BSc (Hons) Business Management
Course Overview
Business management qualifications open doors and are considered essential whether you are looking to pursue a career in business or achieve higher levels of responsibility in your current work.The University of Bolton's BSc (Hons) in Business Management offers a strong grounding in an essential range of contemporary business management subjects combined with the opportunity to focus your studies in the final year. You can graduate with a general BSc (Hons) in Business Management or transfer to one of our named pathways: Information Systems, Enterprise, Finance, Supply Chain Management, People Management, Marketing or Retail. Graduates of all these pathways will also receive the CMI Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management, and some of the pathway options offer you the chance to gain exemptions from further professional qualifications from institutes such as ACCA and CIM.
Developing your employability is a key focus of this dynamic and flexible programme. Real-life case studies, guest speakers and industry visits are designed to help you to understand the business environment and the needs of employers in local, national and international contexts. We'll support you in developing sought-after skills such as communication, data analysis, time management, teamwork, and problem-solving.
We also aim to help you develop lifelong learning skills empowering you to take ownership of your professional development for the future and maximising your potential for success.
Highlights
- Our Business, Management and Marketing courses are ranked second in the UK and top in the North West of England for course and teaching satisfaction by the Guardian University Guide 2022.
- The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022 also ranks our Business, Management and Marketing courses second in the UK and top in the North West of England for student experience.
- Our team of highly knowledgeable and enthusiastic business management lecturers offer face-to-face sessions and one-to-one support, ensuring you can access help and advice when you need it.
- On successfully completing this dual award course, you'll receive both an academic degree and a professionally-recognised management qualification – the CMI Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management. You don't need to take extra exams or coursework to achieve the Diploma – we combine our degree module and CMI assessments streamlining your route to both qualifications.
- We'll cover key concepts in areas such as people management, company law, marketing, strategic management, information systems and big data, project management, finance, innovation and enterprise. You'll also choose from a wide range of specialist modules in the final year, allowing you to tailor your degree to areas of personal or professional interest.
- Face-to-face sessions and one-to-one support are offered by our highly experienced and enthusiastic lecturers who have worked in a wide range of businesses ranging from multinational organisations to SMEs.
- The University offers excellent 24/7 library and IT facilities, WiFi, and well-appointed learning areas.
Key Features
- You'll study in our vibrant Institute of Management environment in Bolton town centre.
- We use small group and tutorial teaching, so you can benefit from the excellent support offered by our teaching staff.
- We regularly invite guest speakers who hold senior positions in industry and practice, enabling you to benefit from their knowledge and advice.
- Course materials are available online, allowing you to prepare work at home and make the most of the highly interactive in-class tuition.
- We weave contemporary research findings into our teaching, ensuring a robust academic base underpins your business management studies.
- Our dedicated team will support you as you develop critical thinking and research skills and apply these during your final year dissertation.
Entry Requirements
- 104 UCAS points. We accept a full range of qualifications that carry UCAS points, including A-levels, BTECs and T-levels. Please see our guide to the UCAS Tariff for examples of how to achieve these points. For most courses, we are also able to consider non-tariffable qualifications.
- Any subjects are acceptable at Level 3.
- You should also have five GCSEs at grade C or above or grade 4 to 9 (or equivalent), including English and Mathematics.
- We'll be happy to consider your application if you have non-traditional entry qualifications and relevant experience or a suitable portfolio of work that we deem a reasonable substitute for the qualifications we typically accept for this course.
- You may be required to attend an interview and/or provide a portfolio of work.
- If English isn’t your first language, you’ll 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.
- If you don't meet the entry requirements for this course, please consider our BSc (Hons) Business Management with foundation year course.
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.
Career Opportunities
Our dual award BSc (Hons) Business Management course is designed to provide a broad understanding of business functions in the business and commercial world. You'll have the opportunity to transfer to individual pathways in specific areas of business if you wish.
The course offers you a route into general management and specialist areas. With modules covering areas such as business accounting and finance, enterprise, human resource management, company law, information systems, marketing, retail or supply chain management, you can tailor your skills and knowledge to pursue your chosen career. The dual qualification gained on successfully completing this course is designed to enhance your employability in your preferred field of management.
In addition to nurturing academic and sector-specific knowledge, the programme supports your development of key employability skills, such as critical thinking, problem-solving and data analysis. Overall, the course aims to give you an essential appreciation of the skills needed to thrive and adapt in the changing world of work.
What can I do with this qualification?
You may also choose to undertake further study in subjects such as marketing, finance, human resources, data analysis, and international business management to develop your expertise in a particular area of business. Studying for an MBA is also another option.
Alternative career options
Graduates can also use the qualification as a stepping stone into a range of other careers, bearing in mind that some of these roles may require relevant experience and/or postgraduate study. Some possibilities include:
- Hotel and leisure management
- Public relations
- Financial management
- Information systems
- Market research analysis
- Product management
- Health policy and information
- Purchasing
- Teaching and education
- Media (TV, film, online, newspaper, magazine)
- Self-employment
- Banking
- Auditing and quality assurance
- Project management
- Risk and insurance
Professional Recognition
Graduates of the University of Bolton's BSc (Hons) Business Management degree will receive a Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management from the CMI (Chartered Management Institute).
The Level 5 Diploma is the CMI's benchmark qualification and offers the quickest exemption route towards Chartered Manager (CMgr MCMI) status. Chartered Manager status is only awarded by the CMI and is the highest status that can be achieved in the management profession.
Fees & Funding
Home/EU Fees
Home students starting this course in the first year will be required to pay a Home fee of £6,000 for the academic year 2024/25.
International Fees
No fee information is currently available, please contact the University of Bolton’s Academic Fees team by emailing AcademicFees@bolton.ac.uk for more information.
Bursaries
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.
How to apply
Home Applicants
You may apply directly to the University using the University's online application form. Please select your chosen start date from the list below:
You should have to hand:
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Details of the educational establishments you attended and dates
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Your certificates for the qualifications you are using to gain entry to the course – you will need to enter the completion date and upload copies
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Details of any employment history including name, address, dates and role
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Personal statement – this can be either input into the relevant field or uploaded separately
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Details including e-mail addresses of two referees, at least one of which should be someone who can provide an academic reference
Please make sure any documents you wish to upload in support of your application are in pdf or jpeg format. Personal statements may be word documents.
Please ensure your data is correct at each stage of the application before you proceed to the next page. If you use the back button at any time during the application, you should check the validity of the data you have already input.
If you experience difficulties during the application process, contact the Admissions Team on 01204 903394 or admissions-team@bolton.ac.uk
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Apply online: University of Bolton BSc(Hons) Business Management - 22 September 2025
International Applicants
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.
Partner Organisation Applicants
University of Bolton Group Partners
Bolton College
University Collegiate School
Alliance Learning
University of Bolton
For valued members of the University of Bolton Group and progressing students, we try to make our application process as simple and as fast as possible.
By selecting the link for your chosen course from the list shown below, you will be taken directly to our online application form. Please read the user guidance before completing this, and ensure you upload all supporting documents such as certificates and your personal statement when you apply.
When you are asked to add a contact email address, please ensure you add your college/university email account address as well as your personal address. If you do not add your college address as your contact address, we will be unable to identify you as a partner and offer you the benefits of being part of our group.
If you are ready to apply directly, please select your chosen start date from the list below.
Before applying, please read the entry requirements section of this page.
If your course runs at multiple locations or has various start dates, please be sure to select the correct application link from the list below.
Before beginning your application, you should have the following information to hand:
Details of the educational establishments you attended and dates
Your certificates for the qualifications you are using to gain entry to the course – you will need to enter the completion date and upload copies
Details of any employment history, including name, address, dates and role
Personal statement – this can be either input into the relevant field or uploaded separately
Details including email addresses of two referees, at least one of which should be someone who can provide an academic reference
Please make sure any documents you wish to upload in support of your application are in pdf or jpeg format. Personal statements may be word documents.
Please ensure your data is correct at each stage of the application before you proceed to the next page. If you use the back button at any time during the application, you should check the validity of the data you have already inputted.
If you experience difficulties during the application process, contact the Undergraduate Admissions Team on 01204 903394 or admissions-team@bolton.ac.uk
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Apply online: University of Bolton BSc(Hons) Business Management - 22 September 2025
We look forward to receiving your application and you continuing your academic journey with us!
Teaching & Assessment
Lectures introduce the core course content, while seminars explore subjects in greater detail. Tutorials allow you to ask questions, ensuring you understand the topics covered in the lectures and seminars. We use case studies and practical scenarios to help you learn to apply academic theory to real-life practical scenarios, allowing you to gain insights into contemporary practice in a working business environment. We'll also expect you to undertake considerable guided independent study; for instance, library research and background reading, preparing for seminar and tutorial activities, and working on assignments.
Furthermore, we'll expect you to adopt work-based learning as part of your employment or during a work experience placement.
Guest lectures and presentations by various visiting speakers from relevant employment areas offer you the chance to develop your knowledge and understanding further.
Regarding assessment, you can expect time-constrained exams, essays, reports, presentations, and portfolios. These contribute to your final module mark and allow you to demonstrate that you have met the learning outcomes.
We also use other assessment forms to help you learn, provide feedback, and inform your development. These do not, however, count towards your final module mark.
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 Development
- Financial Decision Making in Business
- Business Environment
- Contemporary Issues in Marketing
- Information Systems and Big Data Analysis
- People and Performance
- Business Management and Career Development
- Leadership Management and Organisational Culture
- Project Management
- Enterprise Innovation and Creativity
- Business Case Study Analysis
- Business Project
- Dissertation
- Strategic Management
- International HRM
- Learning and Development
- E Commerce and Contemporary Marketing Practice
- Global Consumer Behaviour
- Integrated Digital Marketing Strategy
- Retail Management
- Strategic Information Management
- Supply Chain Management
- Logistics and Operations Management
- Corporate Governance
- Company Law
- Financial Reporting for Management
- Professionals in Practice
- Financial Accounting and the Regulatory Framework
- Work and the Employment Relationship
- Advanced Data Analytics
- Information Security and Risk Management
- Academic Language and Skills 5
Assessment methods
| Level | Assessment method |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Coursework 42% Practical exams 32% Written exams 26% |
| Level 2 | Coursework 67% Practical exams 25% Written exams 8% |
| Level 3 | Coursework 66% Practical exams 15% Written exams 19% |
Learning Activities
| Level | Activity |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Guided independent study 66% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 34% |
| Level 2 | Guided independent study 66% Placement/study abroad 17% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 17% |
| Level 3 | Guided independent study 77% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 23% |
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.
