Programme Specifications

Programme summary

1. Programme Aims

The International Business degree programme aims to produce high quality graduates with the knowledge, skills and understanding for an effective and valued career in a wide range of management situations including those requiring international understanding and cultural competence.

Within this general aim, the programme specifically seeks to:

• To provide students with an intellectually-stimulating environment within which they can develop knowledge, concepts and skill of the major academic disciplines of business and management in a global context;
• To enable students to develop a comprehensive understanding of the concepts, critical thinking and numeracy skills necessary for management problem solving in national and international contexts;
• To enable students to develop a global outlook to face effectively the managerial and organisational challenges of a globalized economy;
• To provide international perspectives on business and management via close links with the international business community and professional bodies through experience in a professional placement and/or a study abroad scheme;
• To equip graduates with the knowledge, skills and understanding to pursue a career in the international business context.

2. Relevant subject benchmark statements and other external reference points used to inform programme outcomes:

• General Business and Management Benchmark Statement
• The Framework for Higher Education Qualifications

3. Programme Learning Outcomes

3.1 Knowledge and Understanding

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to demonstrate relevant knowledge and understanding of: 

K1    The global context in which business operates (including economic, social, legal, technological, ethical, international and political factors);

K2    Key corporate functions (including marketing; accounting; human resource management; and global operations) and their role in the international business environment;

K3    The behaviour and management of people in global organisations;

K4    Corporate responsibility including the need to manage responsibly and behave ethically in relation to social, cultural, economic and environmental issues;

K5    Principles and application of management theories to decision making;

K6    Mathematics and statistics sufficient to support data interpretation and decision making;

K7    Pervasive issues which impact on international firms and international business, (including: globalisation, diversity and cultural factors);

K8    The development of appropriate strategies at the corporate level for a changing national and international environment.

3.2 Skills and other attributes

a. Subject-specific cognitive skills:

 On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

C1    Relate theory to practice in global business and management environments;

C2    Formulate and solve both structured and unstructured international business problems;

C3    Use critical thinking, analysis and synthesis to comprehend and evaluate complex issues in a wide range of cross-border management and business settings;

C4    Advise on business decisions using appropriate qualitative and quantitative skills, including the ability to identify and evaluate a range of alternative solutions.

b. Subject-specific practical skills:

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to: 

P1    Communicate (including orally and written) in a global business context, using a range of styles and media;

P2    Make use of a wide range of information technologies in a business context;

P3    Conduct research relevant to international business issues using a variety of sources of information;

P4    Critically analyse complex cross-border scenarios.

c. Key transferable skills:

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to: 

T1    Self-manage their own learning and development, including a readiness to accept responsibility, work independently, be adaptable, resilient, self-starting and organised;

T2    Demonstrate self-awareness through reflective practice and appreciate the need for continuing professional development;

T3    Work in teams and demonstrate leadership, team-building and project management skills;

4. Programme structure

Students must have a total modular weighting of 120 credits per year. This must include the compulsory modules. The remaining optional modules must be chosen to give a 60:60 split over the two semesters. 

INTRODUCTORY MODULES 

4.1 Part A

Semester 1 and 2 

Compulsory modules (60 credits)  

Semester 1 

Compulsory modules (20 credits) 

Optional modules (10 credits) 

Semester 2 

Compulsory modules (20 credits)  

5. Criteria for Progression and Degree Award

In order to progress from Part A to Part B and from Part B to C and to be eligible for the award of an Honours degree, candidates must satisfy the minimum credit requirements set out in Regulation XX.

6. Relative Weighting of Parts of the Programme for the Purposes of Final Degree Classification

Candidates’ final degree classification will be determined on the basis of their performance in degree level Module Assessments in Parts B and C, in accordance with the scheme set out in regulation XX.  The average percentage marks for each Part will be combined in the ratio Part B 25: Part C 75, to determine the final overall percentage mark for the Programme (the Programme Mark).