Business Management and Leadership BA (Hons)

Study level: Undergraduate
HNC/HND courses
Two students working on a computer together

Running your own business can be challenging and rewarding. It requires a strong sense of entrepreneurship, determination and the ability to handle managerial responsibilities.

Course option

Year of entry

Location

CU Coventry (Coventry)

Study mode

Full-time
Part-time
Sandwich

Duration

4 years sandwich
3 year - Degree
2 year - HND
1 year - HNC
Flexible part-time

UCAS codes

N20L / N20M / N20N

Start date

November 2024
January 2025
March 2025
May 2025
June 2025

The information on this page is for 2023-24 entry and should be used as guidance for 2024-25 entry. Please keep checking back on this course page to see our latest updates.


Course overview

Our BA (Hons) Business Management and Leadership course is designed to help you develop key skills, from managing people, projects and resources to strategic leadership within the UK and internationally.

Why you should study this course

The degree offers:

  • a focus on contemporary management issues, giving you the opportunity to develop a wealth of skills needed to aid progression from an operational level through to a leadership role within any organisation
  • opportunities to help you develop the required confidence, versatility and strategic thinking, coupled with elevated communication skills and a desire to succeed
  • the chance to conduct critical research with our experienced staff, learn from guest visitors and take part in invaluable practical modules.

Why CU Coventry

We offer a style of education which is flexible and designed to fit around your life, allowing you to benefit from a modern, forward-thinking higher education institution, reinforced by the quality and reputation of Coventry University. We aim to provide career-focused courses, wherever possible, coupled with placement opportunities to help prepare you for the world of work. We are dedicated to making higher education accessible and enjoyable to everyone, so we keep our fees low and made it a policy to cover one module at a time, allowing you to become a specialist in each topic before moving onto the next.

Accreditation and professional recognition

The Business Management and Leadership BA (Hons) degree part of this course is currently accredited and recognised by the following bodies for the 2023/2024 intake1:

CMI logo

Chartered Management Institute

This degree programme has been developed to allow modules to align to the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) qualification. Students who undertake the degree element of this course are provided with CMI membership for the duration of their programme and one year after graduating for free. This valuable CMI membership gives students access to resources, journals and professional insights, while putting students in the same arena as practising managers.



What you'll study

Many areas of management and leadership, such as the development of new concepts and modern project management, require graduates to have good theoretical and practical knowledge to control, implement and evaluate new developments.

This varied degree aims to supply you with the skills and knowledge needed for successful entry into management. This is an applied course and recognises the multidisciplinary approach that is needed in business leadership. Throughout your degree, you will study the details of operating markets, information technology and leadership practice, demonstrating a capability to maintain auditable records of your work.

Year one focuses on the organisational environment and decision-making processes at junior management level. You’ll cover a broad range of topics from core concepts of current management and organisational behaviour to the fundamentals of business policy, marketing and strategy. You should also develop the necessary skills and knowledge that will prepare you for study in years two and three. Students who successfully complete year one are eligible for a Higher National Certificate (HNC) in Business Management and Leadership.

Modules

As the course progresses, you’ll be asked to build on the knowledge gained in year one to cement a solid foundation of core principles. Now that you are working to a higher level after completing the HNC, you should begin to develop a comprehensive range of skills and insights needed by operational managers to deal with complex issues. The focus of year two falls upon specialised areas such as financial management, entrepreneurship and the development of business practices. Students who successfully complete year two are eligible for a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Business Management and Leadership.

Modules

There's no better way to find out what you love doing than trying it out for yourself, which is why a work placement can often be beneficial. Work placements2 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.

Modules

At this stage, you are dealing specifically with the challenges and opportunities faced by a strategic manager. The need to continuously assess and evaluate the business landscape is of paramount importance, along with the ability to work effectively and autonomously. This final year covers strategic leadership principles, organisational design and strategic marketing. You’ll also conduct a strategic business project on a management issue that brings together key themes from across the three years of study. Students who successfully complete year three are awarded a BA (Hons) in Business Management and Leadership.

Modules

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 is available as a full-time three year or optional four-year sandwich course, the latter incorporating a work placement or study year in a related field2.

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 utilise a blended learning approach, including online aspects, workshops and group work. We also operate an open-door policy, with additional availability via email and our online learning platform, Aula.

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.

Unlike traditional institutions, there are no end-of-year exams. Instead, learning is assessed through coursework and phase tests, which is more reflective of our learning model.


Teaching contact hours

Full-time
If you choose to study full-time you can expect up to 20 hours of learning activities per week, made up of face-to-face teaching, individual and group tutorials, online classes and independent learning.

Additionally, you will be expected to undertake up to 30 hours of self-directed study, depending on the demands of individual modules.

Part-time
If you choose to study part-time you'll usually receive up to 11 hours per week of blended learning, including classes, tutorials and online learning. Additionally, you will be expected to undertake up to 30 hours of self-directed study, depending on the demands of individual modules. Please note: part-time courses run subject to numbers

As an innovative and enterprising institution, the university may seek to utilise emerging technologies within the student experience. For all courses (whether on-campus, blended, or distance learning), the university may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via online technologies and methods.

Since COVID-19, we have delivered our courses in a variety of forms, in line with public authority guidance, decisions, or orders and we will continue to adapt our delivery as appropriate. Whether on campus or online, our key priority is staff and student safety.


Assessment

The learning outcomes of modules, assignments and projects will be clearly stated. Your work will be marked according to how well you achieve these learning outcomes and your final feedback will refer to each outcome, as well as providing an overall percentage grade.

Assessment methods vary and include, practical class and project performance, written practical reports, project thesis, oral presentations, tutorial tasks and assessments which take place at the end of each six-week block.

Course Breakdown:

  • Coursework

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.

Having studied Business, Management and Leadership, I left University with a very clear career path and well-developed understanding of management theory and practice.

Ashkan Bahgozen, Business Management and Leadership BA (Hons), 2023
Student giving a presentation in class

Entry requirements

Typical offer for 2024/25 entry.

Entry level What we're looking for
HNC 64 UCAS tariff points. Minimum 5 GCSEs graded 9-4 / A* - C including Maths and English. Minimum two A2 levels or BTEC equivalent qualification.
HND 80 UCAS tariff points. Minimum 5 GCSEs graded 9-4 / A* - C including Maths and English. Minimum two A2 levels or BTEC equivalent qualification.
Degree 104 UCAS tariff points. Minimum 5 GCSEs graded 9-4 / A* - C including Maths and English. Minimum two A2 levels or BTEC equivalent qualification.

We recognise a breadth of qualifications, speak to one of our advisers today to find out how we can help you.

Are you eligible for the CU Support Scheme?

We believe every student should have the opportunity to dream big, reach their potential and succeed, regardless of their background.

CU Support Scheme

Entry level What we're looking for
HNC 64 UCAS tariff points. Minimum 5 GCSEs graded 9-4 / A* - C including Maths and English. Minimum two A2 levels or BTEC equivalent qualification.
HND 80 UCAS tariff points. Minimum 5 GCSEs graded 9-4 / A* - C including Maths and English. Minimum two A2 levels or BTEC equivalent qualification.
Degree 104 UCAS tariff points. Minimum 5 GCSEs graded 9-4 / A* - C including Maths and English. Minimum two A2 levels or BTEC equivalent qualification.

Alternatively, visit our International hub for further advice and guidance on how to apply and travelling to and living in the UK.

English language requirements

  • IELTS: 6.0

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.


Fees and funding

2024/25 tuition fees

Student Full-time Part-time
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man £7,950 per year Not available
EU £7,950 per year with EU Support Bursary**
£16,800 per year without EU Support Bursary**
Not available
International £16,800 per year Not available

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.

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).

*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.


Facilities

All our facilities are located at Mile Lane. Our building has been designed to enable collaboration, creativity and innovation to flourish, and includes (subject to availability):

  • Indoor and outdoor social spaces, including a café
  • A library that includes loan laptops, over 115,000 eBooks and a silent study area
  • Open access IT suites and 83-inch teaching screens
  • Engineering lab, science lab and a moot courtroom
  • Student support and careers advice teams

Careers and opportunities

On successful completion of the degree course, you should be able to:

  • Demonstrate understanding and knowledge of the theoretical, analytical and practical aspects of management strategies and processes within a changing environment, to meet stakeholder interests.
  • Critically appraise theories related to the development of staff, including crucial factors in the development of people management, including ethics, culture and change.
  • Be proficient in developing international-level strategy, incorporating and considering currency, cultural and competitor risk.
  • Develop appropriate research and analysis techniques, alongside the ability to undertake reliable market research activities.
  • Operate, lead and collaborate in a team to solve problems of a practical (experimental) nature and to provide appropriate solutions.
  • Apply appropriate presentation and evaluation tools to establish the significance of research data produced.


This degree is an applied course; it recognises the multidisciplinary approach that is needed in business management. This means you can apply this degree to any industry and into a number of positions, including but not restricted to retail manager, project management and business officers.

Where our graduates work

We focus on producing global graduates, which means our graduates can go on to work in small and large companies around the world.

CU graduates from this subject area have gone to work in several industries, such as recruitment, finance and retail, in companies such as The Immigration Service, Tesco and Transport for London.

Other CU graduates have also progressed on to study a master’s in subjects such as International Business Management, International Marketing, Business and Organisation Psychology and Human Resources.


How to apply

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