Business Management BA (Hons)

Undergraduate

Student looking through the shelves in the library

This course aims to help you develop leadership and management skills through understanding the processes of business management.

Course option

Degree with foundation year

Year of entry

2024-25 2025-26

Location

Coventry University (Coventry)

Study mode

Full-time
Sandwich

Duration

3 years full-time
4 years sandwich
Condensed first year available

UCAS codes

N221

Start date

September 2025
January 2026 - condensed

How to apply

Book an Open Day

Download a prospectus

Course overview

Learn how you can mobilise your creativity and innovation to deal with business complexities and change, both ethically and sustainably.

You’ll have opportunities to develop your leadership and management skills suited to competitive, multi-disciplinary and dynamic global business environments. These skills will be valuable in organisations of all sizes and sectors, from start-up social enterprises to large multi-national corporations, making you attractive to a wide range of employers.

The January start for this course is condensed in Year 1. Please see the ‘How you’ll learn’ section below for more details.

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 2025

Why you should study this course

This course aims to create future business leaders by providing a comprehensive and detailed understanding of the processes of business management, through:

problem-based learning with integration of our Business Simulation Suite⁴.
working with expert staff with industry insight and opportunities to network with global business leaders.
exploring different cultures and examining different business practices found across the globe².
the provision of an end-to-end understanding of the processes of business management, focussing on how leaders need to ensure that creativity, innovation and change are central to the processes of business sustainability and adaptability.
learn from real-world examples, and work on live case studies with access to industry speakers that put theory into practice².

If you choose to start this course in January you will study exactly the same course but over a slightly shorter timescale in Year 1. This is ideal if you missed the September start, want to transfer from a different university or course or just need a bit more time to prepare for life at university.

Accreditation and professional recognition

EFMD Global – Programme Accreditation System

This course is accredited by EFMD Global for the 2025/26 intakes. Accreditation with EFMD Global indicates that this course has met the organisation's rigorous standards of pedagogical and research quality and that its degrees are recognised as credible by employers and other stakeholders.

EFMD programme accreditation is the most thorough programme accreditation system for business and/or management degrees and courses, including face-to-face, blended and online provisions. It constitutes a benchmark for what is considered an internationally recognised and peer-reviewed programme.

EFMD programme accreditation is a complementary evaluation tool available to the EQUIS accredited schools, which aim at further differentiating some of their programmes. It focuses on the strategic relevance and development of the programme.

Memberships

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.

Coventry Business School is recognised by the above memberships for the 2023/24 intake.

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.

What you'll study

The Business Management BA (Hons) degree aims to develop future leaders that are forward-looking and socially responsible. You will learn how leaders mobilise creativity, innovation and change in order to develop and maintain adaptable, successful businesses. Additionally, you’ll have the opportunity to develop your leadership and management skills in relation to dynamic contexts. The course emphasises the complexities of leading and managing change ethically and sustainably, where you’ll focus on an end-to-end understanding of business processes with an emphasis on leadership and management.

This course has a common first year

The common first year enables you to work alongside students doing similar courses to you, to widen your knowledge and exposure to other subject areas and professions. You will have the opportunity to collaborate with other students, so you can share your insights and experience which will help you to develop and learn.

If you discover an interest in a specific subject you have studied, upon successful completion of your first year, you could swap degrees with another course in your common first year (subject to meeting progression requirements).

Common first-year courses

Advertising and Digital Marketing BA (Hons)
Business Administration BBA (Hons)
Business and Human Resource Management BA (Hons)
Business and Marketing BA (Hons)
Business Management BA (Hons)
Enterprise and Entrepreneurship BA (Hons)
Event Management BA (Hons)
International Business Management BSc (Hons)
Marketing BA (Hons)
Sport Management BA (Hons)

In the first year, the curriculum is shared across related courses allowing you to gain a broad grounding in the discipline before going on, in the second and third years, to specialist modules in your chosen field.

Modules

Entrepreneurial Thinking - 20 credits

The aim of this module is to enable you to engage critically and creatively with entrepreneurship in the context of responsible management practice. Following an introduction to the key concepts and debates of general entrepreneurial principles, you will actively explore social, economic, and environmental challenges.

Compulsory

Entrepreneurial Ideation - 20 credits

The aim of this module is to introduce you to the process of entrepreneurial ideation. Entrepreneurial ideation is the creative process of generating, developing, and communicating new ideas.

Through authentic and applied assessment, you will be invited to present your ideas to business and organisational leaders².

Compulsory

Foundations of Management - 20 credits

This module introduces you to the essential building blocks of business and organisational management through a range of theories, concepts and approaches.

You can expect to explore the organisational structure, organisational design and business operations before learning about contexts which impact organisations, such as national culture, capitalism, demography and climate change.

Compulsory

Marketing, Digital and Social Media - 20 credits

This module develops your knowledge and understanding of the fundamental concepts in marketing, including digital and social media.

You should develop an understanding of the role of marketing within an organisation, and the influence of factors in the external environment on marketing decisions.

Compulsory

Business Decision-Making using Data Analysis - 20 credits

This module introduces the fundamental concepts and principles of data analytics, and how they can be applied to assess and enhance organisational and functional performance and support decision-making.

This module is designed to help you develop an analytical mindset, deepen your understanding, and prepare you to use innovative data analytic tools, techniques, and methods.

Compulsory

Organisational Behaviour - 20 Credits

In year two, you will continue to develop the skills and knowledge you’ve learned. We do this by embedding the following four principles into the curriculum:  

Technical skills – digital fluency, backed with the right academic knowledge 
Study skills – to be an adaptive, independent and proactive learner 
Professional skills – to have the behaviour and abilities to succeed in your career 
Global awareness – the beliefs and abilities to be a resilient, confident and motivated global citizen.

Modules

Innovation in Practice - 20 credits

The aim of this module is for you to have opportunities² to work collaboratively with organisations to develop innovative solutions to wicked problems.

The curriculum will be enhanced with guest speaker sessions from entrepreneurs and key organisational leaders (where available). Through an applied critical evaluation of the academic literature on a contemporary challenge, you will provide a detailed and scholarly approach to thinking differently about current issues.

Compulsory

Designing a Research Proposal - 20 credits

The aim of this module is to provide you with the opportunity to identify current or global challenges in the environment and present ideas to address those issues in a proactive manner.

You can expect to develop an awareness and a critical understanding of key research methodologies within your chosen area of study and design a proposal for researching the relevant contemporary issues.

Compulsory

Principles of Business Accounting - 20 credits

This module is designed to develop your understanding of the concepts and tools commonly used in financial and management accounting.

The module will introduce you to the financial statements that are regularly produced by business organisations, as well as the tools that can be used to interpret these and evaluate financial performance.

Compulsory

Managing People in a Global Context - 20 credits

This module provides you with the opportunity to critically appraise the impact of globalisation on human resource management strategies. The module introduces the key concepts for understanding international human resource management and explores the practice of managing human resources in an international context. Intercultural factors will also be examined and appraised from the viewpoint of values, cultures and societies.

Compulsory

Managing Change - 20 credits

Building on established theories and practices, you will explore different theories on change management, engage in debates and critically evaluate different approaches to change. Current theoretical and practitioner approaches to managing change will also be discussed and critiqued.

This module aims to provide you with the concepts, frameworks and techniques on how to manage change effectively. At a pragmatic level, this module will lead to the development of participative styles of organising and managing change, which will enhance your employability skills.

Compulsory

Economy, Society and Environment - 20 credits

The aim of this module is to provide a thorough insight into the relationship between the economy, society and environment within the context of sustainability and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This module will enable you to evidence critical thinking and analytical skills whilst bringing your own experiences into discussion and inquiry by analysing complex social and economic sustainability issues and evaluating the contribution of business in solving these issues to achieve mutual goals of sustainable development.

Compulsory

There’s no better way to find out what you love doing than trying it out for yourself, which is why a work placement² can often be beneficial. Work placements usually occur between your second and final year of study. They’re a great way to help you explore your potential career path and gain valuable work experience, whilst developing transferable skills for the future.

If you choose to do a work placement year, you will pay a reduced tuition fee³ of £1,250. For more information, please go to the fees and funding section. During this time you will receive guidance from your employer or participating institution, along with your assigned academic mentor who will ensure you have the support you need to complete your placement.

Whilst we would like to give you all the information about our placement/study abroad offering here, it is often tailored for each course every year and depends on the length of placement or study abroad opportunities that are secured. Therefore, the placement and study abroad arrangements vary per course and per student. Request further information about going on a placement or study abroad year.

Modules

UK Work Placement– 0 credits

This module² provides you with an opportunity to reflect upon and gain experience for an approved placement undertaken during your programme. A placement should usually be at least 26 weeks or equivalent; however, each placement will be considered on its own merits, having regard to the ability to achieve the learning outcomes..

Compulsory

International Study/Work Placement – 0 credits

This module² provides you with an opportunity to reflect upon and gain experience for an approved international study/work placement undertaken during your programme. A work/study placement should usually be at least 26 weeks or equivalent; however, each placement will be considered on its own merits, having regard to the ability to achieve the learning outcomes.

Optional

The final year aims to bring you to the level to enter the world of work by consolidating your knowledge and skills from years one and two. You could also work on a large final project in an area of your interest, with the support of a mentor.

Modules

Final Year Project - 40 credits

This module aims to provide you with the opportunity to apply and develop your research skills and to extend your knowledge, understanding and ability to critically analyse a topic in a specialist area of interest. You will receive academic support through a series of group supervisions and will be allocated a project supervisor.

Compulsory

Strategy in Action - 20 credits

This module seeks to develop a critical approach to theoretical and practical aspects of strategic management, particularly focusing on the process, content and context of strategy, and the problems associated with implementing strategic decisions. You will be encouraged to tackle complex issues, understand the inter-related aspects of organisational change and develop solutions to multi-faceted problems.

Compulsory

Ethical Leadership - 20 credits

This module will use the underpinning principles of behaviour in organisations and how people are managed to consider organisational leadership. This module will provide you with the opportunity to study leadership theory, in particular ethical and authentic leadership. The module also explores leadership through the lens of corporate social responsibility and culture within an organisation. You will be encouraged to be reflective and to consider your own ethical framework in this module, to enhance your own skills and develop ethical leadership behaviours.

Compulsory

Choose two from the following six optional modules:

Optional

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

This course aims to offer a variety of teaching and learning methods to keep your experience dynamic and varied. Teaching methods may include⁴:

lectures with associated seminars
workshops, incorporating case studies, problem-centred learning, practical exercises, surgeries, the use of electronic business resources and databases and ICT packages⁴.

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

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 learnt 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
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

This course offers a wide variety of field trip opportunities², both in the UK and abroad. These trips are designed to provide opportunities to understand business within different cultural environments and the chance to develop networks with a wider range of students and organisations. Past trips have been to destinations such as New York, Peru, China and Belgium.

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.

Entry requirements

Typical entry requirements:

Requirement	What we're looking for
UCAS points	120
A level	BBB
GCSE	5 GCSEs at grade 4 / C or above to include English and Mathematics
BTEC	DDM
IB Diploma	24 points
Access to HE	The Access to HE Diploma to include 30 Level 3 credits at Merit. Plus GCSE English and Mathematics at grade 4 / C or above.

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.

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Contextual offers and Fair Access Scheme

If you meet the criteria for our Fair Access Scheme, you could automatically receive a contextual offer that may be up to 24 UCAS points lower than our standard entry requirements. View the criteria for our Fair Access Scheme.

Select your region to find detailed information about entry requirements:

Russia and Central Asia

You can view our full list of country specific entry requirements on our Entry requirements page.

If you do not have the typical entry requirements, you may want to consider studying this course with an international foundation year. Upon successful completion our International Foundation Year - Business will provide you with the knowledge and skills you need to progress onto this undergraduate degree.

Alternatively, visit our International hub for further advice and guidance on finding in-country agents and representatives, joining our in-country events and how to apply.

English language requirements

IELTS: 6.0 overall (with at least 5.5 in each component area)

If you don't meet the English language requirements, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.

For more information on our approved English language tests visit our English language requirements page.

Chat with us

Not got the required grades? We offer this degree with an integrated foundation year.

Fees and funding

Student	Full-time	Part-time
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man	2025/26 fees TBC 2024/25 fees - £9,250 per year	Not available
EU	2025/26 fees TBC 2024/25 fees - £9,250 per year with EU Support Bursary 2025/26 fees TBC 2024/25 fees - £16,800 per year without EU Support Bursary	Not available
International	2025/26 fees TBC 2024/25 fees - £16,800 per year	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 of £1,250 to cover your academic support throughout your placement year.

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.

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.

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).

Find out what's included in your tuition costs.

Condensed course – January start date

If you choose to start this degree in January please make sure you check the Fees and Finance page for more information. Although starting this course in January does not prohibit you from being eligible for student finance, the way it is paid in your first year differs from those who start their course in September.

If you start the degree in January, your tuition fees will be paid in accordance with the university’s Tuition Fees, Refund and Withdrawal Terms and Conditions for January starters and for any further years of study, your fees will be paid in accordance with the terms for September starters.

*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.

**EU Support Bursary

Following the UK's exit from the European Union, we are offering financial support to all eligible EU students who wish to study an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree with us full-time. This bursary will be used to offset the cost of your tuition fees to bring them in line with that of UK students. Students studying a degree with a foundation year with us are not eligible for the bursary.

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 facilities⁴ and technology are close to what you would expect in real-world business environments.

Careers and opportunities

On successful completion of this course you will be able to:

evidence a well-developed knowledge of the broad areas of business and management, the detailed relationships between these and their application in a range of intercultural contexts.
identify, analyse and critically assess organisational issues in an international and community context using appropriate models or techniques and effectively communicate relevant innovative and creative solutions in order to influence decision-making.
demonstrate the ability to act as an independent learner as well as the ability to play a full role when working and /or learning in teams.
act entrepreneurially to generate, analyse, develop and communicate innovative ideas and deliver successful outcomes.
identify and evaluate uncertainty and complexity to explore alternative business and management solutions within a range of international context.
understand and apply creative solutions in business management to real world business problems to effect change in complex and dynamic environments.
critically reflect upon leadership theories and apply appropriate tools to demonstrate strategic change.
critically analyse and reflect on issues around sustainability, social responsibility, responsible leadership, and ethics, drawing on informed research sources, and critically evaluate the role of individuals and organisations in behaving responsibly.

Where our graduates work

Recent graduates have gone on to join graduate schemes at National Grid, Ford, Opel and Royal Mail. Others have secured graduate positions as a commercial analyst for TNT, a commercial manager at Marks & Spencer, an assistant manager at Mitchells and Butler and a programme analyst at Jaguar Land Rover.

Further study

You can choose to continue your studies at Coventry University with the Business Analytics MSc or International Business Management 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.

How to apply

BA (Hons) with foundation year

Apply via UCAS

C85

Institution code

View our courses on UCAS

Visit UCAS

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

Chat with our admissions team

Complete our contact form

International students

International codes:
FBLU082

How to apply

For further support for international applicants applying for an undergraduate degree view our International hub.

You can also download our International mini guide for an overview of study options and why you should study with us.

Get in touch with us today for further advice and guidance.

+44 (0)24 7765 2152

ioadmissions@coventry.ac.uk

Chat with our admissions team

Complete our contact form

Disclaimers

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.

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.

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 2024/2025 contract is available on the website for information purposes however the 2025/2026 contract will apply for the 2025/2026 intake. 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.