A member of The Association of Business Schools, Sunderland has a great reputation in business studies, with The Guardian University Guide 2015 ranking us Best in the North East for Course Satisfaction, Satisfaction with Teaching and Satisfaction with Feedback.

The course provides a solid grounding in business and management and the study skills needed to tackle a degree. It covers a wide range of business topics such as marketing, human resources, organisational behaviours and information technology for business use.

By studying in London, you will be in a world centre of business. You will also have opportunities to build a global network of contacts as London is home to over 100,000 international students.

The teaching methods in year 1 are designed to help ease the transition from school/college to a higher education environment. The learning outcomes and modules studied are designed to equip you with a basic knowledge of business and to enhance your thinking and communication skills. 

Teaching staff are all research active and many contribute to the International Centre for Research into Innovation, Sustainability and Entrepreneurship (RISE), which is the research centre of the Faculty of Business and Law. This expertise feeds directly into module teaching and learning on Business and Management programmes. Recently research at the Faculty has been recognised as being ‚world-leading’ and ‚internationally excellent’, according to the Latest Research Excellence Framework (REF).

COURSE CONTENT

The content prepares you for a Business and Management course at the University of Sunderland in London.

Course content

Modules on this course include:

Year 1
Higher Education Skills and Competencies (10 Credits)
Information Technology for Business Use (10 Credits)
Contemporary Business Issues in a Globalised Environment (30 Credits)
Introduction to Critical Academic Thinking (10 Credits)
Organisational Behaviour and the Management of People (20 Credits)
Introduction to Organisational Management (20 Credits)
Business Management Project (20 Credits)

Year 2 (national level 4)
Essential Study and Employment Skills (20 Credits)
Introduction to Marketing (20 Credits)
Introduction to HRM and Talent Development (20 Credits)
Introduction to Accounting and Finance (20 Credits)
Introduction to Managing and Leading People (20 Credits)
Introduction to Operations and Services (20 Credits)

Year 3 (national level 5)
Introduction to Strategic Management (20 Credits)
Developing Career Prospects (20 Credits )
Responsible Business (20 Credits)
PLUS a choice of up to 60 credits from a range of topics relating to business functional areas, such as Management Accounting, Marketing Management, Business Law or Business Enterprise Management

Final Year (national level 6)
Applying Critical Reflective Practice (20 Credits)
Strategic Management (20 Credits)
Plus a choice of up to 40 credits from a range of topics relating to business functional areas, such as Management Accounting, Marketing Management or Business Enterprise Management

Plus one of two options:
Business Research Dissertation (40 Credits)
Critical Debates in Professional Practice (40 Credits)

Teaching and assessment

Teaching methods include lectures, seminars, supervised project and group work and resource-based learning. Assessment is carried out through written essays, seminar presentations, reports, case studies and learning logs. 

To find out more about modules, credits and how you will be assessed, please see how courses are taught. Information about our policies relating to student experience and quality assurance processes can be found on the Academic Services website.

EMPLOYMENT AND CAREERS

Sunderland is one of the first universities in the UK to introduce employability modules across all years of an undergraduate degree.

CAREER DESTINATIONS

95% of our business graduates enter employment or further study within six months of graduating, according to the Destination of Higher Education Leavers Survey 2015. Examples of companies that have recruited students from the University of Sunderland include leading names in IT (Microsoft, IBM), consumer goods (P&G, Nike, Adidas), banking (Lloyds TSB), hospitality (Marriott Hotels, Starbucks), and the public sector (NHS).

PLACEMENTS

We encourage you to undertake a 48-week placement between your second and final year, to allow you to build up real work experience that will help your career when you graduate. A placement year effectively becomes a third year of a four-year course.

Placements are paid, with an average salary of £14,000-£18,000 a year depending on your location.

Placements are an excellent opportunity to put your learning into practice and understand the context for your new knowledge. The contacts made during placements can also be valuable for future job offers.

Recent placement employers include: IBM, Procter & Gamble, BT, Nissan, Marriott Hotels, PricewaterCoopers and Adidas.

GUEST SPEAKERS

Our invitations to guest speakers allow you to listen to people who are already in the type of management position that you may one day hold. Recent speakers include Mike Johnson, CEO of Castrol and Executive Vice President of BP.

Visiting speakers help you relate academic learning to the real experience of people who have already progressed in their careers. It’s all part of broadening your learning so that you’re prepared not just for exams but for life.

STUDENT BUSINESS SOCIETY

The University supports student-led initiatives that help you gain practical experience of management. The University of Sunderland in London Business Student Society organises events, guest speakers, and company tours. With its professional approach, the University of Sunderland in London Business Student Society is a great way to put into practice the lessons about how to make organisations function effectively. There is something for every student who is studying a subject related to business.