Undergraduate

Business Management - BA/BA (Hons)

Along with theoretical business knowledge, our Business Management degree routes will give you the practical experience you need to make your professional mark from day one.

Let’s talk business. When you study for a degree in Business Management at QMU you will gain a deep understanding of the nature and core functions of businesses. How do successful companies manage their resources? What is the best way to make an organisation environmentally sustainable? What marks out a successful business?

People do business with people. If you have first-class management skills and practical expertise, people are going to want to work with you.

Our Business Management degree routes are designed to give you the knowledge and skills that you need to thrive in the fast-moving marketplaces of tomorrow.

Why QMU?

  • Tailor your degree in the direction you want your career to go: In Years One and Two core modules provide a solid foundation of knowledge in key areas of Business Management. As you progress, you can select modules that particularly interest you, or opt for a specialist degree route (eg Analytics, Digital Marketing, Finance or Human Resource Management).
  • Workplace experience: All of our Business Management routes include workplace experience.
  • Gain great industry insights and contacts: Through our strong industry links, you will gain insights into high-profile companies. Representatives of companies such as Bacardi, Social Bite, Skyscanner, Google and Edinburgh Airport have joined us as visiting speakers recently.
  • Excellent support from staff: Smaller than average class sizes mean you will get close support and guidance from staff who get to know you. We will help you develop your passion, ranging from supporting student start-ups in our Business Innovation Zone (BIZ) to helping you pick the right dissertation or consultancy project to kickstart your career.
  • Staff expertise: You will be taught by staff who are active researchers, and who share the latest research insights in their teaching ensuring that, as a future leader, you are at the forefront of the latest developments in business and management areas.
  • Stimulating learning environment: Benefit from a variety of learning experiences such as lectures, seminars, workshops, field trips, exchanges**, guest lectures from a range of practitioners and visiting professors. Some of our modules focus on group work to develop team working skills and others focus on you as the individual.
  • Gain in-demand practical skills: Our courses are designed to ensure you graduate with in-depth subject knowledge and a range of transferable business skills that are highly sought after by employers.
  • Professional links: We are a member of the Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS)
  • High ranking: QMU is ranked in the top 10 of Scottish higher education institutions for Business & Management in the Guardian University Guide 2024. 

* Subject to availability

Queen Margaret Business School - Hands on Experiential Learning

Business Management - BA/BA (Hons): The course in brief

Let’s talk business. When you study for a degree in Business Management at QMU you will gain a deep understanding of the nature and core functions of businesses. How do successful companies manage their resources? What is the best way to make an organisation environmentally sustainable? What marks out a successful business?

People do business with people. If you have first-class management skills and practical expertise, people are going to want to work with you. Our Business Management degree routes are designed to give you the knowledge and skills that you need to thrive in the fast-moving marketplaces of tomorrow.

Flexible routes

We offer the following five business management routes:

  • BA/BA (Hons) Business Management
  • BA/BA (Hons) Business Management with Analytics
  • BA/BA (Hons) Business Management with Digital Marketing
  • BA/BA (Hons) Business Management with Finance
  • BA/BA (Hons) Business Management with Human Resource Management

On our BA/BA (Hons) Business Management routes you will:

  • gain a solid foundation in the core principles of business management, including marketing, human resource management, finance, economics, digital business, strategy, law, and operations management;
  • hone your practical business expertise with placements, guest speakers and project opportunities;
  • choose electives from a range of modules on offer. You will gain the maximum possible flexibility in Years Three and Four by being able to select modules from any of the specialised routes for your electives;
  • have the opportunity to apply for an exchange at a university overseas in North America, Canada, Europe or Australia**; and
  • gain a degree that has a strong focus on employability, supporting you to develop your project management, problem solving, communication, innovation and other transferable skills valued by employers.

** Subject to availability

How will I be taught?

Structure

All students enrol on our general Business Management degree for Years One and Two which will give you a solid foundation in the core principles of business management. At the end of Year Two we’ll discuss the route options with you and help you make you decide whether to stay on our general Business Management degree for maximum flexibility or, if you want to, you can move onto one of our named routes. This will allow you to graduate with a specialist award, for example: BA (Hons) Business Management with Analytics.

Whichever business management path you take, you will be equipped with the skills employers are looking for, negotiation, project management, problem solving, critical thinking and team working.

You can opt to study for an honours degree over four years or an ordinary degree over three years.

You can opt to study for an honours degree over four years or an ordinary degree over three years. You will complete a range of modules each year as outlined.

Teaching, learning and assessment

You will be taught in lectures, seminars and practical workshops. Outside these formally timetabled sessions you will be expected to continue learning through self-study. You will be assessed by a range of methods such as written exams, reports, poster presentations, business plans, live pitch, group presentations and negotiation role play.

You will have the iterative support of Academic Development (AD) throughout your course to enable you to confidently manage the purely academic challenges of your study, and address the diverse technical requirements of your assignments. AD will be available not only as a regular taught component of your study timetable, but in the form of self-study materials available via your module hubs/websites etc. and as ad hoc one-to-one or small group sessions, which can usually be arranged at short notice.

Placements

In the second semester of Year Three you will undertake an ‘experience’ semester. You will have the opportunity to complete a placement, amongst other options. Placements are an excellent opportunity to put your learning into practice. Students are responsible for sourcing a placement host organisation, which can be in the UK or abroad. We support you to find a placement host.

Exchange opportunities

In Years Two or Three you have the opportunity (subject to availability) to study for one semester at a university overseas, in Europe, North America or Australia. Find out more about studying abroad.  

Teaching staff, class sizes and timetables

You can read more about the teaching staff on this course at the bottom of this page. Please note that teaching staff is subject to change.

For more information, please also visit ‘How we teach and how you’ll learn’.

What will I learn each year?

Year One

You will:

  • develop a foundational understanding of key areas of Business Management, including leadership, finance, marketing and digital business;
  • build your analytical and data visualisation skills in readiness for more advanced analytical modules as you progress through the course; and
  • Focus on your personal development through enhancing self-reflection and creative thinking skills.

Modules

  • Introduction to Management and Leadership
  • Development of Professional Skills in Business and Management
  • Marketing and Consumer Behaviour
  • Introduction to Finance and Accounting
  • Digital Business and Innovation
  • Data Management

Year Two

You will:

  • focus on operational aspects of managing businesses in an ethical and fair manner across a range of business environments;
  • explore concepts linked to sustainability, ethics and social justice to gain an understanding of ethical, responsible and sustainable approaches to managing businesses and organisations; and
  • enhance your analytical skills even further using analytical methods and software valued by employers.

Modules

  • Human Resource Management
  • Operations Management
  • Economics, Financial Institutions and Markets
  • Digital Marketing and E-Commerce Management
  • Business Law
  • Ethics, Social Justice and Sustainability

Year Three

You will:

  • examine business and management themes at a more strategic level, choosing electives from a range of modules on offer;
  • develop valuable project management skills and experience in the application of project management techniques through a client brief; and
  • gain management-related experience, through completion of an experience semester, to enhance your career prospects when you graduate. You can opt to undertake an organisational placement; study for one semester at a university overseas; create a fully costed business plan for a new business venture; or develop a new web-based application.

Modules

  • Project Management
  • Two optional modules
  • Research Methods (Online)
  • Choose from one of the following experience options: Placement; Semester Abroad; New Enterprise Start-up; or Web-based Application

Year Four

You will:

  • deepen your understanding, and awareness, of contemporary issues and challenges facing organisations at a strategic level;
  • complete an independent piece of research in an area of your choice in the form of a dissertation or a consultancy project; and
  • develop a range of practical skills necessary for management roles such as hard and soft leadership skills alongside negotiation, collaboration, conflict resolution and change management skills.

Modules

  • Strategy
  • Negotiation Theory and Practice
  • Organisational Behaviour
  • Leading and Managing Change
  • Dissertation or Consultancy Project

NB The modules listed here are correct at time of posting (Feb 2023) but may differ slightly to those offered in 2024. Please check back here for any updates.

Career opportunities

Studying a Business Management degree will give you the opportunity to take advantage of a wide range of career options open to graduates in this field. This is a degree that works and is internationally recognised. In general management, marketing, sales management, logistics, financial services, operations management and human resource management, our graduates are proving their worth to companies in the UK and internationally. Graduates have also set up their own businesses or taken their learning even further as postgraduate students.

See the video graduate case studies on this page.

Business Management - BA/BA (Hons): Entry requirements and application information

Entry requirements

Scottish Higher: Standard - BBBC, Minimum - BCCC

A Level: BCC

Irish Leaving Certificate: H2 H3 H3 H3

International Baccalaureate: 28 points

International: IELTS of 6.0 with no element lower than 5.5

Required subjects: English Required and Maths preferred at Nat 5/GCSE. We can also accept National 5 Application of Maths or Lifeskills at the same grade.

Mature/Access: We welcome applications from mature students with other relevant qualifications and/or experience. 

For more information on related HNC and HND courses, visit our College Leavers and Mature Students Advice page.

Direct Entry:

Year Two

  • HNC in a related subject with B in the graded unit
  • Scottish Higher: BC at Advanced Higher in relevant subjects plus BB at Higher
  • A Level: BBB in relevant subjects

Year Three

  • HND in a related subject with CB in the graded unit

For details of related HNC and HND courses, visit our College Leavers and Mature Students Advice page.

Am I a Widening Access student?: We apply the minimum entry criteria to applicants who meet one or more contextual factor. To see if this would apply to you, please refer to the access and application page.

Terms and Conditions

The delivery of this course is subject to the terms and conditions set out in our 2024/25 Entry Terms and Conditions (Undergraduate).

Awarding body

QMU

Interview with Lauren Leisk

Interview with Jasmine Branch

Course Overview

Duration
3 or 4 years full-time
Start Date
September 2024
Location
On campus
Study Abroad
Yes
School
School of Arts, Social Sciences and Management
Fees & Funding
UCAS Code
N100
SCQF Level
10

QMU Business Innovation Zone

Engage with QMU

Join us at one of our Undergraduate Open Days 2023

23 September or 28 October 2023

Our UG open days will give you an opportunity to meet academic staff, find out more about our undergraduate degree courses, attend course and general information presentations, chat to current students, and explore our modern campus.

Undergraduate Open Days - Book Now

Student Story

Marcel Strangmueller My favourite thing about this course was the close relationships I had with my tutors and teachers and the experience of doing my dissertation. My supervisor always knew what he needed to say to motivate me and get me going! Without him I would not have done as well as I did. He really pushed me to get a first class honours.