Program Overview

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BSc Business and Environment (Cornwall) - 2026 entry

Overview

Our mission: to prepare future leaders to drive sustainable business. A pioneering programme: at the forefront of sustainable business and management education; part of a world leading centre for sustainability.

Interdisciplinary experience: equipping you with essential business skills, complemented by a deep understanding of the balance between business, society, and nature.

Flexible studies: 45 credits of optional modules in years 2 and 3, tailored to your interests and career aspirations.

Highly employable graduates: capable of confidently navigating the transition towards a more sustainable economy.

Beautiful location: study at our Penryn campus in Cornwall, a hub of environmental and social sustainability expertise, close to the sea and areas of outstanding natural beauty.

Entry Requirements

Typical Offer

• A-Level: ABB - BBB
• IB: 32/655-30/555
• BTEC: DDM

Contextual Offers

• A-Level: BBC-BCC
• IB: 28/554 - 26/544
• BTEC: DDM - DMM

Other Accepted Qualifications

• View other accepted qualifications

English Language Requirements

• International students need to show they have the required level of English language to study this course. The required test scores for this course fall under Profile B1.

Course Content

BSc Business and Environment focuses on the interdependence of business and the natural environment. It equips business leaders of tomorrow with the skills and insights to tackle the most pressing challenges facing society.

This course examines how business needs to change in order to address intensifying environmental issues and to achieve a sustainable economy. It is designed for anyone interested in becoming an adaptable and resilient leader, wishing to contribute to long-term ethical solutions. The programme is interdisciplinary, covering a range of topics including:

• Ecological economics and how business can contribute towards tackling the ecological crisis.
• Environmental science and how data helps us gain new insights into the eco-systems that support our lives.
• Climate justice and the role of environmental laws, regulation and policies in shaping our relationship with nature.

Modules

Year 1

• 105 credits of compulsory modules, 15 credits of optional modules.

Compulsory Modules

• BEP1150: Environment, Society and Business (30 credits)
• LAW1016C: A Legal Foundation for Environmental Protection (15 credits)
• BEP1070: Accounting (15 credits)
• BEP1100: Understanding Work and Organisations (15 credits)
• GEO1419: Introduction to data science (15 credits)
• GEO1408B: Global Issues in Environmental Science (15 credits)

Optional Modules

• Students can select one 15 credit module from the list below:
  • POC1026: Power, Inequality and Global Justice (15 credits)
  • GEO1405B: Earth System Science (15 credits)
  • GEO1423: Biodiversity and its Conservation (15 credits)

Year 2

• 75 credits of compulsory modules, 45 credits of optional modules.

Compulsory Modules

• BEP2060: Research Inquiry for Practice (15 credits)
• BEP2150: Ecological Economics (15 credits)
• BEP2040: Strategic Concepts for Business (15 credits)
• BEP2210: Circular Enterprise Economy (15 credits)
• LAW2016C: Environmental Regulation and Redress (15 credits)

Optional Modules

• a You must select at least 15 credits of optional modules from this list of Environmental modules
• b You must select at least 15 credits of optional modules from this list of Business modules
  • BSc Business and Environment optional modules S2 25-6 environment modules [See note a above]
    • BIO2425: Introduction to Ecological Consultancy (15 credits)
    • ECE2001: Oceans and Human Health (15 credits)
    • GEO2440: Geographical Information Science and Systems (15 credits)
    • GEO2441: Remote Sensing for Environmental Management (15 credits)
    • GEO2444: Landscape Evolution (15 credits)
    • GEO2445: Rural Social Issues (15 credits)
    • GEO2450: Biogeography (15 credits)
    • GEO2451: Ice Sheets: Glaciology, Climate and the Oceans (15 credits)
    • GEO2454: Waste and Society (15 credits)
    • GEO2456: Social and Cultural Geographies (15 credits)
    • GEO2458: People and Nature (15 credits)
    • GEO2467: Climate Change: The Physical Basis of the IPCC (15 credits)
    • POC2114: Green Politics in Theory and Practice (15 credits)
  • BSc Business and Environment optional modules S2 25-6 business modules [See note b above]
    • BEP2020: Project Management (15 credits)
    • BEP2030: Business Practice (Placement/Work Experience Project) (15 credits)
    • BEP2050: Finance for Business (15 credits)
    • BEP2110: Workplace Wellbeing (15 credits)
    • BEP2120: Digital Technologies and the Future of Work (15 credits)
    • BEP2140: Business Analytics (15 credits)
    • BEP2190: Understanding Financial Statements (15 credits)
    • BEP2300: History of Black Entrepreneurship (15 credits)
    • LAW2115C: Legal Foundations for Sustainable Business (15 credits)
    • BEP2001: Business Beyond Profit (15 credits)
    • BEP2002: Foundations in Sustainable Solutions (30 credits)
    • BEP2003: The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Mindset (15 credits)
    • BEP2200: Marketing Analytics (15 credits)

Placement Year (if taken)

This degree offers you the opportunity to spend a year working in a related industry or studying abroad.

If you choose one of these options your placement year will take place in your third year, before returning to complete your degree at Exeter in your fourth and final year of study.

You can apply directly to one of these options via UCAS, or you can apply to the standard 3 year course and transfer onto one of these options in the first term of your first year.

Final Year

• 75 credits of compulsory modules, 45 credits of optional modules.

Compulsory Modules

• BEP3011: Business and Climate Change (15 credits)
• BEP3020: Practice-Based Consultancy Management (15 credits)
• BEP3130: Biomimicry (15 credits)
• BEP3050: Future-Facing Dissertation/Project (30 credits)

Optional Modules

• BSc Business and Environment optional modules S3/4 25-6
  • BEP3010: Social and Technological Innovation (15 credits)
  • BEP3030: Globalisation and Internationalisation (15 credits)
  • BEP3040: Local-Global Innovation (Cornwall Research Seminar Series) (15 credits)
  • BEP3070: Crisis: Change and Creativity in Organisations (15 credits)
  • BEP3090: Business Field Trip (15 credits)
  • BEP3110: Marketing Strategy (15 credits)
  • BEP3171: The Economy of Space (15 credits)
  • BEP3172: Future 17: Sustainable Development Goals Challenge (15 credits)
  • BIO3411: Science in Society (15 credits)
  • BIO3415: Ecological Responses to Climate Change (15 credits)
  • BIO3428: The Complexity of Human Societies (15 credits)
  • ECE3001: Living with Environmental Change (15 credits)
  • ECE3003: Global and Planetary Health (15 credits)
  • GEO3437B: Climate Change and Society (15 credits)
  • GEO3455: Marine Climate and Environmental Change (15 credits)
  • GEO3461: Arctic Frontiers: Can We Preserve the Arctic Environment? (15 credits)
  • GEO3467: Human-Animal Interactions (15 credits)
  • GEO3470: Marine and Coastal Social-ecological systems (15 credits)
  • GEO3475: Sustainable Cities (15 credits)
  • BEP3004: Advancing Sustainable Solutions (30 credits)
  • BEP3005: Rethinking Innovation and Entrepreneurship (15 credits)
  • BEP3061: Managing Entrepreneurially (15 credits)
  • LAW3195C: Corporate Law, Theory and Governance (15 credits)
  • POC3095: Environmental Knowledge Controversies (15 credits)
  • BEP3003: Sustainability Accounting and Reporting (15 credits)

Course Variants

BSc Business and Environment with Industrial Experience

• UCAS code: N118
• Why choose a year in industry?
  • Gain a proven work history that is excellent to discuss at job interviews and gives you a head start in the working world
  • Get paid! Typical salaries range from £19,000 to £23,000 but can extend from £15,000 to £52,000
  • Over 50% of students are offered graduate jobs from their placement employer
  • 97% of With Industrial Experience graduates were in graduate employment or postgraduate study within 6 months of graduating, compared to 93.5% of non-WIE graduates (DLHE 2017)
  • Increase your confidence and resilience, and make friends for life
• What does a year in industry mean for me?
  • The ‘With Industrial Experience’ (WIE) pathway is a four-year version of your degree, in which your third year is spent in a professional placement before returning to university for your fourth and final year.
  • The Business School Careers Team supports you every step of the way, helping you identify placement providers, create a strong application, practice interview techniques, and support you while you are in placement.
  • The placement year assessment currently comprises of:
    • Progress reports provided by employers
    • A reflective essay
    • A business report
• How do I secure a placement and where can I go?
  • You are responsible for sourcing and securing a work placement, but you will be supported throughout by the Business School Careers Team and assigned an academic tutor for the duration of your placement.
  • Placements are available internationally.
  • Previous placement providers include Adidas, Apple, ASOS, Bank of England, Deloitte, Disney, EY, GlaxoSmithKline, Goldman Sachs, PwC
• Does it count towards my degree?
  • The placement year is assessed and contributes 1/7th of your final degree classification when you graduate.
• Does it affect my tuition fee?
  • During your placement year you will pay a reduced tuition fee of approximately 20% of the maximum fee for that year.

BSc Business and Environment with Year Abroad

• UCAS code: N117
• Why choose a year abroad?
  • In a complex and hyper-connected world, it is more important than ever to demonstrate a global outlook to employers
  • A report by Universities UK International shows that graduates who are mobile during their degree are more likely to earn more than non-mobile peers
  • Broaden your perspective in a way that benefits you for life: accelerating your resilience and flexibility, developing your ability to communicate across cultures, and demonstrating that you take the initiative
  • We find students return from their year abroad with heightened self-confidence and an impressive work ethic.
• What does a year abroad mean for me?
  • The ‘With Year Abroad’ (WYA) pathway is a four year version of your degree, in which your third year is spent studying at one of our 60 partner universities (spanning 26 countries), before returning to university for your fourth and final year.
  • There is also the opportunity to combine study and work abroad, doing a semester of study at one of our partner universities followed by a semester of work in a placement that you secure anywhere in the world.
  • The Business School Study Abroad Team supports you every step of the way, helping you to decide where to go, create a strong application, and supporting you while you are abroad.
• Where can I go?
  • We have partners in: Canada, USA, Mexico, Peru, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Denmark, Netherlands, Switzerland, France, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Slovenia, Italy, Turkey, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand
• Does it count towards my degree
  • The placement year is assessed and contributes 1/7th of your final degree classification when you graduate.
• Does it affect my tuition fees?
  • If you spend a full academic year studying abroad you will pay a reduced fee of approximately 15% of the maximum fee for that year.

Fees

• Please note: The fees for students starting in 2026 have yet to be set. The fees provided below are the fees for students starting in 2025 and are for guidance only. We will post the fees for 2026 entry shortly.
• Tuition fees for 2025 entry:
  • UK students: £9,535 per year
  • International students: £24,700 per year

Scholarships

• The University of Exeter has many different scholarships available to support your education, including £5 million in scholarships for international students applying to study with us in the 2025/26 academic year, such as our Exeter Excellence Scholarships.
• Financial support is also available for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, lower income households and other under-represented groups to help them access, succeed and progress through higher education.

Learning and Teaching

• How will I learn?
  • Although lectures are one of the main forms of teaching, you will also learn through participation in workshops, tutorials and seminars.
  • As well as tackling case studies, discussing current issues in business and debating key theories, you will also develop presentation, team working, communication and problem solving skills.
  • You’ll have a personal tutor who is available for advice and support throughout your studies.
• Study hours:
  • Timetabled contact hours, made up of lectures, seminars and tutorials, vary over the duration of programmes and between programmes and are on average between 11 and 14 hours.
  • In addition, you will be expected to complete an average of 20-25 hours of independent or group study per week.
• How will I be assessed?
  • Modules are assessed through a mixture of:
    • Group work
    • Coursework
    • Project work
    • Presentations
    • Examinations
  • The weighting of these components varies according the module.
  • Coursework is typically between 2,500 and 6,000 words in length, and exams are usually held at the end of the module in January and May/June.

Your Future

• The University of Exeter Business School provides a range of careers and employability support for Undergraduate students.
• Visit the Business School Career Zone web page for more information.
• Global opportunities:
  • The BSc Business and Environment degree adopts an international outlook meaning you will develop an understanding of the global business environment.
  • Combined with the opportunity to study abroad or work a year in industry, you will be well-placed to work for local or international companies.
• Careers:
  • The wide range of business, management and environmental skills developed throughout the Programme will result in flexible employment options including roles such as project manager, marketing manager and sales manager.
  • You will have employment advantages in private companies, public organisations, investment banks, NGOs, and third-sector industries, including key areas for Cornwall such as, water, renewables and food supply chain.
  • This combination of ethical, work-based, and global skills will create students who can compete at the highest levels and progress onto graduate Programmes to become CSR managers, change managers and environmental consultants.
• Your degree demonstrates that you have the following professional skills:
  • Understanding of organisations and the environment they operate within, with an appreciation for the changing needs of modern business.
  • Proven ability to work with modern data technologies and critically appraise challenges.
  • Being able to identify and confidently communicate management strategies to provide sustainable solutions to complex business problems
  • Excellent teamwork and communication skills including negotiation as well as sensitivity to the diversity of people and cultures.
  • Project management, leadership and consultancy skills applicable to a range of fields.