Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Business with Marketing with Professional Placement

at Birmingham City University - City Centre Campus United Kingdom

The world of finance is rapidly changing, with new innovative financial products being developed on a constant basis. The present times have also witnessed an unprecedented number of companies failing because of poor financial management. All these challenges call for dynamic and brilliant people who can design financial solutions and make the world a better place.

The degree is designed to equip you with wider business and Finance environment knowledge. Offering you the opportunity to acquire key business and financial skills, explore innovative practices and entrepreneurial skills. The course is accredited by Chartered Institute for Securities and Investments (CISI). The course also aligns with various other professional bodies courses such as Association of Corporate Treasures (ACT), Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), and many others.

Delivery of the course is flexible and includes a blend of lectures, workshops, field trips and online learning. The modules, which feed into the course, are widespread, broad, covers key current topics such as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and help you to appreciate finance from a range of perspectives. Ultimately, decision making in finance, calls for one to exercise their judgement and intuition and this course helps you to strengthen that judgement.

The course team has, between it, years of industrial experience in the finance field as well in academia. Therefore, students with little or no background in finance are assured of getting all the help they need in order to excel in the course. You will learn a lot from course team’s knowledge and experience, as you will be regularly engaging in inquiry based and experiential learning, which has been designed to assimilate work-based scenarios.

In order to enhance your employability, extra-curricular activities such as trading trainings, conferences and field trips will be arranged throughout the academic years. Outside speakers from industry will also be invited to give presentations on how best to improve your employability. Moreover, you’ll also have the opportunity to gain industry experience by going on a professional placement, or to travel overseas to study abroad at one of our partner universities. In a nutshell, the knowledge attained from the course will help you to seek a variety of employment in the sector nationally and internationally.

The dynamic and fast-moving industry of investment offers wide variety of careers; it demands professionals with high level of finance knowledge, technical skills and the abilities that quickly adopt to new challenges.

The MSc Finance & Investment degree at Birmingham City University will equip you with the knowledge, skills and abilities required to start a graduate-level career and make a difference in the industry.

As the investment professionals of the future, you will gain knowledge as well as the essential soft skills like adaptability and lifelong learning skills. While you progress throughout the course, you will become more effective and creative in problem-solving. You will develop ways of analysing and thinking about investments that will remain with you in the years ahead when new and different investment opportunities become available.

Professional Placement option

You will have the opportunity to take the Professional Placement version of the course, which is offered as an alternative to the standard version of the course. This will allow you to complete a credit-bearing, 20-week Professional Placement as an integral part of your Master’s Degree. The Professional Placement will enhance your employability and transferable skills and allow you to evidence your professional skills, attitudes and behaviours at the point of entry to the postgraduate job market. These skills enrich your experience and provide an added advantage in your endeavors to pursue their future professional careers in a highly competitive industry.

Looking to study a postgraduate accounting and finance course in Birmingham? Our MSc Accounting and Finance degree is accredited by Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA).

Taught by professionally qualified academics with a wealth of industrial and professional experience, this CIMA accredited Master's course focuses on the practical application of accountancy in the real world and theoretical aspects of related research with a clear objective of preparing you for a career in accountancy, finance or management. You can maximise your CIMA exemptions by choosing particular modules, and get prepared for the remaining final (external) CIMA exam(s) at the end of the course.

The international focus of the course is derived through a variety of means including the study of international accounting standards, student body, the teaching team and the use of international teaching materials.

Get practical preparation for a career in sports journalism with our BA (Hons) Sports Journalism degree course. You’ll get the chance to develop the skills to cover a range of sports stories for print, digital, TV and radio, including covering live matches and competitions, interviewing key figures and running collaborative liveblogs. You’ll also explore the global impact of sports journalism on audiences. Students will be armed with mobile reporting kits to work as real reporters from day one.

We pride ourselves on teaching creative, contemporary journalism underpinned by traditional values and skills. That means learning the core media and communication skills that every working reporter needs before you specialise in an area that interests you.

You’ll be challenged academically – often by some of the industry’s leading names – and you’ll be expected to undertake meaningful work experience placements in media environments, and work on live stories, learning how to craft a story in a way that engages the audience.

By the time you graduate, you’ll be a thinking journalist with a specialism in sports. You’ll also be adaptable to the changes that the industry faces. Birmingham City University's journalism graduates have gone on to work for Sky, BBC, Trinity Mirror and the Express & Star. Others have scooped prestigious awards at the Midlands Media Awards while still studying.

What's covered in this course?

BA (Hons) Sports Journalism is delivered by industry experts from broadcast, print and digital and provides a strong foundation for a future professional career with a range of sports outlets. You’ll be able to use your own mobile reporting kit when you arrive, allowing you to work as a real reporter from day one.

Our Live Newsroom modules will get you to the heart of the action, covering a range of stories, preparing coverage for our award-winning Birmingham Eastside website and other partner outlets. You’ll get the chance to apply practical mobile reporting skills in a real-world environment for platforms including TV, radio, print and digital. Our strong links with key journalism organisations means you’ll also get the chance to work on live projects throughout the course.

Teaching is delivered in industry-standard facilities, as well as on location at matches and events thanks to our focus on mobile reporting. Our newsroom media hub also allows for collaborative work as part of the wider University journalism community.

By tackling real stories, you will quickly develop a sense of the impact they can have. There will be a chance to undertake placements as well as embed yourself within communities and sports organizations to tackle key issues in real depth.

The focus on innovation and entrepreneurship will encourage you to think critically about the journalism landscape. This will allow you to be one step ahead of the game and spot the next big move in the world of sports journalism.

Want to study a Master’s in management in Birmingham? Our MSc Management and Entrepreneurship course is accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI).

The Management and Entrepreneurship MSc is a challenging but highly rewarding pathway that will provide an innovative gateway into starting your own business, as well as helping you develop a legitimate business plan that you can use to start your company. Our Management and Entrepreneurship course teaches you the fundamental skills and attributes you need to become a successful entrepreneur.

You will work in internationally diverse student teams, collaborating to deliver effective and professional reports, reflecting the professional practice of international management. Throughout the course, the course team will give you the support you need to realise your potential, and we look forward to working with you to develop your knowledge, understanding and skills for the career of your choice.

What's covered in this course?

At Stage One you’ll become adept at strategic and tactical business decisions, developing core skills in key areas, including finance, people management, operations and marketing. You will examine the key challenges faced by global businesses, to fully appreciate the complexity and dynamics of leadership and management practice. This will see you broaden your skills in organisation, communication and working with others, particularly within an increasingly culturally diverse business context.

Stage Two develops your specialist knowledge, understanding and skills via the New Venture Creation module which specifically focuses on the applied aspects of entrepreneurial activity. In parallel, you will also learn about strategic management and develop your skills in research practice to prepare for your major project.

The Stage Three module of Entrepreneurship in Practice is a lecture and seminar series of specialist topics giving real-world practical insights into entrepreneurship practice. You will explore critical issues faced by entrepreneurs, such as entrepreneurship capital, buying a business, succession planning and start-up marketing. You will be given the option to develop your business concept into a substantial piece of research and business plan via the Entrepreneurship Project module. You will be able to self-appraise and reflect on your entrepreneurship skills at all three stages of the course.

Professional Placement option

For our MSc Management and Entrepreneurship degree, you will have the opportunity to take the Professional Placement version of the course, which is offered as an alternative to the standard version of the course.

This will allow you to complete a credit-bearing, 20-week Professional Placement as an integral part of your Master’s Degree. The purpose of the Professional Placement is to improve your employability and transferable skills. The placement experience will allow you to evidence your professional skills, attitudes and behaviours at the point of entry to the postgraduate job market.

Want to learn how to design the outside world? This Landscape Architecture degree course will help you to gain real industry exposure and work on a wide range of exciting briefs. The course focuses on offering experience through practice, which will enhance your chances of securing a role after you graduate.

Landscape Architecture is the design of the world outside, as a combination of art, utility and natural systems. The aim is to create rich, positive experiences and to provide designed environments, which engage users with character and a sense of place.

Through guided exploration of personal design and research process, you will explore and unwrap many layers to reveal the unlimited storyboard of design options that our landscape presents.

What's covered in this course?

Covering all aspects of landscape architecture, our course is fully recognised and accredited by the Landscape Institute (LI) and supported by a leading design team in its field.

You’ll work in a design studio culture, which mimics real-world creative practice for landscape architects and prepares you for your future career.

Experience on live local sites and project briefs in landscape studios will develop your design creativity and hone your professional practice skills. Placements and competitions will give you fantastic opportunities. There are also chances to compete for industry connected awards.

You’ll have the chance to be part of collaborative architecture and design initiatives within the School of Architecture that give you the chance to work on a diverse variety of live projects. Past examples include: explorations in timber construction in the Wyre Forest, communicating with the public about what they really want from design for Stirchley High Street in Birmingham and implementation of a viewing structure to observe wetland ecology at Henbury Ponds.

Want to study both criminology and sociology at University? Our BA (Hons) Sociology and Criminology degree combines both subjects and allows you to take a year-long industry placement.

This course will enable you to develop an understanding of society and social factors and how this affects crime and criminals, giving you a solid human understanding that will put you in a good position for range of careers or further study.

What's covered in this course?

Combining sociology with the study of criminology gives you a chance to benefit from the cutting-edge thinking of the University’s Centre for Applied Criminology, a research Centre of Excellence. The recently launched Centre for Critical Social Research also brings sociological concerns to the fore.

This course is taught with an equal number of Sociology and Criminology modules.

You’ll share a common first year with the Sociology BA, giving you a wide range of understanding and letting you see what your options are before advancing. The course introduces you to sociological theories and contexts allowing you to situate and to inform your studies in criminology with a focus on crime, criminals and the operation of criminal justice agencies.

You’ll develop communication and research skills through our wide range of assessments, as well as a clear understanding of social policy and criminology.

Our cutting edge BA (Hons) Filmmaking degree course will develop your skills across key filmmaking debates and practice conventions. You will be taught by noted film scholars and established practitioners, who will provide their knowledge of international film criticism and filmmaking perspectives.

The course is part of Birmingham City University’s Film Futures suite, designed to develop graduates with the theory, practice and industry trends that will enable them to succeed in a rapidly changing film environment.

What's covered in this course?

The course considers of a wide range of filmmaking conventions, from theory, practice and industry perspectives. Not only will you gain an understanding of Hollywood cinema conventions (from silent cinema to modern blockbuster spectaculars), but you will apply these storytelling techniques to a variety of production scenarios. As well as looking at American filmmaking conventions, you will also be introduced to other international traditions of cinema that range from European perspectives of documentary to Bollywood film and beyond.

A key focus of the course will be on the aesthetic and creative aspects of filmmaking, with consideration being given to both mainstream and experimental modes of film creation, as well as how these traditions are mediated by differing production and postproduction techniques. Whilst theoretical and practice-based considerations of filmmaking techniques remain a central focus to the award, the course also provides modules on film festival programming and film entrepreneurship, which help provide core skills relevant to the film industry.

Want to study a health psychology Master’s in Birmingham? Our MSc Health Psychology is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS).

With the shifting emphasis in governance and health-related policy papers, health psychology continues to grow in popularity.

Communities are dynamic and always changing, so our understanding and support of health, wellbeing and behavioural changes needs to be considerate of all diverse groups. On our BPS accredited MSc Health Psychology course, you will study a range of techniques and methods, ensuring you graduate with the skills you need to be a competent, knowledgeable health psychology practitioner.

What's covered in this course?

We will provide you with a detailed understanding of the key theoretical and applied issues in health psychology. These include the key psychological theories and applications which support behaviour change, addressing disease prevention and enhancing health and wellbeing, managing health, health promotion and health interventions, and self-reflection on your own learning and development.

Contemporary health issues will be put into context at local, national and international levels, exposing you to issues which cover the globe as well as local areas.

You’ll be taught how to submit a research ethics proposal, which will address a health issue with the use of psychology. You will also learn how to complete a mini systematic review, which will provide a rationale for your health psychology project, and how to evaluate and conduct analysis. You will also enhance your skills in communication, presentation and group work.

Want a career as an Architectural Technologist? Accredited by the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT), our BSc (Hons) Architectural Technology degree course is where the science of construction meets the art of design. The course focuses not only on the creation of the built environment, but also the structuring of space in and around it.

Much of your learning activity will be hands-on, with access to our strong industry links. You’ll also be provided with the latest CAD software, meaning you’ll be well equipped to make an impact in an important industry.

The course will develop your ability to appreciate and analyse existing design as well as create new ones, while keeping buildability, technology, procurement, contractual relations and the people involved in the process in mind. You will also explore the social, regulatory, technical, sustainable and aesthetic context of the UK and global development industry.