BSc Business and Management with Foundation

Compulsory modules 

An Introduction to Business and Management

Develop your ability to think critically and argue persuasively in business and management contexts. You'll learn basic business and management theory such as entrepreneurship, business planning, marketing, human resource management, finance and accounting.

Study for Success

Acquire the experience and knowledge to produce assignments at undergraduate level and to take a strategic approach to your time at university. Gain an understanding of the assessment requirements that you'll face throughout your degree.

Foundation Statistics and Data Science

Gain an introduction to statistics and data science, and develop key theoretical, practical, and numerical skills to help you succeed in your future undergraduate studies. 

Optional modules 

Foundation in Academic Skills

Develop the academic skills essential for success both on the Foundation Year and as an undergraduate. Enhance your comprehension of assessments, time management, independent study, and teamwork.

Academic Skills

Enhance your academic study and communication skills while gradually building confidence. Engage in various in-class group activities and individual study tasks to develop these skills effectively.

Compulsory modules

Management Debates: Ways of Thinking about Business

Examine key ideas and debates in business and management, including the intellectual foundations on which many well-known management frameworks are built. You'll consider business decisions from different academic perspectives and come to recognise the value of competing viewpoints.

Business in Practice: Markets, Marketing and Management

Explore the concepts that underpin markets, strategy, marketing, operations, organisational behaviour and entrepreneurship – and gain an understanding of the inter-relationship between them. You'll examine key theories and frameworks, and apply them to current scenarios in the business world.

Business in Practice: Accounting for Managers

Explore how businesses use accounting information in reporting, internal decision-making and planning. You'll gain an understanding of management accounting and financial accounting, as well as the necessary foundation in accounting to allow you to specialise in your later studies.

Business in Practice: Data Analytics

Study key concepts in data analytics and explore visualisation techniques for summarising data. Topics will include: types of data, types of distributions (with an emphasis on the normal distribution), using parametric and non-parametric tests to analyse statistical differences, and regression models. You'll also gain experience in using GUI-based tools for analysing data.

Developing Professional Excellence

Develop the key skills and competencies to thrive in your studies and your career, including communication, business writing and time management skills. You'll also explore careers theories and gain practical skills that can help you with internships, placements or applications for graduate positions.

These are the modules that we currently offer for 2024/25 entry. They may be subject to change as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they're informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Please note that the University cannot guarantee that all optional modules will be available to all students who may wish to take them.

You can also register your details with us to receive information about your course of interest and study and life at the University of Reading.

Compulsory modules

Building Competitive Advantage: Business Strategy and Operations

Taught in two halves, the first half of this module introduces the concept of competitive advantage, why it's important, and how it can be achieved through business strategies. The second half of the module focuses on operations management: how an organisation manages its resources to create and deliver services and products. You'll gain insight into how different functions work together to develop and sustain competitive advantage.

Managing Work and People: Organisational Behaviour and Human Resource Management

Examine the main concepts, principles and practices in the management of work and people in organisations. You'll explore the observable, practical elements of people management, as well as the underlying theories of organisational behaviour and management studies.

Social Responsibility in Action

Explore the principles of corporate social responsibility, including sustainability, diversity and ethical behaviour. You'll study the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals, including the "Principles for Responsible Management Education", and apply the knowledge you've gained during your studies to a real-world management problem.

Optional modules

Marketing Essentials

This module discusses and analyses marketing theories, as well as strategic marketing tools and techniques used in the business world. You'll explore the elements needed to develop a marketing strategy, including assessing your competitors and customers, market trends, brand positioning, the "marketing mix", and organisational capabilities.

Branding Theory and Practice

Examine two key issues within marketing: branding and the preparation of a branding orientated project. You'll gain in-depth understanding of the theories and practices related to brand management, and the process of building a strong brand. The project will provide an opportunity to apply the concepts you've learned in a creative team task.

Practice of Entrepreneurship

This practical, interactive module will teach you key entrepreneurial concepts, such as design thinking, business model creation, entrepreneurial finance, and marketing. Working in a team, you'll identify and develop a new business opportunity, and then test your idea through ‘lean start-up’ experiments.

Sales and Business Development

Explore different sales approaches and sales models, with a specific focus on direct and online sales. You'll gain an understanding of how sales activities can influence decisions related to marketing, logistics, manufacturing, finance, and resource capability.

Management Accounting

Gain an understanding of the techniques, principles and underlying concepts of management accounting. You'll explore how organisations use financial information in decision-making, planning, control, and performance evaluation.

These are the modules that we currently offer for 2024/25 entry. They may be subject to change as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they're informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Please note that the University cannot guarantee that all optional modules will be available to all students who may wish to take them.

You can also register your details with us to receive information about your course of interest and study and life at the University of Reading.

Optional modules

There are no compulsory modules in Year 3. Choose from a range of optional modules, including:

Digital Entrepreneurship in Practice

Explore how entrepreneurial digital companies develop their products, compete in hyper-competitive markets, and monetise their products. You'll examine the marketing methods used by digital entrepreneurs, approaches to customer development, and data-driven decision making processes.

Project Management

In this hands-on module, you'll work on project-based group activities to develop a practical understanding of the tools and techniques used in project management. You'll also explore the core theories that underpin the project management process.

Advanced Management Accounting

Develop further understanding of the role of management accounting in organisational decision making, planning, control and performance management.

Information Systems and Digital Business

Develop in-depth understanding of the structure and function of digital information and IT systems. You'll gain the ability to plan and develop information system solutions to support digital transformation in business, with an awareness of relevant social and technological advances.

Strategic Human Resource Management

Examine the relationship between business strategy, human resource management and performance. You'll explore how HR decisions are ‘strategic’ because they involve thinking about how to respond to commercial needs, growth opportunities and business change, while also accommodating the needs of employees.

The Dark Side of Marketing

Explore the conflicts, controversies and moral challenges in the world of marketing – and challenge the way you think about the subject. You'll examine the effects of marketing on consumers’ physical and mental well-being, as well as the alleged exploitation of vulnerable consumers. This module combines marketing with other subject areas, including science, nutrition and law.

These are the modules that we currently offer for 2024/25 entry. They may be subject to change as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they're informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Please note that the University cannot guarantee that all optional modules will be available to all students who may wish to take them.

You can also register your details with us to receive information about your course of interest and study and life at the University of Reading.