BA (Hons) International Business with Foundation Year

This programme is central to  the fact that contemporary business is increasingly internationally interconnected, with over one quarter of the world’s recorded output exported and supply chains in which cars designed in Germany are assembled in Mexico from components made in Japan, using fabricated steel from Korea and rubber for the wheels from Malaysia. Graduates from this programme will be well placed for employment within organisations (small, medium, large and public sector), involved in international business.

Entry is GCSE English language at C/4 or above or equivalent. 80 UCAS tariff points (or above) or an equivalent level 3 qualification (including the ATHE Level 3 Diploma in Business).

Where applicants over the age of 21 do not meet academic entry requirements, they will complete a 1000 word essay and have a face to face interview.

• To provide a progression route from Level 3 to Level 6 for students, as well as to provide opportunities to widen participation by students being able to enter the course at Level 4 through direct entry.
• To provide students with a systematic understanding of key aspects of business management through a coherent and integrated programme of study that prepares students to be able to manage in organisations that operate internationally.
• To develop conceptual understanding that enables students to devise and sustain arguments and to be analytical problem-solvers.
• To prepare students for a career in business and/or management by developing personal and professional skills: communication, group- working, research, analysis and problem solving.
• To provide students with a valuable and positive learning experience that provides opportunities for individuals to develop, both academically and professionally, especially as regards the intercultural awareness that is so important for effective international business interactions.

The following statements define what students graduating from the BA (Hons) International Business course will have been judged to have demonstrated in order to achieve the award.  These statements  have been formally approved as aligned with the generic qualification descriptors for Level 6 awards as set out by the UK Quality Assurance Agency (QAA)[1].

On successful completion of this programme students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate a systematic understanding of key aspects of international business management, including acquisition of coherent and detailed knowledge that is at the forefront of the respective disciplines
2. Effectively communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialist and non-specialist audiences
3. Evaluate aspects of current research relating to international business, management or leadership and appreciate the uncertainty, ambiguity and limits of knowledge
4. Use established techniques of analysis and enquiry and apply these to offer insight into problems or challenges facing a range of businesses and organisations, including those with an international orientation
5. Critically evaluate arguments, assumptions, abstract concepts and data, in order to make judgements and to frame appropriate questions to achieve a solution or to identify a range of solutions to international business-related problems
6. Devise and sustain arguments to solve problems using ideas and techniques at the forefront of current research
7. Apply the methods and techniques learned during the programme to review, consolidate and extend the knowledge and understanding of international business and to initiate and carry out projects
8. Manage their own learning and personal development to become an independent learner.

[1] As set out in the QAA Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications of UK Degree-Awarding Bodies (2014)

The design of this course has also been guided by the QAA Subject Benchmark Statement: Business and Management (November 2019).

The BA (Hons) International Business with Foundation Year comprises modules at levels 3, 4, 5 and 6.

Module Specifications for each of these modules is included within the course handbook, available to students on-line at the beginning of each academic year.

[1] Modules are designated as either mandatory (M), requisite (R) or optional (O). For definitions, see the Framework and Regulations for Undergraduate Awards

On successful completion of the course, students will be awarded a BA (Hons) International Business. Students who leave the course early may be eligible for a DipHE International Business on successful completion of 240 credits including all mandatory modules at level 5, or a CertHE International Business on successful completion of 120 credits.

The course is delivered at LD Training’s campuses across England, currently situated in London, Dudley and Nottingham. Students studying full-time on BA (Hons) International Business will have 216 contact hours in total at Level 3, 216 contact hours at Level 4, 216 contact hours at Level 5 and 192 contact hours at Level 6.  The contact hours will be a mix of lectures, seminars, tutorials, group sessions and practical activities. Students will normally be expected to undertake 30 hours of independent study in an average week, but should be prepared for this to vary based on assignment deadlines and class exercises.

A variety of assessments will be used on the course to enable students to experience and adapt to different assessment styles. The assessment methods used will be appropriate to assess each module’s intended learning outcomes. Assessment on the course overall will be 100% coursework, including essays, reports, presentations, pod casts, group work, reflective learning journals and research projects.

This course is delivered according to the Framework and Regulations for Undergraduate Awards and other academic policies and procedures of the University and published on the website.