BSc (Hons) in
Business and Management Studies
Course Handbook 2015/16
2015 Entry
Table of Contents
School of Business, Management and Economics ........................................................................................ 1
Course Handbook 2015/16 ........................................................................................................................... 1
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 2
Course Outline .............................................................................................................................................. 3
Modules and Convenors ........................................................................................................................... 3
Syllabus Year 1 ....................................................................................................................................... 4
Syllabus Year 2 ....................................................................................................................................... 4
Syllabus Final Year .................................................................................................................................. 5
Course Aims .................................................................................................................................................. 7
Learning Outcomes ....................................................................................................................................... 8
Assessment and Academic Progress ........................................................................................................... 10
Study Skills .............................................................................................................................................. 10
Essential Information .............................................................................................................................. 10
Formal Documentation ........................................................................................................................... 10
Library ......................................................................................................................................................... 11
Assessment Criteria .................................................................................................................................... 12
Exams, Essays and Reports ..................................................................................................................... 12
Presentations and Posters ...................................................................................................................... 14
External Examiners ................................................................................................................................. 14
Transferring to a Different Course .............................................................................................................. 15
Contact Details ............................................................................................................................................ 15
Information in this handbook may be subject to change. This version correct as of September 2015.
BSc (Hons) in Business and Management Studies | Course Handbook 2016/17
Introduction
This handbook summarises the most important aspects of practice and procedure in the management of
the department of Business and Managements Undergraduate taught courses, and is designed to
provide you with:
A clear outline of what you should expect in the management of your degree course;
A clear indication of what is expected of you during your time in Business and Management;
A convenient source of information about the mechanics of some of the more common
administrative procedures used during a students progress from admission to examination.
Welcome to the University of Sussex. I hope that you will enjoy studying with us and that you will learn a
lot that will be of use to you moving forward. The modules that you will be taking will be taught by
nationally and internationally recognized scholars from around the world and by our network of
successful local practitioners. This will enable you to learn about both the theory and practice of your
chosen area of study. You should find your studies challenging at Sussex but hopefully also rewarding as
they prepare you to make an impact in whatever you chose to do after you complete your degree. You
will also be studying with students from different backgrounds and there is a wealth of opportunity to
interact with other students on the Sussex campus. I hope that you will take the opportunity to interact
with people who are different to yourself and so develop your social skills, so important in global
businesses today. I wish you every success in your studies in the Department of Business and
Management at the University of Sussex.
It gives me a great pleasure to warmly welcome all students on our BSc Business and Management
Studies course. I hope it will be an exciting, life-changing and unforgettable journey during which you will
learn a lot. This course has been designed to give you the best chance to acquire broad knowledge of
business and management and develop your analytical skills in the context of the rapidly changing
business world. The course is very flexible and gives you the opportunity to develop and follow your own
interests, for example, through the choice of optional modules and a professional placement. I hope you
will enjoy your studies and I wish you the courage to open for new experiences and the strength to
approach all challenges with creativity. I believe strongly that the results that you will achieve are worth
all of the hard work that you will put in!
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BSc (Hons) in Business and Management Studies | Course Handbook 2016/17
Course Outline
There are two versions of this BSc course:
BSc (Hons) Business and Management Studies
BSc (Hons) Business and Management Studies (with a professional placement year)
Students on both versions study the same course, so this handbook is relevant to all. Students who do
not take a placement usually complete the course in three years. Students who take a placement will do
so in Year 3, before returning to the University to study their final year in Year 4.
Students on the Professional Placement version of the course will have their placement preparation
throughout the autumn of Year 2. A programme of events and activities is jointly organised by the
School and the Careers and Employability Centre to support students with their placement applications.
(Read more: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/bam/ugstudy/placements)
Each module is organised by a Module Convenor a member of faculty who designs and delivers the
module, and manages the assessments. Module material (including a module handbook, a reading list
and lecture slides) is provided by the Convenor on our intranet called Study Direct.
To progress on to the second year of your studies you will need 120 credits. This usually requires you to
pass all modules, but there is a provision within the University Exam Regulations for compensation in
two modules. There are two broad forms of assessment: coursework and exams. Coursework (e.g.
essay, report, oral presentation) takes place in the teaching block in which the module is delivered, and
exams are held in the assessment block after the teaching block is finished. A module is usually assessed
by more than one assessment and the marks achieved for the different assessments are combined to
produce a conflated mark for the whole module. The marks range from 0% to 100%. To pass the module
you need to achieve a conflated mark at or above 40%.
There are three types of modules: compulsory modules that we call core modules and modules that
you choose according to your interests which are called option modules and electives. Option
modules are typically focused on business and management topics and are organised by the School of
Business Management and Economics. Electives are modules organised by various departments across
the whole university and cover very wide range of topics.
Electives are a feature of undergraduate courses at Sussex and give students an opportunity to study
modules which are outside of their subject specialism. This can give a valuable new perspective, and it
contributes to the interdisciplinary flavour of UG provision at our University.
You will take four electives two in year 1 and two in year 2. You can choose them as you go along or
alternatively, you can follow a pathway, which is a set of four electives in which you develop knowledge
related to a specific area e.g. a foreign language. If you decide to take a pathway, you will need to
choose it in the first term of your studies. It is possible to leave the pathway later but it is not possible to
join a pathway in the second term of the first year or later. The electives/pathways that you choose will
distinguish you from other graduates so it is important to give it some thought. The list of available
electives and pathways can be found on the course website:
Electives http://www.sussex.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/2016/4872/32827#tab-current_electives
Pathways http://www.sussex.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/2016/4872/32827#tab-pathways
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BSc (Hons) in Business and Management Studies | Course Handbook 2016/17
Syllabus Year 1
The year 1 syllabus provides a broad introduction to the fundamentals of business and management, and to
the basic concepts of economics, business law, accounting, marketing and human resource management,
including methods and tools to develop your analytical skills. Each term you will take 3 core modules and 1
elective of your choice.
Term Rule Modules Credits
Elective Elective 15
Principles of Organisational Behaviour & Human Resource
Core 15
Management (N1062)
Core Introduction to Marketing (N1067) 15
Spring
Core Introduction to Accounting (N1086) 15
Elective Elective 15
Syllabus Year 2
The year 2 syllabus builds on the introduction provided in Year 1. The core modules providing in-depth
specialist knowledge in the area of innovation and project management are complemented by other core
management modules. In the autumn term you will take 2 core modules and you will choose 1 option
module and 1 elective. In the spring term, you will take 3 core modules and 1 elective of your choice.
Term Rule Modules Credits
Elective Elective 15
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BSc (Hons) in Business and Management Studies | Course Handbook 2016/17
Elective Elective 15
Subject to your results in Year 2, you may have the chance to take the Research Project module that entails
doing own research and writing a 7500-word dissertation. This module is worth 30 credits and therefore it
starts in the autumn term and continues into the spring term. Students on the Research Project module will
work closely with an academic supervisor to find a suitable topic and develop their research.
In the autumn term all students will take 3 core modules and 1 option module of your choice. In the spring
term all students will take 1 core module. Additionally students taking the Research Project module will take
2 option modules in the spring term while students who do not take the Research Project module will choose
3 option modules in the spring term.
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BSc (Hons) in Business and Management Studies | Course Handbook 2016/17
Course Aims
The BSc Business and Management Studies course is aimed at undergraduate students who wish to gain
a contemporary and forward-looking perspective on business and management studies. Managers need
a skill-set to enable them to react to the changing world and a vision to interpret the next step for their
organisation. In preparing for these challenges, this course provides a foundation in business and
management studies, alongside specialist studies in innovation and entrepreneurship key elements of
modern management and areas of expertise at Sussex.
In addition to a firm foundation in the theory of management, this degree will give students a
comprehensive introduction in business and management drawing on the expertise of faculty not only
from other departments in the School of Business, Management and Economics but also in other areas
of the University and external bodies.
Provide students with the knowledge and skills to equip them for a career in business and
management;
Provide students with a range of skills which will enable them to adapt and respond positively to
change;
Provide a grounding in general business and management studies alongside specialist studies in
innovation, CSR and project management;
Provide students with the opportunity to develop their own interests through their choice of
options;
Provide students with option choices which enable them to draw from a range of disciplines and
perspectives relevant to contemporary business and management;
Enable students to acquire and develop their analytical and critical skills in the field of
contemporary business and management;
Provide a platform for the recognition and resolution of managerial issues and problems that
will prepare the student for a career and subsequent professional development in a managerial
role.
A feature of the BSc Business and Management Studies course is the availability options from outside of
the Business and Management department which gives the course a unique flavour within our suite of
undergraduate degrees.
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BSc (Hons) in Business and Management Studies | Course Handbook 2016/17
Learning Outcomes
The BSc Business and Management Studies course provides opportunities for students to develop and
demonstrate knowledge and understanding, skills and qualities in the following areas:
Contextual Understanding Classify organisations in a wide range of different contexts, such as public,
private and not-for-profit, and describe their interaction with the external
environment.
Problem Analysis Identify an appropriate range of analytical tools to address business and
and Problem Solving Skills management problems, and report such analyses into a credible business
plan or a convincing critique of a specific business development.
Evaluation Skills Using visual and written media, observe and describe recent and current
developments in particular organisations and industries.
Research Skills Distinguish and synthesise research data from a variety of business and
research sources.
Analytical Skills Effectively apply qualitative and quantitative tools, methodologies and
(Data Collection and techniques to business and management problems, under varying
Analysis) conditions.
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BSc (Hons) in Business and Management Studies | Course Handbook 2016/17
Presentation and Draft technical reports and a dissertation (if selected) on business and
Writing Skills management issues, to a professional standard.
Effectively communicate by oral, written and visual means to a
professional standard.
IT Skills Use IT skills effectively; to include Word, Excel, PowerPoint and basic
database packages.
Written and Oral Prepare and present seminars to a professional standard, and be able to
Communication Skills answer questions on information presented in those seminars.
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BSc (Hons) in Business and Management Studies | Course Handbook 2016/17
Study Skills
To be successful you will need to develop excellent study skills. A website called Study Success at Sussex
(S3) includes very good materials that will help you to develop study skills. You are very strongly
recommended to use the S3 site regularly.
Essential Information
The Student Handbook is a comprehensive guide for Sussex students. Access it here:
Student Handbook
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/students/essentials/studenthandbook/
It very clearly explains the services, facilities and conventions of Sussex. This is all essential information
and it includes pages on assessment.
Formal Documentation
The definitive source of information on regulatory matters associated with assessment and classification
is published by the Academic Office, and is available here:
This is a version of the handbook used by Exam Board members when making progression and
classification decisions. It describes the regulations in formal terms.
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BSc (Hons) in Business and Management Studies | Course Handbook 2016/17
Library
The Library has a vast collection of books to support your study. It also gives you access to over 30,000
online journals and 50,000 e-books. To help you find what you need, we have a powerful discovery tool
called Library Search. It will provide you with full-text access to our journals and e-books, as well as
giving you shelfmarks for our print books and DVDs, to help you to locate them in the Library. Our
website will link you to Library Search, along with many other pieces of useful information:
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/library/
As well as Library Search, the Library also has a large number of databases and digital archives specific to
Business and Management. To help you find these databases and other resources, we have listed them
in our Subject Guide: http://guides.lib.sussex.ac.uk/Business_Management
The Library uses an online reading list system for your course materials. You will usually access your
reading list from your Study Direct module page, but you can also search for your reading list here:
http://liblists.sussex.ac.uk/
We run regular workshops and training sessions to help you find and use the Librarys resources, carry
out effective literature searches and understand how to cite and reference your sources. We also offer
online support through our InfoSuss tutorial, which takes you through searching techniques, as well as
providing an easy referencing guide: www.sussex.ac.uk/library/infosuss
Support for a wide range of skills, including Library and research skills, can be accessed via the Skills Hub.
It brings together all the workshops, web resources and services at Sussex that can help you with your
academic development: www.sussex.ac.uk/skillshub
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BSc (Hons) in Business and Management Studies | Course Handbook 2016/17
Assessment Criteria
Exams, Essays and Reports
Markers of exams, essays and reports will refer to the following criteria when marking your work. They
may also provide additional criteria specific to certain assessments.
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BSc (Hons) in Business and Management Studies | Course Handbook 2016/17
A mark in this range is indicative that the work is below, but at the upper end is
35-39 approaching, the standard required at the current level of your degree. It indicates weak
work of an inadequate standard. This will be because either the work is too short, is very
Marginal poorly organized, or is poorly directed at the written work title or question asked. It will
fail show very limited knowledge or understanding of the relevant course material and
display weak writing and/or analytical skills. Written work will exhibit no clear argument,
may have very weak spelling and grammar, very inadequate or absent references and/or
bibliography and may contain major factual errors. Quantitative work will contain
significant errors and incorrect conclusions.
A mark at this level is indicative that the work is far below the standard required at the
1-34 current level of your degree. It indicates that the work is extremely weak and seriously
inadequate. This will be because either the work is far too short, is badly jumbled and
Fail incoherent in content, or fails to address the written work title or question asked. It will
show very little evidence of knowledge or understanding of the relevant course material
and may exhibit very weak writing and/or analytical skills.
0 Student absent from examination or no script submitted
For many assessments you may also receive more specific guidance. This typically takes the form of
indicating where marks can be earned. For example in the first year Introduction to Business and
Management module students are required to produce a 1,000 word essay. The marks for this are
allocated in the following way:
The marks for your essay will be allocated in the following way
Please note that as in criterion 1 above we expect our students to produce work which is clearly written
and which is appropriate to the required format for the set assignment in this case an essay. We
expect work to be proof-read and to show good attention to the 'basics' of grammar and spelling. This is
something that comes naturally to many of our students but others need to develop their style
and standard of written English.
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BSc (Hons) in Business and Management Studies | Course Handbook 2016/17
The standards by which criteria for exams, essays, reports, presentations and posters are judged depend
on the level of the module. For example, for the work to be rated as excellent a higher level of
understanding is demanded from a third year student, compared with a first year student writing on the
same topic.
External Examiners
Each of the modules that you study are quality-assured by the involvement of senior academics from
other leading universities. These are our 'External Examiners' and their role is to ensure that your degree
from Sussex is of a standard that is in line with those from other universities. External examiners advise
us on our marking standards and on the design of our assessments. They also participate in our
examination boards.
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BSc (Hons) in Business and Management Studies | Course Handbook 2016/17
However, if you wish to transfer to the Accounting and Finance or Finance degree then you really need
to apply during the first two weeks of the autumn term. If you have not done so by then, and decide
later that you want to change, it is highly unlikely that your application will be successful as you will have
missed some specialised modules. If you wish to consider transferring to a new degree, please make an
appointment with your Academic Advisor to discuss the options available.
Contact Details
You should also keep in touch with your Academic Advisor, and contact the Student Life Centre for help
with any personal issues you face. Your course convenor should be able to help you find an answer to
any questions you have during your studies. Other useful contacts:
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