BSc (Hons) Entrepreneurship and Business Start-Up
Course Overview
Are you a budding entrepreneur? The University of Bolton's innovative 2-year BSc (Hons) Entrepreneurship and Business Start-Up degree is a full-time, accelerated course designed to support you in setting up your own business. Traditional business degrees cover the broad scope of business, but this course is different. We focus as closely as possible on your individual industry and business development needs, incubating your entrepreneurial potential.Whatever your business speciality, through individually tailored teaching and assessment, and personalised business support, we aim to ensure you and your business are commercially sustainable post-study.
Tailored teaching and assessment
Our team of highly experienced business partners and lecturers are dedicated to helping you develop the fundamental business knowledge and practical expertise needed to set up and run your own business. We'll focus on building your understanding, skills, and confidence so you can plan and implement each stage of your new business effectively. One-to-one support is fundamental to our approach, and each module offers focused knowledge and skills that you can employ to help pass the assessments and, more importantly, support your business.
Personalised business support
Enrolling in this course gives you access to our hands-on business mentors through our Business Start-Up Support Network. Network members will act as mentors to provide our students' new ventures with the best possible starting point. We'll identify your needs and introduce you to a business mentor, then work with you to assess your business opportunities and ability to grow.
After graduation, you'll be a valued member of our business alumni network, so we can continue to support you and your business in the future. You may hopefully become a mentor to our students yourself!
Building your business network
You'll benefit from workshops and guest lectures from business start-up experts, SME advisors, successful entrepreneurs, and business owners. Networking events will help build your confidence and interpersonal skills. This direct access to the business community will help develop your skills and facilitate your success and growth.
Become a full-stack entrepreneur
Our BSc (Hons) Entrepreneurship and Business Start-Up accelerated programme combines core, fundamental business, and specialised modules to develop the skills and knowledge needed to set up and grow your new business.
Enterprise and Opportunity – including the process of setting up a business
Business Skills Development – including sourcing suppliers and talent
Finance for Business Decision-Making – including financial documentation and processes
Issues in Enterprise Planning – including assessing market conditions and identifying opportunities
Business Growth – including identifying funding mechanisms and measuring capital returns (ROI)
Company Law – including contract law and intellectual property
Sustainability and Business Ethics – including both commercial and environmental sustainability
Overall, we aim to support you in gaining the vital mix of technical, practical, and theoretical business knowledge and skills needed to build a business from the ground up. We'll focus on the hard and soft skills necessary for success in your chosen business area, so you are ready to appraise risks, seize opportunities and lead your business to long-term growth and profitability.
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 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 experienced and enthusiastic lecturers have worked in a wide range of businesses ranging from multinational organisations to SMEs and are experts in their fields.
- Benefit from studying with business management students (core modules) and like-minded entrepreneurial students from across the globe who are in the process of setting up and developing their own enterprises (specialist modules).
- Personalised business advice through our Business Start-Up Support Network will guide you in navigating the complexities of starting your own business.
- Some modules will support you in taking a deep dive into your business to investigate a business problem or opportunity and devise realistic, implementable solutions.
Key Features
- This intensive 2-year full-time accelerated undergraduate degree runs over three trimesters per year, including over the summer.
- This course is offered within our vibrant Greater Manchester Business School in Bolton town centre.
- We use small group and tutorial teaching, so you can fully benefit from the excellent support offered by our teaching staff.
- Benefit from the advice and guidance of a business mentor who can support you in developing your business ideas.
- Course materials are available online, allowing you to prepare work at home and make the most of the highly interactive in-class tuition.
- The University offers 24/7 access to excellent library and IT facilities, Wi-Fi, and well-appointed learning areas.
- Choose to study with us and you'll have the chance to enjoy Bolton's many shops, bars, restaurants, and leisure facilities. Manchester, one of the UK's most multicultural and lively cities, is less than 20 minutes away by train. Not forgetting the Northwest of England is renowned for its beautiful countryside, coastline, and heritage sites.
Entry Requirements
- Any subjects are acceptable at Level 3.
- You should also have five GCSEs at grade C or above or grades 4 to 9 (or equivalent), including English and Mathematics.
- You'll be required to attend an interview and/or provide a portfolio of work. You'll need to give an oral business pitch or presentation as part of the interview.
- 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 normally required. In addition to an interview, you may be asked to undertake additional assessment(s) to determine your suitability for the course.
- 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.
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
Big business may grab the headlines, but in reality, SMEs are the backbone of a healthy economy. They provide employment, drive growth, and open new markets. If you have an idea for a new business venture but need help to realise your ambition, the University of Bolton's BSc (Hons) Entrepreneurship and Business Start-Up is the ideal choice. Our academic and practitioner professionals are here to help you to navigate the complex and exciting world of business start-ups and practical entrepreneurship.
As a graduate of this highly personalised and individually tailored degree, you'll possess an impressive combination of skills and knowledge. Throughout your studies, your learning will be focused on your chosen industry area and the criteria for success in your field. This solid commercial awareness, sound business knowledge, innovation and development theory will translate to other sectors should you choose to diversify.
You'll also have essential and in-demand interpersonal and people skills, possess academic skills in research, critical thinking, and opportunity recognition, and have the lifelong learning, problem-solving and decision-making skills needed to adapt to new challenges.
What can I do with this qualification?
You will also be well-equipped to enter a wide range of business and management roles in the public, private or voluntary sectors. Typical employment opportunities include retail management, human resources, marketing, customer service management, advertising, merchandising, logistics and supply chain management, accountancy, and law.
You may also choose to undertake further study in subjects such as international business management, marketing, finance, human resources and data analysis, and to develop your expertise in a particular business area. Studying for an MBA is also another option.
Alternative career options
Graduates can use the qualification as a stepping-stone into a range of careers. Some of these roles may require relevant experience and/or postgraduate study. Possibilities include:
- Advertising, marketing and public relations
- Advising and consultancy
- Business journalism
- Civil service
- E-commerce and social media
- Education and teaching
- Leadership and management
- Not-for-profit fundraising
- Policy management
- Product management
- Recruitment and human resources
- Research and development
- Sales
- Social enterprise
Fees & Funding
Home/EU 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.
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 2025-26 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
Course application details are unavailable at present
International Applicants
Course application details are unavailable at present
Partner Organisation Applicants
Option currently unavailable.
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 apply academic theory to real-life practical scenarios, allowing you to gain insights into contemporary practice in a working business environment. You'll be expected to undertake considerable guided independent study; e.g. library research and background reading, preparing for seminar and tutorial activities, and working on assignments.
Guest lectures, presentations and workshops by various visiting speakers offer you the chance to further develop your knowledge and understanding. You'll also have access to a business mentor for personalised business advice.
At assessment, you'll apply the content of each module to your own business. This will support you in demonstrating your academic knowledge, solidifying your business ideas, and developing your business acumen. You can expect time-constrained exams, essays, reports, presentations, portfolios, and others that contribute to your final module mark and allow you to demonstrate how 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. Furthermore, you'll have the opportunity to learn a wide range of practical and technical applications to develop your business skills.
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
- Contemporary Issues in Marketing
- Business Environment
- Enterprise and Opportunity
- Business Skills Development
- Business Management and Career Development
- Project Management
- Enterprise Innovation and Creativity
- Issues in Enterprise Planning
- Business Growth
- Research Project
- Strategic Management
- Company Law
- Customer Relationship Management
- Sustainability and Business Ethics
Assessment methods
| Level | Assessment method |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Coursework 58% Practical exams 25% Written exams 17% |
| Level 2 | Coursework 42% Practical exams 58% |
| Level 3 | Coursework 58% Practical exams 42% |
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.
