Business and finance
Business management
BA or BSc
Overview
Business management is a broad degree about how organisations work: people, markets, operations and finance at an introductory level. It keeps options open and is less specialised than economics, accounting or a profession such as law. A placement year is often the most useful part, because the job market does not treat the title as a licence. Students who enjoy it like variety and group projects, and they should look hard at whether the course is mostly description or includes a placement and quantitative work.
You want a broad business degree rather than a single profession.
Economics, accounting and marketing are narrower. A degree is not required for every business job.
People who like applied projects and are happy without a single professional identity at the end.
What you will study
Universities do not teach the same modules. The lists below are a general shape, not a syllabus.
Year 1
- Organisations
- Marketing basics
- Accounting basics
- Data for business
Later years
- Strategy
- Optional specialisms
- Placement or project
Skills
Useful before you start
- Communication
- Organisation
- Basic numeracy
Developed during the degree
- Analysis of an organisation
- Team projects
- Presentation
Teaching and assessment
Teaching often includes Lectures, Seminars, Group projects.
Assessment often includes Essays, Exams, Presentations, Group work.
Typical weekly commitment
Estimate.
Entry requirements
Indicative patterns from published UK admissions information. Not an offer. Actual requirements vary by course, university and year. Pearson Edexcel International A Level and Cambridge International A Level are not treated as the same qualification as GCE A level.
Indicative requirements by qualification
The A-level band is the catalogue reference. IB and American lines come from the named university guides under the table. They are not a conversion every university uses, and they are not an offer.
| Qualification | Indicative requirements |
|---|---|
| A Levels | BBC–ABB. No specific A-level is universal. |
| IB Diploma | UCL publishes 34 points for ABB. The other end of this band is not in that table. A required A-level subject must be Higher Level in UCL's rule. Each Higher Level subject in that table is at least 5. UCL equates A* to 7, A to 6 and B to 5. This is one university's table. |
| American curriculum | That Manchester guide gives AP 5, 4, 4 for ABB. The other end of this band is not in the guide. Bristol publishes a GPA of 3.2, or 3.4 for competitive courses, and does not use one AP pattern for every degree. |
- University College London: Undergraduate entry requirements. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
- University of Manchester, School of Social Sciences: Americas country guide. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
- University of Manchester, Civil Engineering: USA country entry requirements. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
- University of Bristol: USA international qualifications. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
A-level subjects
No specific A-level is universal.
Often recommended: Business, Mathematics, Economics.
Useful preparation: Psychology.
GCSE and IGCSE
English and mathematics are commonly expected.
Indicative only.
Other ways in
- A degree apprenticeship or starting work can be a better fit if you want a named profession such as accountancy.
Admissions tests and extra requirements
No admissions test is stored as usual for this course. A university can still set one for a particular year.
Course costs
For many standard full-time courses in England, the home-fee maximum in 2026 to 2027 is Up to £9,790. This is the maximum standard full-time fee published for approved English providers with a TEF award and an access and participation plan. It is not the fee a named university charges, and it does not decide whether you pay home or international fees.
Clinical, laboratory and studio courses are not given a different home-fee figure here, because the regulated maximum is not the same thing as an international or clinical fee.
International tuition is set by each university and is not stored here. Clinical courses are often much higher than classroom-based courses. A school in Qatar does not decide home-fee status.
Source: Changes to tuition fees: 2026 to 2027 academic year. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Living costs, field trips and professional fees are not included.
Where you could study
UK degrees in this subject are numerous. This page does not list every university, because a list without a checked entry requirement would look more certain than it is.
No individual UK course page is stored yet for this subject. Use the university site.
No overseas course has been checked for this subject yet.
Where could this degree take you?
Business analyst
Common route
A possible route. Experience with projects and data matters as much as the title.
Human resources officer
Alternative route
Possible. Human resources degrees and professional qualifications are alternatives.
Marketing manager
Alternative route
A broad start. Marketing degrees and experience are closer for marketing roles.
Financial adviser
Alternative route
The professional qualification matters more than this degree.
Management accountant
Alternative route
Less direct than accounting. Professional exams still apply.
Explore your pathway
A course sits between school subjects and a career. It does not guarantee either admission or a job.