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Business and Management is regularly one of the most popular degree subjects, as it combines excellent academic training with good career prospects. Studying business at the University of Kent at Medway gives you an understanding of the modern world of business that will greatly enhance your opportunities for employment.
Overview
The programme includes a year in industry, which reflects the applied nature of the course. You spend a year between Stages 2 and 3 working in full-time employment, earning a salary and gaining invaluable experience of business management in practice.
The course teaches you theories, methodologies and applications of academic knowledge relevant to the business world. In addition, it provides you with a wide range of opportunities to develop your business skills, you learn how to analyse a wide range of business problems and policies and identify solutions. There is also a specialist pathway in retail for students who are looking for a business management degree that meets their specific personal interests.
Our applied business research is a distinguishing feature of studying at Kent Business School. Staff are passionate about their research and ensure that the management principles they teach are brought to life through practical case studies and live research and consultancy projects.
Our engagement with business and the employability of our graduates is further supported through a number of strategic business partnerships, resulting in businesses contributing to the design of modules, delivering guest lectures and offering business placement opportunities for students.
Accreditation
Kent Business School has joined forces with the Chartered Management Institute to give you the opportunity to gain, alongside your degree, the Level 5 Professional Certificate in Management and Leadership. CMI qualifications are highly sought after by employers, and map alongside our own degrees which ensures we provide you with the best opportunities for a successful management career.
The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) is the only chartered body committed to excellence in management and leadership. The CMI vision is for “first-class management and leadership to drive up personal and corporate performance, national productivity and social well-being”. 75% of employers believe professional qualifications make you more employable through having a greater understanding of the skills needed in the workplace.
As part of this partnership you will have access to Management Direct, designed to provide you with material, videos, podcasts, insight papers and more, developed by professional managers for managers. As well as this, you will benefit from the mentoring scheme ‘CMI Achieve’ and have access to the CMI careers hub.
About Kent Business School
Studying at Kent Business School is an exciting life experience, especially if you are moving away from home. We have combined a solid academic portfolio with excellent accommodation options, as well as hosting plenty of social and cultural activities.
Kent Business School delivers a high standard of business education and is the largest department at the University of Kent. Our academic research and links with global business inform our teaching, ensuring a curriculum that is both rigorous and current. We are a top 30 UK business school for our academic teaching and student satisfaction.
Independent rankings
Business, Management and Marketing at Kent was ranked 18th in The Guardian University Guide 2017. In the National Student Survey 2016, Management Studies at Kent was 9th for overall satisfaction.
Management Studies students who graduated from Kent in 2015 were the most successful in the UK at finding work or further study opportunities (DLHE).
Course structure
The course structure provides a sample of the modules available for this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation. Most programmes require you to study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also have the option to take ‘wild’ modules from other programmes offered by the University in order that you may explore other subject areas of interest to you or that may further enhance your employability.
Based on sector research and curriculum developments, we intend to offer the following innovative new modules on this programme from 2016/17, subject to availability:
CB718 - Consumer Insight
CB726 - Corporate Strategy and Leadership
CB724 - Critical Thinking for Contemporary Business Issues
CB741 - E-Commerce
CB743 - Human Resources and Organisational Behaviour
CB727 - Marketing and the Value Chain
CB719 - Sales Forecasting
The following modules are offered to our current students. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation:
Year in industry
All students spend a year in industry, supported by a dedicated placement team and a programme designed to ensure that students gain experience in the functional areas and industries of their choice.
The placement allows you to experience, first hand, many of the issues addressed in the taught programme and to use the tools, techniques and applications in a real business setting. It will become a vital component of your CV and will give you a distinct advantage over other business graduates.
Teaching and assessment
We use a variety of teaching methods, including lectures, case-study analysis, group projects and presentations, and computer-based packages. You have approximately 12 hours of class time per week, and regular access to a personal tutor for advice on any matter concerning your studies or your performance on the course.
Assessment is by a mixture of coursework and end-of-module examinations, with the examinations normally counting for up to 60-70% of the marks for each module.
Programme aims
The programme aims to:
- develop understanding of a broad range of management functions and their integration, and the critical examination of management practice
- prepare students for a career in business and management
- bring critical insights from the social sciences to bear on management issues
- provide a sound academic base from which students may continue to benefit from formal and informal management education and experiential learning
- provide a curriculum that enhances further study opportunities and student employability
- develop and maintain contacts with local employers via the work placement and other programmes
- provide teaching and learning opportunities that are responsive to, and supportive of, the needs of our individual students
- develop an understanding of key concepts, skills and techniques within the field of business and management, and appreciate how these are applied in the world of work
- provide a highly supportive environment for students
- maintain high standards of academic rigour, currency and innovation
- develop key skills in numeracy, communication, financial and computer literacy.
Learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding
You gain knowledge and understanding of:
- organisations, their environments and their management, including of people, operations, finance, marketing and organisational strategy
- social science concepts and theories and the ability to apply them to business and management contexts
- contemporary and pervasive issues, deepening and/or integrating core knowledge
- European and international developments relevant to management
- the processes, procedures and practices for effective management of organisations, including theories, models, frameworks, tasks and roles, together with rational analysis and processes of decision making within organisations and in relation to the external environment
- markets, customers, finance, people, operations, information systems, communication and IT, business policy and strategy, and contemporary and pervasive issues.
Intellectual skills
You develop the ability to:
- critically evaluate arguments and evidence
- analyse and draw reasoned conclusions concerning structured and unstructured problems
- apply core numeracy and IT skills to problems.
Subject-specific skills
You develop the ability to:
- identify, formulate and solve business/decision-making problems using appropriate qualitative and quantitative tools
- create, evaluate and assess options, in a range of business situations, applying concepts and knowledge appropriately
- communicate effectively, orally and in writing, about business issues
- apply core numeracy and IT skills to business problems
- conduct research into business/management issues for project work, using a variety of sources and appropriate methodologies that inform the learning process.
Transferable skills
You develop the ability to:
- identify and make effective use of information from various sources to assess ideas
- be an effective self manager of time, so as to plan and deliver required outputs productively
- communicate effectively, orally and in writing, using appropriate media
- work in groups and apply other interpersonal skills
- apply numeracy and IT skills appropriately.
Careers
We are ranked 15th in the UK for Business, Management and Marketing graduating students' career prospects according to the Guardian University Guide 2015.
The BA (Hons) Business & Management with a Year in Industry programme will be a foundation for higher learning or prepare you for the advancement to a junior management position in industry, commerce or the public sector.
Kent Business School presents a wealth of opportunities for you to gain much more than your valuable business degree. We have strong connections with many global organisations, and provide chances for you to network with them and acquire useful connections to enable you to enhance your student experience and increase your employability. We hold events or activities with such organisations and associations that will also benefit your learning experience and enhance your future career prospects. We provide ideal facilities in an international learning environment for you to forge associations with friends and colleagues whilst at the School and after graduation, as part of the Kent Business School alumni, which will remain with you long after you graduate and may provide assistance in your future career.
At Kent Business School you will gain many of the key transferable skills employers are looking for. You are taught to analyse critically, think creatively, express your views cogently, manage your time effectively, and work well independently and in groups.
Entry requirements
Home/EU students
The University will consider applications from students offering a wide range of qualifications. Students offering alternative qualifications should contact us for further advice.
It is not possible to offer places to all students who meet this typical offer/minimum requirement.
New GCSE grades
If you’ve taken exams under the new GCSE grading system, please see our conversion table to convert your GCSE grades.
| Qualification | Typical offer/minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| A level | BBB |
| GCSE | Mathematics grade C |
| Access to HE Diploma | The University will not necessarily make conditional offers to all Access candidates but will continue to assess them on an individual basis. If we make you an offer, you will need to obtain/pass the overall Access to Higher Education Diploma and may also be required to obtain a proportion of the total level 3 credits and/or credits in particular subjects at merit grade or above |
| BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (formerly BTEC National Diploma) | The University will consider applicants holding BTEC National Diploma and Extended National Diploma Qualifications (QCF; NQF; OCR) on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us for further advice on your individual circumstances. |
| International Baccalaureate | 34 points overall or 15 at HL including Mathematics 4 at HL or SL |
International students
The University welcomes applications from international students. Our international recruitment team can guide you on entry requirements. See our International Student website for further information about entry requirements for your country.
If you need to increase your level of qualification ready for undergraduate study, we offer a number of International Foundation Programmes.
Meet our staff in your country
For more advise about applying to Kent, you can meet our staff at a range of international events.
English Language Requirements
Please see our English language entry requirements web page.
Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of 'pre-sessional' courses in English for Academic Purposes. You attend these courses before starting your degree programme.
General entry requirements
Please also see our general entry requirements.
Fees
The 2017/18 tuition fees for this programme are:
| UK/EU | Overseas | |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time |
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
UK/EU fee paying students
The Government has announced changes to allow undergraduate tuition fees to rise in line with inflation from 2017/18.
In accordance with changes announced by the UK Government, we are increasing our 2017/18 regulated full-time tuition fees for new and returning UK/EU fee paying undergraduates from £9,000 to £9,250. The equivalent part-time fees for these courses will also rise from £4,500 to £4,625. This was subject to us satisfying the Government's Teaching Excellence Framework and the access regulator's requirements. This fee will ensure the continued provision of high-quality education.
For students continuing on this programme, fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.*
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
Fees for Year Abroad/Industry
As a guide only, UK/EU/International students on an approved year abroad for the full 2017/18 academic year pay an annual fee of £1,350 to Kent for that year. Students studying abroad for less than one academic year will pay full fees according to their fee status.
Please note that for 2017/18 entrants the University will increase the standard year in industry fee for home/EU/international students to £1,350.
General additional costs
Find out more about accommodation and living costs, plus general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
Funding
University funding
Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. See our funding page for more details.
Government funding
You may be eligible for government finance to help pay for the costs of studying. See the Government's student finance website.
The Government has confirmed that EU students applying for university places in the 2017 to 2018 academic year will still have access to student funding support for the duration of their course.
Scholarships
General scholarships
Scholarships are available for excellence in academic performance, sport and music and are awarded on merit. For further information on the range of awards available and to make an application see our scholarships website.
The Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence
At Kent we recognise, encourage and reward excellence. We have created the Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence. The scholarship will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of AAA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications (including BTEC and IB) as specified on our scholarships pages.
The scholarship is also extended to those who achieve AAB at A level (or specified equivalents) where one of the subjects is either Mathematics or a Modern Foreign Language. Please review the eligibility criteria.