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Bachelor's degreeCourse Overview
How can marketers make use of new consumer trends to stand out from their competitors? And how should business leaders leverage their resources for success?
The fast-paced business world demands creativity, strategic thinking and dedication for companies to differentiate themselves from the crowd and be profitable, and this course allows students to develop those skills while exploring a wide range of essential business and marketing topics. Looking at real-world companies and examples, it’s not just theoretical knowledge that our students gain, but practical skills they can use within their current roles from day one.
After looking at the key areas of marketing, human resources, finance and business environment at level 4, you will delve into more specialist areas of study as you continue in the course, including:
- marketing communications through a wide range of media
- management of projects and working with stakeholders
- how online marketing fits into an overall business strategy
- how market research is used to formulate marketing decisions
- the global business environment, including challenges and opportunities
Your final year of study will culminate in an independent research project on a business or marketing topic of your choice, and will allow you to analyse and critically evaluate the results from research you have gathered yourself and put together a comprehensive and concise report. You will also give feedback on others’ reports, which will further build on the communication and evaluation skills you will have been developing throughout your studies.
Learning and assessments
Teaching methods
Studying online gives you the freedom to study when and where it suits you – at home, during your lunch hour or anywhere else you have internet access.
Our courses are delivered through a virtual learning environment (VLE) instead of a traditional campus. This means you will have access to your study materials 24/7, including:
- multimedia lecturecasts made up of written content, short videos, animation, audio recordings, infographics, short tests and mini-assignments
- discussion forums for you to chat about the course content with fellow students
- live Q&A sessions with your tutors
- a comprehensive eLibrary of textbooks and academic journals
- support from academic staff and your dedicated Student Support team
To ensure you receive the support you need from your tutor, we cap our class sizes at 20 students.
Assessment methods
Rather than fretting about exams, you will be assessed exclusively through assignments. This can be by engaging in discussion forums throughout your modules, completing reflective journal entries, or by submitting longer written pieces.
We are committed to providing frequent and transparent feedback through the following ways:
- Our assessment criteria are designed to be simple and transparent.
- You will always be aware of your current provisional grade, right from the start of the programme.
- You will be able to view your marks clearly in your gradebook whenever you log onto the learning platform.
- There is a 7-day turnaround for marking and feedback of assessed work.
- You will have regular contact with your Student Support team, with whom you can discuss any concerns as soon as they arise.
Study duration
Our BA (Hons) Business and Marketing has an indicative study duration of 4 years, which is a guide to how long your course will take to complete. The actual duration may be longer or shorter depending on your speed of study, study options chosen and module availability.
It’s possible to complete your studies faster than the indicative course duration by doubling up on modules at certain times; however, minimum study durations do apply.
Our academic year is organised into modules, typically with a one- or two-week break between modules and a structured three-week break for the Christmas period. Students will receive a course timetable during the application process.
All of our courses have regular start dates throughout the year.
On successful completion of your degree, you will be invited to attend a graduation ceremony at the University of Essex, Colchester Campus.
Entry requirements
We know that many people from non-traditional backgrounds would succeed on our courses! That’s why we offer two different entry routes, taking into account your prior work experience and relevant qualifications. You will also need to meet our English language requirements.
You will need to pass your first assignment set within the first three weeks of the course in order to continue with your studies.
Academic entry route
In order to satisfy the academic entry route requirements for our BA (Hons) Business and Marketing, you must have the following qualifications as a minimum:
- two A-levels or equivalent
Work experience entry route
In order to satisfy the work experience entry route requirements for our BA (Hons) Business and Marketing, you must meet the following criteria:
- GCSE Maths and English at grade C or above, or equivalent
- three years’ relevant work experience
English language requirements
As our courses are delivered in English, a high proficiency with English is required. If English is not your first language, your English ability should be equivalent to an IELTS (Academic) score of 6.0. Don’t worry if you don’t hold an IELTS or equivalent qualification – we offer a free online English test to assess your proficiency.
You don’t need to prove your English ability if you are a national of, or have completed a qualification equivalent to a UK degree in, any of these countries.
Course structure
The BA (Hons) Business and Marketing is made up of the following modules and, upon completion, is equal to a total of 360 credits.
