Overview
Businesses management professionals with language skills now more than ever to be able to navigate the international and globalised nature of contemporary commerce. So, if you want to rise to the challenge of living and working abroad or engaging international stakeholders then BA Business Management with a Modern Language could be the ideal entry route for you.
This broad business management course offers you the opportunity to learn one modern language of your choice. You spend your third year studying abroad to experience a different culture and perspective on management, as well as improve your language skills.
Being bilingual can widen your career opportunities and make it easier for you to secure a senior position in a global organisation.
We offer a comprehensive language education to mastery level, covering vocabulary, grammar, reading, writing and speaking in preparation for your year abroad. We develop your practical language skills and you are taught intensively by a native speaker.
Your business modules explore management from international, intercultural and ethical perspectives. Essex Business School has staff and students from all over the world, helping you to develop a global mind set for today’s interconnected world.
Study topics will include:
- international business environment
- leadership in organisations
- organisational behaviour
- business strategy
- leadership
- human resource management
- ethical business management
Your first year focuses on the business management area of your degree and introduces you to the main functional areas of business, including accounting and marketing. This gives you flexibility to work in any area of business management after graduation.
Your second year allows you to take a deeper dive into business management theory and practise while also encouraging you to develop your skills as a modern languages practitioner.
The third year of your BA Business Management with a Modern Language course is where your immersive languages experience really takes off. You will undertake this year as a year abroad, studying at one of our partners institutions in a country relevant to your chosen language. We have partners around the world in the United States, Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, the Middle East, Hong Kong and Japan.
In your final year, you have the opportunity to put your knowledge into practice by completing an in depth, independent research project or dissertation. This gives you the chance to further develop vital employability skills in areas of research, time management and critical thinking.
This course is taught at Essex Business School. We champion responsible management and ethical business practices; you join a school not just committed to excellence in business education and social science research, but an intellectual community working to make business better. We don’t just prepare you for a successful career; we’ll help you shape the kind of world you want to live in. Your modern language studies are delivered by the Department of Language and Linguistics which is a leading department in language studies.
Study abroad
During your study abroad year, you undertake additional business and management modules taught in the language of your host country. You practise your written and spoken language skills and study the national business environment and legal frameworks.
By living and studying overseas, you gain a better understanding of cultural sensitivities, as well as how business customs, norms and expectations vary internationally. Combined with your ability to speak another language, the experience can make you a compelling choice for multi-national employers and may even mean you can transfer to an overseas office later in your career.
Our expert staff
You are taught by a highly qualified, enthusiastic team of academics and business practitioners with wide-ranging research interests. Their research is used in lectures and seminars so you learn about the latest issues impacting business today.
Our staff specialise in areas including:
- Organisational diversity
- Business Ethics
- Corporate Governance
- Historical aspects of management
- Gender and LGBT inequality in the workplace
- Cultural Production
- Corporate Marketing and Corporate Communication
- The role of bodies, knowledge and skills in consumption
- Technology and Innovation
- Leadership and Human Resource Management
Essex Business School is home to practising academics who are active and influential in their field, such as Lecturer in Management and Marketing and Social Media Influencer researcher Dr Erik Jacobi. Erik’s research looks specifically at the politicisation of brands and the impact of social media influencers. This highly contemporary field of research makes Erik one of the most interesting and popular lecturers who teach on our undergraduate courses at Essex Business School.
You learn languages in the Department of Language and Linguistics, who are ranked14th for Linguistics in the Complete University Guide 2022.
All of our modern languages staff are native or bilingual speakers from countries such as France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Brazil, Spain and Cuba. As well as developing your language skills, they can share their expertise in professional translation, interpreting, subtitling, film, art, business and culture.
Specialist facilities
Our BA Business Management with a Modern Language is based at our Colchester Campus.
In our landmark Essex Business School building – the first zero carbon business school in the UK – you’ll see our sustainable approach to business first-hand. Set around a lush winter garden, are a wealth of inspiring teaching and study zones..
Our new building provides you with superb facilities:
- modern lecture theatres with ‘listen again’ recording to aid your study
- study pods and innovation booths for group working
- networking opportunities with visiting businesses
- a café and adjacent foyer to enjoy on-site fresh food and drink
- study skills workshops and advice
Our business school is located on the University’s Knowledge Gateway, where you may be able to take advantage of networking and work experience opportunities with businesses located on site.
You also benefit from the learning resources available within our Department of Language and Linguistics:
- Melissi Digital Classroom software for subtitling and interpreting
- a new 20-position interpreting lab
- Extra-curricular activities are available through student societies
Your future
Well-honed business management skills combined with language skills will prepare you for a truly international career.
As the world of business becomes more globalised, your language skills will make you stand out as a business graduate. As a school with an international outlook, Essex Business School will help you do business beyond borders while developing your analytical and leadership skills.
Many of our graduates go on to graduate management training schemes or roles within NGOs straight after graduation.
The BA Business Management with a Modern Language curriculum taught here embeds transferable employability skills in analysis, critical thinking, presentation and communication across all modules.
The Study Skills module in year one will develop your academic skills, while the Student Success modules in year two will build on what you learned in year one and so that you can easily step up to meet the growing academic demands of your second and final years. The Successful Futures module in year two will foster your professionalism and introduce you to the graduate recruitment process, including practical advice to excel at interviews and assessment centres.
Recent graduate destinations include:
- Relationship Manager at Footprint Digital – a fast-growing digital marketing agency
- Delivery Consultant at RED – The Global SAP Solutions Provider – a specialist recruitment firm
- iX Business Consultant at IBM – the multifunctional information technology conglomerate
The School will support you with a range of skills and careers opportunities, including: skills development workshops; employer talks; skills events and careers conferences.
BA Business Management with a Modern Language students can also take advantage of the services offered by the Student Development Team, including: careers advice; work experience; internships; placements; and voluntary opportunities.
Why we’re great.
- You learn your choice of language from a native speaker.
- We teach international, intercultural and ethical management.
- You join an international community where 130 languages are spoken on campus.
Structure
Course structure
This course is designed to provide you with a broad overview of all the main areas of business management, whilst also allowing you to be flexible to study your own areas of interest. You can study up to one language with this course and the language modules you study depend upon your level when you arrive.
In the first year our current students cover the fundamentals that every business manager needs to know. However, we are planning some changes to our first year and we’ll be tailoring it more closely to your chosen course. Then in second and final year you will have a mixture of compulsory and optional modules.
We offer a flexible course structure with a mixture of core/compulsory modules, and optional modules chosen from lists. Please be aware that we are planning changes to our first year to make it more relevant to your chosen course.
Our research-led teaching is continually evolving to address the latest challenges and breakthroughs in the field. The course content is therefore reviewed on an annual basis to ensure our courses remain up-to-date so modules listed are subject to change.
Language options
The structure shown below is an example of the progression for a student who has an A Level or equivalent in French. For some languages, it may be possible to start at an initial level with no prior knowledge of a language (unless you major in Portuguese, when an A-level pass (or equivalent) in Italian, Spanish or Portuguese or first language level fluency in Italian, Romanian or Spanish is required). Please refer to the progression pathway table to find out which modules are suitable for your linguistic profile.
Teaching and learning disclaimer
Following the impact of the pandemic, we made changes to our teaching and assessment to ensure our current students could continue with their studies uninterrupted and safely. These changes included courses being taught through blended delivery, normally including some face-to-face teaching, online provision, or a combination of both across the year.
The teaching and assessment methods listed show what is currently approved for 2022 entry; changes may be necessary if, by the beginning of this course, we need to adapt the way we’re delivering them due to the external environment, and to allow you to continue to receive the best education possible safely and seamlessly.
Year abroad
On your year abroad, you have the opportunity to experience other cultures and languages, to broaden your degree socially and academically, and to demonstrate to employers that you are mature, adaptable, and organised.
Teaching
- Teaching includes a combination of lectures, seminars and computer-based lab sessions
- Modules delivered by experts in the field as well as guest speakers
- Contribute and interact in lectures through the use of smart technology
- Lecture presentations and notes are uploaded online beforehand to help you prepare in advance
- Activities designed to develop your practical language skills, such as role-play and class presentations
- Cultural and social themes are explored through film, music, the internet, theatre and literature
- Complete your final-year project in consultation with a personal supervisor
Assessment
- Assessed through traditional methods of end-of-year exams and multiple choice questions in class tests and essays
- Plus more innovative and creative assessments include laboratory work, poster presentations, real-business case problems and group presentations
- Languages assessed through role-plays and translations
