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.