This degree combines a functional, sector, or industry-based specialisation underpinning a generic business management curriculum. It will equip successful students with the requisite knowledge and understanding to conduct modern business and allows them to pursue the demands of a specific industry or topic area within the holistic framework of business administration.

Aims

The programme aims to provide students with:

• Provide a coherent and comprehensive study of business organisations and their management.
• Develop the knowledge, skills and capabilities graduates require to respond proactively and creatively to the challenges of the contemporary business environment as an employee or entrepreneur.
• Develop a range of intellectual, professional attributes and transferable skills that will enable graduates to gain employment and then to add value to a business organisation and to the knowledge economy.
• Foster an enquiring, critical and reflective approach to ideas and issues in a range of organisations and sectors.
• Equip graduates with the knowledge, understanding and academic skills to continue to post-graduate study.

Programme Learning Outcomes

Year 1

On successful completion of the Year 1, students will be able to and/or have:

In Relation to Knowledge and Understanding:

• Describe and use personal and technological communication methods.
• Use quantitative analysis to present information and understand business problems.
• Explore and examine business concepts through authentic problem-based learning.
• Understand the impact of law on business relationships and show an awareness of ethical issues in relation to personal beliefs and values.
• Understand the key aspects of the performance of people in organisations in relation to own experience.
• Understand the underpinning principles and current practice of Marketing and customer value.

In Relation to Professional Working Skills:

• Describe the major functional areas of business.
• Prepare and use good business communication tools internally and externally.
• Show an awareness of ethical issues in own studies and relate these to personal values.

In Relation to Transferable Skills:

Communication

• Communicate effectively in an appropriate format in a clear and concise manner using a range of communication tools and with structured and coherent arguments.

Teamwork

• Work effectively in a group on a given task, meeting obligations to other group members.

In Relation to Academic Study Skills

Cognitive

• Demonstrate factual knowledge.
• Structure a coherent argument with conclusions linked to evidence.

Information literacy

• Access and use a given range of information tools including the Internet.

Numeracy

• Collect numerical data from a range of defined sources, perform simple explorations to solve a range of given problems.

Information for decision-making

• Apply given business tools accurately under direction to a well-defined problem and begin to appreciate the complexity of the issues.

Research

• Collect and collate information in an appropriate manner.

Year 2

On successful completion of the Year 2, students will be able to and/or have:

In Relation to Knowledge and Understanding:

• Integrate theory and practice by demonstrating how resources (financial and human) are secured, integrated, allocated and effectively managed to meet organisational goals.
• Examine the inter-relationships between market positioning and the management of operations to deliver value to customers within performance constraints.
• Critique, from a user perspective, cost and budgetary techniques to improve planning and ensure financial control.

In Relation to Professional skills

Business awareness

• Apply theory to integrated business practice.
• Evaluate the impact of business on the wider social environment in relation to general ethical perspectives.
• Work with others with intercultural awareness and practices.

In Relation to Transferable Skills:

Communication

• Communicate effectively in an appropriate medium and style with regard to audience and desired effect including in the context of cultural diversity and differences.

Teamwork & Leadership

• Interact effectively within a group, allocating tasks, receiving and giving information and ideas, and modifying responses where necessary to achieve team goals.
• Take responsibility for the direction and action of a group.
• Reflect on the group outcome and process to improve personal performance.

In Relation to Academic Study Skills

Cognitive

• Select and apply the major business theories/ models in a practical context.

Information literacy

• Access, collect and analyse self-determined quantitative and qualitative information for effective use.

Numeracy

• Use quantitative information to verify and extend existing understanding of businesss theories and models.

Information for decision-making

• Assess the reliability and validity of quantitative information.
• Use a range of established techniques to initiate and undertake critical analysis of information.
• Adopt multiple perspectives to identify key elements of real-life problems and select appropriate methods/tools for their resolution.

Research

• Critically review current research and critically evaluate arguments, assumptions, abstract concepts and data (that may be incomplete), to make own judgements.

Year 3

On successful completion of the Year 3, students will be able to and/or have:

In Relation to Knowledge and Understanding:

• Possess a cross-cultural perspective on the operational and strategic position of organisations.
• Critically examine contemporary issues influencing business thinking and behaviour including creativity and innovation.
• Critically evaluate alternative policies and strategies a company may adopt to meet stakeholder needs and minimise risk within changing internal and external environments.

In Relation to Professional skills

Business awareness

• Critique theoretical frameworks and apply to practice.

In Relation to Transferable Skills:

Communication

• Engage in debate in a professional manner, using communication to persuade and convince.

Teamwork & Leadership

• Work effectively as a member of a team, negotiating in a professional manner and managing conflict.
• Build a shared understanding of team goals.
• Continually reflect on the group process to improve personal and group effectiveness.

In Relation to Academic Study Skills

Cognitive

• Critically analyse theories, concepts and problems.
• Formulate a complex argument within a theoretical and contextual framework.
• Challenge perceived opinions/ views and use own criteria and judgement.

Information for decision-making

• Evaluate options within the limitation of imperfect and incomplete information.
• Develop appropriate criteria to identify a range of solutions to a complex problem and use decision making in unpredictable contexts.

Research

• Develop and implement a systematic and scientific research strategy, working with a and receiving guidance from assigned supervisor.
• Critically review those aspects of current research relevant to self-determined and approved research topic.

Assessments

The modules are assessed through a work-based management report, assignments and/or case studies or simulation. The work-based management report shall be between 3,500 – 4,000 words.

Entry requirements

The minimum entry requirements into Year 1 of this BA (Hons) in Business Administration Year include the following:

• a minimum of 2 A Levels passes;
• any other equivalent achievement in certified awards such as Higher School
  Certificate, Canadian Grade 13 etc;
• NVQ/QCF/RQF Level 3 awards; or
• a recognised University Access or Foundation programme.

Demonstrate English Language proficiency in order to participate in the programme taught in English. Proficiency can be recognised based on completion of any programme with a minimum duration of 6 months and taught and assessed in the English Language or IELTS 5.0 or equivalent such as TOEFL.

Student that has done a qualification examined in English at European Qualification Framework ( EQF) Level 3 and above would satisfy the English requirement.

The Regulated English Test administered by ESOL Awards and accredited by the Scottish Credit Qualification Framework (SCQF) which is aligned with the CEFR grades of B1+ and above will satisfy the English Language requirement. 

Programme Structure

The BA (Hons) in Business Administration consists of a total of 22 taught modules. The table below summarises the programme structure and module offerings.

To complete the programme and gain the BA (Hons) in Business Administration qualification, a student must gain a total of 180 ECTS.

Each module term will be delivered over a duration of 8 weeks per module (including the period for assessments) where the cycle of delivery will follow a prescribed module planner for a full academic year.

Mode of Delivery

Blended Learning