Curious about studying Business Management - BA (Hons)at Abertay University? We've gathered all the key details—entry requirements, modules, fees, and more. Hear from real students by checking out reviews, or take the next step by booking an open day to explore it for yourself.
Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Abertay University
Full Time
Sep 2026
4 Year
This Business Management degree teaches you how to improve productivity, performance and profits. Develop all the business insights and expertise you need to position organisations for a sustainable future. Through our outstanding industry links, you'll find out how businesses really operate via expert guest speakers, projects tackling real life business problems, work placements and offsite visits.
Work placement and study abroad optionsWe put your employability at the forefront by focusing on current themes in business management. There are work placement options, and you can apply to study abroad as well. You'll gain a deeper understanding of the complexities of business life by going beyond the classroom and working on extra-curricular activities such as the IBM international Business Challenge.
Become a skilled business professionalWe teach you how to thrive in today's fast-paced global economy. Studying here is not just about getting a job, it's about having the right educational experience that helps you to become a skilled business professional in fields like accounting, marketing, business or human resources (HR). You'll develop all the knowledge and transferrable skills you need to become a professional manager in any organisation. So whether your ambition is to start your own business, or work for someone else, your skills and expertise will be relevant all over the world.
Scotland’s Top Modern University for Student SatisfactionAbertay is widely regarded as THE place to come for student satisfaction and high quality teaching. But don't take our word for it: *
Scotland's Top Modern University for Student Satisfaction(The Complete University Guide 2027 and Times Good University Guide 2026). *
UK Top 10 for Student Experience(The Times Good University Guide 2025 and The Daily Mail University Guide 2024). *
Top Scottish Modern University(Guardian University Guide 2026).
This module builds on your existing knowledge of human resource management and deepens your understanding of HRM theory and practice. You will explore how HRM principles are applied in contemporary organisations, examining both strategic and operational perspectives, and develop the skills to critically evaluate HRM approaches in real'world contexts. Indicative content - Introduction to HRM : Theoretical perspectives to HRM; practical approaches to HRM. - Context and HRM: National, international, occupational, organisational and individual contexts of HRM in theory and in practice. - Strategic HRM: I ntroduction to strategic human resource management; ‘best fit’ and ‘best practice’ approaches. - HRM, work and wellbeing: Fair work; dignity at work; mental health and stress at work; the benefits and challenges of flexibility. - HRM, equality and diversity: Inequalities in the labour market and in the workplace; managing diverse workforce. - Managing conflict in the workplace : Conflict in the employment relationship; misbehaviour, discipline and grievance procedures; bullying and harassment; disputes. - Contemporary HRM trends and future challenges: Continuity and change in work and employment; gig economy; (ir)responsible HRM.
This module introduces the core principles of business analytics, focusing on descriptive and predictive approaches. Designed for students with or without prior higher'level study in statistics, it builds on introductory concepts to develop practical skills in analysing and interpreting data. You will learn how to summarise and visualise information, identify patterns and trends, and apply predictive techniques to support effective decision'making in business contexts. Indicative content - Control and Quality of Decisions: Explore whether decision'making is rational or emotional, what makes for a good decision, and whether it is an art or a science. Study the role of data and information, the characteristics of good information, and the applications of big data and analytics, including their use in the finance function to create organisational value. - Basic Business Data Analysis Using Excel: Apply digital technologies in the finance function to demonstrate trends and patterns, prepare trend equations using graphical methods or regression analysis, and evaluate the limitations of forecasting models. - Business Decision'Making in Practice: Examine the opportunities and challenges of emerging technologies in business, review the key features of data protection and privacy regulations when handling data, and engage with business simulations to apply decision'making in realistic contexts.
The module aims to develop your awareness of the business challenges associated with sustainable business creation and development, and to provide you with the knowledge and skills required to make a convincing case for investment in a sustainable business idea. Indicative content - People: Beautifying Business − Opportunity or gimmick: Managing the triple bottom line; Business boundaries, doing more with less; strategies for sustainable business development; Business and the planet; Sustainable entrepreneurship and new business models, Corporate social responsibility - Profit: Ethical investing and responsible investment: Responsible investment and the cost to society and the individual. - Planet: Environment, enterprise and innovation: Wealth from Waste… Students will be encouraged to consider opportunities for innovation which identify revenue streams arising from re−use of waste materials - Energy Enterprise: Ideas and innovation which maximise current energy sources or innovate in the realm of renewable energy production/storage/delivery; Planet Premium and Ecosystem Services… acknowledging and valuing benefits and services delivered by the natural environment. Payment for ecosystem services, willingness to pay.
Please note: If you are a Direct Entrant (new student) to this year of study and have not previously taken module ABE101, then you MUST take ABE201 as your Term 2 microcredential module. If you have previously taken ABE101, then you are NOT permitted to take ABE201 in Term 2. Starting university brings new opportunities and challenges, and every student’s journey is different. This microcredential helps you settle into life at Abertay and build the habits that lead to success. You’ll hear from current students sharing their own tips, and reflect on the areas you most want to develop. You’ll get to know Abertay’s systems, explore what makes a successful student and practise core skills such as time management, referencing, academic writing style and using support services. By the end, you’ll have the tools and strategies you need to thrive at university. Indicative content - Navigating Abertay Systems: Get to know the key systems you’ll use at Abertay—such as MyLearningSpace, MS Teams, OASIS and MyAbertay—and learn how to use them effectively. - Expectations of University and You: Explore what’s expected of you as a student and what you can expect from the university. Topics include the code of conduct, independent and blended learning, how courses are structured, health and safety, and the Abertay attributes. - Abertay Discovery Tool: Complete the Discovery Tool to identify your strengths and areas for development across five themes: studying at university, academic skills, digital skills, careers and employability, and wellbeing. - Fundamentals of University: Learn how modules work, how assessments are set, and how to use assignment briefs and feedback to improve your work. - Understanding, Searching and Evaluating Information: Develop strategies for finding and assessing reliable information, building your confidence in research and study skills. - Successful Student Behaviours: Practise the habits that help you succeed: managing time, avoiding procrastination, effective note-taking, preparing for classes, developing a growth mindset, and making use of student support services. - Referencing: Understand academic integrity and why referencing matters. Learn how to avoid plagiarism, create in-text citations and reference lists, and use digital tools to manage your sources. - Sounding Academic: Discover what lecturers mean by “academic style” and how to use the right language in your writing. Learn the rules of academic writing, how to paraphrase effectively, and how expectations differ between school/college and university. You’ll also explore how assessments, marking and feedback work.
The tools and techniques associated with managing projects. You will carry out an investigation into a project failure and recommend alternative actions which could have been taken. Indicative content - Project management and project teams: Interpreting project specifications and objectives, and the requirements of project stakeholders; Key project challenges for individuals and groups: reviewing the key priorities of time and project management; Understanding the role of a project leader; Understanding team work and how effective teams function; Creating and contributing to effective project teams; Managing teams through project delivery; maintaining goal focus, and managing problems. - Project analysis and planning: Analysing project requirements and sub-tasks; Estimating timelines; deadlines and milestones and activity durations; Constructing a project schedule; Resourcing projects; Allocating and smoothing resources; Using Gantt charts to allocate and monitor resource allocation; Project management tools; Using project management software. - Managing projects: Dealing with project risk; Evaluating the probability and potential impact of risk; contingency planning for risk management; project tracking and revision to completion; Evaluating project delivery and management: Analysing the effectiveness of project management processes and the impact of project delivery and non-delivery. - Project management methodologies: Understanding the use of project management methodologies such as Prince2 and SCRUM; their benefits and challenges; adjusting your methodology to the size of the project.
This module explores the concept and practice of digital transformation, understood as the fundamental rewiring of how organisations operate to create value through technology at scale. You will examine how digitalisation drives value creation both through the development of new digital products and the transformation of existing business processes. Emphasis is placed on the change process involved in becoming digital, alongside the organisational, strategic and cultural outcomes that digitalisation must deliver. By the end of the module, you will have a critical understanding of how digital transformation reshapes business models, operations and value creation in contemporary organisations. Indicative content - Meaning and Scope of Digital Transformation: Introduction and overview of current trends and issues, and the goals of digital transformation. - Digital Platforms and Technologies: Explore how digital platforms create value, and examine the role of AI, Big Data and Business Intelligence in shaping organisational impact. - Approaches to Digital Transformation at an Organisation: Learn how to get started by setting goals, identifying competencies and resources, and creating an implementation framework for transformative value. - Digital Innovation: Analyse successful and unsuccessful examples of digital innovation, their impact on organisational transformation, and approaches taken by both large and small organisations, including strategies for imitation and protection. - Deriving Value from Social Media: Investigate how digital platforms can optimise customer relationship management and strengthen engagement. - Digital Transformation and AI: Understand the value AI can deliver for organisations, with examples of its utilisation in digital transformation. - Dealing with Disruptive Innovations: Examine disruptive innovation, barriers to imitation, and strategies for successful adaptation. - Benefits and Risks of Digital Transformation: Identify and maximise the benefits of digital transformation for organisations and stakeholders, while recognising and mitigating associated risks.
Current thinking on the effects of globalisation and culture on management practice and how national cultures shape the processes of employee development and organisational performance. Indicative content - Introduction: The Theoretical Background: Explore the meaning and importance of managing across cultures, including perceptions and models of culture, cultural differences in organisation theory and management studies, convergence and divergence theories, and approaches to managing in different countries. - Managing in the Anglo'Saxon Countries: Analyse the Anglo'Saxon approach to management, with a focus on practices in the USA and the UK. - Managing in Asian Countries: Examine the influence of Confucianism, Communism and economic dynamism on management and organisation in East Asia, with case studies from China, Japan and South Korea. - Managing in Western European Countries: Study Francophone, Germanic and other European models of management, considering the impact of EU integration and expansion on employment and labour markets, with examples from France and Germany. - Managing in Less Developed Countries: Investigate the legacy of colonialism and dependency, and the effects of international trade, technology transfer, ideologies and religious beliefs on management and organisation in selected African and Middle Eastern countries. - Contemporary Issues of Cross'Cultural Management: Consider global ethics and labour markets, including gender, race, disability and age concerns, and explore international organisations’ responses to changing demographics, skills shortages, diversity management and the use of IT in international HRM. - Managing Diverse Groups in the UK: Understand the manager’s role in promoting inclusive development and staff wellbeing, ensuring person'centred communication, and safeguarding staff and customers from different cultural backgrounds
In this module, you will explore established graduate employability frameworks and investigate how to apply them to your own career development. You will learn how to align your skills, knowledge and experience with the expectations of prospective employers, enabling you to identify areas for growth and strengthen your employability profile Indicative content - Understanding Theoretical Frameworks of Graduate Employability: Explore the nature and purpose of modern concepts and frameworks of graduate employability, and how they shape opportunities in the workplace. - Understanding Employers’ Needs: Analyse current trends in your chosen field of employment, examine employers’ requirements for staff, and consider how these expectations evolve over time. - Assessment of Personal Employability: Investigate the range of skills and attributes employers seek in your field, and assess your own employability to identify strengths and areas for development.
The societal and political pressures organisations face to rapidly reach achieve zero carbon emissions. Develop the skills needed to evaluate an organisation's current environmental impact and create and implement a new strategy to reduce this impact. Indicative content - Environmental Stewardship: Examine why environmental stewardship is essential for businesses, and why its importance will continue to grow in the future. - Evaluating Impact: Explore methods for assessing an organisation’s current environmental impact. - Implementing Your Vision: Define initiatives to bridge the gap between the current state and future goals, and construct a roadmap for achieving the vision. - Managing Change: Introduce business process transformation methodologies, supported by technology and tools, that increase efficiency and reduce waste, such as IBM’s Green Sigma methodology. - Frameworks for Going Green: Study frameworks for developing and implementing a green strategy, and analyse the benefits organisations have achieved in each strategic area.
You'll combine theory and practice to examine organisational change and transformation in times of uncertainty. Indicative content - Analysing change contexts and drivers: The change context: globalisation, technology, and changing market dynamics; change management and sustainability. - Theories of change and approaches to change management: Models of change and change management; transformational change and organisations; Critical discourse in change management. - Human resources issues in change management: Participative change; managing psychological contracts, social identity, stakeholder dynamics; voice, dialogue and rethinking resistances in change; Culture, habits and unlearning. - Change in context: (this will change each year and will form the basis of the guest lectures). - Leading and managing change: Transactional and transformational leadership; values and value-based systems in transformational change.
In this module, you’ll explore how organisations create and sustain competitive advantage in today’s dynamic business environment. You’ll learn about the key concepts, tools and approaches that underpin strategic management, from analysing markets and competitors to making and implementing strategic choices. You’ll also examine how strategy operates within the public sector and consider the challenges of turning strategic plans into effective action. Indicative content - Strategy and the organisation: Understanding of strategy. Strategy, tactics, operations. - The context of strategy: Industry analysis: turbulences and dynamics. Porter’s five forces. - Business level strategy, corporate level strategy, network level strategy: Levels of strategy and sources of competitive advantage. - Generic strategies, hybrid strategy - Strategy as value creation - Strategy in the public sector - Public-private partnership as strategic tool of public sector management
This module introduces you to the principles and practices of operations management — the discipline concerned with turning inputs into outputs efficiently and effectively. You’ll explore key areas including supply chain management, logistics and process improvement. Through theory and practical application, you’ll learn how to evaluate and enhance operations across different markets and contexts, and examine how business process redesign and re-engineering can drive lasting improvements in organisational performance. Indicative content - Operations Management in its Organisational Context: The operations function within the organisation and its relationship with other functional areas; The role of the operations manager. - Introduction to Supply Chain Management: The supply network; designing the supply chain (make or buy); supply chain stages; uncertainly and risk factors, value chain. - Designing the process: Analysing, Designing, Developing, Implementing and Evaluating in business process redesign (The ADDIE Model). - Capacity Management: Demand v. production, models of capacity planning, measuring capacity (utilisation and efficiency calculations). - Inventory Management: Why hold stock? Costs of inventory, ABC analysis, economic order quantity, inventory management strategies. - Digitalisation in Operations Management, supply chain and logistics: Operations 4.0, Supply chain and logistics 4.0, E-supply chain, IT application in supply chain system, enterprise resource planning, technology strategies. - The end-to-end supply chain: Purchasing and supply, materials and distribution management, logistics, balancing flow within a supply chain, managing bottlenecks and restrictions. - Outsourcing: Make or buy decisions in sourcing strategy; supplier selection; outsourcing supply chain management; co- ordinating supply and managing supplier relationships & partnerships, supply chain risks management. - The customer interface: Meeting customer requirements, forecasting demand, lean operations and JIT, lean principles, reducing waste. - Contemporary supply chain dynamics: Supply chain measures, six sigma, strategic alliances and collaborative partnerships, characteristics of supply chains in the contemporary global economy.
This module provides a framework for the study of the challenges of managing in complex international business environments. Indicative content - Introduction: The theoretical background: Globalisation and international business, Analysis of international external business environment, political factors, economical factors, social factors, technological factors and implications for international managers; International trade theories and practices. - International Business Strategies: Modes of entries, International strategic management, International organizational design, International marketing and International operations management, International financial management. - International and cross-cultural management: International dimensions of culture, Understanding various dimensions of culture, Hofstede's (1980) national culture approach and Trompenaars (1993) cultural dimensions; Implications for international managers; Managing employee relations in multiple contexts. - Managing in international contexts: Culture and negotiations: Understanding the relationship between culture and negotiations; how to reconcile possible conflicts regarding differences in culture and negotiations. - Contemporary issues in managing international business: Managing international work assignments, Understanding the implications of CSR on MNE decision making.
In this module, you’ll explore the challenges modern businesses face in balancing profit with purpose. You’ll examine how companies are expected to deliver financial performance while also acting responsibly toward stakeholders and the environment. The module will help you understand how sustainability and ethics are reshaping business strategy and decision making. Indicative Content - Conceptualising corporate responsibility: The development of 'corporate social responsibility'; people, equality and justice; diversity and inclusion in the workplace; theorising 'ethical' corporate conduct - Dimensions of corporate responsibility: Corporate criminality; ethical consumerism; ESG investment; environmental sustainability - Key debates in corporate responsibility: Corporate social responsibility: reality or rhetoric? The possibilities and limits of environmental sustainability
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