Bath Spa University

BA (Hons) in Business and Management (Economics)

Year one (Level 4) modules

Semester One

• Economic Foundations
• The Business Environment
• Professional Practice

Semester Two

• Economic Principles
• Methods for Economic Analysis
• Organizational Behaviour and Management

Year two (Level 5) modules

Semester One

• Economic Perspectives
• Creativity for Business

Plus 1 optional module from the list below:

• Fashion Marketing and Management
• The Marketing Business
• Human Resource Management
• Financial Accounting
• Destination Management
• Entrepreneurship
• Festival and Events Management

Semester Two

• Economic Policy
• International Business
• Applying Economics

Other options are also available from other subject areas.

Year three (Level 6) modules

Semester One

Students will take 1 of the following required modules

• Advanced Economic Issues
• Managing Sustainability

plus 1 optional module from the list below:

• International Marketing
• Management Accounting
• Strategic Human Resource Management
• Enterprise: Creating Your Business
• Cultural Management in International Business
• Summer Placement
• Tourism: Contemporary Issues
• Creating and Hosting Festivals and Events
• Advanced Economics Issues
• Exploring Law in Business
• Business and Academic Skills
• Fashion Marketing Visualisation

Semester Two

Students will choose 2 modules from the list below:

• Successful Freelancing
• New Trends in Management
• Organisational Strategy
• Leadership and Management

What you'll learn

This economics and business management course allows you to critically analyze the major challenges we face at local, national, and global levels. You’ll examine the forces that shape decision-making, including economics, politics, and technology, alongside social, ethical, and ecological issues.

You’ll gain a solid understanding of the main business and economics concepts, and optional modules will allow you to specialize.

Throughout your studies, you’ll be encouraged to question and challenge both your point of view and that of others.

Through individual and team research, debates, and analyses, you’ll develop skills in communication, critical analysis, and problem-solving. As we’re an Adobe Creative Campus, you’ll have access to the Adobe Creative Suite, giving you access to industry-standard programs as part of your studies.

You’ll apply what you’ve learned to practical projects, and you’ll have the opportunity to take part in work placements to gain real-world experience and further develop your practical skills.

Course structure

Year one
In your first year, you’ll gain an insight into the fundamental principles of economics and business. You’ll learn about how businesses are organized and managed, and the roles of different departments within an organization. You’ll explore topics around professional behavior and company culture, and discover the importance of data, and how it is managed, within a business.

You’ll also gain a broad understanding of economic concepts, before delving deeper into the theoretical principles that guide consumers, producers, governments, and world markets.

The focus on your employability begins now and extends through all three years of your studies; you’ll be encouraged to reflect on your strengths, performance, and areas for growth and development.

Year two

This year you’ll explore economic perspectives and policies in more depth. You’ll take a global perspective on issues facing businesses, and you’ll be encouraged to take creative and innovative approaches to problem-solving.

At the end of the year, you can choose to embark on a ten-week summer placement, and/or a ten-month business placement – applying what you’ve learned so far in the real world. Students have previously worked at companies such as BMW and Price Waterhouse Cooper, and at local councils.

You’ll be able to tailor your studies to your particular areas of interest, setting you on the path to achieving your career goals, with optional modules including entrepreneurship, law, and marketing.

Year three

In your final year, you’ll focus more on real-world applications for your business and economics knowledge.

You’ll demonstrate skills that are valued by employers, such as teamwork, critical thinking, and enterprise, through practical tasks, including working on live briefs with local businesses.

You’ll also explore an in-depth topic that’s of particular interest to you through a research project.

How will I be assessed?

You'll be assessed in a wide range of ways that test your economics knowledge and business management skills. These could include:

• critical essays
• reports
• presentations
• work-related projects
• group-work
• computer-based simulations
• debates
• exams
• research analyses.

A degree in business and economics will provide you with a range of transferable skills and experience that is highly valued by employers.

You could work in consulting, public administration and policy making, forecasting/data analysis, research and science, business development, enterprise, finance, insurance, and marketing, to name a few examples.

Graduates from our Bath Business School have gone on to work at companies and organizations such as PWC, Deloitte, KPMG, FTI Consulting, Arup, Government Economics Service, Treasury, Home Office, ONS, Hargreaves Lansdown and Bath and North East Somerset Council.

How will I be taught?

We offer variety in the way we teach. Timetabled lectures, seminars, workshops, and tutorials are designed to help establish a foundation of knowledge, build your own opinions through research, and challenge these in debates and discussions with your teachers and fellow students. Ultimately, our aim is that you gain a holistic view of the world around us.

You’ll also learn from guest speakers and lecturers who are experts in the field.

Through our Virtual Learning Environment, teachers will introduce you to a variety of resources, from academic papers and texts to movies, videos, news articles, and datasets.

Course length

Three years full-time, or four years full-time with a professional placement year. Part-time available.