Bachelor of Arts (Hons) - 

 BUSINESS ECONOMICS WITH FOUNDATION YEAR



Studying a BA (Hons) Business Economics degree gives you the building blocks needed to develop the skills needed to work in the fast-paced and adaptive world of business. The course will allow you learn fundamental principles of economics and understand how they affect international finance, public policies and business management.

You will hear directly from industry experts during guest lectures which will ensure you learn the latest developments and top tips to succeed in the workplace. In addition to this you will also have the chance to put your knowledge into action by working with other students on real-life scenarios and business challenges, making sure you are ready for a career in financial consultancy, data analysis, research, risk management or investment.

Why study this subject?

Do you have an inquisitive and problem-solving nature? Do you like to get to the bottom of a question and find the best possible solution for the masses? Then studying economics is an exciting opportunity for you to learn more about how the world around you functions on a logistical level.

This degree allows you the chance to study the factors that influence income, wealth and well-being at a more in-depth level. A BA (Hons) Business Economics degree is perfect for those who want to make a real difference in the world, it provides a solid platform for a variety of careers, including economist, financial analyst, actuary and public sector roles.

You will learn about the allocation, distribution and utilisation of resources, and how such knowledge and skills can be utilised to make a positive impact upon the economy and social well-being.

Having a background in economics is a brilliant opportunity to learn and develop many interdisciplinary skills. It provides a diverse range of careers in government, financial, business, non-profit and technology sectors that make graduates with a Business Economics degree highly desirable in the post-university workplace.

Why study at Buckinghamshire New University?

BNU is a vibrant and diverse university that has student experience at its heart. Their high teacher to student ratio guarantees that you will receive continual and first-hand support throughout your degree, which will allow you to stretch and excel your abilities and graduate with a versatile and in-demand degree.

They pride ourselves on their employer led student focused approach to our courses. A key feature of this programme is that it provides the chance to blend both the latest industry insights with best practice workplace skills, enhancing the employability of their graduates.

This programme has been specially designed by BNUs industry experienced lecturers. Being able to gain the crucial experience and skills needed during your time at university is the intention of this vocationally focused course. The curriculum is strongly influenced by, and based upon, industry expectations of the skills, attributes and competencies needed for graduates to pursue a rewarding career in different roles and sectors.

You will have the opportunity to challenge yourself academically and discover your strengths whilst drawing on the wealth experience of our industry experienced lecturers. There are various modules on this course that will provide the chance for you to engage with real-life scenarios and work-related assignments and activities.

What will you study?

During your foundation year you will have the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of business and study topic areas like, creativity, self-development, responsibility, business studies and inquiry based learning to provide you with a solid basis for your study of business economics.

From day one you will be introduced to the fundamental concepts of microeconomics and macroeconomics and learn about the impacts of economics on society. The business environment will be examined, with its interconnected business functions, against a context of volatility, uncertainty and change, and a demand for agile and effective decision-making. Basic mathematical and statistical methods of analysis will be utilised. You will start to consider the career opportunities available to you and take control of your own personal and professional development, a responsibility that will crucially remain across the whole degree programme.

In your second year you will explore the concepts, principles and theories of microeconomics and macroeconomics at a more advanced level. The links between economics, the social sciences and other subject areas will be considered, including, finance, law, ethics and politics. You will develop and expand on your mathematical and statistical methods within econometrics, a quantitative and modelling approach to developing or testing economic theories and forecasting future trends.

In the final year, you will become a motivated and independent learner, with the ability to use and critique information from different sources, and to inspect business problems, challenges and opportunities from a strategic perspective. Their understanding of finance will be consolidated and extended, alongside coverage of other business-focused imperatives of corporate governance and change management. The application of both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies will be emphasised, as a basis for analysing complex problems and economic phenomena. The Dissertation or Consultancy Project is a significant and meaningful endeavour, which gives students the opportunity to apply what they have learned on their course to some interesting project or problem.

How will I be taught and assessed?

This course is offered as a four-year programme, including an initial Foundation Year. The Foundation Year will allow you to develop your academic study skills and build confidence in your abilities, identifying your own strengths and development needs for progression onto an undergraduate degree.

At Buckinghamshire New University they like to foster an interactive and student focused teaching style where they blend lectures, workshops, independent study, case studies, live briefs and guest speakers to enhance the learning experience.

Ensuring you are workplace ready is an important part of how they teach their course. Work and activities within each module, including the formal assessments, have a strong focus on real world scenarios. There are a variety of assessments across the course, to allow you to gain exposure to the variety of situations you will face in your professional life, but to also direct and focus your learning of many interesting, and career-relevant, topics.

BNUs lecturers work hard to design assessments to help you to learn and apply relevant knowledge, concepts and skills, whilst developing those competencies and characteristics needed to be successful in education and employment.

They set a variety of assessments across the three years of the degree; they include:

• essays
• reports
• presentations
• group tasks
• exams.

What are my career prospects? 

BNU's course team are committed to ensuring that you have plenty of opportunity to pursue your interests outside the lecture theatre. They work closely with the University’s careers advisors to ensure that you are connected to opportunities for volunteering, work experience and internships. The careers team will also be on hand to help support you with any application processes and advise on how selection processes work.

Student employability is embedded into all that they do at BNU, they want to make sure that you graduate and leave them feeling confident in the discipline knowledge, transferable skills, personal attributes and business awareness that you have developed during your course. BNU want to give you everything you need to impress employers looking for new recruits. They are proud that their BNU graduates will have certain defining characteristics, in terms of, knowledge and its application, creativity, social and ethical awareness and responsibility, leadership and other skills and capabilities.