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BA Business Management final year studies

By Lily Robinson

After returning from my placement year last year, I am now in my final year of BA Business Management. This year I had only one core module, meaning I had five other modules to choose from a very varied list. I really wanted to tailor my degree to involve lots of marketing modules, as that is my main interest. I have been able to do that this year, and it has been a great experience.

As with the other years, there is an option to take an unrestricted module to the value of twenty credits, if you want to pursue interests outside of the Management School.
The core module I mentioned is Corporate Social Responsibility. Coming back from placement, I have realised this is a really important subject to study and is so relevant to all businesses. Due to the current climate, it is important that as managers of the future we have a clear view as to the ethical implications of our decision making.
The amount of varied modules has meant I can study all different aspects of marketing. In the first semester I studied Digital Marketing, Strategy Practice and CSR. In second semester I am currently studying Work Related Health and Well Being, Integrated Marketing Communications and Management Project. As you can see, I have managed to have at least one marketing based subject in each semester. There are many other modules such as International Business and Industrial Relations. No matter what function you are interested, there are modules that will suit you.
If you work particularly well in group work, or prefer exams to coursework, you will also find the assessment criteria for the modules are very varied and so this year is geared to help you achieve your best. Now you know what’s best for you and you are a more mature student, you can make a really informed decision as to your module selection.
One of my favourite modules so far has been Work Related Health and Well Being. After being on placement, I was really interested to learn about stress and wellness at work, and this module is very interactive. The lectures are really interactive, and it is great to study a module that you know you can apply wherever you work in your future career.

What I studied on my year abroad: University of Mannheim

By Reece Bracewell

Whilst looking at possible universities to study at, part of the research I conducted was around the modules they offered and what I could study whilst abroad. I was given some specific/core areas by the Management School which were mandatory to take whilst on study abroad, this was to ensure I was able to progress in to my third and final year when I returned to Sheffield. The other modules I was free to choose from the business school in Mannheim (where I was studying). After selecting which modules I wanted to take they then had to be approved, this is done when you complete the learning agreement form, which you then have to get signed by both home and abroad universities. It sounds like more work than it actually is, it was relatively painless.
While I was studying in Germany I took a range of different modules, and as the credit system was different in Germany (ETCS) it meant that I was able to take a larger number of modules than if I had been in Sheffield as the courses were smaller in content than what you may be used to, allowing me to explore more areas of business and gain a wider range of knowledge. For instance I studied financial behavioural psychology which was a completely new area for me, I feel this was a major benefit from the study abroad programme and one that not all students get the opportunity to do, it is just another reason to grab the opportunity with both hands and take advantage of study abroad.
Some examples of the range of modules I had the chance to study included; Strategic marketing, production and operations management and international and strategic marketing. Whilst studying abroad there were also many guest lectures from global companies such as Nivea and SAP which always brought a great insight to real business and added depth and context to what we were learning throughout the modules.

Why should you do a placement? It’s great fun!

Claire Richards

My placement year was one of the best years I’ve had of my time at university! It was so much fun alongside the challenging work.

The job itself can be really fun. I worked for Glaxo Smithklinehad and had a very big role which was very busy and stretching but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was great fun to actually organise induction programmes for the new graduates or a Development Week for all of the existing MBA associates across the business. Lots of the pictures below are dinners from assessment centres or induction and development weeks!

Obviously closely connected to this is the people you work with. Despite us being quite a small team we always had time to laugh and bond with each other. Some of the (very long) quarterly meetings with the whole team were the most fun meetings. Even though we were discussing very serious things, like where we taking our strategy over the next few years, we still managed to discover that one person in the team had been in a music video!

The other industrial placement students (affectionately called IPs) that you meet will be a lot of fun. From going to a bar after work and getting to know everyone to the more organised events like boat parties; the ‘IP community’ is a lot of fun, both to just be part of but also to lead, if the opportunity is there for you. The picture of a lot of us in orange t-shirts was when a lot of IP students went to support the GSK Impact Awards which acknowledges some incredible work done by charities around the UK – that was a fun and emotional night.

Doing an industrial placement will enable you to have a little bit more money to do a lot more fun stuff on placement too. Manchester United v Arsenal at the Emirates, Twenty20 games at the Oval and too many dinners to count gave me some awesome memories of my placement year, and would never have been possible without throwing myself in and undertaking a placement.

To ask Claire or any of the other Placement Ambassadors about doing a placement year, email mgt.plambassadors@sheffield.ac.uk . You can also drop-in to the Employability Hub to speak to the Employability team.

Why should you do a placement? To network and earn some money!

By Dan Radcliffe

Networking
Networking is a great aspect of doing a placement year. There are so many valuable benefits to keeping in touch with people you worked with of varying levels of seniority.
The contacts made on placement can be fantastic for receiving advice from and being mentored by. By getting myself out there while working for a large organisation and speaking to as many people as possible, I was able to find the areas I really wanted to work in for my future career and how to get there. Without the networking I did on my placement I would be very much stuck with what to do post-graduation, as well as being unaware of a huge number of career opportunities.
One of the contacts I made while on placement moved on to a new business and when I had finished my placement I asked to do work experience with him, as it was in a field I was particularly keen on working in. So don’t think of the networking as over after your placement year… They are contacts who can be really valuable in a sociable and professional manner.
The people you work and build close relationships with can be a huge resource when in your final year should you be applying for graduate vacancies. Not only can they stand out as glowing reference providers, but they can also help you with recruitment into the organisations which you choose to apply to.
So to summarise, get yourself known while on placement. Don’t just work in the remit of your team. Try and explore areas you’re interested in for the future, thinking past that 12 month (give or take) placement year. The people you network with are massive assets and you can really benefit from them – keep them close!

Earn Some Money
With the length of an industrial placement, you will probably have a salary to help out with the costs and give you a bit of extra money. Though the purpose of an industrial placement is focused on the experience and learning as opposed to the money, it’s a nice bi-product to enjoy.
Throughout my placement, I didn’t have to rely on student loans or financial support from my family as my salary enabled me to be self-sufficient, living away from home.
Furthermore, it gave me the ability to enjoy some extras, such as the technology I couldn’t afford as a student, and a few holidays within the year.
Depending on where you are in the country will determine your salary as well as the company and industry you work in.
Like with part-time work, the pay is a real credit to the hard work that you put in day-to-day on a placement year and a nice bonus to doing an industrial placement.

To ask Dan or any of the other Placement Ambassadors about doing a placement year, email mgt.plambassadors@sheffield.ac.uk .

You can also drop-in to the Employability Hub to speak to the Employability team.

Your first year on the BA Accounting and Financial Management programme

By Robbie Bailey

The first year of study for the BA Accounting and Financial Management degree is designed to give students an introduction to a number of topics within finance. There are a lot of core modules in the first year programme to ensure that all students get the same basic knowledge which then helps them to decide which routes they would like to take to tailor their degree in the second and third years of study. I came to the University of Sheffield with no experience of accountancy or finance at all so it was very helpful for me that the modules required no prior knowledge of the subject, just a desire to learn and a bit of hard work!
Two important first year modules are ‘Introduction to Financial Accounting’ and ‘Introduction to Management Accounting’. The financial accounting module covers the basics of company reports, things like Balance Sheets and Cash Flow Statements, and explains how they are created. You will also cover the fundamental accounting principles that form the foundations for these reports. Management Accounting focusses on the accounting processes within an organisation like Cost-Volume-Profit analysis and Budgeting. You may find it helpful to do some research before you arrive in Sheffield, as to the differences between financial and management accounting to give yourself a head-start!
There are a number of other compulsory modules aimed at giving you a strong foundation on which to build later into your studies here at Sheffield. ‘Business Economics’ is a one-semester crash course in basic economic theory. Personally, I struggled at first with this module as I had never done economics before but as the weeks passed I became more comfortable and got a good result in my exam. The ‘Behaviour at Work’ module covers organisational behaviour and provides an introduction to areas such as Leadership Theory and Motivation Theory. I found this module very interesting as it gave a great overview of the day-to-day decisions managers face and the theories that underpin their approaches. ‘Professional Self-Management’ helped me to gain valuable knowledge about my career development. This involved guest speakers from a number of organisations including BT and Enterprise Rent-a-Car and CV writing sessions.
My favourite module from year one was ‘Analysis for Decision Making’. I have a strong mathematical background as I studied both Maths and Further Maths at a-level so I enjoyed this module as it is effectively a statistics module. This course takes statistical methods like probability distributions, hypothesis testing and regression analysis and shows how they are used in the finance world day-to-day. I chose to study BA Accounting and Financial Management as I wanted to focus my maths skills into a particular field and this module was my first opportunity to do that. Those of you who have not done a-level maths, don’t panic! The module is divided into two halves (A and B) and those students doing Analysis for Decision Making B, who don’t have a maths a-level, are given more contact hours to ensure that everyone is at the same standard.
You will also have one unrestricted module, which means you can do 10 credits of any subject you like from a long list of modules from throughout the university. I did a post-GCSE level German module that helped me to further improve my language skills, but many people choose to take the ‘Business Challenges’ module offered by the Management School. This gives students the opportunity to take part in a number of challenges that require the use of team-working, problem-solving and leadership skills and provides a great experience to add to any job applications.
To summarise, the first year of study here at the Sheffield University Management School provides a fantastic foundation knowledge on all the key areas of finance and really helps students to decide where their interests may lie. This learning experience partnered with the excitement of first year university life makes for a brilliant year all-round!

What will I study on BA Business Management?

By Lily Robinson

As a final year student looking back over my three years on the Business Management degree course, I am very satisfied with the variety of modules and topics that have been available to me. I have covered many areas of business; accounting, human resources, marketing and supply chain to name a few. In first year, though it seems you have less choice, the modules are based around important different areas of business, to really help your understanding of what you enjoy. A good manager will have knowledge of all of these areas, so it’s also beneficial for your employability prospects. All modules in first year teach the basics, so if like me you didn’t take Business at GCSE or A Level, please don’t feel you are at a disadvantage starting this degree!
There are compulsory basic maths, accounting and economics modules in first year, which personally I was nervous about to begin with. All the lecturers were great at explaining things. I did poorly in Economics during my AS Levels and achieved a 2:1 in the Business Economics module at degree level, which really is a testament to the great teaching staff at the University who were there to support me.

Having taken a placement year after second year, I found that I used learnings from some of my modules during work. During the second year supply chain module, I did a group presentation to a number of academic lecturers and industry experts which was an invaluable experience. I also found the unrestricted module I chose, Business Challenges, gave me the chance to work on my communication skills and meet new friends.

Through later years, there are less core modules and you really get a chance to tailor your degree and take modules in subjects that really matter to you. I am currently exploring a career in Marketing after working as a Marketing Assistant at Arla Foods during my placement year. I have chosen two different marketing modules in third year and have decided to work on a marketing based project in my Management Project module. This has allowed me to research subjects that I find interesting, which I believe has helped me achieve good grades in my modules. One of those modules, Digital Marketing, is a relatively new field of marketing and I received up to date theories and research from my lecturer.
Overall, the variety and quality of the modules has been very beneficial to me. I have tailored my degree to the point where I can highlight certain modules to employers and mention specific works in my CV.

Why study International Business Management at Sheffield?

By Udara Cumaratunga

Sheffield University is a great university to study International Business Management. The study abroad component of the course I believe has been extremely insightful for me, as it gave me the opportunity to explore and understand the business operations of another culture. I was able to choose from a wide variety of well-recognised partner universities from around the world to undertake my year, adding value to my education.

I greatly appreciated having being assigned to a personal tutor and as well as a study abroad tutor during the course. It gave me the opportunity to attain advice of the both tutors during my university selection and modules selection process. They also assisted in any challenges I faced while studying abroad and most importantly during the application process. The structure of the application process was invaluable to me as it gave me the experience and prepared me to face the application processes of Internships and Graduate positions that are structured very similar.

Having to achieve an average grade of 60% to be eligible to participate in the study abroad year has really highlighted my commitment to program, which impressed my Internship employer and resulted in potential employers being interested in my skills. This goal also ensure that I was well suited to undertake the modules that were offered by the foreign university and was able to maintain a high academic performance during the year.
I have now been given the opportunity to share my experiences whilst studying abroad through open day events, writing blog posts and interacting with potential study abroad students. It has not only enhanced my understanding of international businesses and their operations but also developed my soft skills and made me more confident.

Get great experience with a summer internship

By Hannah Regan

Internships are such a great way to spend your summer break during your time at University. You can use those summers to not only gain professional experience, but also have a great summer, earn money, and travel!

I have had the opportunity to take part in several internship programmes during my time here. My first was based in South Carolina, working at a Disney Vacation Club beach resort. When I arrived to South Carolina I had no idea what to expect, I was picked up by the Disney managers and driven to our apartment where I met the 3 other interns I would be living with. They were all girls from the UK, and we quickly found the other apartments with people on our programme- there were 14 of us in total, 6 from the UK, 4 from Hong Kong and 4 from Mexico. I settled in to the programme really easily, another intern and I were working on Front Desk; our training lasted about a week before we were then out there on our own. Our team was made up of Americans from all over and a complete mix of ages, our shifts varied between 6am and 11pm, typically 8/9 hour shifts 5 days a week. On our evenings and days off we often went to the beach, the shopping malls, or out for dinner at the various restaurants on the Island. Disney provided us with bikes, and most places were accessible by bike, or by taxi, but we also made American friends on the island who had cars and they would often take us to cities slightly further away for us to explore such as Savannah and Charleston! After the internship your visa allows you 30 days to travel, a friend I made on the programme and I decided to travel the East Coast, visiting Atlanta, Washington DC and New York, before flying home.

My next internship with The Walt Disney Company was based down at Walt Disney World in Florida. This is a much larger programme, with between 150 and 200 people from all over the world participating in the programme. Our arrival was a lot less personal, as over 200 of us arrived on the same day, but took a similar format. I was placed in an apartment in a large apartment complex owned by Disney in Lake Buena Vista. On this programme we were working with people from Australia, Hong Kong, France, Morocco and Italy. I was working in Parade Audience Control, so my job involved working the parades and fireworks in Magic Kingdom, ensuring guest and performer safety. I absolutely loved my job, there was a really big team of us and we all got on so well and had so much fun at work. On our days off we spent a lot of time in the parks, or in the outlet malls, but we also had plenty of time to explore the restaurants and nightlife in Orlando. Again after the programme we had time on our visa left to travel, and so I spent 5 weeks travelling the West Coast, me and a friend drove from San Diego to San Francisco and then flew up to Canada to travel the Rocky Mountains.
Finally, I undertook a professional internship in Canary Wharf at the Financial Conduct Authority. This internship was completely different and gave me an entirely different experience. I gained so much professional experience, built up contacts, and gained an insight into my future career, whilst earning a decent wage! I was working in Authorisations and dealing with shareholders buying additional shares, gaining control, or takeovers of firms. I was given so much responsibility and from day one I was dealing with businessmen owning huge firms, and at no time was I treated like an ‘intern’ or my competence doubted. I was allowed to shadow other departments, and get involved in as much as I wanted to gain the additional experience I needed. One of my favourite things was also getting a taste of graduate life in London, and the social scene that accompanies graduate jobs!
At the end of our internship we had to give a presentation to a room of managers, and had an additional interview. From this I was offered a graduate role with the company starting in September after my graduation. The internship was so valuable, from the application and assessment centres being great practice, all the way through to the actual job and people I met, I really had a great summer and it meant I went into third year not having to deal with graduate applications and could focus on my exams!

Choose a placements for a degree with employment experience

By David Chamberlain

Hi Guys!
First of all let me introduce myself. My name is David and I am a 4th year BA Business Management student. If you are wondering why I am still here after four amazing years in Sheffield, it is because I took the option to extend my degree to include a placement year.
Placements at Sheffield are not mandatory like you might see at other Universities. This really gives you the freedom to decide to do a placement once you have found your feet with your studies and is just one of many options that allow you to add value to your degree. Taking a year out is not for everybody, so it is important to decide whether you’d prefer an internship or a placement. I opted to do a placement year because I felt that it would give me a more in-depth experience of the company that I joined. Also, I wanted the experience of moving away for a year, with a salary and a real level of responsibility, and it duly delivered.
I moved to London for my third year to work with one of the leading providers of consumer insight to the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) market. Working within a Global Business Development team, I got to develop first-hand the skills that I had been learning about from an academic perspective but also developed the real practical expertise that you don’t get until you are in the workplace. The level of responsibility I was given was amazing, and I learnt so much from my exposure to senior colleagues and clients. I worked with some of the biggest brands across the world, such as Coca-Cola, Kellogg’s, GlaxoSmithKline, PepsiCo and Twinings. This kind of exposure is something you can really talk about to make yourself standout in the graduate market. The area I found most interesting was working with large sets of data and then being tasked with making real business recommendations to clients. The whole “London experience” is something that I really enjoyed, and there is no better time to do it than whilst at University. It serves as a good indication as to whether you could move there when you graduate and shows you what you might look for in terms of location.
I think now that I am back for my final year I have matured as a student much more because of my placement. I am far more organised now than I would have been before and it has allowed me to really tackle the rigours of what is quite a demanding final year, and also think about what I want to achieve after University as well.
I recommend having a good think in your first year about what you want from your degree, look at the different options in detail and then work out which is best for you. For me, it was a placement and I hope I have helped explain some of the benefits!

Supporting our students

By Annabel Faulkner

The support level at the Management School here at The University of Sheffield is excellent. There are many ways they ensure your time here runs smoothly and you have the best time possible; from assigning you a personal tutor from day one to the team in the Student Experience Office, to your module leaders.

When you first arrive at university, you will be assigned a personal tutor at the Management School who will stay with you throughout your years of studying. This is great because they really get to know you as a person and are a familiar face to call upon throughout your time at university. A personal tutor is your first port of call for any questions, queries or worries you have about study or general life at university. If they are unsure of the best course of action or answer to your question, then they know who is best to contact and will point you in the right direction to find the answers to your questions. Another beneficial aspect of a personal tutor is that they are an experienced academic within the Management School so not only are they experts in their specific field, but they know how to structure essays and academic papers, which is often very different to how you will have written essays before. They are more than happy to give any help or advice you need on your studies! Further to this, their offices are based on site at the Management School so they are in a really convenient location for you to pop by between lectures or seminars and are close by for whenever you need them.

The Student Experience Office, based at the Management School is your go-to place for if you have any timetabling issues, coursework queries or any general questions needing answers. They are fantastic as they are so knowledgeable and are open throughout the day during term-time, every day. You can pop by the Student Experience Office at any time to sort out any queries or questions. They help with timetabling issues such as if you have a clash or need to change seminar group. They are also the office where you submit all your coursework, so you will visit them often throughout your time. Their location is conveniently based at the Management School once again so they are accessible to everyone and available for students to drop in between lectures and seminars.

Specific to the course, there is a high level of support provided. Each module has a module leader who runs and executes the module, often taking the large core lectures. They give you their contact details at the start of the module and encourage you to get in touch if you have any problems. Their offices are also based at the Management School and they have office hours where students are welcome to drop-in for a general chat, to ask about the course or solve any problems they are having. Alongside the module leader, there are seminar tutors. Seminars are smaller and more interactive classes, which give you the opportunity to ask more questions in a more intimate learning environment. Seminars are there to go over the material studied in the lectures in more detail and answer any questions students may have. Seminar tutors also have office hours and encourage students to speak to them if they need any clarification on any topic they are studying. They are really approachable and willing to help! If any issues of the course arise or you are struggling then the academic staff running the modules are there to help!

The general support provided within the Management School is fantastic. All the staff within the Management School are always friendly, willing to help and make themselves available to do so. If you have any course or general issues throughout studying your degree, there is always someone on hand to talk to and solve your issue!