Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Business

at Birmingham City University - City Centre Campus United Kingdom

A law degree is an important first step into a career in law, as well as an important foundation on the route to many other careers, and Birmingham City University is a long-established provider of legal education to the Birmingham legal community and beyond.

This course has been developed to enable anyone wishing to qualify as a solicitor or barrister to undertake this first, important academic stage of their career. To achieve this, the course has been designed to align with the subjects that you will need to study further in order to successfully undertake the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), while also meeting the requirements of the Bar Standards Board for an undergraduate law degree.

What's covered in this course?

The study of law is both academic and practical, and therefore both of these are important elements in the LLB (Hons) degree at BCU. Theory and academic study are important on an LLB, but so too is the application of that knowledge, and so our LLB (Hons) degree offers plenty of opportunity for you to develop the practical lawyering skills, as well as the transferable skills enhancing your employability, that graduates will need when entering the workplace.

The different pathways on the LLB course will allow you to make decisions regarding the direction in which you want to take your studies, with named degrees in Law with American Legal Studies, Law with Business Law, and Law with Criminal Justice, as well as a broad range of optional modules ranging from more theoretical topics through to those aimed at the practical application of the law in real-world situations.

You will also have the opportunity to put those skills to practical use, both in the local community and beyond. Whether that is through our programme of placement opportunities with local providers such as Citizen’s Advice and various legal advice charities, through opportunities in the local legal community, or via BCU’s own Law Clinic, established to serve the local community from our City Centre campus, there are plenty of options available to you. You can also apply your legal knowledge further afield, through our US internship programme which has been placing students with attorneys throughout the US for over 20 years.

A professional placement year is also available, between years 2 and 3 of the degree, offering further opportunity for you to put your knowledge and skills to practical use, and thereby enhancing your CV further.

By focussing on the development of a range of transferable skills, the course employs numerous innovative assessment methods, going beyond the typical forms of written academic assessment.

You are also encouraged to engage in extra-curricular activities to support your learning, with student societies such as the highly successful Mooting Society. Furthermore, you will have the ability to engage with the wider Birmingham legal community through our connections with the Birmingham Law Society, the largest regional law society in the UK.

Our BEng (Hons) / MEng Electronic Engineering course will teach you a broad range of skills, helping you to become a rounded electrical engineer.

Throughout your degree study, you’ll have access to our state-of-the-art technology and resources, plus you’ll have the opportunity to secure yourself an industry placement, giving you instrumental electrical engineering work experience.

What's covered in this course?

The Electronic Engineering BEng (Hons) / MEng will give you an understanding of the social, commercial, legal, ethical, economic and environmental factors associated with engineering, as well as comprehensive knowledge of the science and mathematics associated with the discipline.

You will also develop the key transferrable skills that modern employers require, such as problem-solving, project planning, presentation and communication. Our competitions, such as the annual Engineering Show, which includes the international micro-mouse competition, gives you the opportunity to participate in a range of competitions centered on autonomous and non-autonomous robotic vehicles.

Our engineering courses focus on project-based activities, giving you lots of opportunity to work in teams on projects from design to implementation. This will give you practical experience of applying engineering science to real-world problems, working in multidisciplinary teams to develop your interpersonal skills, and prepare you for a key aspect of modern engineering practice.

Looking to study a postgraduate accounting and finance course in Birmingham? Our MSc Accounting and Finance degree is accredited by Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA).

Taught by professionally qualified academics with a wealth of industrial and professional experience, this CIMA accredited Master's course focuses on the practical application of accountancy in the real world and theoretical aspects of related research with a clear objective of preparing you for a career in accountancy, finance or management. You can maximise your CIMA exemptions by choosing particular modules, and get prepared for the remaining final (external) CIMA exam(s) at the end of the course.

The international focus of the course is derived through a variety of means including the study of international accounting standards, student body, the teaching team and the use of international teaching materials.

Professional Placement option

For our MSc Accounting and Finance degree, you will have the opportunity to take the Professional Placement version of the course, which is offered as an alternative to the standard version of the course.

This will allow you to complete a credit-bearing, 20-week Professional Placement as an integral part of your Master’s Degree. The purpose of the Professional Placement is to improve your employability and transferable skills. The placement experience will allow you to evidence your professional skills, attitudes and behaviours at the point of entry to the postgraduate job market.

You will be responsible for finding and securing your own placement. The University, however, will draw on its extensive network of local, regional and national employers to support you in finding a suitable placement to complement your chosen area of study, with support from our Careers+ team as well as advice and guidance from your School.

Looking for a security studies Master’s in Birmingham? Our MA Security Studies is open to graduates from all subjects.

The subject of security has considerable contemporary relevance, both nationally and internationally. A long and diverse list of issues have been characterised as security threats from warfare to global warming.

On this Master's you will consider events such as these across a range of different perspectives discussing their implications for security at the international, national and local levels as well as their relevance to different actors such as the state and the individual.

For example, the ongoing Syrian civil war and the breakdown of the Syrian state may represent a security risk for the UK by giving groups likes ISIS the space to operate and potentially attack the West. However, if we alter our focus we quickly become aware of a range of different insecurities felt by civilians displaced from their homes and struggling to survive as a result of the conflict.

Whether you're a recent graduate or returning to study after a break, our postgraduate courses in Instrumental Performance provide you with advanced-level training in your principal study area, preparing you for a solo, chamber or orchestral career, alongside excellent opportunities to develop other skills relevant to a future career in the music profession.

These courses are open to students pursuing orchestral instruments, keyboard instruments and other solo instruments such as recorder, guitar and saxophone. There is also a Chamber Music route for string ensembles.

We also offer a 'multi-instrument' specialism for woodwind players who do not wish to follow the traditional orchestral route, but would prefer to pursue a career as a multi-instrumentalist in musical theatre. All principal study woodwinds instruments welcome but aimed primarily at saxophone, flute and clarinet players, this course will train multi-instrumentalists to a professional level.

BEng (Hons)/MEng Mechanical Engineering degree will develop you as a skilled engineer capable of undertaking mechanical engineering tasks within and across organisations. The course focuses on the importance of sustainable futures and the Government's STEM agenda, in order to give you the knowledge and attributes you will need to thrive in this ever-changing industry.

You'll work on industry-standard analytical tools, develop your design skills, as well as exploring a wide range of facilities, such as our test cell and exhaust analysis equipment.

Our engineering courses focus on project-based activities, giving you lots of opportunity to work in teams on projects from design to implementation. This will give you practical experience of applying engineering science to real-world problems, working in multidisciplinary teams to develop your interpersonal skills, and prepare you for a key aspect of modern engineering practice. Problem-solving and project management are key skills for an engineer, and our focus on practical experience will help to improve your skills in these highly sought-after areas.

During your studies, you will use the latest tools and technologies, developing new skills at an advanced level. The course will encourage your creative thinking and develop your engineering leadership skills. Building on a foundation of the generic skills required by tomorrow’s engineers, you will also explore the wider context of engineering, as well as the application of advanced engineering principles to solve problems through research and development. You’ll engage in independent study and systematic enquiry at an advanced level and take responsibility for the conclusions drawn from it.

You will have lots of opportunity to apply industry-standard modelling and simulation techniques to the analysis, specification and design of mechanical engineering systems so that you are able to apply your knowledge and theory to a practical situation. In this way, we make sure you are ready to step straight into employment.

In this course you will learn how to analyse risk and make credit decisions, how to deal with small and large business firms, and how to manage a bank treasury operations.

In addition to traditional banking skills, the course will provide skills in areas, which have become very popular in recent years such as digital banking, cryptocurrencies, initial coin offerings, etc. The main part of all modules including the assessment will be based on real-life case studies and exercises. Staff involved in designing this course have significant practical experience of working in these areas.

The proposed content of the course will be related to those offered by Chartered Banker Institute (CBI) helping students to gain Advanced Diploma in Banking and Leadership in Digital Age or Professional Banker Certificate. This course prepares you for such positions as credit and loan officer, financial advisor, risk manager, treasury specialist, underwriter etc.

You will be taught by highly qualified academics with industrial and professional experience and actively involved in research. MSc Banking and Finance is the second most popular Master’s program in finance in the UK according to ABS data. The banking sector is one of the most successful and one of the most stable sectors in the UK and England.  The banking sector has also been strongly growing in Birmingham in recent years with some banks moving their headquarters from London including HSBC.

Professional Placement option

For our MSc Banking and Finance degree, you will have the opportunity to take the Professional Placement version of the course, which is offered as an alternative to the standard version of the course.

This will allow you to complete a credit-bearing, 20 week Professional Placement as an integral part of your Master’s Degree. The purpose of the Professional Placement is to improve your employability and transferable skills. The placement experience will allow you to evidence your professional skills, attitudes and behaviors at the point of entry to the postgraduate job market.

The MSc in Real Estate Management course is an interdisciplinary Master’s program that fuses economic, social and environmental perspectives within a framework for identifying, assessing, designing, delivering and evaluating effective real estate interventions and responses.

What's covered in this course?

Our program reflects synergies with the Master’s courses in Planning Built Environments and Environmental Surveying in order to create a program that works across the whole built environment profession and disciplines.

The program focuses on the interaction between business and legal processes on property ownership and management. It integrates technological, financial, legal and management issues as they relate to property matters.

The theoretical underpinning of the course is rooted in real estate which stresses the need for interdisciplinary approaches and solutions.

This course will help you to connect the theory and practice of real estate to a range of real-life case study challenges. It will give you a framework of knowledge, skills and tools to start understanding the complex world of property, whilst supporting you to become an independent learner and reflective practitioner.

Our program builds on applied academic research and contemporary real estate practice. The course design and delivery utilises our expertise across real estate, sustainability and planning and also brings in external experts and practitioners to address key challenges and opportunities within practice.

Our real estate degree courses are designed and developed with support from relevant professional bodies (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) and local professional individuals and practices. Owing to the need to meet these professionally-set learning outcomes, there is little choice in modules within these programs, although it is possible to begin to specialise with dissertation and project topics.

Our practical postgraduate fashion design course is an ideal choice if you are passionate about developing a career in Fashion Design.

You’ll develop all the skills and knowledge needed to strengthen your personal creativity and style by taking a professional approach to fashion design.

You will plan your career and benefit from a series of topical lectures which explore major issues linked to the world of fashion design, followed by talks from leading industry practitioners. Many of our graduates go on to start up their own, or even develop existing family businesses.

What's covered in this course?

Your learning will be focused on studio and workshop practice, featuring personal programs of study and joint lectures and seminars.

You’ll also enjoy specialist interpretations of art, craft and design supported by our highly experienced course team.

Based at our city-center Parkside campus, you will have access to a wide range of conventional and CAD facilities available including digital print, digital Jaquard and a Gerber fashion CAD suite, as well as the opportunity to collaborate with a faculty full of creative students.

Your learning environment will encourage you to become an adaptable, flexible and knowledgeable graduate, equipped to pursue a career in the fashion industry.

The MA in Data Journalism is a cutting-edge course designed to give you the interactive storytelling skills needed to work within a growing number of jobs in the media and beyond.

The course has relationships with Huffpost and the BBC, as well as a number of other organisations covering broadcast, online and print data journalism, all of which are keen to bring in the skills that you will be developing on the course. You should indicate on your application in you wish to be considered for opportunities with those organisations during the course.

Studying under internationally renowned course leaders in a city with a vibrant cultural sector, and with access to a range of media organizations, you’ll learn exciting new skills in data journalism and interactive storytelling across a range of contexts, from mobile-first data journalism on social platforms to practising data-driven journalism within online and broadcast newsroom contexts. Partnerships with newspaper, magazine, online and broadcast organisations provide unique opportunities for students to build contacts and experience, and work on live projects.