From day one, you’ll be treated as a future business professional. You'll develop essential skills for a wide range of careers and receive tailored support with job applications, CV writing, and interview preparation.
University of the Year finalist
Recognised for our graduate success, we’re shortlisted for University of the Year in the Times Higher Education Awards 2025.
Overview
This one-year top-up degree is designed for students who already hold a Higher National Diploma (HND), Foundation Degree, or equivalent qualification in a business-related discipline. Upon successful completion, you’ll graduate with the same award as those who have completed a full three-year undergraduate degree in Business Management, opening doors to a wide range of career opportunities and postgraduate study.
Throughout the course, you’ll deepen your understanding of core business principles while exploring topics such as organisational value, international business strategy, and areas of business that align with your personal interests and career goals.
You’ll benefit from a blend of academic theory and practical application, guided by experienced lecturers and industry professionals. Real-world learning is embedded through live client projects, business simulations, interactive workshops, and case studies. Previous collaborations have included leading organisations such as Shell, Barclays Bank, and the BBC, offering valuable insights into professional practice.
This course is ideal for those seeking to enhance their employability, develop strategic thinking, and gain a competitive edge in the business sector. You’ll graduate with a versatile skill set, including critical analysis, problem-solving, communication, and decision-making, all of which are highly valued by employers across industries.
Whether you're aiming for a career in management, consultancy, entrepreneurship, or further study, this top-up degree provides the academic foundation and practical experience to help you succeed.
Part-time work experience
You can earn money and get experience relevant to your degree with our Springboard Programme. Our placement team will match you with local businesses and regional employers.
Recent students have gained experience in a range of roles, including marketing and events support at the Museum of Royal Worcester, serving as IT assistants in local schools, and conducting a sustainability audit for a local health product company.
Course content
Through timetabled lectures, seminars and independent study; you’ll explore many areas of business management. Optional modules and projects will help you focus on your specialist interests throughout the course.
We regularly review our courses to reflect the latest research and developments in the subject area, as well as feedback from students, employers and the wider sector. As a result, modules may change to ensure the course remains current and relevant.
Optional modules will run if enough students choose to study them. It is not guaranteed that all modules will be offered every year.
Optional modules
Careers
This course offers excellent preparation for a broad spectrum of careers across the private, public, and voluntary sectors. It is particularly well-suited for those seeking early-career roles as trainee managers, especially in fields such as sales, customer service, and recruitment.
This degree could be the first step toward your career as a:
- Business development manager
- Project manager
- Management consultant
- Public relations officer
- Business advisor
- Finance manager
Opportunities to progress
You could choose to progress onto a postgraduate degree to take your learning even further. For example our Master of Business Administration (MBA), Marketing MSc or Human Resources MSc.
Course highlights
Teaching and Assessment
Through a combination of independent study, engaging teaching, and personalised support from our academics, you’ll have the opportunity to reflect on your progress and develop a strong portfolio of skills, achievements, and experiences that will empower you to thrive and develop your career within business.
Teaching and assessment contents
You will be taught through a combination of interactive workshops, lectures, seminars, laboratory practical sessions, fieldwork, practical activities, etc. Interactive workshops take a variety of formats and are intended to enable the application of learning through discussion and small group activities. Seminars enable the discussion and development of understanding of topics covered in lectures, and laboratory practical sessions are focused on developing subject specific skills and applied individual and group project work.
In addition, meetings (both individual and group) with personal academic tutors are scheduled throughout the academic year. There is an opportunity to undertake a yearlong placement in the third year of the course, supervised by a work-based mentor and a University tutor. Depending upon the course, there may be an opportunity to study abroad at one the exchange partner universities.
The University places emphasis on enabling students to develop the independent learning capabilities that will equip them for lifelong learning and future employment, as well as academic achievement. A mixture of independent study, teaching and academic support from Student Services and Library Services, and also the personal academic tutoring system enables students to reflect on progress and build up a profile of skills, achievements and experiences that will help them to flourish and be successful graduates.
Meet the team
Here are a few of the lecturers who may teach you during your studies..
Dr Sajad Rezaei
Dr. Sajad Rezaei is a senior lecturer in digital marketing at Worcester Business School, University of Worcester. He has published over 70 papers in world-leading publishers and supervised more than 200 students at the undergraduate, postgraduate, executive MBA, DBA, and PhD levels.
Rowena Simmons
Rowena is a Lecturer in Digital Business and teaches on a variety of undergraduate modules. Her areas of expertise include digital business, digital technology, e-commerce, and international trade.
Rowena is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and holds an MBA in Executive Leadership and Management.
Before venturing into academia, Rowena distinguished herself as an entrepreneur, founding several companies, including Black & White Boutique, Franco Florenzi, and Enjiie.
Boyd Hargreaves
Prior to taking up a position at the University of Worcester, Boyd was an assistant principle (Head of Sixth Form) in a large 11-18 school. He also worked for 3 years at Trinity and All Saints College (University of Leeds) lecturing on undergraduate management programmes and worked as a PGCE mentor and sessional lecturer at Huddersfield University. He has over 25 years teaching experience in the economics and business studies field on both undergraduate and post graduate courses.
Dr Sajad Rezaei
Dr. Sajad Rezaei is a senior lecturer in digital marketing at Worcester Business School, University of Worcester. He has published over 70 papers in world-leading publishers and supervised more than 200 students at the undergraduate, postgraduate, executive MBA, DBA, and PhD levels.
Rowena Simmons
Rowena is a Lecturer in Digital Business and teaches on a variety of undergraduate modules. Her areas of expertise include digital business, digital technology, e-commerce, and international trade.
Rowena is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and holds an MBA in Executive Leadership and Management.
Before venturing into academia, Rowena distinguished herself as an entrepreneur, founding several companies, including Black & White Boutique, Franco Florenzi, and Enjiie.
Entry requirements
You must have successfully completed the first two years of a degree, or have obtained an HND or Foundation degree in Business.
Any questions?
If you have any questions about entry requirements, please call our Admissions Office on 01905 855111 or email admissions@worc.ac.uk.
Fees
Fees contents
UK and EU students
In 2026/27 the standard fee for full-time home and EU undergraduate students on BA/BSc/LLB degrees and FdA/FdSc degrees is £9,535 per year (subject to changes in the government tuition fee cap).
Tuition fees are reviewed annually and may increase each year for both new and continuing students.
For more details on course fees, please visit our course fees page.
International students
In 2026/27 the standard tuition fee for full-time international students enrolling on BA/BSc/LLB degrees and FdA/FdSc degrees is £17,200 per year.
Tuition fees are reviewed annually and may increase each year for both new and continuing students.
For more details on course fees, please visit our course fees page.
How to apply
How to apply contents
Applying through UCAS
UCAS is the central organisation through which applications are processed for full-time undergraduate courses in the UK.
Read our how to apply pages for more information on the application process, or if you’d like to apply for part-time study.
Contact
If you have any questions, please get in touch. We're here to help you every step of the way.
Admissions Office
admissions@worc.ac.uk01905 855111More to explore
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