Program Overview

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BA (Hons) Business (Marketing) with Foundation Year

Why study this course

You will have the opportunity to achieve a Chartered Management Institute (CMI) Diploma in Management Leadership alongside your studies.

You will develop work-focused skills, such as learning how to work in a team, undertake business analysis, write clearly, and deliver effective presentations.

Embark on a business course that empowers you to make responsible, ethical decisions for a sustainable and positive impact on the world.

This course is delivered by both academics and industry experts.

Course summary

If you don’t have, or don’t think you will attain the normal tariff points for studying at BGU, this course will enable you to study for a degree without any UCAS points. The course is delivered over four years and includes a Foundation Year, which gives you a perfect introduction in what it means to be a university student, equipping you with the necessary skills and knowledge for effective undergraduate study. In addition, during your Foundation Year, you will study eight modules, all of which are designed to equip you with the necessary skills and knowledge to progress your studies in your chosen subjects.

Our BA (Hons) Business (Marketing) with Foundation Year course will aid you to develop your skills and knowledge and prepare you for launching a career in business and marketing-related roles in a variety of sectors and organisations.

Please note, this course is currently going through revalidation.

Key facts

• Award: BA (Hons)
• UCAS code: N12F
• Duration: 4 Years
• Mode of study: Full time
• Start date: September 2025
• Award: Bishop Grosseteste University
• Institution code: B38

About this course

The BA (Hons) Business (Marketing) programme provides a thorough grounding in a range of business and marketing-related subjects including finance, management, entrepreneurship, and leadership, the chance to work with a wide variety of organisations through our links with industry, and the opportunity to develop projects and expertise in areas that you are interested in.

Specialist modules focus on Innovation and Creativity in Marketing, Consumer Behaviour and the Customer Experience, Brand Strategy and Management, and Marketing in a global context.

This programme equips you for both employment and self-employment and gives you the confidence to succeed in the business world. Modules are contemporary in nature and tackle key issues facing organisations and society head-on. Modules are taught and assessed using a variety of active learning techniques where you are encouraged to take charge of your own learning through engaging with academic knowledge and research, tutors, external organisations, and your peers.

Your assignments are developed in conjunction with industry experts, and throughout the duration of your programme, you will be given live briefs to fulfil for your clients. You will have the opportunity to undertake a work placement and an international field trip (that you will be required to self-fund) in the second year of the programme.

This programme is best suited to individuals with a ‘can do’ attitude who want to go the extra mile to develop their business and professional skills throughout the duration of their studies.

What you will study

As a student on this course, you may study some or all of the modules listed below.

Course modules

• Foundation
• Year 1
• Year 2
• Year 3

Self as Learner

In this module, you will explore and consider what it means to be a successful learner at university. You’ll explore the principles of effective learning and engage with a range of tools and techniques to practise and develop strategies for your own learning.

Resourcing Learning

You will learn about a range of resources and practise locating and using these resources to support effective learning.

Critical Engagement

This module will allow you to learn to utilise sources in a considered and critical way.

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is an integral part of university study. While studying this module, you will define critical thinking, its importance, and how it can help you in your learning.

The Digital Learner

The skilled use of digital technologies is an important element in university study and is used to support both the obtaining and demonstration of knowledge.

Effective Communication

This module explores, compares, and evaluates a range of communication types, giving you opportunities to combine written and spoken communication in a range of contexts and for a range of audiences.

Reflective Learning

Reflection is a powerful learning tool that enables you to consider your existing knowledge and also to plan for your future learning and professional development.

Academic Writing

Academic writing is an essential element of successful university study, so this module explores a range of techniques to help develop your own academic writing style.

Organisational Environments and Behaviour

This module will explore the environments in which organisations operate and will equip you with the ability to understand and analyse the interrelatedness of organisations and their environments.

Marketing Principles

This module seeks to develop your understanding of the key concepts and terminology used in marketing environments.

The New Professional

This module equips you with a firm basis of academic and professional skills required for success at university and in the graduate career market.

An Introduction to Finance

This module equips you with the basic financial management skills to enable the development of sound financial acumen needed to ensure decision-making in financial management.

Compulsory modules

• Digital Marketing Strategies
• Using Data for Information and Decision Making
• Managing Projects to Achieve Results
• The Developing Professional
• Innovation and Creativity in Marketing
• Consumer Behaviour and the Customer Experience

Optional modules

• CSR and Sustainability
• Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

Compulsory modules

• Managing and Leading for Success
• Business Research Methods
• Capstone Project
• Brand Strategy and Management
• Marketing in a Global Context

Optional modules

• Business Start-Up
• Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Entry requirements

Application for this course is via UCAS, although there is no formal requirement for UCAS points to access the course (normally GCSE English or equivalent is desirable).

As part of your application, you will have the opportunity to speak with a member of BGU Admissions staff to resolve any questions or queries you may have.

Different degree subjects may have specific entry requirements to allow you to progress from the Foundation Year. Whilst not a condition of entry onto the Foundation Year, you will need to have met these by the time you complete the first year of this four-year course.

If you are asked to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check as part of the conditions of your offer, this must be completed prior to the start of your course at a cost of £57.20.

How you will be taught

There is no one-size-fits-all method of teaching at BGU – we shape our methods to suit each subject and each group, combining the best aspects of traditional university teaching with innovative techniques to promote student participation and interactivity.

Academic staff

• Becky Goodman
• Rachel Linstead
• Nikki Smith
• Claudia McKibbin
• Louise Boulter
• Dr Ian Pownall
• Georgina (Xiyue) Qian
• Dr Abimbola Thompson
• Aggi Doughty
• Alison Braithwaite

Assessment

Modules are taught and assessed using a variety of active learning techniques where you are encouraged to take charge of your own learning through engaging with academic knowledge and research, tutors, external organisations, and your peers.

Your assignments are developed in conjunction with industry experts, and throughout the duration of your programme, you will be given live briefs to fulfil for your clients.

You will have the opportunity to undertake a work placement and an international field trip (that you will be required to self-fund) in the second year of the programme.

Careers & Further study

BGU has a strong reputation for developing highly skilled, sought-after, employable graduates. The Business and Enterprise team are committed to developing employable graduates, and the curriculum has been designed to enhance employability at all levels of study.

Employability is seen as an intrinsic aspect of all degree programmes offered by BGU, and Graduate Attributes are embedded within each undergraduate programme.

Career paths directly related to this programme include:

• Actuarial analyst
• Arbitrator
• Business adviser
• Business analyst
• Business development manager
• Chartered management accountant
• Corporate investment banker
• Data analyst
• Data scientist
• Forensic accountant
• Insurance underwriter
• Management consultant
• Project manager
• Risk manager
• Stockbroker
• Supply chain manager

What Our Students Say

Discover what life is like at Bishop Grosseteste University from our students.

• 61% say staff value students' views and opinions about the course
• 85% of students say teaching staff have supported their learning well.

Data for courses in Business studies over two years at Bishop Grosseteste University.