Overview
You’ll benefit from a broad introduction to commerce, exploring the various functions found within almost all businesses – from operations to marketing, accounting and human resource management. You’ll develop your understanding of how and where businesses sell their products and services, who they sell to, how they make decisions, and what improves their chances of success.
This course can be studied full-time over three years, or four years if you add a placement year in industry. There’s also a two and a half-year accelerated option, and a part-time option. There are intakes in October and January.
Why Coventry University London?
We believe that there is no better place to learn about business than to study in the heart of one of the most successful business and financial centres in the world. Launched in 2010 and located in the City of London, we are minutes away from the Bank of England and the London Stock Exchange, and are surrounded by several blue chip companies.
COVID-19
The University may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via emerging online technologies and methods across all courses. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, we are prepared for courses due to start in or after the 2020/2021 academic year to be delivered in a variety of forms. The form of delivery will be determined in accordance with Government and Public Health guidance. Whether on campus or online, our key priority is staff and student safety.
Due to the ongoing restrictions relating to Covid-19, some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) and some non-academic offerings (particularly in relation to international experiences), may vary from those advertised and may have reduced availability or restrictions on their use.
Global ready
An international outlook, with global opportunitiesEmployability
Career-ready graduates, with the skills to succeedStudent experience
All the support you need, in a top student cityHeart of the City
Minutes from the Bank of England and Stock Exchange
What our students say...
The opportunities that the University provides are almost endless, and the prospect of having a work placement during my third year – and graduating with work experience – was definitely a big incentive.
Course information
Our campus is in the heart of the City of London, so you’ll be surrounded by one of the most successful business and financial centres in the world – enabling you to benefit from opportunities to connect with employers and network with professionals.
You’ll learn to analyse the goals, functions and strategies which drive organisations, exploring financial and operations management, marketing, performance measurement, project management, and how to develop the workforce for competitive advantage.
You’ll also choose two of four optional taught modules, permitting you to focus on particular areas of interest such as international investment, marketing communications, corporate social responsibility or international trade.
The course will help you to develop professional skills such as entrepreneurship, business research and strategic decision-making. You’ll focus on your own leadership and management abilities, building on your intercultural, communication, negotiation, collaboration and problem-solving skills.
89%
Staff are good at explaining things
UniStats
Course Specification
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Modules
Coventry University is ranked 15th in the UK Guardian University Guide 2019
In more detail...
This course offers excellent preparation for a career in global business management. It builds on strong academic foundations by providing exciting opportunities for applying your theoretical knowledge, for contact with employers, and for work experience.
Applied
This degree programme teaches practical skills in the classroom, but you’ll also have opportunities for internships, business simulations, work placements, live client projects and mixing with employers. You might visit advertising agencies, financial institutions, manufacturers and small businesses, and there are optional field trips to overseas partner institutions, businesses and events (past students have visited Paris, Berlin, Helsinki, Rotterdam and Dubai).
Tutors
You’ll be taught by tutors with significant academic and business experience across many countries and industries. Their experiences will inform and illustrate their teaching, as will their continuing involvement in global business through consultancy and research.
London
Our London campus is right in the City of London, one of the world’s premier business districts. You’ll be surrounded by the UK or international headquarters of some of the world’s biggest companies, as well as exciting start-up businesses and emerging business models. This is an extraordinary place in which to learn, surrounded by the buzz of contemporary global business.
Entrepreneurship
One of the key themes of this course is ‘entrepreneurship’ – which is ideal if you’re interested in starting your own business, but it also means so much more. Even big businesses are interested in embedding entrepreneurial skills within their organisations, because they value visionary and independent thinking, determined and resilient individuals, and the ability to launch agile teams, sub-brands, products and services. And if you do want to set up your own business, we offer start-up advice and support during the course.
Support
To help you reach your maximum potential on this course, we offer a wide range of support at any stage of your studies. This includes help with academic writing and referencing, how to study and research effectively, digital and IT support, and help with employability (including job-hunting, CVs and interviews). You’ll also be assigned an academic mentor and a personal tutor.
- Optional one-year work placement or study abroad with Erasmus
- We offer the flexibility of full-time, part-time and accelerated options, plus October or January start-dates
- Take up opportunities to visit or collaborate with partner universities in France, Germany, the UAE and the Netherlands
- Enjoy the benefit of our extensive business contacts in the private, public and voluntary sectors, in London and beyond
- Enjoy opportunities for UK and international field trips to businesses (such as Bloomberg, the Bank of England and the BBC)
- Learn about international business practice through guest speakers (who have included the London Stock Exchange and Standard & Poor’s)
- Optional one-term internship, either in the UK (perhaps with an organisation in the City of London) or you could arrange your own overseas placement
Your main study themes are:
- Strategy – Develop strategic personal and professional skills which will serve you well if you’re ambitious for a high-flying career
- Marketing – Understand the essential relationship between the consumer and the brand, and how to manage it to your advantage
- Entrepreneurship – Learn the power of innovative, independent thinking and practice, and develop your business resilience
- Ethics – Understand the responsibilities of individuals and organisations towards other individuals, organisations and the environment.
Some of your time will be spent in traditional lectures and their follow-up seminars. There is an emphasis on teamwork and group work, partly because this reflects the workplace and partly because there’s so much you can learn by working with, and listening to, other students. Class sizes are small, so you’ll receive plenty of individual attention and you’ll get to know your tutors and fellow students well.
Even in the classroom, the emphasis is on practical skills and on exposure to business practice – through discussion and debate, presentations, report-writing, case studies, and business simulations. You’ll also benefit from guest lectures delivered by leading industry experts.
Your learning will extend beyond the classroom thanks to field trips (including overseas options) and opportunities for work experience. With London on your doorstep, you’ll be encouraged to learn from all that the city’s business environment has to offer: there are many opportunities for you to visit museums, exhibitions and conferences, to work part-time, or even to volunteer. You’ll also be expected to use some of your personal time for self-directed research and study: this is a valuable skill which will serve you well throughout your professional career.
Throughout the course, you’ll learn many essential ‘soft’ skills such as self-reliance, resilience, leadership, teamwork, communication, numeracy and digital literacy, and the ability to explain complex information in a clear way. We encourage a logical approach to work, building your business acumen and your ability to creatively solve problems and challenges. We also focus on developing our students to become ethical, responsible individuals who can work with and lead other people from diverse cultures and backgrounds while demonstrating global citizenship and social responsibility.
Teaching methods may include: lectures, seminars, workshops, hypothetical problem questions, simulations and case studies
The purpose of assessment is to ensure that both you and your tutors know whether you’re keeping pace and whether there are any areas where you need extra support.
Most of your assessments will be based on individual or group coursework, although there is one exam in one module in the first year. The emphasis is on demonstrating your practical business skills, developing your proficiency with the work you’ll need to do in the workplace. Your tutors will set essays, reports, presentations, simulations, workshop activities and other tasks to enable you to prove your ability to communicate, analyse data, plan, make decisions, present and persuade. Your work will be expected to be logical and compelling.
On successful completion, you should understand:
- the core functions which exist within businesses (such as finance, marketing, human resource management and operations) in a global context
- the processes involved in running a business, including accounting, planning, project management and logistics, and how these can vary between countries
- how to manage the organisation’s resources, including people, products and finances
- how to collect, analyse, interpret and present data and information in order to support well-informed management decision-making
- many of the challenges and issues faced by businesses, especially when working multi-culturally and/or across borders
- a wide range of the risks faced by businesses, especially internationally, and demonstrate knowledge of how to investigate, analyse and manage those risks
- the importance of entrepreneurial working (supported by innovation and creativity), and its potential even within existing organisations.
In a typical week you will have up to 9 contact hours, with a mix of lectures, seminars and workshops.
Every aspect of this course is set within a global context: you will always consider the opportunities and challenges which arise when working across cultures, languages, borders, jurisdictions and regulatory frameworks.
There are also options for travelling overseas. These include international field trips, studying abroad, a year’s work placement, and/or a term’s internship in your final year.
You will study as part of a truly multi-cultural cohort, since our students come from over 50 countries around the world. Each of them brings with them their own approaches, perspectives, stories and experiences, all of which provide you with invaluable experience in inter-cultural working.
What our students say...
I found welcoming tutors here, who have prior experience of working in actual businesses. They helped me forget my nervousness – I have never felt so comfortable in a class.
Entry Requirements
We will consider other qualifications for a pre-result unconditional offer providing that you have an appropriate proven performance at GCSE (or equivalent) level and predicted grades in line with grades that we expect to see at A-level. Other qualifications that we may consider for a pre-result unconditional offer include: the International Baccalaureate Diploma, BTEC Level 3 qualifications, Cambridge Pre-U and combinations of qualifications (e.g. BTECS plus A-levels).
An unconditional offer is what it says it is. So if you don’t meet your predictions then your place at Coventry is still guaranteed. However we would hope and expect that you continue to work hard to make the most of your potential and be best prepared to study at university level.
We can’t but our experience over the years has shown us that students like you with a track record of high grades and excellent predictions are very likely to achieve those grades. Our assessment takes into account all elements of your application to allow us to take a holistic view of your potential. There is still the opportunity to gain one of the Coventry University Scholarships if you achieve the required grades so there is a financial incentive to aim high. Unconditional offers are only made to individuals who have demonstrated their commitment so we believe their focus and determination is unlikely to waver in the final stages of their qualifications.
No, the unconditional offer is only available to those who will take up their place in 2019.
What our students say...
The opportunities that the University provides are almost endless, and the prospect of having a work placement during my third year – and graduating with work experience – was definitely a big incentive.
What our students say...
The opportunities that the University provides are almost endless, and the prospect of having a work placement during my third year – and graduating with work experience – was definitely a big incentive.
Career prospects
Graduate Immigration Route visa
Based on current information from the UK Government, international students whose study extends beyond summer 2021 may be eligible for a visa under the UK Government’s Graduate Immigration Route, which will enable students to stay and work, or look for work, in the UK at any skill level for up to two (2) years. Check the most up to date guidance available to check your eligibility and any updates from the UK Government before making an application or enrolment decision.
Graduates can expect to have real employer-appeal: you’ll have knowledge and practical skills which are vital in helping businesses to succeed in the contemporary global business environment.
Today's job market is highly competitive. Employers are looking for more than a degree qualification: they want well-rounded, independent and resilient individuals who can make a difference, fast. The curriculum for this course has been developed in collaboration with employers, so we know what they’re looking for, and has been designed to provide the kind of practical skills and knowledge you’ll need in the workplace.
This course provides the flexibility to help you build a career in one or more of a wide range of business functions, and to work confidently internationally. It will also develop the entrepreneurial skills you need to start your own business or run an innovative project within a large organisation.
97%
of students in work or further study six months after they left university
DLHE 2015/16
Where our graduates work
Graduates’ first jobs, after completing this course, tend to be in junior management, from where you could progress rapidly into more senior roles. You might take a specific job, or join a graduate programme. Alternatively, you might decide to become self-employed or move on to postgraduate study.
Your global business skills will be transferable, which means they are easily portable across many industries and even many countries. You could work for a UK-based organisation with a few offices overseas; a domestic business which trades internationally; an overseas business; or a large multi-national corporation.
First jobs after completing this course*:
- Business and public service 50%
- Managers, directors and senior officials 10%
- Administrative 5%
- Customer service 5%
- Business, research 5%
- Artistic, literary and media 5%
*Statistics from Unistats, 2017
What our students say...
I feel I’ve developed the skills I need to work in a fast-paced, forward-looking and dynamic environment, where every day brings something new in terms of tasks, challenges and opportunities.
