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Business Management BA (Hons)

Explore contemporary business practices, contexts and debates through a hands-on, practical approach designed to deepen your understanding of today’s business landscape.

Key information

How to Apply
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Our course combines real-world applications with core business knowledge, equipping you to develop effective solutions for complex scenarios.

You’ll learn how to apply practical and realistic solutions to complex business scenarios, studying areas including decision-making, contemporary business environments and strategies.

You will become an innovative leader, team player, articulate presenter, and problem solver, gaining invaluable experience working on real client projects, enhancing your CV, and preparing you for graduate employability with practical skills and insights that align with latest industry demands.

Why study with us

  • Enhance your knowledge of the key business principles and learn how to apply them to real-life situations and collaborative opportunities.
  • Benefit from small class sizes through lectures, seminars and interactive workshops. Enhance your understanding through group projects, presentations, and case study analysis, giving you a practical grasp of complex business concepts.
  • Develop sought-after entrepreneurial and transferable skills in problem-solving, creative thinking, pitches and presentations, and effective communication.
  • Connect with business leaders from well-known brands, expanding your professional network and gaining valuable insights from experts in the industry.

Course details

Year 1

Core Units

This unit provides a comprehensive foundation in business and management, covering essential theories, the latest industry developments, and an in-depth understanding of the contemporary business environment. You’ll explore core concepts through engaging lectures, including business models and structures, market analysis tools like the 4 Ps, strategic planning frameworks such as SWOT, and key motivational drivers. You will also gain insights into crucial business functions, including operations, finance, human resource management, and leadership. Guest lectures from industry professionals offer valuable perspectives on real-world practices, while one-on-one tutorials provide tailored feedback to support your progress. Writing workshops will enhance your critical analysis and reflective skills, while discussions and pitching exercises develop verbal communication. Additionally, goal setting and time-management strategies will equip you with essential tools for success in your future business management career.
(40 credits)

Understanding the role of research and the power of evidence in supporting arguments is fundamental to business management. This unit provides a comprehensive foundation in consumer behaviour and business analysis, guiding students through key concepts like demographics, buyer influences, decision-making processes, consumer trends, and data protection (GDPR). Students will develop practical skills with analytical tools, including SWOT, PESTEL, Porter’s Five Forces, scenario planning, cost-benefit analysis, and digital data techniques, building a strategic toolkit for informed decision-making. With an emphasis on data analytics, this unit will equip students to collect, analyse, and apply data effectively to improve operational performance and customer satisfaction. Verbal communication and project management skills are developed through presentation workshops and time management seminars, ensuring students are prepared for their academic journey and future careers in business management.

(40 credits)

In this unit, you will explore some key contemporary business management concepts. You will be introduced to key themes and challenges in entrepreneurial thinking, including the role of the entrepreneur, strategic mindset, innovation and creativity, risk-taking, adaptability, funding, and the processes of start-ups, scaling, and growth. Lectures cover critical issues and debates shaping the business landscape, with guest speakers offering insights into real-world practices. You will develop research skills to identify market opportunities and deliver innovative products and services through market analysis, consumer research, differentiation strategies, and operations and cost evaluation, all while considering ethical and sustainable business practices. Interactive sessions will emphasise best practices in consumer data gathering, such as focus groups, questionnaires, and interviews while exploring legal, ethical, and socially responsible business commitments.
(40 credits)

Core Projects

The first week of each academic year is called Wayfinding week. It’s an opportunity get your bearings, establish new connections and, after your first year at Norwich, re-establish old ones. Your course team will talk you through the year ahead and explain the expectations for the year. We’ll help you navigate new encounters and identify areas to focus on as you progress through your course.

An important element of Wayfinding Week is taking part in our annual ‘Make it Manifest(o)’ project. Your course team will introduce the project in which we’ll ask you to consider your hopes and vision of the year ahead at Norwich and work with students in other year groups to bring your ideas to life. The project culminates in a celebratory display of work across the campus. The project will help you to develop your critical creativity through different approaches, concepts, and mediums. You’ll encounter diverse perspectives and build friendships and networks within our university community.

Interchange weeks are opportunities to step away from your disciplinary studies and engage in projects, workshops, visits and talks that extend your knowledge and understanding of the world. Whether you learn a new skill or take part in a global challenge project with students from other courses, you will come away with new insights to take back to your course. Interchange is part of the schedule for all Norwich students with sessions held across and beyond the campus led by university staff, visiting lecturers and students.

Year 2

Core Units

This unit explores fundamental Business Models and strategies, equipping students with the knowledge and understanding to define and drive organisational goals, structure, and decision-making processes. Through lectures, seminars, and workshops, students will examine key business components, including ownership types, industry classifications, market structures (B2C, B2B, C2C), and purposes (profit or non-profit). Emphasis is placed on digital innovation in business, covering e-commerce strategies and AI. Workshops will enhance practical skills in business planning, execution, and performance evaluation, while practical sessions introduce techniques for professional presentations, pitch decks, and case studies, preparing students for the demands of the business world.
(40 credits)

This unit explores strategic development for international business, examining factors such as cultural and economic conditions, legal frameworks, political and social contexts, technological infrastructure, logistical challenges, and environmental considerations. Through lectures, seminars, and group discussions, students will analyse sustainable and ethical business practices, develop industry awareness, and apply these approaches to their projects. Research Practice and Critical Thinking sessions introduce strategic research methods and data visualisation techniques. The industry guest lecture series provides career insights, while group sessions emphasise teamwork skills and professional presentation standards for reports.
(40 credits)

This unit focuses on the importance and value of collaboration in business management and operations. You will explore the live events industry through a collaborative project encompassing event business essentials, market analysis, audience targeting, budget planning, marketing strategy, operations, and logistics. You’ll gain hands-on experience in multidisciplinary techniques and event evaluation. Workshops focus on creative idea generation, decision-making, and collaborative planning, while lectures cover project management, time management, and key responsibilities in event planning. Careers-focused seminars and workshops will enhance your professional networking, risk assessment, budgeting, digital presentation skills, and team-building techniques for effective collaboration.
(40 credits)

Core Projects

The first week of each academic year is called Wayfinding week. It’s an opportunity get your bearings, establish new connections and, after your first year at Norwich, re-establish old ones. Your course team will talk you through the year ahead and explain the expectations for the year. We’ll help you navigate new encounters and identify areas to focus on as you progress through your course.

An important element of Wayfinding Week is taking part in our annual ‘Make it Manifest(o)’ project. Your course team will introduce the project in which we’ll ask you to consider your hopes and vision of the year ahead at Norwich and work with students in other year groups to bring your ideas to life. The project culminates in a celebratory display of work across the campus. The project will help you to develop your critical creativity through different approaches, concepts, and mediums. You’ll encounter diverse perspectives and build friendships and networks within our university community.

Interchange weeks are opportunities to step away from your disciplinary studies and engage in projects, workshops, visits and talks that extend your knowledge and understanding of the world. Whether you learn a new skill or take part in a global challenge project with students from other courses, you will come away with new insights to take back to your course. Interchange is part of the schedule for all Norwich students with sessions held across and beyond the campus led by university staff, visiting lecturers and students.

Diploma Year (optional)

Level 5 Diploma (120 credits)

Students have the opportunity to spend a year after the second of their degree (or the third year if studying for a degree with an Integrated Foundation Year) enhancing their employability options through a Level 5 Diploma. They can choose from courses designed to provide:

  • opportunities to gain industry insight, developing employability skills through a series of supported experiences, expanding professional networks and building confidence in the workplace, or
  • an introduction to creative computing, building an understanding of how coding skills can be used to advance and complement creative practice.

Find out more about our Level 5 Diplomas.

Final Year

Core Units

This is the first of three units that make up your final year of undergraduate study. This unit focuses on your career development, guiding students in setting personal career goals, creating action plans, and building resilience and adaptability. Lectures, seminars, and workshops cover crucial career preparation skills, including interview techniques, networking strategies, and self-promotion. Insights into business management roles, career paths, and professional organisations are provided through guest lectures, networking workshops, and industry case studies, addressing emerging industry trends and challenges. You’ll analyse case studies, explore company cultures, and examine market insights. Careers and Personal Development sessions deepen your understanding of the business landscape, exploring job roles, business startups, and post-graduate opportunities.
(40 credits)

This unit examines sustainable and ethical practices within business management, encouraging students to apply these principles to their projects. Through lectures and group discussions, students will explore core theories, contextual analysis, and the latest industry developments. Research-focused workshops provide practical training in methodologies, data collection, and proposal writing, ensuring students can confidently design and present research with ethical considerations. Lectures on research proposals will guide students in structuring professional documents with clear objectives, literature reviews, methodologies, and proper referencing, laying a strong foundation for conducting and communicating impactful marketing research to support business cases.
(40 credits)

This is the third and final unit which completes your final year of undergraduate study. The unit is a culmination of your study at degree level and builds on everything you’ve learnt so far and provides a comprehensive understanding of effective business strategies. Lectures and case study reviews will explore key areas of investigation, including ethical awareness, social advocacy and corporate responsibility. You will undertake a purposeful, individual, in-depth study of a relevant topic, developing your independent learning, critical thinking and knowledge of relevant research techniques. The project will develop your ability to and deliver a robust business plan that includes Market Analysis, Organisation and Management, Products and Services, Marketing Strategy, Operational Plan and Funding and financial forecasting. You will learn to utilise and improve your time management and communication skills and test your initiative and resourcefulness. By the end of the unit, you should feel well equipped to apply what you have learned in a professional context and have a clear trajectory towards launching your professional career as a graduate of Norwich.
(40 credits)

Core Projects

The first week of each academic year is called Wayfinding week. It’s an opportunity get your bearings, establish new connections and, after your first year at Norwich, re-establish old ones. Your course team will talk you through the year ahead and explain the expectations for the year. We’ll help you navigate new encounters and identify areas to focus on as you progress through your course.

An important element of Wayfinding Week is taking part in our annual ‘Make it Manifest(o)’ project. Your course team will introduce the project in which we’ll ask you to consider your hopes and vision of the year ahead at Norwich and work with students in other year groups to bring your ideas to life. The project culminates in a celebratory display of work across the campus. The project will help you to develop your critical creativity through different approaches, concepts, and mediums. You’ll encounter diverse perspectives and build friendships and networks within our university community.

Interchange weeks are opportunities to step away from your disciplinary studies and engage in projects, workshops, visits and talks that extend your knowledge and understanding of the world. Whether you learn a new skill or take part in a global challenge project with students from other courses, you will come away with new insights to take back to your course. Interchange is part of the schedule for all Norwich students with sessions held across and beyond the campus led by university staff, visiting lecturers and students.

Assessment

Assessment for this course is entirely coursework-based, meaning there are no exams. Your progress will be evaluated through the projects and assignments you complete for each unit. Throughout the year, you’ll receive ongoing feedback to help you refine your work and develop your skills. To support your learning and ensure you achieve the course outcomes, we use a variety of assessment methods, including:

  • Finished pieces of work
  • Presentations
  • Written work
  • Your research
  • A reflective journal

Find out more about Assessment at Norwich

Some of the people you’ll be working with

Here to help you succeed

The UK’s creative sector is thriving, contributing £111.7 billion annually to the economy and offering over 2 million jobs.

Employability and career development are integral to every unit of our courses, ensuring students are well-prepared for the industry. Our students go on to secure exciting roles, launch successful businesses, and make a lasting impact in many sectors worldwide.

From day one, you’ll also get specialist career advice from our Business and Employability Team to help support you as you plan your career.

A photo from The Big Book Crit 2024 in Duke Street foyer. The image is of a student and an industry guest sat down at a table reviewing the students work and or portfolio on a laptop.

Typical career paths

Our Business Management degree will help you develop essential transferrable skills, such as teamwork, critical thinking, and time management. Or if your goal is to be your own boss, we will help you understand the process of planning and setting up your own business.

  • Business adviser
  • Business analyst
  • Business development manager
  • Data analyst
  • Management consultant
  • Project manager
  • Recruitment consultant
  • Civil servant
  • Marketing executive
  • Sales executive

92% of our graduates are in employment or further education within six months of graduating”

Graduate Outcomes 2021

Why Study with us

Recently named the Arts University of the Year by the Daily Mail University Guide 2025 and awarded triple GOLD in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), Norwich University of the Arts is recognised for its outstanding teaching and creative excellence. With our support and your determination, we are ready to shape the world.

Two girls showcase portfolio at the Big Book Crit at Norwich University of the Arts

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