Why I decided to study the Digital Business pathway

Would you like to know more about the recognised pathways which you can study as part of your undergraduate course? BSc International Management with Digital Business student, Julian shares his motivations for choosing the digital business pathway as part of his course.

My name is Julian and I’m finishing my second year studying BSc International Management with Digital Business at Warwick Business School. In September I’m going on my year abroad and will be spending time at HSG St. Gallen in Switzerland, as well as the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology. There are several reasons why I chose the BSc International Management degree and Digital Business pathway specifically, some of which I want to touch upon here.

The choice of university is undoubtedly a big one – possibly one of the most impactful decisions of any young adult's life. And it was one that I obviously did not want to mess up. The sheer amount of different options are overwhelming, and many universities claim to be among the best at what they do, but are they really?

WBS’ international community

Growing up in the UK and Germany, I was always used to working with peers from around the world. Studies have shown that diverse teams show better results than homogenous teams through a more innovative and fact-based approach (Rock and Grant, 2016). With 48 nationalities represented in my cohort, no group project is like another – you are always working with new people from different backgrounds. When decided on where to study for my undergraduate degree I looked at the top ranking business schools internationally. There are several different rankings and WBS is consistently in the top 10. WBS also collaborates with other world-leading institutions which is especially great for International Management students, but more on that later. It is recognised internationally and regularly attracts some of the most popular employers worldwide.

Facilities and campus life

By choosing to study at WBS you also gain access to world-class facilities and the vibrant campus that the University of Warwick has to offer. The WBS building has everything you need; study spaces, a café with fresh lunch and great coffee, lecture halls, and it is located within a short distance to the Sports & Wellness Centre, bus stops and university accommodation. There is access to resources such as Bloomberg Terminals and members of staff are always available to help with any university-related issues. The campus surprised me most on the open day and has certainly been great throughout my time here – there are 21 places on campus to eat or drink at, and something is always being hosted by one of the over 250 societies!

A course tailored to your needs

The BSc International Management course at WBS is the ideal course for me due to its flexibility – the majority of modules are electives and you can choose from a large selection of interdisciplinary options even from outside of WBS. This enables a unique opportunity to tailor your degree, in particular through the different pathways. Additionally, the compulsory year abroad offers exposure to new cultures and people that you would not be able to meet otherwise. You can apply to your preferred university from a global selection of world-leading institutions or find a placement that will help you figure out what you want to do after WBS.

The recognised pathways

The pathways options available at WBS are a great way to specialise your studies in an otherwise generalised degree. In addition to this, you don’t have to decide on which pathway you would like to take until your second year, meaning that you can try different topics and talk to students that have taken modules to discover what you’re interested in most. You can also decide to keep your career options by following a generalist route in business and management should you wish to.

I made my pathway choice after completing different modules and collecting valuable experiences through internships. Since I’ve always been interested in technology and enjoy the strategic and innovative aspects of business, the digital business pathway is ideal for me. There are three other pathways you can also choose from including Finance, Marketing and Entrepreneurship. Each pathway is defined through its set of mandatory modules that harmonise through a shared theme or goal.

Year 2

For the digital business pathway, I took the modules ‘Digital Business in Modern Organisation’, ‘Design Thinking for Digital Innovation’ and ‘Enterprise Information Systems’. The first two modules focus on building transferable skills that are useful in any role or company. What I enjoyed most in these modules is the real-life application of the different skills. Guest speakers from Deloitte, American Express, Yum! Brands and more showed us how these are applied every day in real workplaces, creating a much more engaging environment.

Year 3

If you are studying BSc International Management, you will spend your third year on your year abroad where the only module requirement is that 60% of modules must be business-related. The remaining 40% can be something completely different – I will, for example, be taking ‘Astronomy for Beginners’ whilst I am studying at the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology.

Final year

The final year offers seven elective modules, three of which are predetermined by your pathway choice. For the digital business pathway, these are ‘Global Sourcing and Innovation’, ‘AI for Business’ and ‘Managing Strategy in the Digital Era’. As I’m sure you can tell all of these topics are current issues businesses of all sizes are facing, making the modules as relevant as ever. For the four remaining modules, you can choose anything else from a wide range of topics.

The modules and course details mentioned above are correct at the time of this blog being published but could be subject to change. If you are interested in finding out more information about the course and module information please contact our Undergraduate Recruitment Team.

Choosing a pathway

The pathway options available at WBS can help you tailor your degree and enable you to stand out from the crowd in a competitive job market. Specialising on a certain topic now will help you with future internship and job opportunities, whilst making you an expert on the topic. Personally, I’m looking forward to the final year modules most, as they are very specific and allow me to focus my degree on what I enjoy most. Throughout my studies so far, I have particularly enjoyed the ‘Design Thinking for Business Innovation’ module as I feel I have now acquired a universal skillset. Problem-solving is at the heart of every business decision and this module helps you shift your mindset to better understand how real businesses operate. Guest speakers give a unique angle and provide extra food for thought by making the content much more engaging.

WBS offers a multitude of degrees with leading professors and exceptional facilities, whilst you get access to the wide range of societies at the University of Warwick that will complete your university experience. The BSc International Management course is ideal for me due to the year abroad, as well as its unique option to tailor the course to my personal interests through the pathway option.

Discover more about our BSc International Management course and the recognised pathways you can study.