Business Management and English Language

Course overview

On the BSc (Hons) Business Management and English Language programme at Aston University, you will develop critical awareness and gain invaluable communication, analytical and critical skills for your future working life. The programme has been designed with your future in mind, linking your studies to professionally relevant contexts with practical applications.

You will be taught by lecturers who are internationally recognised researchers in fields such as marketing, economic development, multinational enterprises, leadership and management communication, discourse analysis, and intercultural communication.

With a professional placement year as one of its key features, the programme is geared towards increasing your employability by providing you with the knowledge and skills required of professionals working in the public, private and voluntary sectors.

“I’ve taken many things from Aston University that have helped me in my career. I think it’s been really beneficial for me to understand how people work, their different personality traits, and ultimately tailoring my communications to different people.”

Rachel Appiah

BSc (Hons) Business Management and English Language

Senior policy adviser, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Why Business Management and English Language at Aston University?

Recognised for quality

Aston Business School is proud to be among 1% of business schools worldwide with triple accreditation

Gold standard teaching

Aston University was awarded Gold - the highest possible rating for the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF, 2023)

Earn more

Our graduates are among the highest paid in the country, earning on average £36,100 five years after graduating (Longitudinal Education Outcomes, 2023)

Our academics are clear

100% of students felt that teaching staff were good or very good at explaining things (English programmes; National Student Survey, 2023)

Our full attention

English at Aston University was ranked 5th in the UK for ‘student to staff ratio’ (Guardian, 2024)

66th in the world

We’ve been ranked as 66th in the world for business and management studies (QS World University Rankings By Subject 2024)

Transform your future

From journalism and writing to teaching and marketing, our students are all here for a reason. Discover how you can transform your future through the power of English language.

Careers and Placements

Whatever your Aston University journey, we're here to help. Discover what's possible with Careers and Placements.

Course description

BSc (Hons) Business Management and English Language

Our BSc (Hons) Business Management and English Language degree at Aston University provides you with the skills and insights needed to become an expert communicator in the workplace.

What we will provide
First-class teaching in the UK’s second-largest city, delivered by a diverse array of staff who will inspire and excite you. You will benefit from applied learning, research-informed teaching and authentic assessment. As a student on this programme, you will be one of the first to know about advancements in topical research by staff across the department, even before it is published.

We are also an Adobe Creative Campus meaning you will have access to top-notch software licenses, including Adobe and Solidworks, commonly used in industry.

What you will provide
It is important you learn how to adapt a growth mindset to your studies – understanding that intelligence and success come from applying yourself, a willingness to learn and an ambition and drive to excel.

What skills we teach
You will develop management, leadership and critical thinking skills that are applicable to real life situations. Our graduates are articulate, creative and versatile communicators equipped with an appreciation for the written and spoken word, empowering their personal and professional growth.

Placement year
We all know that taking a placement year will boost your employability – it’s what makes Aston University graduates some of the most employable in the country. It’s for this reason that we encourage every student to take one. The placement year gives you the chance to put theory into practice, gain relevant work experience, and develop professional and transferable skills.

The placement year is compulsory for BSc (Hons) Business Management and English Language students. International students can request permission to opt out of the placement year, but we strongly recommend that it is completed where possible.

Career prospects
As an Aston University Business Management and English Language graduate, you will be equipped for a range of different career options. Our recent graduates have gone on to work across the public, private and third sectors for organisations including: Civil Service, Octopus Energy, IBM, Lloyds Banking Group, BBC, PwC and Jaguar Land Rover.

How you will learn

Our programme is designed to provide you with a dynamic and engaging learning experience that prepares you for a successful career beyond graduation. Our teaching approach combines academic rigor with practical application, ensuring that you not only grasp linguistic and management theories and concepts but also develop business acumen alongside communication, critical thinking and research skills that are highly valued in today’s society.

You will engage in a range of learning activities including lectures, tutorials, seminars, e-seminars, group work, project work, and independent study. Many of your modules will be taught in a seminar format, bridging theoretical input with practical activities, and allowing you to develop your understanding in discussion with your tutor and fellow students. You will complete a major piece of independent research (a dissertation) in the final year.

Applied modules, study trips, and the compulsory placement year will provide hands-on experience, enabling you to apply what you have learned in a professional context, whilst preparing you to tackle the complexities of a rapidly changing world.

What you will learn

Driven by the needs of industry and individuals, our course provides you with a comprehensive understanding of the English language alongside the skills, deep knowledge and practical understanding required by business managers of the 21st century.

First year

In your first year, you will grasp fundamental concepts, theories and principles of grammar, vocabulary, management and basic business models. You will learn to apply academic literature for problem-solving, explore key management functions, and practise evaluating real-world issues. Additionally, you will gain teamwork experience and engage in self-directed study.

Second year

In the second year, you will build on first-year foundations by delving deeper into management and business theories. You will refine English discourse and communication skills, apply linguistic knowledge across various contexts, bridge theory and practice through case studies, enhance problem-solving and critical thinking, and develop effective communication and teamwork abilities.

Placement year

The Aston University placement year forms an integral part of your educational journey and gives you the chance to put theory into practice, gain relevant work experience, and develop professional and transferable skills. Our award-winning careers and placements team are on hand to support you through every step of your placement journey.

Final year

In your final year, you will master advanced theories of business and linguistics whilst developing your strategic decision-making and critical analysis capabilities. You will complete independent research with a clear consideration of ethics, theory and methods. Optional modules will provide opportunities for you to specialise in topics you enjoy most.

Bethany Grice-Hanson English language and literature

My placement year at The Prince's Trust

Bethany Grice-Hanson discovered her passion for marketing during her placement year with The Prince’s Trust.

Discover Bethany's journey

Course objectives

Enables you to understand the intersections between organisational/business and discourse/language disciplines through a dedicated, integrated approach to learning informed by the latest research in these fields.
Provides you with opportunities for specialised and guided investigation into specific aspects of the relationship between English language and business management, particularly through work on the placement project and compulsory dissertation.
Enables you to relate knowledge about the English language to issues in the wider world, with reference to areas of practical problem solving such as intercultural, professional and business practices.
Develops your ability to recognise and analyse the economic, technical, financial, social, cultural and organisational parameters within which modern managers make decisions.
Prepares you to graduate with the knowledge and skills to find employment in a range of communication, business and management roles, in both the public and private sectors and equips you with key skills for life-long learning.

Modules

Modules and learning outcomes

Year 1 modules

In your first year you will study the following core modules:

Module Title	Credits
Language and Society	15
Introduction to Discourse Analysis	15
Introduction to Language Study	30
Practical Applications of Language Description	15
Introduction to Marketing Management	15
Introduction to Organisational Behaviour	15
Introduction to Business Economics	15
Total	120

Year 1 outcomes

On successful completion of the first year, you will be able to:

Demonstrate understanding of core theory and knowledge relevant to management, and an understanding of basic business models.
Demonstrate understanding of core concepts, terminology and principles for the description of English grammar, vocabulary and discourse.
Demonstrate understanding of how academic literature can contribute to applied problem solving.
Understand matters relating to key functions of management and demonstrate an understanding of the basic business processes.
Demonstrate experience of working in a team and have undertaken self-directed study.

Year 2 modules

In your second year you will study the following core modules:

Module Title	Credits
Psychology and Work	15
Effective Teamwork	15
Fundamental Strategy	15
Operations Management	15
Intercultural Communication	15
Working with Language Data	15
Language at Work	15
Total	105

You will choose one of the following optional modules:*

Module Title	Credits
Written Text Analysis	15
Language in the News Media	15
Reading and Society	15
Professional Communication	15
Spoken Discourse Analysis	15

*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 2 outcomes

On successful completion of the second year, you will be able to:

Understand a range of theories and concepts relevant to management and business processes.
Understand a range of theories and concepts relevant to the description of English discourse and communication.
Articulate the role of language and linguistic knowledge in personal, social, professional, business and intercultural action and decision making.
Apply subject knowledge from both disciplines to identify the links between theory and practice to understand case studies, business and organisational processes.
Understand matters relating to key functions of management and demonstrate and understanding of business processes and organisational decision-making.
Identify, investigate, analyse and formulate solutions to problems, construct reasoned argument, synthesise relevant information and exercise critical judgement.
Demonstrate an ability to reflect upon your experiences of working in a team and managing self-directed study.
Communicate effectively, in a manner appropriate to the setting, task and/or audience.

Placement year modules

You will spend your third year on placement. You will be fully supported throughout the process by our award-winning Careers and Placements team.

Placement year

Module Title	Credits
Integrated Placement Year	120

Placement year outcomes

On successful completion of the placement year, you will be able to:

Apply knowledge of research methods to investigate communication and discourse in different contexts, particularly in organisations.
Reflect upon your own learning and development, and to undertake self-directed study and project management.
Understand how to work effectively in teams, within and across different cultural/international contexts.
Apply your key skills and competencies within a real-world situation.

Final year modules

In your final year you will study the following core modules:

Module Title	Credits
Dissertation	15
Leadership and Management Communication	15
Advanced Leadership and Management Communication	15
Theories and Practice of Leadership	15
Business Ethics	15
Total	75

You will choose two of the following optional modules:*

Module Title	Credits
International Marketing	15
Sustainable Operations Management	15
Consumer Research and the Customer Experience	15
Strategic Human Resource Management	15

You will choose one of the following optional modules:*

Module Title	Credits
Multimodal Communication	15
Language Contact and Globalisation	15
Language and Literature in Education	15
Corpus Linguistics	15
Child Language Development	15

*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.

Final year outcomes

On successful completion of the final year, you will be able to:

Demonstrate an understanding of advanced, specialised theory and knowledge in business management and English linguistics.
Make appropriate operational and strategic decisions and apply knowledge based on sound analysis.
Evaluate matters critically relating to key functions of management and demonstrate an understanding of how strategic decision-making within organisations as a whole takes place.
Demonstrate that you have developed the necessary skills in critical analysis and evaluation towards your own work and that of others.
Plan, carry out and present investigations into topics in business management and English language, culminating in an extended individual research study.
Understand how to work effectively in teams, reacting appropriately to contextual and interpersonal factors, and how to effectively manage self-directed study.
Communicate effectively, in a manner appropriate to the setting, task and/or audience.
Think critically to evaluate and question perceived wisdom, and exercise skills for life-long learning.

We may update our courses to reflect best practices and academic developments. If we do, we’ll let you know of any changes at the earliest opportunity by updating our course webpages. If you have already received an offer, we’ll write to you directly to let you know of the changes.

Entry requirements

A Levels
BBC (standard offer)
BCC (with EPQ or Core Maths minimum grade B)
BCC (contextual offer)
Contextual offers
Aston Ready is our contextual offer scheme that could reduce your undergraduate offer by one or two grades. Assessed at the point of application, there are no additional forms to fill in.

Contextual offer criteria

BTEC Extended Diploma – DDM (standard offer)

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.

29 points overall in the IB diploma with grades 5,5,4 in 3 higher level subjects.

You must also have Standard Level grade 4 in Mathematics and grade 5 in English Language.

We accept the QAA-recognised Access Diploma which must consist of 45 credits at Level 3.

You must obtain a minimum of 21 credits at 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 following T Levels are accepted qualifications for this course:

Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction - grade D
Digital Production, Design and Production - grade D
Education and Childcare - grade D
Onsite Construction - grade D
Building Services Engineering for Construction - grade D
Digital Business Services - grade D
Digital Support Services - grade D
Health - grade D
Healthcare Science - grade D
Science - grade D
Accounting - grade D
Finance - grade D
Management and administration - grade D
Design and development for engineering and manufacturing - grade D
Maintenance, installation and repair for engineering and manufacturing - grade D
Legal Services - grade D

5 GCSE grades A*/9 - C/4 to include:

GCSE Maths – grade C/4
GCSE English Language or English Literature – grade C/4

Year 1 entry: We may consider applicants for year 1 entry who are undertaking a first year degree elsewhere. You must meet the GCSEs and A Level (or equivalent) requirements as listed. In order to be considered you will need to submit a UCAS application as we do not accept direct applications and this must include an academic reference.

Year 2 entry: Please note that second year transfers are not part of the standard admissions process and is up to the discretion of the admissions team and tutor. Applications are only considered if there is space on that year of the programme. Typically, applicants for second year entry must meet the GCSEs and A Level (or equivalent) requirements as listed. Alongside this you must have successfully passed (or be expected to pass) your first year with 120 credits on an equivalent programme at another recognised university with very similar module content. The equivalency of the programme is reviewed by the Admissions Tutor and you will be required to provide an official copy of the programme specification of this. In order to be considered you will need to submit a UCAS application as we do not accept direct applications and this must include an academic reference.

Year 3 entry onwards: We will not be able to consider any application for Year 3 or final year.

International students

Aston University is a diverse, close community and welcomes international students on many of our undergraduate programmes. Students from over 120 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.

Qualifications in your country

Applicants whose first language is not English will be required to provide evidence of an English language qualification.

English language requirements

International students can enter at Year 2 of this course having completed an undergraduate year one programme at the required academic level with approved teaching partners ONCAMPUS Aston or NCUK.

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.

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.

Find out more about applying

Post-study work visa

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.

Graduate Immigration Route

Fees and scholarships

Course fees

UK students
(2024/25)

Annual tuition fees:	£9,250
During placement year:	£1,250

International students
(2024/25)

Annual tuition fees:	£18,250
During placement year:	£2,500

More information on fees

For Home students: Tuition fees for UK/Home students may change in line with government policy.

For International students: The International students fee is a fixed annual fee for the duration of the Programme, except whilst on placement when a placement year fee applies.

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.

Explore our scholarships

Assessment

You will be assessed through a combination of written and oral examinations, class tests, individual and group coursework, projects, presentations and practical assessments. Special emphasis will be placed on authentic assessment.

Career prospects

Our BSc (Hons) Business Management and English Language programme will prepare you for a range of careers across the public, private and third sectors. Our graduates are among the highest paid in the country, according to the 2023 Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO). This data shows that five years after graduation, employed Aston University graduates have the 15th highest median salary among all UK Higher Education Institutions, with a median salary of £36,100.

The transferable skills that our business and English programmes provide mean that our graduates are successful in finding employment in a wide range of roles such as:

Human resource specialist
Market intelligence analyst
Business consultant
Teacher
Marketing executive
Research and content writer
Project manager
Social media executive
Police officer
Education consultant
Policy adviser
Copywriter
Operations support manager
Merchandising assistant

Our graduates have gone on to work at companies such as the Civil Service, BBC, IBM, Amazon, Lloyds Banking Group, West Midlands Railway, West Midlands Police, NHS, Nissan, KPMG and Airbus.

Making headlines around the world

English Language graduate Parisa Qurban shares how her experience at Aston University helped prepare her for her career within the BBC.

Discover Parisa's journey

Our students achieve some amazing things during their time with us and after they graduate - whether it's setting up their own businesses, landing competitive graduate schemes, or making real differences within their communities.

Hear from our graduates

Be part of our community

Once you have joined us at Aston University, you’ll always be part of our community, even beyond graduation.

Alumni services

Simba's journey beyond graduation

After Aston, I went on The Apprentice

Sunjay's journey beyond graduation

After Aston, I worked with Kylie Minogue

Christine's journey beyond graduation

After Aston, I founded a global football franchise

Frequently asked questions

Why study business management alongside English language?

A Business Management and English Language degree from Aston University gives you the chance to combine in-demand commercial and leadership skills with an understanding of the crucial importance of effective communication and how knowledge from the study of English Language can be applied in business contexts.

Is Aston University a good place to study English?

Yes. If you're serious about studying a subject you enjoy but want the additional benefit of excellent career prospects and a quality student experience, Aston University is a great place to study English.

From journalism and writing to teaching and marketing, our students are all here for a reason. Discover how you can become an expert communicator with an English degree at Aston University.

How will a placement year benefit me?

Whether you choose to study abroad or do a work placement, Aston University’s links with employers and universities around the world mean you will have a wide range of options to boost your employability and explore the world of work.

Our work placements give you the opportunity to apply what you have learnt on your course while gaining valuable professional and paid experience. It can enhance your graduate employment prospects and help you to make more informed career decisions. Around one in five of our placement students are offered graduate jobs by their placement employer.

Find out more

Is Birmingham a good place to study?

Our campus is based in the centre of Birmingham, the youngest major city in Europe and a great place to live, work and study.

Great music and entertainment with a vibrant nightlife. Bars, clubs, pubs, live music, festivals, concerts. Whatever your tastes, there's something here for everyone.
Fantastic food. Birmingham's diverse community means you can try anything from the famous Balti triangle, the Chinese Quarter, high street chains, halal and vegan food, and Michelin-star dining.
World-class shopping. The Bullring and Grand Central is a shopper's paradise. From the world's biggest Primark to luxury brands at the Mailbox.
Arts and culture. Museums, galleries, theatres, concerts and Birmingham's art collection is as wide as it is impressive - not to be missed.
Green, open spaces. One of the greenest cities in Europe, Birmingham has hundreds of publicly accessible parks and green spaces across the city.
Sporting action. Birmingham has some of the most exciting venues for watching or participating in sport in the UK.

Discover Birmingham