Undergraduate study

Overview

Our highly popular Business Management Dual Honours is strongly grounded in the social sciences and provides an understanding of management and organisation that is more academically and critically informed than the more common managerial and functionally-based courses.

The teaching of Business Management at Keele provides a distinctive approach to teaching and research, believing that the most productive way of studying the subject is to take a critical perspective on organisations, along with a thorough application of theory to practices of management and the development of essential analytical skills and knowledges. For this reason, our teaching and research moves between a framework of basic practices used in particular functions of management  (such as accounting, marketing, human resource management) and their critical evaluation. We believe that it is important to think about and debate not just technical issues, but also national and international social trends, cultural location and ethical issues, reflecting a concern to understand these techniques within their historical context.  Through extensive reading and discussion of the broad range of social science knowledges, we encourage students to engage critically with management practice in a way that is grounded in a thorough appreciation of the mechanics of contemporary organisations. We try to foster creative thinking with the belief that business and organisational futures can only be realised by considering the wider issues raised by current practice.

Our Business Management dual honours graduates have an impressive employment record.  First destination figures indicate that, on average, over 90% of our graduates are either in appropriate employment or engaged in relevant further studies within six months of completing their degree.

Course Content

First Year
The following core modules are taken:

Management in Context introduces the concepts of management and organisations, and places them in a historical, political and economic context

One of the following modules may then be chosen:

Globalisation introduces the global business environment focusing on the operations of international businesses and the global market framework in which they operate

or

Marketing Principles provides a general understanding of the key concepts, tools and theories of relevance to marketers today, in a variety of contexts such as services, business-to-business, social and not-for-profit marketing

or

Foundations of Human Resource Management explores the nature of the employment relationship from an historical perspective identifying the principal theoretical bases for understanding the development of Human Resource Management.

Modules can also be taken from a range of electives including:

Markets and Hierarchies
Business Law
Quantitative Methods
Accounting Principles
Financial and Management Accounting

Second Year
Basic knowledge gained in the first year is built on, by taking the following core modules:

Organisational Behaviour explores theoretical insights as they have developed in relation to organisations and management. It examines the way in which people behave and interact as members of a business or other organisation.

Operations and Quality Management encourages the exploration of key quality concepts and techniques within specific organisational contexts and the consideration of why quality is crucial to organisational success.

Modules can also be taken from a range of electives, including:

Social Theory at Work
Corporate Social Responsibility
Critical Perspectives on Management Research
Research Methods

Third Year
There are four modules: two core modules and two electives.

The two core modules are:

Business Strategy examines the formation of organisation strategies, placing emphasis on the idea of 'thinking strategically' at the industry level.

Contemporary Issues in Management builds on knowledge and insights gained from organisational theory and sociological approaches to human behaviour to focus on key debates unfolding in management theory.

The range of electives currently includes:

Identity, Culture and Organisation
International Business Strategies
Strategic Human Resource Management
Managing Supply
Leading, Change and Entrepreneurship
Media culture and organisation
Gender work and organisation
Independent Study Project I & II

Study Abroad

The Management School is keen to promote the opportunity for students to spend a semester studying Business Management at a partner institution in the EU, Australia, Asia, South Africa or North America. Students study abroad for either the first or second semester in their second year and take a series of modules at the partner university that are equivalent to those at Keele. Keele International's Study Abroad Office oversees the process and offers excellent support for students both as they prepare for their study abroad period and while they are away.

Codes and Combinations

Students are candidates for the degree of Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) (BA Hons) if their two Principal courses are in humanities and/or social science subjects.

All students who study a science subject are candidates for the degree of Bachelor of Science (with Honours) (BSc Hons).

Dual Honours Course can be combined with:

Foundation Course available:

For overseas students who do not meet direct entry requirements, we offer the opportunity to take an intensive International Year One in Business and Management leading to second year degree entry

Teaching and Assessment

Teaching is by a combination of lectures, classes, and supervised individual and group work. Throughout the course, we pay attention to the development of skills that students will need after graduating. This includes the development of communication and presentational skills in classes, while students will develop the ability to work as part of a team through group work.

Programme specifications (new window)

Skills and Careers

As well as providing an intellectually stimulating course of study, the Business Management programme will equip students with leading edge skills and knowledge that will be of practical use in your future careers.

Business Management and International Business destinations for graduates who completed their undergraduate course in 2011:

Of those who responded:

Want to work in?

Many students are excited by careers that utilise the academic knowledge and skills developed on their degree:

• Management Consultant
• IT Consultant
• Logistics Manager
• Investment Analyst
• Chartered Management Accountant
• Sales Executive
• Banker
• Operational Researcher

What else?

For those who do not wish to pursue a career directly related to their degree, here are some career ideas to open up options:

• Civil Service Fast Streamer
• Marketing Executive
• Statistician
• Public Relations Executive

Careers information

Visit our Careers pages (new window)

Business Management and Finance
The Business Management and Finance degree enables students to work across disciplines and combines a good grounding in the social sciences. As such it is reflective of the breadth of knowledge and understanding that Keele University seeks to promote, and will equip students with a wide range of skills and theoretical perspectives relevant for the understanding of finance and organisations. The Finance part of the course draws upon accounting techniques and economic theories to provide students with a thorough understanding of the working of financial markets and their connection to the wider economy. The Business Management part of the course will enable students to situate their understanding of finance and economics within broader organisational, historical and social contexts, as well as comparing financial and economic perspectives with theoretical perspectives developed within the social sciences. This combination will enable students not only to develop a broad range of skills, but also to examine organisations and markets from the perspectives of different stakeholders.

Alyson Bird, Business Management and Psychology, made it through to the top ten finalists in the management category of the Targetjobs Undergraduate of the Year awards.

"I was absolutely thrilled to make it to the final. It was a huge surprise, especially after meeting the other candidates. The whole process was tough but great fun, and a real eye-opener into what the interview process will be like after university."

Alyson's prize as a ten week internship at Enterprise Rent-A-Car's UK Head Office.

International Admissions
Tel: +44(0) 1782 733274
Email: international@keele.ac.uk

Course Information
Tel: 01782 733091
Email: l.hamilton@keele.ac.uk