International Business Studies – BBs (Hons)

It’s all about the people. This module introduces the core concepts in Human Resource management, taking students on a journey from the earliest origins of the discipline to the present-day role of HR as an operational and strategic organisational function. Students will develop practical people management skills through in-class and assessment activities, as well as the soft skills that are directly transferable and beneficial to work placement in subsequent years.

Develop your own business idea. This module has been designed to provide students with an opportunity to develop the skills required to develop and operate a real-life business. Students will be required to work in groups in order to identify a strong business idea they believe presents an opportunity to be exploited. Students will then develop this idea over the course of the module into a real-life business which they will present at the end of the term.

No prior knowledge of accounting is required. This module provides students with all they need to know about the concepts, principles, and practices of financial accounting.

Learn the basics of business, start from the beginning. The aim of this module is to provide learners with an introduction to the key concepts and theories of management and marketing and to develop an understanding of the role of marketing and management in modern organisations. The module aims to develop the student’s ability to apply knowledge, techniques and skills in order to solve marketing and management problems.

It’s a big world out there, get to know it. This module will examine the foundations and rise of globalisation and global business, its influence on markets and production and the forces behind its growth.

Learn a new language in a new way. No prior language skills are required. The semester is built around the theme of introductions, bringing together topics such as family, home, job etc. and basic grammar to be able to speak about daily life in general in a simple structured manner. The spoken language is the focus of classroom activity and assessment for this and many of the subsequent language modules.

Learn to work with different cultures.  The aim of the module is to introduce the important role of culture in international business and to help students to acquire the knowledge, skills and values needed to function effectively within their cultural communities, nation states, regions and the global community. Students will explore the different frameworks for studying cultures, and the cultural dilemmas that can arise in an era of globalisation where the norm is to work across cultural divides.

Let’s keep talking. This module builds on the foundations of the previous semester with spoken and listening skills remaining at the centre of the module. Grammatical concepts and vocabulary are further developed to increase the student’s ability to speak in a wider variety of settings (ordering food, giving directions, buying items).

Learn Maths in a new way from scratch. The aim of this module is to introduce learners to Mathematics in a Business context. Learners will use maths to measure inflation, examine capital investment decisions as well as presenting numerical data graphically. We take our time and everyone gets support!

Develop those web sites. The aim of this module is for learners to understand the process a firm takes in creating a website, from deciding what business model to adopt online, to website project management, including design and development, and finally, online marketing techniques for implementation and go live.

The world is a big place. The aim of this module is to provide students with a strong practical knowledge of Human Resource Management (HRM) as it operates globally. Students will track evolving trends in HR management practice globally, critically evaluating their effectiveness and applying this knowledge to in-class activities and practical assignments.

The only constant is change. We are living in a time of rapid change and the global economic order is likely to change drastically over the next thirty years. This module will provide students with a comprehensive view of the evolving world economy, from the origins of globalisation through to the present day. Students will develop a strong awareness of key markets and population centres globally, international trade theories and patterns of world trade among nations. They will analyse developed and emerging economies as they evolve over time, developing an appreciation for the global economic landscape.

Prepare for your language adventure. Semester 2 of year 2 sees the first overseas experience of the programme. In preparation for this, the language and culture module has a weighting of 10 credits (double other modules) to ensure a solid base of language skills before arriving in the country of choice. General conversational topics such as visiting the doctor, making reservations, buying train tickets together with a study of the country’s regions and business-related tasks will form the main themes of the module. Students will present a topic in the target language and the grammar and vocabulary required to support this task will be explored.

Understanding the legalities. A key feature for the management and operation of any business is the regulatory environment in which it trades. In turn it is both controlled and protected by the legal instruments and requirements of that environment. This module will consider the role and necessity of legal regulation and, in turn, how that regulation is created and developed through various legal tools.

Do we have the budget? This module looks at the management accounting tools used in analysing, measuring, and evaluating the operations of organisations and the environments in which they operate. Specific emphasis will be on the calculation of material costs, labour costs, and overhead costs and the creation of production budgets.

New ways of marketing. The use of social media and mobile apps, for marketing purposes, have become an integral part of any contemporary marketing campaign. This module emphasises both the processes and the tools required to successfully incorporate a social media marketing plan in an overall marketing strategy: from planning and implementation to the analysis of digital campaigns and mobile app functionality. Students will examine how best these communication tools and strategies can be applied to compete effectively both offline and online.

It’s a diverse world. This module examines how managers and workers need to be culturally sensitive to promote a cohesive team. At the core of the module is the understanding that national culture effects and shapes a person’s attitude to communication, effective teamwork and management functions. Therefore, in an international environment, cultural diversity must be explored and embraced in all its complexities so that the intercultural team can be a source of competitive advantage for the organisation.

The first international experience. The basics of the language have been studied in the classroom and it is now time to go away and put them into practice. You can choose to either study for a semester in one of our partner colleges or complete an international work placement. Either way, you will be immersing yourself in the language and culture of another country and acquiring real-life skills that will make you stand out from others when starting your career. You will be fully assisted by your lecturers, the International Office and the Careers & Employability Office to find the right placement for you with continued support while you are away.

New marketing trends. The aim of this module is to provide you with a clear insight into how the various tools and techniques, within the field of marketing communications, can be used in practice to allow the organisation achieve competitive advantage and commercial success. An in-depth examination of the key media options available to both traditional and contemporary marketing organisations will be undertaken.

Plan to succeed. The aim of the module is to assess the readiness of a company for internationalisation. Learn how to answer questions such as: Are there key players with the talents and competencies to recognise international business opportunities and anticipate potential risks? Are the necessary resources, human, financial, logistical available within the company? Has there been research into global expansion potential?

Keeping up the language. This module will build on the language skills acquired while abroad the previous year to ensure that you can interact in both spoken and written language with a reasonable degree of fluency. Topics this semester will include the world of work, business, finance and job applications in preparation for the possibility of an international work placement in semester 6.

Time is money. The module will provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to develop a project schedule, allocate resources, measure resource utilisation, determine costs, manage risk and close a project. You will be using MS Project to gain hands-on experience of using industry standard project management software.

The Service Industry. Throughout this module you will explore the ever-growing services sector and the theoretical frameworks used to market the industry. You will discover the meaning of services marketing, the differences between marketing services and marketing products and learn to appreciate e the critical issues in contemporary services marketing. The nature of and contribution to the economy from a local, national, and global perspective will also be examined.

Cultures negotiate differently. The aim of this module is to develop the student’s ability to successfully conduct effective negotiation within international business contexts. You will study how societal factors shape the context of and approaches to business and cross-cultural negotiations.

The second international experience. This semester is the second and final study/ work placement abroad. You may choose to go to a different country or go back to the country of your first placement. Again, you will have the full support of your lecturers, the International Office and the Careers & Employability Office to find your placement with continued support throughout the semester.

Speaking with confidence. In this final year of study you will learn to speak about contemporary topics and to communicate with a reasonable degree of fluency in both written and oral situations.

Choose a topic you are really interested in. Students can choose any topic of particular interest for their final year project. This allows them to prepare in advance for entry into their preferred careers, giving them an advantage in job interviews or postgraduate applications. Students receive weekly, one-to-one lecturer support whilst working on these projects their projects.

The importance of the supply chain. This module aims to identify how organisations design and develop a Global Supply Chain Strategy. You will look at the key drivers of the global supply chain performance and be capable of developing and managing a firm’s operations and supply chain, be it globally or nationally.  

The world is your oyster. Increasingly domestic companies are looking to foreign markets to increase market share and revenue. However, different variables mean that marketing plans may need to be implemented on a country by county basis. This module looks at the critical issues in international marketing and insights into managing both the international marketing effort and international marketing relationships.

Evaluating the company. This module provides an understanding of the main elements and implications of strategy. Strategic position along with the impact on strategy of the macro environment, the industry environment, the organisation’s strategic capability, the stakeholders and the organisational culture are all examined in depth.

Money makes the world go round. We are living in an ever-expanding global marketplace and, simultaneously, an increasingly complex global financial environment. This module develops the ability to interpret, analyse and evaluate this environment, providing a solid grounding in the most important topics in global finance. Such topics include: international corporate governance, managing foreign exchange exposure, financing the global firm and critical decisions around foreign direct investment and global financial operations.

Expanding your language range. This final language and culture module will see you discussing and presenting points of view on social topics and current affairs.

Look to your neighbour. Europe is home to a multitude of global organisations and is an obvious choice for any business looking to expand internationally. This module explores doing business in Europe, with a focus on the UK post-Brexit as well as EU countries. You will learn the rules for starting a new business or expanding into the UK and an EU country, including legal requirements and intellectual property rights. In general, the module analyses the guidelines for trading in and with the UK and EU countries.

The use of contemporary case study material is used to complement academic theory with industry practice to highlight how Consumer Behaviour can have a significant impact in the areas of marketing and business.

Let’s go global. Global Business Management will help you assess opportunities, manage risk, and create and capture value for the organisation. It will explore the economic, political, and social factors driving change, and learn how decisions affect global markets and local businesses.