BA (Hons) Business and Management · Essex OnlineBachelor's degree · Duration varies
Request information University profile
University of Essex Online · Undergraduate

BA (Hons) Business and Management Bachelor's degree at Essex Online

BA (Hons) Business and Management at Essex Online received Silver for teaching quality in the Office for Students' Teaching Excellence Framework 2023.

BA (Hons)
Award
Years
Part-time
Study mode
70%
continuation

About this course

This Business and Management online Bachelors degree enables you to critically evaluate business models and concepts and apply them to real-world situations. From the provider’s course page.

BA (Hons) Business and Management is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at Essex Online. It is studied part-time; duration varies by route.

For Business studies graduates from this provider, typical earnings around £28,500. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)

For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Business & Management, see the sections below.

Course evidence score

The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.

7.7
/ 10
2 of 3 official measures
Student satisfaction
What students say in the National Student Survey
Excellent83

Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)

Continuation
Students who continue past their first year
Strong70

Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 70% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)

Curriculum & modules

Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.

Level 4 7 modules
  • Fundamentals of Effective LearningCore15 credits
    Module details

    Build your proficiency, grow in confidence and familiarise yourself with the key areas of business in this exciting module. You'll also develop key academic skills – such as report writing, research, referencing, writing and reflective learning – that will be beneficial in your future career.

  • Business and Management SkillsCore15 credits
    Module details

    Distinguish between the role of leader and manager, and understand how to establish effective teams to increase motivation in the workplace. This valuable module will also develop your understanding of effective communication channels leaders employ, as well as the overall communication process.

  • Fundamentals of MarketingCore15 credits
    Module details

    This valuable module examines the modern marketing environment and the four main decision-making areas to consider in business. You'll then progress into interesting psychological aspects, such as buyer behaviour and consumer influence, while developing an understanding of the role of marketing in society as a whole.

  • Human Resource ManagementCore15 credits
    Module details

    Explore the complexities of human resource management in this insightful module. You'll gain a critical understanding of HR theories and practices in a global context, as well as a deeper awareness of ideologies within a wider social, political and economic setting. You'll also consider the strategic influences of stakeholders on business performance.

  • Introduction to FinanceCore15 credits
    Module details

    What role does finance play within an organisation? Find out in this valuable module. You'll cover topics such as budgeting, cost management and capital investment analysis, while developing your ability to analyse and evaluate performance. That way, you can make decisions based on financial information.

  • Business EnvironmentCore15 credits
    Module details

    How do businesses work within an international economy? In this insightful module, you'll learn about the internal and external environment of organisations and explore how it impacts people, technology and resources. This module will also provide you with a grounding in approaches to organisation management.

  • Core Skills and EmployablityCore30 credits
    Module details

    This in-depth module will introduce you to the core skills currently in demand in the global labour market – while giving you a greater understanding of how to better prepare your skillset for today's fast-paced job market. Evaluate your current core skills and plan to develop them in-line with fluctuating labour market demands.

Level 5 7 modules
  • Business PlanningCore15 credits
    Module details

    Gain a solid grounding of business planning with this valuable module. From business strategy to risk management and financial basis, you'll cover a range of topics – allowing you to assess risk and its impact on a business. You'll also be able to apply your understanding to key business functions, including finance, marketing and human resource management.

  • Marketing and Sales ManagementCore15 credits
    Module details

    This comprehensive module introduces selling as an element of the marketing process, alongside marketing and sales planning strategies. You'll also explore a wide range of topics, including consumer buyer behaviour, key account management strategies, sales management responsibilities and selling techniques – from personal to relationship and multi-channel.

  • Operations ManagementCore15 credits
    Module details

    What role does operations management play in the success of an organisation? Find out in this exciting module. You'll learn how to maximise scarce resources to produce goods and services in an efficient and cost-effective way, while developing the skills required to recommend changes and improvements to strategic operations and supply chain.

  • Leadership and Managing TeamsCore15 credits
    Module details

    This fascinating module provides insight into organisational culture and contemporary models of leadership. You'll examine effective leadership attributes and approaches to managing change across people, processes and culture – so that by the end, you'll be able to successfully evaluate the leader's role in change management.

  • Financial Decision MakingCore15 credits
    Module details

    Gain a grounding in financial management in a global healthcare context. In this module, you will explore theoretical and practical issues associated with effective financial management taking into consideration the complexity of the healthcare environment in a global setting. You will be introduced to the concepts of business performance, budgeting, financial reporting, income generation, investment and models of funding - all explored within a global workplace focus and reflecting on your work

  • Project ManagementCore15 credits
    Module details

    Explore the theories and concepts utilised for effective project management and the use of contemporary project management software. In this valuable module, you'll gain insight from case studies and delve into project management knowledge areas and process groups while using specialist project management software.

  • Business InvestigationCore30 credits
    Module details

    Explore a wide range of practical and theoretical issues relating to research in business, their applications and how they can be employed by different organisations. This fascinating module also allows you to conduct your own research into an area of interest, using appropriate methodology and professional research material.

Level 6 8 modules
  • Global Business EnvironmentCompulsory15 credits
    Module details

    Immerse yourself in the key elements of the global business environment with this comprehensive module. You'll review international trade theories, the global financial marketplace and discover the organisations which support it. You'll also learn to critically analyse the motives for and barriers to internationalism.

  • International Marketing StrategyCompulsory15 credits
    Module details

    Examine the development of international marketing strategy as a planned response to the global business environment. In this defining module, you'll develop a solid understanding and appreciation of the underlying theories of international marketing, and critically assess the various steps taken by an organisation when looking to internationalise.

  • Business StrategyCompulsory15 credits
    Module details

    Hone your strategic management skills with this exciting module. You'll benefit from an engaging introduction to the key theories, approaches and concepts which form business strategy. Not only that, you'll learn to critically evaluate the limitations of emerging schools of thoughts and how to they best work in practice.

  • Advanced Business ProjectCore30 credits
    Module details

    Immerse yourself in the research process by generating research ideas with clear objectives. Understand the differences between key data collection techniques and analysis procedures and explore why these are not mutually exclusive.

  • Strategic Human Resource ManagementCompulsory15 credits
    Module details

    Develop your understanding of the role strategic human resource management plays in organisational effectiveness. In this insightful module, you'll explore processes that include workforce planning; performance management; employment relations and reward; and learn how these processes contribute to the overall operational success of the business.

  • Business LawOptional15 credits
    Module details

    In this engaging module, you'll identify the core foundations of law that regulate businesses and evaluate the changing legal environment and how this affects businesses on an operational level. Dive into the fundamental issues that face all businesses, contract, employment, tort and business operations.

  • e-Business and MarketingOptional15 credits
    Module details

    Identify the key concepts of e-commerce and e-business marketing in this exciting module. You'll learn how to attract customers through digital media channels; develop a solid understanding of search engine marketing, campaign performance and metrics; and discover how each of these channels interacts with the overall customer journey.

  • Business FinanceOptional15 credits
    Module details

    Develop an understanding of business finance and its applications to the decision-making process in organisations. In this valuable module, you'll work through the theoretical concepts and approaches to finance management within a domestic context – before critically analysing opportunities for expansion and divestment.

Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.

Course in depth

What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.

What you'll study

This degree enables you to critically evaluate business models and concepts and apply them to real-world situations. A course like this typically begins with foundations in management, organisations, marketing principles and business economics, building your analytical and data skills. In the second year, you'll usually study operations and supply chain management, organisational behaviour and human resource management, and strategy, learning how to analyse competitive advantage and apply strategic thinking to business cases. By the final year, you'll move towards specialist options, such as entrepreneurship, international business, digital business, consulting or marketing, alongside capstone projects or consultancy briefs that integrate your learning through real client work or independent research.

Who it's for

This course suits working professionals and others seeking flexible study. Most entrants held A-levels or equivalent qualifications. Part-time study allows you to balance academic work with other commitments. Check the university's funding pages for information on bursaries and scholarships.

Careers & job market

Across Business and Management courses nationally, 87% of graduates are in work or further study within 15 months of graduating. Of those working, 60% are in highly skilled roles or pursuing further study. Graduate earnings vary: starting salaries (15 months after graduation) range from £24,000 to £32,000 nationally; after three years, £21,250 to £30,000; and after five years, £26,350 to £37,200. These figures reflect national labour-market data and are not university-specific guarantees.

University & format

The BA (Hons) Business and Management is delivered online by University of Essex Online, a UK university and recognised degree-awarding body. The course is taught part-time in English, making it suitable for working students. Degrees awarded are nationally recognised. The course has received a Silver rating for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023. The university offers bursaries and scholarships; check their funding pages for details.

Student satisfaction

How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.

The teaching on my course
91%
Learning opportunities
88%
Assessment and feedback
89%
Academic Support
86%
Organisation and management
95%
Learning resources
65%
Student voice
70%

Share of students responding positively.

Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)

Applicant information

The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.

2027 entry deadlineApply directly to the provider

Part-time application dates vary by provider. UCAS dates

2026 entryLive availability check

Opened 2 July 2026; last choice 19 October 2026. Check vacancies now. A cached page never claims a place is still available.

Entry & how to get in

Most entrants held A-levels or equivalent50% of accepted students came in with A-levels or equivalent (entrants over recent years).
Entry requirements are set by the universityGrades, subjects and contextual offers vary. Check Essex Online's official course page for the current offer.

Who gets in

What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.

Qualifications held on entry

QualificationShare
A-levels or equivalent50%
another higher-education qualification25%
No / unknown prior qualifications15%
Other10%
an Access course5%

Entry & your chances

An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.

Offer-based entry

Entry is set by the university and based on your offer. Use your predicted grades to see how you compare, then check the university's stated requirements.

How to apply

Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.

Apply byApply directly to the providerfor this course
  1. 1
    Register on UCAS Hub

    Create your UCAS application and add this course. One application covers up to five choices.

  2. 2
    Write your personal statement

    A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.

  3. 3
    Submit by Apply directly to the provider

    Part-time application dates vary by provider. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.

  4. 4
    Reply to your offers

    When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.

  5. 5
    Results day & confirmation

    On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.

💡 Many universities make a contextual (reduced-grade) offer, for example based on your school’s results, time in care, or where you live. Ask Essex Online whether you’re eligible before you apply; it can lower the grades you need.

Fees & funding

What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.

Tuition per year

International£20,987 / yr

Provider fee page. The cap depends on the UK nation the provider sits in; the provider's page is authoritative.

Check fees at Essex Online →

Check the finance route that applies to you

Support depends on ordinary residence, assessed fee status, course and provider nation. The provider nation is unresolved here, so no national cap or loan amount is being guessed.

Find your official student-finance route →

Paying for it

  • Tuition fee loan: applied for through the student-finance body for the UK nation you live in.
  • Living-cost support: means-tested on household income, from your nation's student-finance body.
  • Repayment: only above the income threshold set by your nation's student-finance system.
  • Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.

Each UK nation runs its own student-finance system; check gov.uk for the rates that apply to you.

Funding matched to this course

Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for

All Essex Online funding →
No verified named award is shown for this provider yet.

That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.

We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.

StudyKit · free

Still deciding what to study?

StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.

Career quizApplication walkthroughSalary & CV check

Careers & earnings

What Business & Management graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.

Graduate earnings: this course

WhenMedianTypical rangeGraduates
15 months after£28,500£25,000 – £38,000260
3 years after£29,500£20,500 – £41,50080
5 years after£37,500£25,000 – £54,00090

Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Stronger evidence. Published sample: 260. Cohort 2021-22.

Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course

70%
continue past their first year
  1. 1Graduate / AnalystOn a scheme or first role · 0–2 yrs
  2. 2Specialist / ManagerOwning an area, marketing, finance, ops · 2–5 yrs
  3. 3Senior / Head ofLeading a function and a team · 5–10 yrs
  4. 4Director / FounderRunning a business unit or your own company · 10+ yrs

How pay grows: this course vs Business & Management nationally

Starting (15 months) HESA GO
£28,500
£24,000 – £32,000
After 3 years LEO
£29,500
£21,250 – £30,000
After 5 years LEO
£37,500
£26,350 – £37,200
national rangethis course’s medianaxis £20,000 – £39,000

National figures for Business & Management graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.

Work out your pay

Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.

What happened to 100 students?

Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.

70 of 100

continued or completed

continued into the next year or completed their qualification

Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Stronger evidence. Published sample: 260. Cohort 2021-22. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.

Value compared with similar courses

How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Business & Management courses at the same study level.

This course £37,500Peer median £31,000Middle 50% £26,500–£37,000
76th percentile

Compared with 3,421 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.

Job market & outlook

How Business & Management graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.

87%
in work or further study 15 months after graduating, across Business & Management courses nationally.
Graduate Outcomes
60%
of working graduates are in highly skilled work or further study.
highly skilled
81%
of students continue past their first year (still enrolled or completed).
continuation

How AI is changing the work

AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.

What AI takes off your plate

  • Routine reporting and data pulls
  • First-draft decks and copy
  • Standard forecasts and reconciliations
  • Scheduling and admin workflows

More human than ever

  • Strategy and judgement under uncertainty
  • Leading, negotiating and selling
  • Sense-checking and owning what AI produces
  • Relationships with clients and teams

The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.

Roles & employers

Where Business & Management graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.

Where they work

  • Consultancies
  • Corporate graduate schemes
  • Retail & FMCG
  • Startups & scale-ups

Is this course right for you?

The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.

💷

Student finance

Home tuition is regulated and the cap depends on the UK nation the provider sits in; check the provider's course page for the exact figure. Eligible students can apply for a tuition fee loan and living-cost support from the student-finance body for the UK nation they live in. Repayment thresholds differ by nation.

📈

Where graduates go

Most graduates were in work or further study, with a median salary of £28,500. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.

Official-data snapshot

Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 7.7 out of 10: NSS 83.4% · continued 70%.

Who studies here and in this subject?

Provider- and UK subject-level context.

Kaplan Open Learning (Essex) Limited

All students1,805
International0.3%
Aged 25+77.3%

Business and management across the UK

Students586,710
Aged 25+44.3%

HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.

Is Business & Management right for you?

Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.

International students

What applying to Essex Online from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.

Tuition fees

International tuition is £20,987 / year for this course (from the provider’s fee page). You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.

English language

Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.

Student visa

You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.

Scholarships & funding

Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check Essex Online’s funding pages.

Living costs

Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.

Working while you study

A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.

Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with Essex Online and gov.uk before you apply.

Common questions

Set by Essex Online. Most accepted students held A-levels or equivalent. Check the university's course page for the exact offer.
For Business studies graduates from this provider, typical earnings around £28,500. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
Home tuition is regulated and the cap depends on the UK nation the provider sits in; check the provider's course page for the exact figure. Eligible students can apply for a tuition fee loan and living-cost support from the student-finance body for the UK nation they live in. Repayment thresholds differ by nation. See Fees & funding on this page to work out your numbers.
No obligation

Request information about BA (Hons) Business and Management

Prospectus, key dates, entry and funding, free to your inbox.

No spam · unsubscribe anytime.