BSc (Hons) Business Management with foundation year
Award
BSc (Hons)
Start Date
To be confirmed
Duration
4 years
Mode
Full-time
Location
University of Greater Manchester
UCAS Code
N371
Every organisation needs effective, knowledgeable and skilled managers. Graduates of our BSc (Hons) Business Management with foundation year also receive the CMI Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management. This impressive dual-award offers an excellent start to a career with global opportunities.
Block Teaching
Course Overview
Business management qualifications open doors and are considered essential whether you are looking to pursue a career in business or achieve higher levels of responsibility in your current work.The University of Greater Manchester's BSc (Hons) in Business Management with foundation year offers a strong grounding in an essential range of contemporary business management subjects combined with the opportunity to focus your studies in the final year.
The foundation year is the first year of this four-year degree, offering an excellent grounding in the fundamentals of business and management alongside study skills development. It's designed to prepare you for degree-level study.
Developing your employability is a key focus of this dynamic and flexible programme. Real-life case studies, guest speakers and industry visits are designed to help you to understand the business environment and the needs of employers in local, national and international contexts. We'll support you in developing sought-after skills such as communication, data analysis, time management, teamwork, and problem-solving.
We also aim to help you develop lifelong learning skills empowering you to take ownership of your professional development for the future and maximising your potential for success.
You can graduate with a general BSc (Hons) in Business Management with foundation year or transfer to one of our named pathways: Information Systems, Enterprise, Finance, Supply Chain Management, People Management, Marketing or Retail. Graduates of all these pathways will also receive the CMI Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management, and some of the pathway options offer you the chance to gain exemptions from further professional qualifications from institutes such as ACCA and CIM.
Highlights
- Our team of highly knowledgeable and enthusiastic business management lecturers offer face-to-face sessions and one-to-one support, ensuring you can access help and advice when you need it.
- On successfully completing this dual award course, you'll receive both an academic degree and a professionally-recognised management qualification – the CMI Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management. You don't need to take extra exams or coursework to achieve the Diploma – we combine our degree module and CMI assessments streamlining your route to both qualifications.
- We'll cover key concepts in areas such as people management, company law, marketing, strategic management, information systems and big data, project management, finance, innovation and enterprise. You'll also choose from a wide range of specialist modules in the final year, allowing you to tailor your degree to areas of personal or professional interest.
- Face-to-face sessions and one-to-one support are offered by our highly experienced and enthusiastic lecturers who have worked in a wide range of businesses ranging from multinational organisations to SMEs.
- The University offers excellent 24/7 library and IT facilities, WiFi, and well-appointed learning areas.
Key Features
- You'll study in our vibrant Greater Manchester Business School in Bolton town centre.
- We use small group and tutorial teaching, so you can benefit from the excellent support offered by our teaching staff.
- We regularly invite guest speakers who hold senior positions in industry and practice, enabling you to benefit from their knowledge and advice.
- Course materials are available online, allowing you to prepare work at home and make the most of the highly interactive in-class tuition.
- We weave contemporary research findings into our teaching, ensuring a robust academic base underpins your business management studies.
- Our dedicated team will support you as you develop critical thinking and research skills and apply these during your final year dissertation.
- By choosing to study with us, you'll have the chance to enjoy Bolton's many shops, bars, restaurants and leisure facilities. Nearby Manchester is one of the UK's most multicultural and lively cities, and the Northwest of England is renowned for its beautiful countryside, coastline, and heritage.
Entry Requirements
- Any subjects are acceptable at Level 3.
- You should also have five GCSEs at grade 4/C or above (or equivalent), including English.
- We'll be happy to consider your application if you have non-traditional qualifications and relevant experience or a suitable portfolio of work that we deem a reasonable substitute for the qualifications we typically accept for this course.
- You may be required to attend an interview and/or provide a portfolio of work.
- If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.
- Please note that this course is subject to the University's Fitness to Practice declaration.
Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.
Career Opportunities
Our dual award BSc (Hons) Business Management with foundation year course is designed to provide a broad understanding of business functions in the business and commercial world. You'll have the opportunity to transfer to individual pathways in specific areas of business if you wish.
The course offers you a route into general management and specialist areas. With modules covering areas such as business accounting and finance, enterprise, human resource management, company law, information systems, marketing, retail or supply chain management, you can tailor your skills and knowledge to pursue your chosen career. The dual qualification gained on successfully completing this course is designed to enhance your employability in your preferred field of management.
In addition to nurturing academic and sector-specific knowledge, the programme supports your development of key employability skills, such as critical thinking, problem-solving and data analysis. Overall, the course aims to give you an essential appreciation of the skills needed to thrive and adapt in the changing world of work.
What can I do with this qualification?
You may also choose to undertake further study in subjects such as marketing, finance, human resources, data analysis, and international business management to develop your expertise in a particular area of business. Studying for an MBA is also another option.
Alternative career options
Graduates can also use the qualification as a stepping stone into a range of other careers, bearing in mind that some of these roles may require relevant experience and/or postgraduate study. Some possibilities include:
- Hotel and leisure management
- Public relations
- Financial management
- Information systems
- Market research analysis
- Product management
- Health policy and information
- Purchasing
- Teaching and education
- Media (TV, film, online, newspaper, magazine)
- Self-employment
- Banking
- Auditing and quality assurance
- Project management
- Risk and insurance
Professional Recognition
Graduates of the University of Greater Manchester's BSc (Hons) Business Management with foundation year degree will receive a Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management from the CMI (Chartered Management Institute).
The Level 5 Diploma is the CMI's benchmark qualification and offers the quickest exemption route towards Chartered Manager (CMgr MCMI) status. Chartered Manager status is only awarded by the CMI and is the highest status that can be achieved in the management profession.
Fees & Funding
Funding your studies: From January 2027, eligible students may be able to use the new Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) to access tuition fee loan funding for this course. The LLE is designed to make student finance more flexible and support people to study, retrain or develop their skills at different stages of life. Find out more about the LLE and eligibility Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) | Skills for Careers
Home/EU Fees
No fee information is currently available, please contact the University of Greater Manchester’s Academic Fees team by emailing AcademicFees@greatermanchester.ac.uk for more information.
International Fees
International applications are not possible for this course
As an international student you are not allowed to study this course because of the restrictions on your visa.
We offer a wide range of full-time courses in lots of different subjects, many of our courses start in September and January. If you would like to see what courses are available please visit our Course Search.
Bursaries
Important note regarding tuition fees: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.
Home Undergraduate Tuition Fee Adjustment
The tuition fee applicable to the first year of your programme of study is confirmed in your offer letter. The tuition fee set is based on the regulations and guidance in force at the time of offer but remains subject to adjustment in accordance with any government-approved inflationary increase. The University reserves the right to amend tuition fees for all years of study, including the first year, by no more than the maximum increase permitted under legislation and regulatory guidance issued by the UK Government and the Office for Students.
Where such increases are approved, they will not exceed the rate of inflation, as measured by an appropriate index such as the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), or any successor measure specified by government. The University will apply any adjustment consistently across affected student cohorts and will give reasonable notice to students of any confirmed change to the published fee before the start of the relevant academic year.
This approach ensures that tuition fees remain compliant with applicable legislation, proportionate to inflationary changes, and consistent with government policy linking permitted fee uplifts to the maintenance of high-quality education and outcomes. For more information, please refer to the government guidance at: gov.uk – Universities to deliver better outcomes in return for full fees.
Postgraduate and International Tuition Fee Adjustment
The tuition fee applicable to the first year of your programme of study is confirmed in your offer letter. The University reserves the right to amend tuition fees for subsequent years of study in accordance with its Course Fees Policy. Where such increases are approved, they will not exceed the rate of inflation, as measured by an appropriate index such as the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), or any successor measure specified by government. The University will apply any adjustment consistently across affected student cohorts and will give reasonable notice to students of any confirmed change to the published fee before the start of the relevant academic year.
How to apply
Home Applicants
Course application details are unavailable at present
International Applicants
Course application details are unavailable at present
Partner Organisation Applicants
Option currently unavailable.
Teaching & Assessment
Lectures introduce the core course content, while seminars explore subjects in greater detail. Tutorials allow you to ask questions, ensuring you understand the topics covered in the lectures and seminars. We use case studies and practical scenarios to help you learn to apply academic theory to real-life practical scenarios, allowing you to gain insights into contemporary practice in a working business environment. We'll also expect you to undertake considerable guided independent study; for instance, library research and background reading, preparing for seminar and tutorial activities, and working on assignments.
Furthermore, we'll expect you to adopt work-based learning as part of your employment or during a work experience placement.
Guest lectures and presentations by various visiting speakers from relevant employment areas offer you the chance to develop your knowledge and understanding further.
Regarding assessment, you can expect time-constrained exams, essays, reports, presentations, and portfolios. These contribute to your final module mark and allow you to demonstrate that you have met the learning outcomes.
We also use other assessment forms to help you learn, provide feedback, and inform your development. These do not, however, count towards your final module mark.
Modules
The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.
- Professional and Academic Skills
- Project Design, Academic Integrity and Ethics
- Collaborative Project
- Business Management in Practice
- Applied Finance for Business
- Understanding the Modern Workplace
- Academic Skills Development
- Contemporary Issues in Marketing
- Financial Decision Making in Business
- People and Performance
- Business Environment
- Big Data Analysis
- Business Research
- Project Management
- Enterprise Innovation and Creativity
- Professional Development Skills
- Organisationial Culture and Behaviour
- Work Based Project
- Work Based Project (Apprenticeship Only)
- Dissertation
- Strategic Management
- Work and Employment Relationship
- E Commerce and Contemporary Marketing
- Financial Reporting and Management
- Financial Reporting and Management
- Advanced Data Analytics
- Strategic Information Management
- Global Consumer Behaviour
- Digital Marketing Technology
- Accounting and the Regulatory Framework
- International Human Resource Management
- Integrated Digital Marketing
- Supply Chain Management
- Professional in Practice
- Information Security and Risk Management
- Learning and Development
- Operations Management
- Digital Consumerism
Assessment methods
| Level | Assessment method |
|---|---|
| Level 0 | Coursework 70% Practical exams 22% Written exams 8% |
| Level 1 | Coursework 42% Practical exams 32% Written exams 26% |
| Level 2 | Coursework 67% Practical exams 25% Written exams 8% |
| Level 3 | Coursework 66% Practical exams 15% Written exams 19% |
Learning Activities
| Level | Activity |
|---|---|
| Level 0 | Guided independent study 55% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 45% |
| Level 1 | Guided independent study 66% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 34% |
| Level 2 | Guided independent study 66% Placement/study abroad 17% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 17% |
| Level 3 | Guided independent study 77% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 23% |
The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.
Postgraduate Options
Programme Contacts
Disclaimer: The “Greater Manchester Way” represents our preferred teaching and learning approach; however, not all courses follow a block-teaching model. While course structures and delivery patterns may vary to meet Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Body (PSRB) requirements, all courses benefit from the GM Way approach to curriculum design and assessment. Applicants and students should refer to individual course specifications for the most accurate and up-to-date information.
