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Business and Management | Top-up BA (Hons)

Year of entry

• 2025 - for 2026 entry see here - for 2025 entry see here

UCAS code

• N12T

Duration of study

• 1 year

Course summary

Elevate your business and management knowledge and convert your existing business credentials into a 'top-up' undergraduate degree. Our one-year top-up programme is the perfect way to gain a deeper understanding of business providing a stepping stone to further academic study and greater career opportunities.

Why study Business and Management | Top-up at Keele University?

• Transform your current qualifications into a 'top-up' undergraduate degree
• Benefit from employability opportunities to apply your skills in a 'real-world' setting
• Study alongside innovative companies in Keele Business School
• No. 1 in the UK. Britain's best university, ranked by students (Student Crowd University Awards, 2022)

Course overview

If you have previously studied business at an international institution or further education college and meet our entry requirements, our Business and Management Top-up BSc recognises that existing expertise and allows you to 'top-up' that knowledge. The programme provides you with the opportunity to complete the necessary 120 credits, which when added to your previously completed qualifications amounts to the equivalent of an undergraduate degree.

You will study final year undergraduate degree level modules to enhance your range of business and management insight and practical experience. Plus, you will benefit from opportunities to engage with different business challenges to develop your confidence. The programme curriculum focuses on several subject-specific core areas, alongside the option to adapt your studies to specific business themes and interests.

Firstly, you will analyse what makes an effective business strategy, developing your strategic thinking abilities and learning to improve your decision-making skills through reflective practice and the examination of different theories and case studies. Our exciting virtual business simulation game also provides scope to work within groups and put into practice the theory you’re learning, whilst enjoying some healthy competition!

Gain an invaluable perspective on the diversity of international business cultures and use that global view to inform your understanding of management in a global context. You will examine how international projects are managed and the potential challenges and risks involved. You’ll discover what issues contemporary management currently faces and how the theory you’re learning can be applied within organisations.

A choice of independent study projects enables you to focus on specific themes such as managing diversity in organisations and developing a new business venture, or you could choose to undertake a consultancy project, which will see you working on a ‘real’ project set by a local organisation.

Broaden your knowledge further through a choice of optional modules. You could study the modern retail environment and topical themes within the sector such as green retailing, store design, e-retailing and m-retailing.

Another option involves exploring marketing and globalisation to understand what shapes global marketing activities and you'll cover important questions around issues such as the power of multinational companies, fair trade and the impact of political and ideological change on consumer patterns.

Alternatively, you could study business ethics to investigate how the business actions of managers can have ethical consequences or analyse theories around business integrity and which stakeholders could be affected by ethical and unethical corporate decisions.

Student support

We have a robust support system in place for our students. You will be allocated an academic mentor at the start of the programme who will review your progress, meet regularly with you, and is contactable by Teams and email. Academics can also provide guidance about specific course modules and all members of the teaching team on this programme are available to see you during office hours, if available, and by appointment.

Student Voice Representatives provide a focus for issues at module and year level.

If English is not your first language you will be offered language classes, facilities and services by our Language Centre. There are credit bearing modules on English for academic study and you will also have access to one-to-one tutorials for individual help and advice, and to a wealth of resources for self-study and practice.

You can access advice, guidance and one-to-one support from our School's Student Experience and Support Officer who is part of our Faculty's Student Experience and Support Team.

You will also have access to a mixture of advice and support services at Keele including:

• Learning Support and Academic Guidance
• Disability Support and Inclusion
• English Language Unit
• Student Advice at Keele (ASK)
• Student Support Services
• Occupational Health Department

Keele Students' Union also offers support through their sabbatical officers.

Societies

We have a wealth of student-led societies here at Keele which cover a diverse range of interests. Joining a society related to business is a great opportunity to continue to develop your skills away from your studies. This is another excellent way of demonstrating your genuine interest for the area and can be beneficial when it comes to applying for graduate roles. It is also a great way to make friends and share interests with fellow students.

Course structure

Modules for Business and Management | Top-up

The module details given below are indicative, they are intended to provide you with an idea of the range of subjects that are taught to our current students. The modules that will be available for you to study in future years are subject to change as we regularly review our teaching to ensure that it is up-to-date and informed by the latest research and teaching methods, as well as student voice. The information presented is therefore not intended to be construed and/or relied upon as a definitive list of the modules available in any given year.

Year 1

Compulsory

• Business Strategy
• Comparative Business Cultures
• Managing International Projects
• Contemporary Issues in Management

Optional

• Managing Diversity
• Enterprise Business Plan
• Consultancy
• Contemporary Retail Environments
• Marketing and Globalisation
• Business Ethics
• Academic English for Business Students (1)
• Academic English for Business Students (2)

Double Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework

Keele is one of only 15 broad-based universities in England - out of over 100 - to have been awarded Gold in both the 2017 and 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) exercises, demonstrating our consistent teaching excellence.

Additional opportunities

Explore more

There are a range of additional opportunities for this course. Please note that undertaking one may impact the availability of another.

Entry requirements

These are the typical entry requirements for this course for a range of UK and international qualifications. If your qualifications aren't listed, please contact us to check if we can accept them. If you don't think you'll meet the stated requirements, you may be able to access this course via a Foundation Year.

Typical offer

Students would need to have completed the equivalent of 240 credits of prior learning in an area relevant to the programme to access Level 6. These may include:

• A relevant HND with a grade of Merit or above.
• A relevant Foundation degree with a score of 50% or above.
• Level 5 of a relevant undergraduate degree with a score of 50% or above.
• An international equivalent to the above.

Applicants whose first language is not English must provide a language test certificate and achieve an IELTS score of 6.0 overall (or equivalent) with no less than 5.5 in any component.

English language requirements

All our courses require an English language qualification or test. Most students meet this through a 4 or C in GCSE English. Please visit our English Language pages for details, including test information for international students. For students who require a test, this course requires a result from Group A.

Alternative and contextual offers

We're committed to ensuring equality of opportunity for applicants with the potential and motivation to succeed, regardless of background. We offer alternative offer schemes with clear eligibility criteria, including contextual offers, offers for those studying in the Keele region, and recognition of a range of additional qualifications.

General information

The entry grades outlined indicate the typical offer, along with any subject specific requirements. This is for general information only. Keele University reserves the right to vary conditions based upon a candidate's application.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees for 2025/26 academic year

• UK: £9,535 for the 2025/6 academic year (subject to Parliamentary approval).
• International: Band 1, £17,700 for the 2025/26 academic year

Please note, our 2026/27 entry fees have not yet been set. We set our fees on an annual basis and they will be updated here once set.

For Home students, the University's fees are regulated by the UK Government and may be subject to change in subsequent years of your course in-line with government policy or legal requirements. For continuing international students, fees will increase annually by RPI, with a maximum cap of 5% per year.

For details of our international fee bands visit our Undergraduate tuition fees page.

Going to university can be daunting as well as exciting. It's important to understand the costs and financial support available.

Our Student Financial Support team offers confidential advice and guidance to help you manage your money, resolve issues with Student Finance, create a budget, explore your options if you're facing financial hardship, and access any funding you are eligible for, such as bursaries and scholarships.

Your future career

Keele’s Careers and Employability team offers a variety of personal and career development opportunities to enhance your employability. From mock interviews, careers guidance and CV advice, to careers fairs and networking events, along with helping you find part-time and graduate employment - the team will support you throughout your studies and beyond.

Find out more about Careers and Employability Support at Keele

Your future career

You will gain a wealth of transferable skills on our Business and Management Top-up BSc programme, enabling you to enjoy career success in a wide range of sectors and industries.

Jobs suited to a graduate of this programme could include:

• Business Adviser
• Business Analyst
• Business Development Manager
• Chartered Management Accountant
• Data Analyst
• Data Scientist
• Financial Trader
• Insurance Broker
• Investment Analyst
• Investment Banker
• Logistics/Supply Chain Manager
• Management Consultant
• Project Manager
• Risk Manager
• Sales Executive

Previous Keele Business School graduates have gone on to work for:

• Avecto
• B&Q
• Bet365
• Capita
• Enterprise Rent a Car
• Lloyds Bank
• Morrisons
• Santander
• Nationwide Building Society
• Bennett Brookes
• Ascot Business Solutions Ltd
• Ford
• Jaguar Landrover
• Jack Wills
• Mercedes Benz
• NHS
• PwC
• UK Fuels
• Barclays Bank
• Allianz Insurance
• Corona
• Local Government
• Sparta Global
• Dow Jones
• Capita
• HMRC
• Ernst and Young
• National Trust

Enhance your employability

Keele’s Careers and Employability team (Shortlisted for Best University Careers Employment Service - National Undergraduate Employability Awards, 2021) offers a variety of personal and career development opportunities to enhance your employability.

From mock interviews, careers guidance and CV advice, to careers fairs, alumni mentoring and networking events, along with helping you find part-time and graduate employment, the team will support you throughout your studies and beyond.

Find out more about our careers and employability services, including career planning, alumni mentoring, jobs, internships, starting your own business and much more.

Teaching, learning and assessment

Teaching

We use different teaching and learning techniques depending on the specific module. These methods may include:

• Lectures
• Tutor-led seminars
• Problem-based tutorials
• Directed independent study
• Web based self-study via Keele University’s virtual learning environment (KLE)

Assessments

You will be assessed by a variety of methods which reflect the broad range of skills and knowledge you will develop on this programme. Such methods may include:

• Essays
• Final examinations
• Individual and group presentations
• Individual and group reports
• Portfolios
• Dissertation