BSc Business & Management with Placement Year

Programme structure

2027 academic year

Information on our website is now for 2027 entry. If you are looking at 2026 entry, please find relevant course information here. 

Our BSc Business & Management course is extremely flexible. You can choose modules in your second and final year to study one of our course pathways in Accounting, Finance or Strategy and Organisation, which will be reflected on your transcript upon graduation, adding even more value to your degree when applying for work in a particular sector.

At WBS, employability sits at the heart of our teaching. To make sure our students are industry-ready, we created the PRACTICE Framework. It is our signature approach to turning theory into action.

Developed in collaboration with our academics and industry leaders, PRACTICE builds the skills, mindset and adaptability that employers need today, and will rely on tomorrow.

Which means you do more than learn about business. You are equipped to shape it.

Term one and two 

You will study 8 core modules introducing you to the key areas of business.

Term three 

Revision and exams.


How you will be assessed

Throughout the course you will be assessed by a range of different methods including examinations, class tests, essays, reports, presentations and group work.

CORE: Business Unlocked

This module introduces you to the study of business and management in an integrated and applied manner.

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Accounting for Business

Students will be introduced to the fundamentals of financial and management accounting and its broad range of users

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Finance for Business

In this module, you will explore business investment, financing, and payout decisions.

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Economics for Business

Apply analytical techniques to real world problems and gain an understanding of fundamental concepts in micro and macroeconomics.

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Data Analysis for Management

In this module, you will cover the basic statistical concepts using real-world examples and Excel software.

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Organisational Analysis

This module addresses a core challenge in management: we cannot effectively manage what we do not understand. Developing the ability to analyse and make sense of organisations is therefore essential.

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Principles of Marketing

Explore, define and evaluate the key principles of marketing within the world of business.

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Operations Management

This module will cover the fundamental principles of Operations Management, focusing on how organisations manage resources to produce and deliver goods and services effectively.

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Terms one and two

You will study 4 core modules and 4 electives.


Term three 

Revision and exams.


How you will be assessed

Throughout the course you will be assessed by a range of different methods including examinations, class tests, essays, reports, presentations and group work.

Responsible Business

This module introduces you to the principles and practices of responsible business.

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CORE: Decision Making in Action

This module enables you to understand how strategic, operational, financial, and human factors interact in business decision-making.

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Business Strategy

This module offers a comprehensive introduction to the theory and practice of business strategy.

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Innovation and Creative Edge

This module highlights the need for creativity and innovation for organisations to thrive. It will cover key parts of the innovation process – from imagining possibilities, to creative problem-solving for idea development, and then management and implementation of innovations.

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Elective modules x 4

Choose five elective modules from a range of subject areas.

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In your third year, you’ll complete a full-time placement, putting your academic knowledge into practice and gaining first-hand experience in a professional environment. Placements help you explore potential career paths, develop key skills, and expand your professional network. 

Why choose a placement year?

  • Your third-year placement is at the heart of this degree, giving you an edge in a competitive graduate job market
  • Gain a year of professional experience before graduating
  • Explore a career path and see if it’s the right fit
  • Build workplace skills such as leadership, adaptability, and decision-making
  • Network with employers and industry contacts
  • Stand out to recruiters - some students receive graduate offers directly from their placement year employer.

Finding the right placement

You’ll have the support of our CareersPlus team, who will help you:

  • Explore different placement options
  • Refine your CV and applications
  • Connect with employers through a range of events and bootcamps
  • Prepare you for interviews and assessment centres
  • Handle application outcomes.

Terms one and two

You will study one core module, and 7 electives.


Term three

Revision and exams.


How you will be assessed

Throughout the course you will be assessed by a range of different methods including examinations, class tests, essays, reports, presentations and group work.

CORE: Grand Challenges in Business

This module explores pressing global challenges affecting business and society, such as climate change, digital disruption, inequality, pandemics, and geopolitical instability.

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Elective modules x 7

Choose seven elective modules from a range of subject areas.

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Elective modules

These are indicative elective modules that may vary year-on-year.

Accounting

  • Financial Reporting
  • Accounting for Sustainability, People, Planet
  • Advances in Management Accounting
  • Auditing and Accountability

Digital Business

  • Digital Business
  • Design Thinking for Digital Innovation
  • Artificial Intelligence for Business
  • Programming for Business Applications

Entrepreneurship

  • Venture Capital
  • Decision Making in Entrepreneurship
  • Corporate Entrepreneurship
  • Law for Entrepreneurs

Finance

  • Fundamentals of Finance
  • Investment Management
  • Banks and Financial Systems
  • Mergers and Acquisitions

Marketing

  • Marketing Research
  • Global Issues in Marketing
  • Marketing Strategy
  • Consumer Behaviour

Strategy and Organisation

  • Work in the Digital Era
  • Managing Human Resources
  • International Business Strategy
  • Leadership

Other electives

  • Behavioural Economics
  • Managing People in a Complex World
  • Project Management
  • Images of Creativity
  • The Economics of Wellbeing.

 

Course pathways

We have developed our course pathways to enable you to focus your studies around a particular subject. Each pathway has been developed to build your knowledge within that subject area and upon graduation, your recognised pathway will be added to your transcript adding real value to your CV when starting your career.

If you decide to study a course pathway the core and elective modules that you study during your first year may count towards your pathway. There is lots of information, advice and guidance available in your first year to help you make your module choices. 

Our Module Fair in Term 2 showcases a wide range of information for each pathway, and all of our elective modules, with academic and student guidance complementing our online materials to help you throughout the module application process.

We offer pathways covering the following subjects:

  • Accounting
  • Finance
  • Strategy and Organisation

In your second year, you will really start to specialise in your chosen topic, and in your final year you will have access to advanced level specialist modules such as:

  • Investment Management
  • Derivatives & Risk Management
  • Global Issues in Marketing
  • Developing & Communicating Powerful Brands
  • Innovation Management
  • Building a Venture
  • Managing Strategy in the Digital Era
  • Artificial Intelligence in Business.

Teaching methods

We will introduce you to Warwick with an induction programme to familiarise you with our teaching methods, and with WBS and the University. Throughout your first year you will attend modules with other WBS students from across our other degree courses to widen your social and academic network. You will usually take two hours of lectures per module per week. Smaller seminars, usually one hour per module per week, are designed to allow you to discuss related topics in more detail in a supportive environment.

You will be expected to prepare work in advance for your seminars and carry out around 15-20 hours of independent learning per week. Some of our more creative modules will include interactive workshops and online videos, podcasts or reflective journals that you will need to complete.

Online platform my.wbs

Our unique online learning platform my.wbs houses all of our teaching materials, spaces for interactive quizzes and forums and online classroom: wbsLive. Easy to use, my.wbs enables interaction in live lectures, discussions and syndicate groups. It also allows students to track their progress, test themselves, submit assignments and to connect with other students and academics. 

Collaborative learning 

Some of our modules are assessed by group work. You will work in small groups with students from different backgrounds typically producing a report, or creating and delivering an assessed presentation. Collaborating with students from across the world will help you to prepare for working in teams within a global environment, this can also be beneficial if you decide to complete a work placement or year abroad as a part of your undergraduate studies. 

Course Directors

Juan joined WBS in 2019 as an Associate Professor in the Organisation and Human Resource Management group. Prior to that, he was a Senior Lecturer in Practice at the London School of Economics, Department of Management. Juan studied for his PhD at WBS and also has an MBA from the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan.

Juan López-Cotarelo Associate Professor, Course Director

Year abroad

Give yourself a head start in today's global job market by taking a placement year abroad as part of your studies.

You will have the opportunity to experience a different culture, improve your employability skills and build your global network in preparation for your future career.

Your support network

We take the wellbeing of our students very seriously. You will be allocated a personal tutor to support you throughout your degree with both academic and pastoral concerns. All faculty have student support and feedback hours when they can be approached to help if you wish to understand a topic better, or just want to discuss what you have learned. 

You could also get involved in the Student Staff Liaison Committee (SSLC). The SSLC are forums in which students can voice their opinions about their time at the University of Warwick and WBS, make suggestions for improvement in areas such as teaching and feedback, and work with WBS to enhance the experiences for the whole student body. Each course elects Course Representatives at the beginning of the academic year. You will be informed via my.wbs of how to get involved in the SSLC. You can find out more about the SSLC by reading our student blog.