BA (Hons) Business Administration

What’s the course about?

Indicative course structure

The Business Administration programme has been designed to give you increased choice, as it provides a generalist route for which you can choose optional modules to meet your individual needs and career aspirations. It offers a business education, geared to professional practice, self-employment and to the demands of careers in general business management. You also have the option to go into further postgraduate study, as many students on this programme do.  

International students who join the University at Levels 5 and 6 are supported with additional language sessions which are designed in conjunction with key core modules.  

In the first year, you will study introductory modules on Accounting for Managers and Economics for Business, providing a foundation in the key drivers of business performance. Accounting for Managers introduces accounting from the manager’s viewpoint. Areas covered include the collection and reporting of accounting information to both internal and external users, as well as the use and interpretation of publicly available accounting information. The role of accounting in supporting the management functions of planning, control and decision-making is also covered.  

Economics for Business will allow you to understand the economic context of modern business by introducing and developing an appreciation of the utility of economic approaches in studying the business environment. The basic tools and approaches which economists use; demand and supply and industry analysis, among others; will be introduced and applied to help you understand the economic issues involved and the public policy which can be derived.  

The Business Professional is another core introductory module which develops both your academic and study skills to support you if you decide to make the change to degree level study and becoming a Business Professional in the future.  

Business Technology Trends is an exciting new module which will help you understand the importance of technologies for the growth of business and some of the issues associated with technology. The internet and development of mobile technologies and social media are changing the way in which businesses communicate with consumers and this will be explored along with other emerging technologies. All students will then progress to study The Principles of Marketing, Quantitative Methods of Business, People and Organisations before taking a wider view of the Global Business Environment.  

In the second year, you will study a skills-based module focusing on enhancing your employability, a key business module exploring business ethics, a module focusing on managing people in the workplace and a new exciting module focusing on Enterprise. The skills-based employability module is designed to equip you with knowledge and understanding pertinent to employment and your personal skills to assist you in enhancing your employability prospects while maintaining and enhancing your academic skills. It will enable you to research employment in your chosen sector or role and to develop an action plan to help you secure eventual employment. It will also help you continue developing your employability skills. 

 
These core modules provide a broad yet detailed curriculum allowing you to develop your business knowledge and awareness across

a range of key business areas. Alongside these core modules, you have a wide choice of optional modules including areas such as Project Management, Digital Marketing, Cross-cultural Management and Mobile Business Technologies.  

In the final year, you will study Leadership and Organisations, Business and Commercial Awareness, Strategic Management and the Digital Economy. These core modules provide you with a detailed and critical analysis of the key areas on Business equipping you with the skills and knowledge necessary for future employment.  

Business and Commercial awareness is a key module which involves you experiencing being part of an organisational management team as they develop plan and implement a new product or service for their organisation. This module consolidates functional business knowledge and provides you with an opportunity to integrate theories and gain experience in a simulated business environment. 

 Alongside core modules, you will study four optional modules with a wide range of choice including Social Networking and Enterprise, International Human Resource Management, Integrated Marketing Communications and the financial aspects of International Business. The balance of core business topics alongside a wide range of optional modules allow you to create your own unique professional profile ready for graduate employment or further study.  

Study a language

You can also study a language with this course. You can be awarded the degree ‘with language’ in the title if you choose to study a foreign language in all years of study.

At the Hertfordshire Business School, there are a lot of opportunities to study a modern language as part of your degree alongside another subject. Your chosen language will comprise 25% of your studies and will be listed on your degree certificate.

This course will develop language and communication skills, and cultural insights into the countries of the language studied. The course will also develop many other transferrable skills to boost your employability prospects, such as time management and organisation; resilience; cultural understanding; working both independently and as part of a team.

What will I study?

You will be studying four 15 credit modules in each semester (this may vary between double modules) and your contact time varies between modules, but usually you will have two sessions per week for each module, a one-hour lecture following by a one-hour seminar/tutorial. Typically, a new topic or theory will be introduced in each lecture and will be followed up with class discussion and feedback in the subsequent seminar. In addition, as part of your study time, you will be collaborating with your peers on tasks and group assignments. Module leaders also offer weekly drop in and feedback sessions, usually 2 x 1 hours per module as well as revision sessions.

The University’s ‘online learning environment’ means you can access all your course resources, literature and timetables from anywhere in the world.

Usually, assessment is split between coursework and examinations. The style of coursework can vary from presentations to business reports, essays depending on the taught topics. 

 

Entry requirements

GCSE: Grade 4/C in English Language and Mathematics

All students from non-majority English speaking countries require proof of English language proficiency, equivalent to an overall IELTS score of 6 with a minimum of 5.5 in each band.

If you do not have the required IELTS or equivalent for direct entry on to your degree programme, our Pre-sessional English and International Foundation courses can help you to achieve this level.

 

Deadlines

15 January