Business Computing and IT BSc

This degree will develop your understanding of the management and communication of information, as well as the human, managerial and technical considerations.

You will learn the role that information technology plays in modern business environments and societies, and how technology can be the key to solving some of their biggest challenges.

What you’ll learn

This course will provide you with theoretical knowledge and skills, including analysis and problem-solving, which can be applied to a broad range of career paths.

You will learn the relationship between technical knowledge and human design, the complex role of IT in business, and how technology can be used to drive competitive advantage. 

In your first year you will develop a general knowledge of business theories as well as computing and IT. Your second year is focused on building your IT and computing skills. This will help you as you apply for placement opportunities in your third year.

The final year includes both compulsory and elective modules and builds on the knowledge and skills gathered during the placement year and facilitates cultivating advanced skillsets relevant to the contemporary business environment. This will include, and not limited to project management, emerging technology trends, and information security. Furthermore, the final year project dissertation enables you to put your skills and knowledge into practice, through collaborative, peer and self-directed learning, working on real-life case studies and applications, which are aligned to your individual career aspirations.

Practical experience

As well as developing your skills in analytical thinking, project management, knowledge of business systems and structures, you will also get hands-on practical skills in technology, coding and cyber security.

During your placement year, you will develop your learning and showcase your skills, and improve your employability through real work experience. Students on this course have enjoyed placements at companies including Microsoft and Intel. 

Professional accreditation

Graduates from this course can claim exemptions from the examinations of a number of professional bodies. Exemptions are dependent upon the options you have followed. 

At present exemptions are available from:

• Associations of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)
• Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) 

Accreditation is a stamp of quality and prestige for a business school and its programmes. Aston is proud to be among 1% of business schools worldwide with triple accreditation. 

Two undergraduate degrees

This course offers an Exchange Partnership Second Degree Pathway option, meaning you could study overseas at one of our partner institutions during your placement year and graduate with two undergraduate degrees for the price of one. Find out more about the Exchange Partnership Second Degree Pathway

International students

Information for international applicants

International students

Aston University is a diverse, close community and welcomes international students. Students from over 120 different countries chose to study with us every year. Based in the centre of Birmingham, Aston is not only a great place to study, it’s also a great place to live.

Aston’s professional work placements can improve your chance of securing a graduate job. Placements give you experience, confidence and opportunities and, as an Aston student, you’ll be better prepared for your future career. One of the great things about Aston is our focus on employability. Our close links with businesses, industries and professions make this possible.

For more information on applying as an international student, visit our webpage: www.aston.ac.uk/international/students-applying

 

Post-study work visa

Graduate Immigration Route

Aston University welcomed the creation of a new Graduate Immigration Route which enables international students to remain in the UK for two years after you complete your studies to find work. This new post-study work visa applies to international students completing full-time undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

Find out more information about the Graduate Immigration Route.

Foundation programme

Choosing to start your Aston journey with our foundation programme in business will help you develop specialist knowledge to ensure that you are fully prepared to study your chosen undergraduate course. During your foundation year, you’ll have excellent support from academics while group projects will give you the chance to meet new people, make new friends and build a network of peers who will share your university journey. We also have a Learning Development Centre that can provide additional support and offer pre-sessional English language programmes.

For International Students intending to do a foundation year, visit ONCAMPUS

Modules

Year 1

You will study a range of topics, designed to give you a solid foundation for your business degree. The core and compulsory modules are: 

• Introductory Accounting for Business
• Introduction to Organisation Behaviour
• Introduction to Marketing Management
• Principles of Operations Management
• User Experience Design (BCIT only)
• Introduction to Information Systems and Database (BCIT only)
• Foundations of Business Analytics
• Economic Environment of Business

Year 2

From the second year onwards your studies focus on business computing and IT and will involve ‘hands-on’ work with spreadsheets, databases, simulations and knowledge-based systems. Organisational aspects you will cover will include systems analysis and decision support, whilst management aspects will include effective management consultancy and the management of IT resources within a business. The core and compulsory modules are:

• Enterprise Systems
• Agile Practices in IT and Management 
• Cloud Technology for Business 
• Business Research Methods 
• Software for Analytics 

You can then select three single modules from the following options: 

• Effective Teamwork
• Digital Marketing
• Service Operations
• Business Operations Excellence 
• Optimisation and Decision Analysis  
• Business Analytics in Practice 

* Core and Electives may be revised to reflect contemporary needs of the sector. Availability of any optional modules will be subject to staff availability and a minimum number of students who express an interest in studying the optional modules.

Year 3

The placement year will give you valuable practical experience of business computing and IT in an industrial, commercial or public sector organisation. You will spend this year in professional placement or you may choose to take up an international study opportunity at one of our partner institutions. This year is compulsory for all UK students. 

See placement year section or find out more about the Aston placement year.

Final Year 

During your final year you will study the following core and compulsory modules:

• Technology and Practice of e-Commerce
• Information Security 
• BCIT Final Year Project *module is taught over two terms

You can then select four single modules from the following options:

• Effective Management Consultancy 1
• Effective Management Consultancy  2 
• Effective Project Delivery 
• Implementing Business Decisions 
• Performance and Efficiency Analytics (DEA)
• Managing Information Technology in a Global Context
• Simulation 
• Operations Strategy 
• International Operations 
• Innovation 
• Business Analytics and Data Mining 

* Core and Electives may be revised to reflect contemporary needs of the sector. Availability of any optional modules will be subject to staff availability and a minimum number of students who express an interest in studying the optional modules.

4 year with integrated placement year / 3 year course without integrated placement year option only available for non-UK/EU students

UCAS Code: NG45

Typical offers:

A Levels

BBB – standard offer

BBC (with EPQ or Core maths minimum grade B)

BBC (contextual offer)*

*For details on our Aston Ready contextual offer scheme, please see here. 

IB

31 points overall in the IB diploma with 5,5,5 at HL.

BTEC, Access & other

BTEC Extended Diploma DDD – standard offer

BTEC Extended Diploma DDM – (Contextual offer)*

We accept the QAA-recognised Access Diploma which must consist of 45 credits at Level 3. You must obtain a minimum of 30 distinction and the rest must be at merit or distinction. Please note that we do not accept the English and Maths components within the Access qualification and you must meet the GCSE entry requirement.

The University also accepts the BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate/BTEC Level 3 Subsidiary Diploma and BTEC Level 3 National Diploma/BTEC Level 3 Diploma for entry onto degree programmes, provided that they are studied in combination with other qualifications that are equivalent to three full A2 Levels.

*For details on our Aston Ready contextual offer scheme, please see here. 

T Levels

The following T levels are accepted qualifications for this course:

• T-Level - Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction Grade D
• T-Level - Digital Production, Design and Production Grade D
• T-Level – Education and Childcare Grade D
• T-Level – Onsite Construction Grade D
• T-Level – Building Services Engineering for Construction Grade D
• T-Level – Digital Business Services Grade D
• T-Level – Digital Support Services Grade D
• T-Level – Health Grade D
• T-Level – Healthcare Science Grade D
• T-Level – Science Grade D

GCSEs

5 GCSE grades A*/9 – C/4 to include:

GCSE Maths – grade C/4

GCSE English Language OR English Literature – grade C/4

Please note that General Studies does not contribute towards the UCAS points requirement but is welcomed as an additional qualification.

Our Admissions Policy

View our Admissions Policy.

Whilst the grades listed here are our entry requirements, we understand that predicted grades are only an estimate. We will therefore consider applicants with predicted grades that fall below these entry requirements if the application is of a high standard (however, initial offers will not be lower than stated above).

Entry onto our Foundation Year maybe offered as an alternative to the degree course if lower entry grades are achieved.

*For details on our Aston Ready contextual offer scheme, please see here.

The information contained on this website details the typical entry requirements for this course for the most commonly offered qualifications. Applicants with alternative qualifications may wish to enquire with the relevant admissions teams prior to application whether or not their qualifications are deemed acceptable. For less commonly encountered qualifications this will be judged on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the academic admissions tutor.

International students

Applicants whose first language is not English will be required to provide evidence of an English language qualification. Find out more about our English language requirements.

For more information about qualifications view our Aston in your country webpage.

Aston University provides a range of opportunities for international students to join our community and study on our campus. A key part of our strategy is our relationships with teaching partners, providing multiple pathways to Aston. Find out more.

Our close links to industry informs the learning and business experiences we provide during your degree to make sure you have the right skills and knowledge required by industry and increase your employability.

We make extensive use of working within a team and delivering presentations to develop your negotiating skills, all of which help prepare you for your career.

Your placement year will give you practical work experience that is invaluable in developing skills, and provides an experience that cannot be replicated in the lecture room.

The approximate weighting for this course is 60 per cent business and 40 per cent computing and IT, with an emphasis on the integration of the two subjects.

Learning and teaching

As a business computing and IT student at Aston, you will experience our innovative approach to teaching, which combines a range of teaching methods including lectures, seminars, tutorials, group working, case studies, and individual and group presentations.

Traditional teaching is supported by our virtual learning environment which hosts a range of electronic supporting materials. For example, all business students undertake the Business Game module and compete in teams in a computer simulation exercise that culminates in a presentation to a panel of internal employers.

Assessment

You will be assessed through a mix of coursework and examinations.

Students who are made an offer will receive a detailed programme specification which forms part of our terms and conditions.

Personal development

Our business degrees are designed to also give you a range of transferable and practical skills to succeed within your chosen career. We make extensive use of group working and presentations to prepare you for the reality of working life. This experience will develop your team working and negotiating skills.

The integrated placement year gives you the genuine practical work experience that is invaluable in developing an appreciation of issues such as office politics, which cannot be replicated in the lecture room.

Our close links to industry and our focus on delivering practical business experiences provides a blend of learning and teaching experience to equip you for your future career.

Placement year

The Aston placement year forms an integral part of your educational journey and is compulsory for all home students. International/EU students can request permission to opt out of the placement year, but we strongly recommend that it is completed where possible. 

Find out more about the Aston placement year.

The integrated placement year gives you the genuine, practical work experience that is invaluable in developing an appreciation of issues such as office politics, which cannot be replicated in the lecture room.

We have a dedicated Employer Team within our Careers and Placements department who have links with local, national and international organisations and advertise vacancies to students through an online platform exclusively for Aston students and graduates.  

Aston University was recognised as the 'Best University Placement Service'.

The Careers and Placements team at Aston University won the 'Best University Placement Service' category at the National Undergraduate Employability (NUE) Awards 2022. This was achieved by launching Virtual Employability Festivals and recognising the power of peer-to-peer communication by pairing 500 students looking for placements with 500 students who had completed placements.

The United Kingdom government has confirmed that European Union (EU), other European Economic Area (EEA) and Swiss nationals commencing academic courses in England from August 2021 will no longer be charged the same tuition rates as Home students.

Further information  

Tuition fees for students are reviewed annually and may increase in subsequent years in line with inflation linked to the Retail Price Index (RPI) to take account of the University’s increased costs of delivering the Programme. Any such increase shall always be in accordance with the law. When undertaking a placement year a placement year fee applies.

More information on fees and funding

Scholarships

At Aston University we are committed to supporting the most talented and hardworking students to achieve their potential by providing a range of scholarships to help lower tuition and living costs. Find out more about our scholarships here.

Today, the majority of roles in business incorporate some form of technology. Having a clear understanding of technology, computing and systems, and how these can be applied in a business setting is a highly sought-after skill.

The careers available to you cover the whole range of business applications of computing and IT. They range from managing a department or company’s personal computer network, to building links over the internet for a multinational company, to running a handful of computers in a small firm.

Recent graduates

Recent graduates are now working in roles such as:

• IT security Consultant
• Business Analyst
• Digital Supply Chain Consultant
• Innovation Analyst.

Graduates have gone on to work at companies including Capgemini, Deutsche Bank, Shell, Atos, IBM Security Services and Sales Force, the Ministry of Defence and Eon.

Why study business computing and IT at Aston?

Our BSc Business Computing and IT will develop both theoretical and hands-on experience that are highly sought after in modern business. Business-critical understanding of the technological management and communication of information as well as the human, managerial and technical considerations are of value in all forms of business and wider society.

Is a placement useful for business computing and IT?

It is important that you develop your knowledge across business, human and technical aspects. You will also develop the skills needed to inform strategic decisions, solve real-world business issues and offer advice and support that is easy to understand to a range of audiences you may face in your career.

Your placement year allows you to increase your understanding of the subject, and identify areas of interest you wish to pursue in your career. A placement year also shows employers that you have both knowledge and experience within your field.

What kind of jobs does a degree in business computing and IT lead to?

The careers available to you cover the whole range of business applications of computing and IT. They range from managing a department or company’s personal computer network, to building links over the internet for a multi-national company to running a handful of computers in a small firm.

Why Aston Business School?

Aston Business School is part of the top 1 per cent of business schools globally to have triple accreditation from AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS. We are ranked first in the UK for Value Added by Guardian University Guide 2020, based on our students’ entry grades with their final degree result. All of this demonstrates our commitment to your learning experience and the skills you develop and demonstrate as part of your course. 

What is the Exchange Partnership Second Degree Pathway at Aston Business School?

You can deepen your learning and stand out from other graduates whilst gaining a fantastic learning experience overseas. The Exchange Partnership Second Degree Pathway is similar to an exchange programme. During your placement year, you’ll follow a curriculum that sets you on track for our partner institution’s degree award. This means, if successful, you will graduate with two undergraduate degrees.

Find out more about the Exchange Partnership Second Degree Pathway

Why should international students choose Aston University?

Aston University is a diverse, close community and welcomes international students. Students from over 120 different countries choose to study with us every year. Based in the centre of Birmingham, Aston is not only a great place to study, it’s also a great place to live.

Aston’s professional work placements can improve your chance of securing a graduate job. Placements give you experience, confidence and opportunities and as an Aston student, you’ll be better prepared for your future career.