Business Management and English Language BSc

What you’ll learn

You will be taught by lecturers who are internationally recognised researchers in fields such as leadership communication, marketing, economic development, multi-national enterprises, forensic linguistics, language and gender and TESOL.

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.

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 social science 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

Core modules:

• Language and Society
• Introduction to Discourse Analysis
• Introduction to Language Study
• Practical Applications of Language Description
• Introduction to Marketing Management
• Introduction to Organisational Behaviour
• Introduction to Business Economics

Year 2

Core modules:

• Psychology and Work
• Effective Teamwork
• Fundamental Strategy
• Operations Management
• Intercultural Communication
• Working with Language Data
• Language at Work

 

Optional modules:

• Written Text Analysis
• Language in the News Media
• Reading and Society
• Professional Communication
• Spoken Discourse Analysis

Year 3

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.

Final Year 

Core modules:

• Dissertation
• Leadership and Management Communication
• Advanced Leadership and Management Communication
• Theories and Practice of Leadership
• Business Ethics

 

Optional modules:

• International Marketing
• Sustainable Operations Management
• Consumer Research and the Customer Experience
• Strategic Human Resource Management
• Multimodal Communication
• Language Contact and Globalisation
• Language and Literature in Education

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.

Typical offers:

A Levels

BBB (standard offer)

BBC (with EPQ or Core Maths minimum grade B)

BBC (contextual offer*)

IB

31 points overall with grades 5, 5, 5 in 3 higher level subjects.

Standard level Maths and English grade 4 required in lieu of GCSE English and Maths grade C/4.

BTEC, Access & other

BTEC Extended Diploma – DDD (standard offer)

BTEC Extended Diploma – DDM (contextual 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.

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.

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

Further requirements

5 GCSE grades A*/9 – C/4 to include:

GCSE Maths – grade C/4

GCSE English Language or English Literature – grade C/4

Learn more about admission to this course

View our Admissions Policy.

All applications are considered on an individual basis and the whole application is reviewed carefully, including previous and predicted qualifications, experience, reference and your motivation to study the course. 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, any offer made will not be lower than stated above.

*Click here for details on our Aston Ready contextual offer scheme.

Entry onto our Foundation Programme may be offered as an alternative to the degree course if lower entry grades are achieved. Aston University welcomes applications from students with a wide range of qualifications from the UK and overseas, including combinations of qualifications. If your qualifications are not listed here and you wish to check whether they meet the entry requirements for this course, please contact the university.

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.

What you'll learn

You will be involved in lectures, tutorials, seminars, e-seminars, small-group work, project work and independent study. Many of your modules will be in a workshop format, alternating theoretical input with practical analysis, and allowing you to test out your understanding in discussion with other students and your tutor. There are also opportunities for group and collaborative work. Students undertake a major piece of independent research in the final year.

You will be allocated a personal tutor when you join us and you will be encouraged to make regular contact with them throughout your studies. Personal tutors are there to help discuss academic and, in some cases, personal issues. Personal tutors can also offer support by writing references for placement/graduate employment and academic research.

Assessment is through a combination of written and oral exams, coursework, essays, presentations and an extended dissertation during your final year. Exams take place in January and May/June.

Programme Director(s)

Dr Rushana Khusainova (Business)

Dr Robbie Love (English)

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 can be found here.

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.

Business management and English language graduates go on to a range of professions in industries including recruitment, education, marketing, IT and the media.

Potential employers include The Institute of Engineering and Technology (The IET), IBM, Ketchum, Interserve, Capgemini, Virgin Active, and the BBC.

Employed Aston business graduates earn £11,000 (40 per cent) more than the UK average, five years after graduating (Longitudinal Education Outcomes, 2020).

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.

Why Aston University Business School?

Aston University’s Business School is amongst the top 1% of business schools in the world to have triple accreditation, the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) rates us ‘Gold’ and we are first in the UK for ‘Value Added’, comparing our students’ entry grades with their final degree result, showing the quality of our teaching (Aston University, Guardian University Guide, 2020). All of this means we really value your learning experience and the skills you develop and demonstrate as part of your course.

Why study Business Management and English Language at Aston?

Aston’s innovative programme offers skills and abilities sought by employers. Leadership and management skills are among the top skills currently needed by employers to fill vacancies (Employer Skill Survey, 2017).

Why should I do a placement year with Aston?

Unlike some other universities, the placement year at Aston is not a “bolt-on” year, it is an integral part of your degree for which you are prepared in your second year and encouraged to look back on in your final year. Aston pioneered the placement year in the 1950s and has over 50 years experience in offering sandwich courses. As a result, we have built up an enviable reputation with employers many of whom return to us each year hoping to take on more Aston University students.