International Year One (Business)

Course summary

The International Year One (Business) is a student-centred programme that aims to bridge your academic and English learning gap from your home country, to provide a fast track entry to year 2 of all undergraduate degrees offered by the University of Roehampton’s Business School.

The programme focuses on the creation of theory and practice in business areas such as psychology, marketing and accounting alongside development of English Language and new academic abilities and skills required to be successful at university.

Both the October* and the January intakes allow you to join your undergraduate degree of choice the following September.

The majority of the progression degrees are available for a joint CAS option. This means you will only apply for your Student route visa once, for the whole of your foundation and undergraduate study at Roehampton.

Why study this course?

Study at our fully embedded Pathway College where you’ll be part of the university community and Roehampton Business School from day 1
Learn alongside other like-minded international students
Benefit from a Year 1 tailored to international students where you’ll have more time to develop English and academic skills than a traditional Year 1
Specialise in Business or Accounting
Taught by qualified tutors who hold a minimum Level 7 qualification within the subject area of language tuition and are experienced in supporting international students transition to UK academic life

Study plan

*Oct – Jan**	Jan- Apr	Apr- Jun	Jul	Aug	Sept
International Year One (Business)			Summer break		Start your undergraduate degree at University of Roehampton
	International Year One (Business)			Summer break	Start your undergraduate degree at University of Roehampton

About the course

The programme has been specially created for you and other likeminded international students who are looking for a tailored route of study to join year two of undergraduate study that provides more help and guidance. It gives you an opportunity to gradually familiarise yourself with the UK learning requirements in a supportive and encouraging environment, allowing you to develop and grow as a new academic learner.

A key feature of studying the programme is that you become a full student of the Roehampton Business School and as such, you will be invited to join guest speaker events, conferences, staff student committees and have full access to all the facilities, software and materials to prepare you for year two study. This approach ensures that you feel part of the student community and gives you the opportunity to widen your academic and social friendship groups to develop long lasting relationships within the University.

What will I study?

The modules you will study are mapped to those in Roehampton Business School undergraduate degrees and will develop your subject knowledge in areas such as management, marketing, accounting and analytics. For those of you who intend to join the Accounting degree you will study a module Accounting for Organisations that prepares you for further exemptions for industry bodies such as ACCA and CIMA.

A key module that supports you throughout your journey is the Business Academic Skills module. You will begin this module with an extended introduction in academic English, business language and everyday social English, all of which is designed to build your confidence and language proficiency to get ready for learning new business knowledge. Within all the modules you will apply academic theories to real life situations, enabling you to develop your critical thinking skills.

Embedded into all undergraduate degrees at Roehampton is the development of skills ready to join your intended career at the end of university study. During the IY1, you will be introduced to and become familiar with the concepts that developing your resilience, presentation, communication and analytical skills are valued by your future employer.

For example, at the end of the programme, you will have identified the skills you have by developing a CV, LinkedIn profile and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) portfolio.

Professional accreditations

Many of the progression degrees at Roehampton include accreditations from major industry bodies.

Business – Eligible for the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) Level 5 Diploma in Management & Leadership
Marketing – Exemptions from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM)
Accounting – Accredited by the ACCA, giving you the maximum 9 exemptions from ACCA professional exams. Also accredited by CIMA.

Teaching

Your typical week of study will consist of:

19 to 22 hours of teaching in interactive seminar workshops
15 to 20 hours of independent study through our virtual learning environment, Moodle

You will be taught in small groups providing a creative and secure environment in which to learn new knowledge and skills. Each module has embedded tutorials that provide you with time to meet your tutor on a 1-2-1 basis to explore, investigate and solve problems in preparation for your assessment submissions and support you through your learning journey.

For both face-to-face and blended/online modes of study, modules use a form of digital input such as podcasts, video, blogs or wikis, and electronic voting systems. You will be empowered to use technology to expand and develop your skills, for example you will become part of discussion groups and interactive exercises such as online quizzes, film and audio clips that will help support students learning and encourage engagement in the modules.

Assessment

Coursework, presentations, unseen exams and online tests – spread out over the modules to give you more time to settle whilst offering the perfect preparation for your future undergraduate assessments

All assessments are spread out over the academic year with the academic Business Skills module supporting all business subject modules. A number of modules have an element of portfolio building where a number of smaller tasks are completed over a period of time and then submitted together during an assessment week.

Modules

All modules are core and 20 credits, unless specified.

*you will study this module if you intend to progress onto a BSc Business or Management degree.
**you will study this module if you intend to progress onto the BSc Accounting degree.

Business Organisations in a Global Economy

This module aims to provide you with an introduction to different types of business organisations and the environments that they operate within. The module particularly focuses on the factors affecting businesses that are located in advanced economies, as well as in developing countries/emerging economies (to a lesser extent). There will be real life examples used in the forms of case study analysis exploring the factors affecting businesses strategies and the way they operate.

You will investigate real life examples of current organisations; examining their organisational purposes and how they should operate to comply with the relevant legal regulatory frameworks. In addition, the module considers business markets and how they take various forms and how the structure of a market enables an understanding of how organisations behave. In this module you will consider how different market structures shape the pricing and output decisions of businesses, as well as other aspects of their behaviour.

Business Psychology

This module will help you to develop your understanding of self and is your first stepping stone to the personal and professional development required of all students who wish to study business and management. The module has been designed to enable you to identify your personal strengths and weaknesses through a process of self-assessment and reflection.

You will be able to identify your personal values, preferred learning styles, develop your understanding of issues such as cultural and emotional intelligence and be supported to enhance your interpersonal skills. This process of self- assessment and reflection will in turn develop your independent thinking, build your confidence in your own potential, and increase your drive to achieve your management potential.

Business Data Analysis

This module is designed to introduce you to the essential concepts and skills used in business problem solving. Excel is used to identify and interpret quantitative data to solve a range of problems, including customer satisfaction, personal finance issues, business modelling, quality assurance, recruitment issues and supply chain problems. The emphasis is on case studies drawn from a bank of case studies relating to real business situations.

This module provides a comprehensive introduction to the crucial role of solving real business problems. You will learn basic techniques in problem solving and the software tools that are frequently used. Issues of data presentation, modelling and testing will be investigated. On completing the module you will be equipped with an ability to identify different types of organisational problems and to conduct quantitative analysis using IT for problem solving.

Principles of Marketing

This module introduces you to the modern marketing environment where digital technologies such as websites and communications involving social media are increasingly important. The underlying theories behind many key marketing decisions, such as pricing of goods and services, the use of promotional tools such as advertising and digital marketing, will be covered. The use of marketing campaigns will also be explored.

This module provides a comprehensive introduction to the crucial role of marketing in helping organisations understand customers. You will learn about the strategic importance of marketing to organisations, whether it is a profit oriented firm (e.g., Apple or Nike) or a not for profit organization (such as a Government Department or a charity). On completing the module you will be equipped with an ability to understand core marketing principles, the marketing environment and the manner in which the needs of customers are identified and satisfied.

Introduction to Management

This module is intended to develop your ability to understand the main features of managing an organisation, considering various aspects of management and leadership whilst applying commercial acumen. You will be introduced to academic concepts enabling you to apply management theory to organisational practice.

Through the learning and assessment strategy, you will be encouraged to develop your knowledge and skills in problem- solving and apply this to your role as an aspiring manager.

Introduction to Accounting and Finance*

This module will introduce you to the essential knowledge and skills in Accounting and Finance that you will need as a practicing manager. We assume that you are new to the subject and that you are a general business learner – not an accounting specialist. The module will develop your learning in stages. We’ll start from familiar ideas about money and business, move through internal Accounting issues like budgets then show you the key ideas in financial statements. Finally we will give you an overview of the sources and uses of Finance required for a sustainable organisation.

Along the way, you will meet important ideas around information systems for planning, controlling and making financial decisions as well as understanding the basics of risk. As you learn, the module will demystify Accounting and Finance, improve your confidence in these areas and equip you with knowledge and skills to increase your ability to understand business.

Accounting for Organisations**

This module will introduce you to key concepts and techniques in both management and financial accounting. It will provide you with the foundations on which you can build your knowledge and skills in all aspects of Accounting practice as you progress through the BSc Accounting degree programme.

You will understanding the importance of appropriate financial information to all management decisions. This module will enhance your employability by developing your commercial acumen through an appreciation of profits and cash flows as key business drivers of success and start you on your journey towards becoming a Roehampton Business Graduate.

Although emphasis will be placed on techniques you will also be expected to reflect on the nature of accounting and some of the challenges faced by practitioners and users of accounting information.

Business Academic Skills (0 credits)

This module wraps around the other subject modules of the programme in order to build your learning and assessment preparation and provides an opportunity to enhance your acculturation to the UK university environment. The module provides the study skills and personal academic tutoring to support your transition from college/school to UK university education.

You will develop your communication skills and build strong support networks within the university to support your learning for the rest of your studies at Roehampton. This is where you will be introduced to the Roehampton Business Readiness programme.

The course information displayed on this page is correct for the academic year 2023/24. We aim to run the course as advertised however, changes may be necessary due to updates to the curriculum (due to academic or industry developments), student demand or UK compliance reasons.

Entry requirements

Age requirements

You must be 17 or older, in the month before the course start date. Students who are under the age of 18 will be assessed in line with the University’s Safeguarding Policy. You can find the Safeguarding Policy on the Policies page, under Student-Specific Regulations, Policies and Procedures.

Academic requirements

Good High School graduation grades, or equivalent
GCSE/iGCSE – 5 grades at B or above
Additional country-specific entry requirements are outlined here

You can check whether your local academic qualifications meet our entry requirements here.

English language requirements

IELTS 5.5 (with no single band below 5.5)

Please note that if your qualifications are not in English, we might need certified translations in order to proceed with your application.

If you’re not sure which programme you will be best suited to or would like to find out more about the application process, you can register your interest and one of our team will contact you, or call +44 (0) 20 3468 7758.

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