Degrees Offered

• BSc Honours Business Management (UCAS Code: N201)

Contact Information

For entrance requirements
E: admissions@qub.ac.uk
T: +44 (0)28 9097 3838

For BSc Honours in Business Management:
The Programme Director
Queen's University Management School
T: +44 (0)28 9097 4200
E: nicola.holmes@qub.ac.uk
W: www.qub.ac.uk/qums

Entrance Requirements

BSc Honours
Business Management 3 yrs (N201)


Entrance Requirements
A-level: ABB + GCSE Mathematics B

Irish Leaving Certificate: B2B2B2B2B2B2/AB2B2B2B2 + if not offered at Higher Level then Ordinary Level grade B in Mathematics

There are no specific subjects required and it is not necessary to have previously studied Business Studies or Management.

For students whose first language is not English
An IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in each test component or an equivalent acceptable qualification, details of which are available at: http://go.qub.ac.uk/EnglishLanguageReqs

If you are an international student and you do not meet the entrance requirements, you should consider a preparation course at INTO Queen's University Belfast, which will prepare you for successful study on these degree courses. INTO Queen's University Belfast is based on the University campus and offers a range of courses including:

International Foundation in Business, Humanities and Social Science

International Diploma in Management and Finance

The Subject

Upon successful completion of this degree, students should have acquired and enhanced their knowledge and understanding of a wide range of management issues, including harnessing technology effectively, leading and managing people, leading change, managing creativity and innovation, markets and resources, managing in the global business environment, strategic management, and working in teams.

In addition, there are many opportunities for students to be able to develop and enhance a range of skills, including problem-solving and critical thinking, project management, communication skills, both written and oral, numeracy skills and effective use of a range of business analysis tools.

Course Content

Stage 1
Students take six compulsory introductory modules, which set the context and foundation for the remainder of the degree. Modules focus on organisations, their structures, behaviours and the changing external environment within which they operate and include:

Accounting for Non-Specialists
Economics of Organisations
Global Business Environment
Information and Organisations
Organisations and Behaviour
The History and Philosophy of Management

Stage 2
Students take six compulsory modules, covering issues such as branding and marketing communications, decision-making through effective information analysis and interpretation, internationalisation, and managing resources (human, financial and operational).

Specific modules include:

Accounting for Managers in an International Context
Business Research Methods
Human Resource Management
International Business
Operations Management
Principles of Marketing

Stage 3
Students take six advanced modules, two of which are compulsory - Business Strategy and Business Analysis.

They can then choose four others, incorporating themes such as:

Creativity and Innovation
Globalisation
Improving the Supply Chain
Managing Change
New Venture Creation and Entrepreneurial Management
Strategic Management
The Responsible Business
The range of modules may vary to reflect changes in the external business environment, but should include:
Business Ethics
Entrepreneurship
Managing Innovation
Public Sector Management
Supply Chain Management

'Business Management is great because of the diversity of modules on offer. By choosing this degree I was able to keep my options open in terms of future career opportunities, as the modules are extremely applicable to the job industry today.'

Ashleigh Rankin
Coleraine, Northern Ireland

Learning and Teaching

Queen’s University Management School is one of the largest Schools in the University with more than 1300 full-time undergraduate students and 300 plus postgraduate students.  The School has been delivering high quality programmes for more than 40 years and was one of the first schools in the UK to introduce undergraduate management education.  Since then, QUMS has been developing and enhancing its teaching portfolio for both local and international students and boasts students from more than 20 different nationalities. 

In recent years, the School has benefited from significant investment resulting in many new academic appointments and state-of-the-art facilities including computer teaching labs with specilaised software and a Trading Room in Riddel Hall.  In addition, the new McClay library houses an excellent selection of Management and related texts and there are extensive IT facilities throughout the campus. 

At Queen’s, we aim to deliver a high quality learning environment that embeds intellectual curiosity, innovation and best practice in learning, teaching and student support to enable student to achieve their full academic potential.  In line with this, one of QUMS’ primary objectives is to deliver innovative learning and teaching programmes that provide students with the competences and skills to make a positive contribution to business, economic and civic life.

On the BSc Business Management programme we achieve these goals by providing a range of learning environments which enable our students to engage with subject experts both academic staff and industry guest speakers, develop skills and attributes and perspectives that will equip them for life and work in a global society and make use of innovative technologies and a world-class library that enhances their development as independent, lifelong learners. Examples of the opportunities provided for learning on this degree programme are:

• Lectures: these introduce foundation information about new topics as a starting point for further self-directed private study/reading.  As the module progresses this information becomes more complex.  Lectures, which are normally delivered in large groups to all year-group peers, also provide opportunities to ask questions and seek clarification on key issues as well as gain feedback and advice on assessments.  Additional lectures are also delivered by employer representatives and staff from a number of organisations are involved in the delivery of Business Management workshops and problem solving sessions. In addition to the academic content of the lectures and workshops, this enables employers to impart their valuable experience to QUMS Business Management students, introduces important local employers to our students and allows our Business students to meet and engage with potential future employers. 
• Seminars/tutorials: a significant amount of teaching is carried out in small groups (typically 15-20 students). These sessions are designed to explore, in more depth, the information that has been presented in the lectures.  This provides students with the opportunity to engage closely with academic staff who have specialist knowledge of the topic, to ask questions of them and to assess their own progress and understanding with the support of their peers. During these classes, students will be expected to present their work to academic staff and their peers.
• Computer-Based Practicals: these provide students with the opportunity to develop technical skills and apply theoretical principles to real-life or practical contexts. For example, one of the compulsory Level 2 modules, MGT2009 Business Research Methods, incorporates SPSS software practicals (a commercially used software package).
• Site Visits: to demonstrate the practical relevance of management theory site visits to local organisations are an integral feature of this programme. 
• E-Learning technologies:information associated with lectures and assignments is often communicated via a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) called Queen’s Online.  A range of e-learning experiences are also embedded in the degree programme through the use of, for example, interactive support materials, podcasts and web-based learning activities.
• Self-directed study:  this is an essential part of life as a Queen’s student when important private reading, engagement with e-learning resources, reflection on feedback to date and assignment research and preparation work is carried out.
• Work placements: The BSc Business Management programme does not have a compulsory placement year. However, the School actively supports any student who wishes to avail of an optional placement year, normally between the second and final year of the degree programme.  The School has a dedicated Placement Office which facilitates students in sourcing and securing appropriate placements which will augment their classroom-based learning experience.  In addition, the School encourages students to seek other work-based and/or educational related experiences, whether that is through the summer placement programme (a 3-4 month internship in a local organisation working on a very specific project), Erasmus programmes with other European Universities, or studying abroad in universities with which the School and/or University has an existing relationship.
• Student Support Systems: QUMS has an active and co-ordinated student support system to assist students in making the transition from school to university. This includes:
• assigning each student an Adviser of Studies to assist with the choice of modules at the beginning of each academic year;
• assigning each student a Personal Tutor (an academic member of staff) when they begin the degree programme.  The Personal Tutoring System includes individual scheduled appointments with personal tutors, small group tutor meetings (4-5 students) and e-mail contact to discuss academic matters, academic performance, skills development, careers and/or prospective placements and issues related to University policies and practices.  Students meet their Personal Tutor at induction and during the first and second year of study they are expected to meet with their Personal Tutor at least once per semester.
• A Peer Mentoring Scheme whereby students in second and third year of their degree programme volunteer to mentor Level 1 students. Developing the programme themselves, with support from academic staff in QUMS, the mentors organise informal meetings, regular contact and a series of events ranging from ice-breaker type events to employer-led sessions with the Level 1 students.
• a formalised induction for all undergraduate students.  For Level 1 students, this includes several half-day sessions the week before the programme begins to allow students to familiarise themselves with the campus and the degree programme.  During Level 1 there are a number of follow-up sessions throughout the year. Topics such as academic writing, referencing, plagiarism, communication skills, examination preparation and managing time effectively are all covered in these practical sessions.
• Personal Development Planning to encourage students to engage in independent learning.

Assessment and Feedback

Assessment (general):  The way in which students are assessed will vary according to the learning objectives of each module.  Details of how each module is assessed are shown in the Student Handbook which is provided to all students during their first year induction. Business Management modules are typically assessed by a combination of continuous assessment and a final written unseen examination. Continuous assessment consists of: Accounting class tests, computer generated practical experiments where students have to manipulate and interpret management-related data, case study research and analysis of a particular organisation and its business issue, academic essays exploring specific current issues such as innovation, consumer behaviour, managing change etc. and small group project and presentations whereby groups of three/four students work on a particular business-related task.

Feedback (general):  As students progress through their course at Queen’s they will receive general and specific feedback about their work from a variety of sources including lecturers, module co-ordinators, placement supervisors, personal tutors, advisers of study and peers.  University students are expected to engage with reflective practice and to use this approach to improve the quality of their work. Feedback may be provided in a variety of forms including:

• Feedback provided via formal written comments and marks relating to work that you, as an individual or as part of a group, have submitted. 
• Face to face comment.  This may include occasions when you make use of the lecturers’ advertised “office hours” to help you to address a specific query.
• Placement employer comments or references.
• Online or emailed comment.
• General comments or question and answer opportunities at the end of a lecture, seminar or tutorial.
• Pre-submission advice regarding the standards you should aim for and common pitfalls to avoid.  In some instances, this may be provided in the form of model answers or exemplars which you can review in your own time. 
• Feedback and outcomes from practical classes.
• Comment and guidance provided by staff from specialist support services such as, Careers, Employability and Skills or the Learning Development Service.

Once you have reviewed your feedback, you will be encouraged to identify and implement further improvements to the quality of your work. 

Careers

Those pursuing a career in Business Management should enjoy working with people as they will have to generate information from a wide variety of sources as they attempt to improve the business (entering new markets or developing new products or driving down costs or becoming more competitive etc) or solve a specific management related issue.  They should be effective communicators as they will be expected to engage with a range of stakeholders including senior management, consumers and consumer groups, government representatives and policy makers, as well as employees and peers. 

Students interested in pursuing a career in Business Management must be prepared to take on challenges and be able to adapt to a constantly changing and dynamic business environment.  To assist this, core transferable skills acquired throughout the degree programme include the ability to learn independently, problem solve, understand management and related information and work productively as part of a team.

Graduate Careers and Achievements

A degree in Business Management from Queen’s offers a firm base securing an excellent graduate position or further academic study. As this is a generalist Business Management degree, career options are extremely varied and the employment opportunities for our Business Management graduates remain strong.  In recent years, our graduates have secured positions in local, national and multinational organisations in the public, private and voluntary sectors.

Our graduates have secured positions in advertising, human resources, recruitment, training and development, marketing, export marketing, new product development, market research, brand management, operations management, supply chain management, quality management, business development, accounting, finance, inward investment, management consultancy (specialising in areas including strategy, change management, business analysis).

The Prospects website provides further information regarding the types of jobs that attract BSc Business Management graduates.

Further study is also an option open to BSc Business Management graduates. Students can choose from a wide range of Masters programmes as well as a comprehensive list of research topics, as shown on the Queen’s University Management School website.

Other Career-related information: Queen’s is a member of the Russell Group and, therefore, one of the 20 universities most-targeted by leading graduate employers.  Queen’s students will be advised and guided about career choice and, through the Degree Plus initiative, will have an opportunity to seek accreditation for skills development and experience gained through the wide range of extra-curricular activities on offer.  See Queen’s University Belfast fullEmployability Statementfor further information.

Degree Plus and other related initiatives:  Recognising student diversity, as well as promoting employability enhancements and other interests, is part of the developmental experience at Queen’s.  Students are encouraged to plan and build their own, personal skill and experiential profile through a range of activities including; recognised Queen’s Certificates, placements and other work experiences (at home or overseas), Erasmus study options elsewhere in Europe, learning development opportunities and involvement in wider university life through activities, such as clubs, societies, and sports. 

Queen’s actively encourages this type of activity by offering students an additional qualification, the Degree Plus Award (and the related Researcher Plus Award for PhD and MPhil students).  Degree Plus accredits wider experiential and skill development gained through extra-curricular activities that promote the enhancement of academic, career management, personal and employability skills in a variety of contexts.  As part of the Award, students are also trained on how to reflect on the experience(s) and make the link between academic achievement, extracurricular activities, transferable skills and graduate employment. Participating students will also be trained in how to reflect on their skills and experiences and can gain an understanding of how to articulate the significance of these to others, e.g. employers.

Overall, these initiatives, and Degree Plusin particular, reward the energy, drive, determination and enthusiasm shown by students engaging in activities over-and-above the requirements of their academic studies.  These qualities are amongst those valued highly by graduate employers.

Special Features

Exemptions: this degree has entry-level exemptions with the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM).

Placement: the School is an active participant in international exchange programmes and has excellent relationships with local, national and international organisations. An optional placement year is available between Stages 2 and 3.

Last updated 11.09.13