BSc (Hons) Retail Business Management (Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship)

• Any subjects are acceptable at Level 3.
• Applicants should have five GCSEs at grade C or above or grade 4 to 9 (or equivalent), including English and Mathematics. If an applicant has yet to achieve appropriate Level 2 English and Mathematics qualifications, then with their employer's support, they can complete suitable equivalents locally or with assistance from the University before commencing the apprenticeship. Please contact apprentices@bolton.ac.uk for a list of acceptable GCSE equivalents, further information and support.
• Previous business and management experience may be taken into account if an applicant doesn’t meet the academic entry requirements for the course.
• Applicants will attend a joint discussion with their employer and the University of Bolton. This combined interview and onboarding discussion fosters trust and sets the tone of the relationship between the applicant, their employer and our tutors. As part of the interview, applicants may be asked to undertake additional assessment(s) or provide a portfolio of appropriate work to determine their suitability for the course.
• Admission to this programme is only available to applicants who meet ESFA eligibility criteria, including the following: 1) They are employed for a minimum of 30 hours per week in a role relevant to the apprenticeship. 2) They have valid residency status and the right to work in England and can provide a valid BRP card (valid beyond the end date of the programme including End-Point Assessment (EPA)), and a ‘Right to Work’ share code for validation. 3) Their employer is willing to sponsor them to spend a minimum of six hours per week of their time in off-the-job training, including attending the University (times and dates to be determined) for the duration of their course. Please note that an apprentice cannot be self-employed. ESFA eligibility criteria may change so please contact apprentices@bolton.ac.uk for up-to-date information.
• If English isn’t the applicant's first language, they will also need IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.
• To be eligible for tuition fee funding through the Apprenticeship Levy, candidates should not normally have already completed a qualification at the same level as the proposed apprenticeship, unless that qualification was gained in a completely unrelated discipline.

Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.

This retail-focused programme is designed to meet the Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship (CMDA) standard for Leadership and Management (ST0272). Developed by employers in collaboration with higher education institutions and the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), the standard underpins a highly relevant qualification and professional development pathway that educates retail business managers who can take responsibility for people, projects, operations and services to deliver long-term organisational success.

It's designed to educate professional managers capable of managing complexity and delivering impact at both strategic and operational levels. Employers can expect graduate apprentices to be skilled in strategic decision-making, setting direction and achieving results, building and leading teams, clear communication, developing skills and motivating others, fostering inclusive and ethical cultures, leading change, project management, financial management, innovation, risk management, and developing stakeholder relationships.

Overall, our BSc (Hons) Retail Business Management (Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship) is designed to prepare apprentices to take management and leadership responsibility for setting and delivering organisational objectives through a wide range of functions relevant to retail organisations.

What can I do with this qualification?

This programme is accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), the leading professional body for managers in the UK and Europe.

Successful apprentices will have the option to apply for professional recognition as Chartered Managers and Members of the Chartered Management Institute (CMgr MCMI). Chartered Manager is the highest professional status that can be achieved in leadership and management in the UK.

Successful apprentices will be awarded the BSc (Hons) Retail Business Management from the University of Bolton and a degree apprenticeship certificate from the relevant awarding body.

Apprentices will not be expected to pay tuition fees towards this programme. If your organisation has a wage bill of more than £3 million per annum, then it may be able to fund this apprenticeship through its Apprenticeship Levy contributions. If your organisation does not pay the levy, it will be eligible for government support to fund apprenticeships. This support, called co-investment, covers 95% of the apprenticeship's tuition fees, with your organisation funding the remaining 5% of the fees.

Home/EU Fees

Apprentices will need to be employed by your organisation for a minimum of 30 hours per week. Your organisation will also need to commit to sponsoring apprentices to complete this qualification.

For further information on how your organisation can access funds to support apprentices, please e-mail apprentices@bolton.ac.uk.

Whether you’re an employer, employee or school leaver, please visit our Apprenticeship web page for support and advice regarding apprenticeships.

International Fees

International applications are not possible for this course

As an international student you are not allowed to study this course because of the restrictions on your visa.

We offer a wide range of full-time courses in lots of different subjects, many of our courses start in September and January. If you would like to see what courses are available please visit our Course Search.

Bursaries

Click here for more information about the scholarships and bursaries available to University of Bolton students.

There are no bursaries associated with this programme.

Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2024-25 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.

The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.

To make this course as beneficial as possible for you and your apprentices, we apply a range of learning, teaching and assessment methods, including face-to-face and online. These are designed to fully engage apprentices, helping them to develop the skills, knowledge, self-awareness and behaviours essential to become a Chartered Manager, with particular reference to your organisation and their place within it. Learning focuses on your workplace environment and builds the transferable body of knowledge and skills demanded to achieve Chartered Manager status and apply this expertise within your organisation. Your apprentices will spend most of their time in the workplace, with a minimum of six hours per week being devoted to off-the-job training and university learning.

To complement lectures that introduce the course content, seminars and group-based activities allow apprentices to explore subjects in greater detail. Tutorials allow them to clarify their understanding of the topics we cover in lectures and seminars. We use case studies and practical scenarios to help apprentices apply their newly acquired academic knowledge to real-life problems and gain valuable insights into contemporary practice in a working retail environment. Apprentices will also be expected to undertake considerable guided independent study; for instance, library research, virtual learning and background reading, preparing for seminar and tutorial activities, and working on assignments.

Guest lectures and presentations by a variety of visiting speakers from relevant employment areas will offer apprentices the chance to develop their knowledge and understanding further.

Our assessment methods are designed to reflect what will be required of Chartered Managers in retail business management settings. For example, the course requires apprentices to submit written reports, give presentations, develop their portfolio, complete a work-based project, and practice interviewing and coaching skills. We also expect them to take written exams, write essays and reflective accounts, and play an active part in group discussions. Some assessments contribute to their final module marks, while others are designed to help them identify their strengths and weaknesses. This shows where they need to seek extra support from course tutors.

Modules

The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.

• Professional and Academic Skills
• The UK Retail Industry
• Retail Business Law
• Contemporary Issues in Marketing
• Information Systems and Big Data Analysis
• People and Performance
• Work Based Portfolio 1
• Retail Business Project
• Consumer Behaviour
• Retail Operations
• Leading and Managing Teams
• Financial Management and Decision Making
• Work Based Portfolio 2
• Retail Work Based Project (CMDA Pathway)
• Strategic Retail Management
• Omni/Multi-Channel Retailing Strategies
• Integrated Digital Marketing Strategy
• Buying and Merchandising Strategies
• Work Based Portfolio 3

Assessment methods

Level	Assessment method
Level 1	Coursework 54% Practical exams 28% Written exams 18%
Level 2	Coursework 58% Practical exams 12% Written exams 25%
Level 3	Coursework 82% Practical exams 8% Written exams 10%

Learning Activities

Level	Activity
Level 1	Guided independent study 80% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 20%
Level 2	Guided independent study 80% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 20%
Level 3	Guided independent study 80% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 20%

The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.