
BSc (Hons) International Business and Management
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The BSc International Business and Management course is the only undergraduate course within the South Wales Business School where students can study abroad or carry out a work placement abroad as part of their actual degree. This means you have the opportunity to develop your personal, academic, and employability skills, by learning from new cultures, experiences, and people from across the globe.
Whether you are from Wales, another part of the UK, or an international student, you will conduct either an international study placement or an international work placement for a whole term during the second year of your course. Studying abroad also means you gain additional credits at an international university, so you could gain additional qualifications alongside your International Business and Management degree. The international study placements will be English speaking, unless students prefer to learn in another language. For example, if you choose to study with our partner in Paris at the highly accredited IPAG Business School, all of your lectures, workshops, and assessments would be in English.
We support students in choosing their international study placement, through our long-standing links with Higher Education partners from across Europe and the rest of the world. If there is a specific country or international university you would like to study in, we can guide and support you with this. We have an international team at the University who can also support you through the many other aspects involved with working or studying abroad, such as the visa process, acquiring the correct insurance and on opportunities to apply for additional funding that support student exchanges. There are also grants available to support study abroad placements, and your eligibility for these is assessed on an individual basis – and would not impact on your student loan agreement. If you would prefer to work abroad, you will need to find your own international work placement, but we will support you with this alongside the University’s excellent Career Services Team.
For students enrolling on to this course in January, please note that you will be required to enrol for the second year of the course in September (of the same calendar year), subject to successful completion of year 1.
Each year of study requires you to complete 120 credits, which are split between two terms.
Your first year of study on the BSc International Business & Management course – will include a broad base of business and management topic areas and provide a good foundation of knowledge for the duration of the course.
Your second year of study on the BSc International Business & Management course – will look deeper into some softer topic areas specific to international business. This is also when the placement will take place.
Your third year of study on the BSc International Business & Management course – is your final year of study. You will undertake your dissertation, which can be focussed upon an international business area you find most interesting and compelling. You will be allocated a supervisor who can support you along the way.
Year One: International Business degree
People, Work, and Society – 20 credits
Students will look at the experience of people in the workplace and the impact this has on wider society. The module looks at some historical and more modern approaches to management in the workplace, including the advent of technologies (for example automation and artificial intelligence) which are reshaping the workplace and the skills people require. This also leads to the impact of new workplace technologies on society in general.
Economics, Law, and the Business Environment– 20 credits
The module helps students consider the internal and external environment and how it impacts on the current decision-making and future direction of business. Looking at the importance of economic and legal factors, students will assess the impact of these key external pressures, building scenarios of how this can force change in business. In addition, the internal organisational environment will be considered to understand the capabilities of companies to deal with change.
Becoming a Professional; Critical Enquiry – 20 credits
Students will be assisted in the transition to learning in Higher Education with the first of the skills based modules, which will provide an introduction to thinking critically and crucial research skills which provide the foundation for the next 3 years of study.
Principles of Supply Chain Management – 20 credits
This module assesses the importance of recognising and managing the holistic supply chain as being increasingly seen as a key constituent of any organisations' ability to deliver value to its customers and stakeholders.
Marketing and Consumer Behaviour ¬– 20 credits
Marketing is the management process used to identify, anticipate, and satisfy the requirements of customers both efficiently, and profitably. At the heart of marketing is the idea that your customer is your best asset. This module teaches you how to understand and market to your customer. These are fundamental skills in the diverse and fast-paced marketing industry.
Becoming a Professional; Enterprise Project – 20 credits
Students will have the opportunity to investigate the entrepreneurial environment by developing their own business ideas. Knowledge will be gained from the entrepreneurial journeys of local, regional, national, and global entrepreneurs, and students will understand how they created their successes or downfalls. This module will teach students that businesses are born from many situations and can be both structured and unstructured, and still be successful.
Year Two: International Business degree
Project Management – 20 credits
This module aims to critically explore and examine project management skills in a business context, enabling students to understand, explore and apply key project management techniques and principles and assess the impact that they have on operations and business processes.
Intercultural Communication – 20 credits
This module capitalises upon the opportunities students from diverse cultural backgrounds bring when understanding our differences. It enables students to enhance their own learning by sharing knowledge and working in small multicultural groups. Topic areas covered in this module will allow students to reflect upon their previous multicultural experiences and develop future workplace experiences.
Business Analytics for Decision-Making – 20 credits
The ability to make informed decisions is crucial for the success of any business. Through the analysis of financial and statistical data and information, students will be guided through the interpretation of figures to make sense of data and inform decision-making.
International Study Placement or International Work Placement – 60 credits
Students will either choose an international study placement or an international work placement. Students will be provided with ample support from the SWBS in order to carry out this 60-credit module. Students will need to carry out their placement for 16 weeks and will be assessed on a variety of their learned experiences. All placements will be approved and assessed by the module team to ensure students have valuable experiences. This module will take the place of a full taught term in your second year of study.
Year Three: International Business degree
International Business Management – 20 credits
This module facilitates a systematic and critical understanding of the global business environment. Students’ ability to critically analyse emerging themes in international business will be enhanced and the opportunity to link business and management theory with business and management practice will be facilitated.
Business Ethics and Sustainability – 20 credits
In contemporary business, simply complying with the law is no longer seen as an acceptable way to operate. This module develops a critical understanding of the current ethical considerations for business which drive them towards being more socially responsible and sustainable bodies.
Contemporary Global Leadership – 20 credits
This module will provide any student who aspires towards management in any industry (including SME’s), with a critical insight into contemporary discourses on leadership in a global context. Students will develop an understanding of the myriad of complexities inherent in managing or leading a diverse contemporary workforce.
Strategic Management – 20 credits
This module is the ‘capstone’ module of the BSc (Hons) International Business & Management degree and draws on the student experiences from a number of other modules studied throughout the course. Students will benefit from contemporary class-based simulation exercises which will require students to select and apply a range of tools, techniques, theories and frameworks to address a changing, dynamic business environment.
Year Three Business and Management – Dissertation - 40 credits
Throughout the final year of study, students have the option to undertake a dissertation (aka critical enquiry project) or a consultancy-based project. Students can choose an international business topic area of their choice with relevance to international business management. Both project options are double modules and will be developed throughout the whole of the final year of study, both will be supported by an individually allocated supervisor.
Teaching
The course is available over three years or four years for the sandwich course option.
Typically, the learning experience will be a blend of class activity and independent learning.
For the study abroad and project modules, students will have a combination of taught elements but with a stronger focus on self-study.
Modules are delivered over 10-week blocks. One block between September and December, the other from January to May.
Studying through the medium of Welsh
Over a third of this course can be studied through the medium of Welsh, and specific scholarships, including the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol Scholarships are available to students who choose to do so.
Research
Your studies will be underpinned by the latest research undertaken by the South Wales Business School Research Group. This means you will be taught by academics who are at the forefront of their specialist field.
Assessment
A variety of assessment methods are incorporated into the programme to reflect authentic global workplace settings and prepare students for the world of work. These include business producing reports; presentations; case-studies; posters, portfolios and digital diaries; business simulations; and research or consultancy projects in addition to more traditional methods.
Accreditations
In addition to your BSc (Hons) International Business and Management degree, students completing this course may also graduate with the CMI Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management, taking graduates a step closer to being recognised with Chartered Manager status. This internationally recognised qualification has been embedded into your degree, so if all modules are passed you will receive this qualification alongside your degree.
Featured Lecturer:
Anthony Thomas

Anthony Thomas specialises in strategic management, diversity management, and entrepreneurship. He is actively involved in research, specifically in the areas of sport management and diversity leadership.
Lecturers
All staff are experienced qualified academics from a number of subject specialisms such as retail, entrepreneurship, marketing, accounting and finance, logistics and supply chain, strategy, leadership, and management. The academic team have industry experience and are research active.
Your Course Leader will be Anthony Thomas.
We regularly revalidate courses for quality assurance and enhancement
At USW, we regularly review our courses in response to changing patterns of employment and skills demand to ensure we offer learning designed to reflect today’s student needs and tomorrow’s employer demands.
If during a review process course content is significantly changed, we’ll write to inform you and talk you through the changes for the coming year. But whatever the outcome, we aim to equip our students with the skillset and the mindset to succeed whatever tomorrow may bring. Your future, future-proofed.
The entry criteria below reflect our standard entry requirements for the course for September 2023. However, all applications received by the University are reviewed holistically and individually. Entry criteria for September 2024 is changing and will be published on ucas.com from 8th May 2023. Entry criteria for September 2024 will be updated on our website from the end of October 2023.
Contextual offers
We may make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (where you live and the school or college that you attended for example), your experiences and individual circumstances (as a care leaver, for example). This is referred to as a contextual offer and we receive data from UCAS to support us in making these decisions. USW prides itself on its student experience and we support our students to achieve their goals and become a successful graduate. This approach helps us to support students who have the potential to succeed and who may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university. Here is a link to our Contextual Admissions Policy.
Other qualifications and experience
We can also consider combinations of qualifications and other qualifications not listed here may also be acceptable. We can sometimes consider credits achieved at other universities and your work/life experience through an assessment of prior learning. This may be for year one entry, or advanced entry to year two or three of a course where this is possible.
To find out which qualifications have tariff points, please refer to the UCAS tariff calculator.
If you need more help or information or would like to speak to our friendly admissions team, please contact us here
Typical A-Level Offer
BCC - CDD (this is equivalent to 104-80 UCAS tariff points).
Typical Welsh BACC Offer
Pass the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Diploma with Grade C/D in the Skills Challenge Certificate and BC - CD at A Level (this is equivalent to 104-80 UCAS tariff points).
Typical BTEC Offer
BTEC Extended Diploma Distinction Merit Merit - Merit Merit Pass (this is equivalent to 112-80 UCAS tariff points).
Typical Access to HE Offer
Pass the Access to HE Diploma and obtain a minimum of 80 UCAS tariff points.
Additional Requirements
GCSEs: The University normally requires a minimum 5 GCSEs including Mathematics/Numeracy and English at Grade C or Grade 4 or above, or their equivalent, but consideration is given to individual circumstances
International Entry Requirements
We also welcome international applications with equivalent qualifications. Please visit the country specific pages on our international website for exact details.
English Requirements
In general, international applicants will need to have achieved an overall IELTS grade of 6.0 with a minimum score of 5.5 in each component.
However, if you have previously studied through the medium of English IELTS might not be required, but please visit the country specific page on our international website for exact details. If your country is not featured please contact us.
Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits. Once enrolled, the fee will remain at the same rate throughout the duration of your study on this course
August 2023 - July 2024 Fees
Full-time UK: £9000
Full-time International: £14100
August 2024 - July 2025 Fees
Full-time UK: TBC
Full-time International: £14950
Student Perks
At the University of South Wales, you’re investing in so much more than a degree. We strive to provide our students with the best possible experience, no matter what you chose to study. Whether it’s access to top of the range mac books and PCs, state-of-the-art facilities packed with industry-leading equipment and software, masterclasses and events led by industry experts, or a wide range of clubs and societies to meet likeminded people, better tomorrows start with extra perks.
Each course also has their own unique student benefits to prepare you for the real word, and details of these can be found on our course pages. From global field trips, integrated work experience and free course-related resources, to funded initiatives, projects working with real employers, and opportunities for extra qualifications and accreditations - at USW your future, is future-proofed.
Click here to learn more about student perks at USW.
Additional Costs
As a student of USW, you’ll have access to lots of free resources to support your study and learning, such as textbooks, publications, online journals, laptops, and plenty of remote-access resources. Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of travel, memberships, experience days, stationery, printing, or equipment.
* Obligatory
Item | Cost | |
---|---|---|
Placement expenses: Study / work abroad | £2000 | Students are encouraged as part of their course to complete work / / study abroad during their second year of study |
Other: Text books | £300 - £400 | Text books are provided via the USW library but students may wish to purchase their own private copies |
Funding
Funding to help pay for (or cover) course tuition fees and living costs
Whilst you’re studying, you’ll have two main financial obligations – tuition fees and living costs. There’s lots of financial help available from the University of South Wales and external funding sources, that may provide loans (which have to be paid back) and grants, scholarships and bursaries (that don't).
To learn about course fees, funding options, and to see if you are eligible for financial support, visit our Fees and Funding pages.
Welsh Medium Scholarships
The University offers scholarships between £250 - £1000 to students studying part of their course through the medium of Welsh. The University is also part of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol's scholarship scheme, which offer scholarships up to £3000. More information here: Welsh-Medium Scholarships | University of South Wales
The BSc (Hons) International Business and Management course has been designed with student graduate employability at its core.
Accreditation from the Chartered Management Institute, as well a national Higher Education guidelines, means that students are developing real skills which employers value and expect a business graduate to possess. The experience of studying and working abroad will provide you with additional knowledge and skills within the business environment, especially if you are considering employment at a multinational corporation.
In the Business Clinic, personal development opportunities are offered to students across all three years when students can become trainee business analysts engaging with a range of businesses in the region to provide evidence-based responses to contemporary business challenges. The Clinic aims to create triadic business relationships that encourage students, academics, and organisations to collaborate.
The new BSc (Hons) International Business and Management offers course all students an international learning experience of 16-weeks in a university abroad or in industry abroad. You will be embedded in a culture different to the UK during your second year of study, with a range of fantastic opportunities that will maximise your employability.
Students on the BSc (Hons) International Business and Management course will also experience our ‘Making an Impact’ programme. This is an intensive five-day programme in your first year of study and is designed to take you on a journey towards becoming enterprising in your chosen domain; be this a business start-up, a social enterprise, or an intrapreneurial idea.
Our Careers and Employability Service
As a USW student, you will have access to advice from the Careers and Employability Service throughout your studies and after you graduate.
This includes: one-to-one appointments from faculty based Career Advisers, in person, over the phone or even on Microsoft Teams and through email via the "Ask a Question". We also have extensive online resources for help with considering your career options and presenting yourself well to employers. Resources include psychometric tests, career assessments, a CV builder, interview simulator and application help. Our employer database has over 2,000 registered employers targeting USW students, you can receive weekly email alerts for jobs.
Our Careers service has dedicated teams: A central work experience team to help you find relevant placements; an employability development team which includes an employability programme called Grad Edge; and an Enterprise team focused on new business ideas and entrepreneurship.