behalf of Coventry University.

If you choose to study at CU Coventry for your Foundation Year, then your learning will be based at CU Coventry, Mile Lane, Coventry. Subject to meeting progression requirements you will then transition to the relevant Coventry University subject building for your progression degree.

Coventry University together with Coventry University London, Coventry University Wrocław, CU Coventry, CU London, CU Scarborough, and Coventry University Online come together to form part of the Coventry University Group (the University) with all degrees awarded by Coventry University.

¹Accreditations

The majority of our courses have been formally recognised by professional bodies, which means the courses have been reviewed and tested to ensure they reach a set standard. In some instances, studying on an accredited course can give you additional benefits such as exemptions from professional exams (subject to availability, fees may apply). Accreditations, partnerships, exemptions and memberships shall be renewed in accordance with the relevant bodies’ standard review process and subject to the university maintaining the same high standards of course delivery.

²UK and international opportunities

Please note that we are unable to guarantee any UK or international opportunities (whether required or optional) such as internships, work experience, field trips, conferences, placements or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be unpaid and/or subject to additional costs (which could include, but is not limited to, equipment, materials, bench fees, studio or facilities hire, travel, accommodation and visas), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable travel, public authority guidance, decisions or orders and visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand any visa requirements, please contact the International Office.

³Tuition fees

The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated in the above table for the first Academic Year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, the University may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation.

⁴Facilities

Facilities are subject to availability. Access to some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) may vary from those advertised and/or may have reduced availability or restrictions where the university is following public authority guidance, decisions or orders.

Student Contract

By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the university. A copy of the current 2025/2026 contract is available on the website. The Contract details your rights and the obligations you will be bound by during your time as a student and contains the obligations that the university will owe to you. You should read the Contract before you accept an offer of a place and before you enrol at the university.