BSc (Hons) Business and Finance (with Foundation Year)

In this module, you’ll be actively engaged with the study of Business and Management, through exploring essential characteristics of organisations in a global context, while assessing the role of management within this. You’ll explore the functions of business and the impact of the external environment on business choices. You’ll also use a variety of media including simulation and published accounts of decisions being enacted by businesses and managers today.

This will equip you with the core concepts required to analyse and research business and management issues. You’ll also develop your academic and employability skills, such as critical thinking, evidenced based decision-making and collaboration.

This module demonstrates the importance of finance in the context of new and small businesses. In this module you will learn how to prepare and analyse simple financial statements as well as how to apply management accounting techniques in the areas of planning, budgeting and short term decision making.

In these sessions, you’ll learn financial principles and techniques for different business situations, and apply these to a combination of both in-class mini case examples and extended case examples.

As an introduction of economics to students, examples from the real world will be used to illustrate economic concepts and theory. You’ll learn about the role and methods of economics, which will include developing a testable hypothesis.

On successful completion of this module, you’ll understand the basic principles of economics and the relationships between economic variables, while also developing the ability to work with graphs.

This module develops your entrepreneurial mindset and skills essential for success in the modern business world. You'll explore a full range of tools and techniques for innovation, creativity, and enterprise and learn to evaluate different components for success in diverse business landscapes. A multi-faceted approach to learning, combining classroom-based lectures with practical workshops, gives you the opportunity to apply behaviours, skills, and attributes associated with entrepreneurial success in a productive learning environment. This module also focuses on academic literacies, including critical thinking, analysis, and evaluation of contested knowledge.

On successful completion of this module, you will have a strong foundation in the skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary to succeed in various business contexts.

You'll develop your data literacy skills, focusing on practical analytics tool applications (like Excel) to prepare you for data driven business environments. You'll learn to efficiently organise, process, analyse and visualise business data, and gain essential numerical, modelling and IT skills. These skills are taught in a business and problem-oriented way, using simplified business problems, and combining several skills for each problem. As you progress through the module you'll master core data literacy skills and be able to explore data trends relevant to real-world business contexts.

In this module you will start to develop the personal and professional skills and mindsets to help you transition into your studies and life at Oxford Brookes. Through this module you will join and help build a student community and together you will review and understand the key topics required for you all to become critical thinkers and to thrive as independent learners.

An introduction for you to the essential quantitative techniques that are relevant for studying economics, finance and business. You'll be made familiar with appropriate statistical software that can be used for applied economics analysis. Using Excel as the primary calculative software tool enhances your learning because you'll learn transferable employability skills, engage with real-world data and learn how to interpret your obtained results.

You'll progress your competence in the application of mathematical techniques relevant to problems in economics, finance and business, and grow your understanding of the essential mathematics of finance and develop an understanding of the basic techniques of optimisation in the context of economics, finance and business.

To give you an understanding of the complex and dynamic challenges of contemporary global labour markets, you’ll explore contemporary issues about work, employment and global labour markets throughout this module. You’ll also investigate the changing nature and organisation of work, inequalities at work, migration and labour mobility, identity at work, and the digital economy. These issues will be examined using a variety of institutional, organisational and individual theoretical perspectives.

From exploring post-industrial work and society within different institutional contexts, you’ll gain a key understanding of issues of diversity and inclusion at work, while gaining the intellectual skills required to critically research and review literature.

In this module, you’ll delve into the social issues and opportunities associated with international business, and the challenges associated with a dynamic business environment. To develop your understanding of globalisation, you’ll be provided with a thorough overview of current affairs. You’ll also explore international business, while considering issues of sustainability and equality.

By completing this module, you’ll be able to assess the management and operational environment in which international business operates, while also developing the ability to analyse specific international business, innovation and sustainability strategies pursued by firms (MNCs, SMEs, NGOs).

Focus on the skills of modelling and abstraction, and the use of generic business models to understand and analyse an organisation, taking information and process perspectives.

You'll look at information flows that provide an integrative element across organisational functions, as well as the role of data and information in supporting business processes and information flows decision making. You'll be helped to keep a perspective on your role in your field in the wider picture through a cross-functional picture of business and management.

This module will help you develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for making effective career decisions and managing your future career development, including transitions into graduate employment, self-employment or further study (including professional training courses) whether in the UK or overseas. In the context of the Business School commitment to responsible management education (PRME), this module will support you in taking an informed and critical view of the current and future world of work and consider your future role and responsibility, not only to yourself but also to others. This module will raise your awareness of the services and support offered by the Careers Service and OBBS WAVES (Work and Voluntary Employment) team. The aim is to encourage you to further develop your career by engaging in placements, internships, volunteering and other extracurricular activities offered by the University.

On this module, you’ll examine the nature of financial markets and the role of financial intermediaries. You’ll analyse the nature of market efficiency, and the extent to which asset prices reflect rational decisions in consideration of psychological or speculative factors. You’ll also explore comparative merits and the question of financial regulation. Different types of financial instruments and their valuation will also be explored.

Upon successful completion of this module, you’ll be able to assess institution-based and market-based finance in a variety of contexts, understand the main principles underlying asset pricing models, and resolve general problems in selecting investments in a global market.

This module will introduce you to the fundamentals of finance and to the finance function in a company or corporation. This will enable you to understand the sorts of decisions that are taken by financial managers along with their rationales. The content includes an explanation of the role of finance in business and the objectives of the finance function. You will also examine the decisions affecting capital structure and the cost of capital.

This module builds on your first year accounting study and focusses on areas in accounting appropriate to the needs of future managers and marketing professionals: financial analysis and management accounting decision-making and control.

You'll be able to critically evaluate the financial results of strategic and financing decisions as reported by companies in their annual reports. You'll be able to understand management accounting information and identify appropriate managerial actions in the interests of the organisation. You'll develop the confidence to use financial information independently as well as being able to work effectively with financial specialists.

This module is designed to provide practical guidance and support in undertaking a placement search, preparing for the placement experience, and succeeding in the modern workplace. Throughout the module, you will develop critical self-awareness and personal literacy skills, enabling you to self-reflect on your own strengths and weaknesses and target your placement search effectively. Additionally, you will also explore methods of effective and targeted placement search, increasing your chances of securing a placement.

In summary, this module is an essential component of your employability journey. By integrating with co-curricular activities, the module provides a holistic approach to employability, ensuring that students have a broad range of skills and experiences to draw upon in their future careers.

You’ll look at the environmental sustainability challenges facing society and businesses. You’ll discuss key environmental issues such as:

• global warming
• pollution
• biodiversity loss
• freshwater depletion.

You'll also look at the role of business in causing, as well as responding to, such issues.

You’ll explore macro (economic, policy, governance) as well as micro (organisational and individual) perspectives. You’ll also be introduced to a variety of stakeholder perspectives and frameworks for evaluating business responses. Through the module you’ll develop your key competencies for sustainability that are endorsed by UNESCO (2017) and the QAA/Advance HE (2021). The competencies are:

• systems thinking
• anticipatory thinking
• normative competency
• strategic thinking
• collaborative competency
• critical thinking
• self-awareness
• integrated problem-solving competency.

This module introduces the key forces shaping the international financial environment and the techniques organisations use to respond when making financial decisions. You’ll study capital flows, exchange rate determination, risk management in an international context, international investment decisions, and the financing of international activities. Core concepts of currencies and global markets will be explored on the Bloomberg terminal through two Bloomberg Market Concepts (BMC) modules on Currencies and Economic Indicators. Students will gain hands-on experience using Bloomberg functions, accessing international financial data and news, and developing practical analytical skills. Exposure to the Bloomberg environment adds value to students’ CVs, enhances employability and builds confidence in applying financial data in real-world contexts.

Through this module you will build a comprehensive understanding of the impact of family businesses and social economy organisations (SEO’s) on the business landscape.

Firstly you will focus on family businesses and develop your insight into the unique challenges, dynamics, and advantages of family-owned enterprises, along with the strategies for effective governance and smooth transition across generations. You will delve into the study of cooperatives, including definitions, types, principles/values, governance structures, and the benefits and challenges associated with them.

You will conclude the module by examining the role of SEOs in economic development and exploring the current state of SEOs in the business landscape. You will also look at the contribution of SEOs to sustainable economic growth and societal well-being.

In this module, you'll critically analyse the role of digital technologies in modern businesses. You'll explore software and hardware applications and evaluate their impact on competitive strategy and organisational change. Using a multidisciplinary approach, you'll cover topics like online and mobile channels, digital marketing, and business-to-business relations. You'll develop analytical and presentation skills to provide clear and concise reports, both individually and in teams.

This module prepares you to lead digital technologies in modern organisations, and it equips you with essential skills to evaluate the value of digital business development for businesses and sectors.

On this placement, you will be able to access a 40-52 week work-based learning or placement opportunity to help develop your employability and enterprise skills. You will gain first-hand knowledge and experience of making applications to, and working in, a placement role. You will set your own work-based targets and reflect upon your progress in the role you have on your placement. Halfway through your placement, you will make a presentation to your line manager and placement tutor which summarises your gained knowledge on your placement and the tasks you have/will complete in your placement role.

This is an opportunity for you to study Business topics abroad in order to experience a different national, educational and business culture and to build on your knowledge, understanding, skills and competencies you have acquired during the earlier part of your course. This will help you to develop those skills to a higher level and to acquire new skills. All the topics studied will be relevant to your degree.

You will undertake an international study exchange at a university outside the UK, arranged by the University’s exchanges office. This international study exchange lasts for one academic year and is taken after the conclusion of your second year of studies (Level 5).

This 24-week placement is your opportunity to develop your employability and enterprise skills, within the UK or Europe. You will gain first-hand knowledge and experience of making applications to, and working in, a placement role. You will set your work-based targets and reflect upon your success in your placement role. At the end of the placement, you will make a presentation to your line manager and placement tutor which summarises the knowledge and skills you have developed on your placement.

This module aims to begin to develop Pre-Master’s students’ academic reading, research and critical thinking skills in preparation for postgraduate study and to support the development of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) literacy skills.

The three main purposes of the module are to:

1. begin to develop academic reading skills to prepare for postgraduate study in the UK
2. to begin to develop skills in locating, evaluating and using appropriate sources with appropriate citation, and
3. to begin to develop the skill of responding critically to the content and context of reading.

On this module, you’ll develop a critical stance in investigating contemporary business and finance practices and issues. Using an informed and critical perspective, you’ll independently research from a range of sources including current research, newspapers and financial data.

You’ll develop skills required to evaluate current practice and research in the area of business and finance, and you’ll gain a systematic understanding of its key aspects.

This module provides an opportunity for you to investigate the forces shaping the contemporary financial system. You'll examine a variety of issues, taking the financial turmoil of 2007-2008 as a starting point. The emphasis will be on both the underlying causes of recent financial developments and the more general implications of these for our understanding of finance and on the possibilities open to regulatory authorities, companies, investors and other interested groups to respond to these developments.

This module provides you with an in-depth focus on the skills involved in evaluating business ideas, the practical steps involved in launching a business and the necessary processes of winning the finance. The module also addresses those issues that ventures must consider when planning an exit strategy and so focuses attention on the purpose of business enterprise. In Semester 1, this module explores contemporary theories of entrepreneurship and applies them to real life case studies. In Semester 2, the module focuses upon the preparation of a complete plan for a new business, capable of attracting funding.

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

• apply appropriate analytical concepts to provide support for untried venture proposals
• understand the range of technical issues faced by those in start-up ventures
• reflect on application of entrepreneurship theory, based on experience in a practical setting.

This module extends the basic theory of corporate finance covered in previous years by developing more complex approaches to financial management which can guide decision-making in the face of risk and uncertainty. It also examines corporate decisions concerning capital structure and the choice between internal and external finance and sets these decisions in the context of developments in a range of financial markets. Your learning outcomes include being able to apply investment appraisal techniques to conditions of risk and uncertainty, assess the impact of cost capital for businesses and understand the key principles and techniques of risk management.

On this module, you’ll explore contemporary issues in accounting and finance, in relation to developing a business. You’ll engage with factors such as culture, ethics and organisational size and form, to understand how they impact finance and accounting issues for business. You’ll also have the opportunity to develop digital research skills, while engaging with online reporting by corporations.

You’ll develop skills and knowledge central to organisational forms, organisational life cycles and different cultures.

This module is designed to address our changing world that is facing social and environmental challenges. You’ll develop the capacity to make ethically defensible decisions as members of business organisations and of society in general. You’ll analyse and evaluate the ethical propositions of others. And you’ll evaluate the ethics of different systemic models of production, distribution and exchange.Upon completing this module you will be able to evaluate and apply ethical reasoning to local and global business dilemmas and economic systems, and you’ll be able to evaluate the significance of a range of western and non-western ethical perspectives.

Throughout this module, you’ll explore the economic challenges of financing development in developing countries, while using internal and external sources of finance. You’ll investigate the difference between development and growth, the roles of public and private sector, financial dualism, credit market failures, micro finance and international capital flows.

Upon successful completion of this module, you’ll be able to interpret the implications of international financial flows on development, and you’ll gain an understanding of how a viable financial system can assist in economic growth and development.

The module covers a multi-disciplinary approach to contemporary issues in entrepreneurship allowing you to develop a well-rounded skill set. Throughout the module, you will learn from experts in the field and gain practical insights into entrepreneurship. You will have the opportunity to engage in practical learning, including research and working within a community of like-minded individuals, enhancing your personal and professional growth. Moreover, emphasis is placed on interaction within a research community, providing you with valuable teamwork and communication skills.

Overall, this module offers you a unique learning experience that combines academic rigour with practical insights, giving you a competitive edge in the job market while developing essential research and self-development skills.

You'll concentrate on developing an understanding of the wider strategic and tactical aspects of business analytics (including but not limited to Business Intelligence, Visualization, Data preparation etc) in order to apply in business decision making related to performance, operations, forecasting etc.

You'll also develop the underlying skills necessary to source and analyse both quantitative and qualitative data to produce knowledge for management decision-making. You'll enhance your practical capabilities to transform raw data into compelling, actionable insights and support strategic decision-making.

You'll gain the practical expertise needed to tackle real-world business analytics challenges and to contribute effectively to data-driven decision processes in professional settings, supporting your transition into analytical roles in various fields.

You will develop your critical and practical understanding of creating and analysing a sustainable investment portfolio. You’ll have access to our Bloomberg virtual trading terminals to develop your practical skills. You’ll also construct an investment portfolio aligned to sustainable investing principles.

This module will include focusing on practical aspects of portfolio management, including establishing key performance metrics, risk measurement and fundamental analysis.