PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION TEMPLATE: BA Business Studies
1 Awarding Institution: University of Exeter
2 School(s)/Teaching Institution: School of Business and Economics 3 Programme accredited/validated
by:
4 Final Award(s): BA (Hons)
5 Programme Title: Business Studies
6 UCAS Code (if relevant): n/a 7 FHEQ Level of Final Award(s): H 8 QAA Subject Benchmarking
Group:
Economics, Accountancy, General Business and Management 9 Date of Production/Revision: August 2005 rev September 2006
10 Programme Structures and Requirements, Levels, Modules, Credits and Awards There are two entry routes into this degree.
Route 1: students from the School of Business and Economics Students transfer directly into the second or final year (see section 15). Compulsory modules:
Year 2: BEM2013 Principles of Marketing 15 BEM2014 Understanding Consumer Behaviour 15
Final Year: BEM3004 Business Strategy 30
Students must take 120 credits each year. Choice of electives will depend on completion of prerequisite modules.
The University's guidelines on levels and awards obtain. Students must pass 90 credits at level 3 in order to obtain the Honours award.
Route 2: students from Exeter College taking the final year of the SH Business Studies as a conversion course.
Students must have completed the BA (Ordinary) Business and Management with an average mark of 60% in their final year. Their choice of modules within SoBE is agreed in consultation with SoBE admissions staff, and depends largely on their academic profile. Students must take 120 credits, of which 90 credits must be at Level 3. Classification is awarded on the basis of performance in these 120 credits.
11 Educational Aims of the Programme The programme is intended
• to give students a basic understanding of economic, accounting, and/or management principles, and to develop, depending on their choice of modules, a level knowledge in at least one of these disciplines appropriate to an honours degree
• to provide developmental choice enabling students to plan career progression subject to their interests and abilities.
12 Programme Outcomes
On successful completion of the degree, students will be able to demonstrate the following: (a) Subject knowledge and skills
1. knowledge of core areas of economics, accounting and/or management appropriate to an honours degree
(b) Core academic skills
2. use of appropriate analytical methods, employing a range of techniques appropriate to the subject 3. the ability to read critically
4. the ability to synthesise a range of concepts and data into a coherent argument (c) Personal and key skills
1. self-management of time and study methods
2. the ability to use a range of techniques to support independent learning 3. written communication skills
4. problem-solving skills 5. data-handling skills
(d) Confirmation of conformity with the relevant subject benchmark statement, or rationale for non-conformity.
1. Depending on the choice of modules, the programme will conform to the benchmark statements for Economics, Accountancy, and General Business and Management.
13 Teaching, Learning and Assessment Methods
Teaching and learning methods Lectures supported by seminars or tutorials are the basic method of teaching and learning, but dependent on the choice of modules, students may also learn through .individual and group presentations, or directed private study.
Assessment methods
written examinations to test knowledge base, synthesising and formal writing skills coursework to test independent learning
12 & 13 Programme Outcomes and Teaching, Learning & Assessment Methods On successfully completing the programme, a
graduate should be able to demonstrate: A
Subject-specific knowledge and skills
Teaching/learning methods and strategies Lectures, private reading
Assessment
Written examination
B
Core academic skills
Teaching/learning methods and strategies Lectures, seminars/tutorials, essay-writing
Assessment
Written examination
C
Personal and key skills
Teaching/learning methods and strategies Private study, formative and summative written work
Assessment
PKS 1-3 will be assessed through summative assignments and written examination
14 Support for Students and Students’ Learning
At Exeter, the University Library maintains its principal collections in the main library buildings on the Streatham and St Luke’s campuses, together with a number of specialist collections in certain Schools. The total Library collection comprises over a million volumes and 3000 current periodical subscriptions. Information Technology (IT) Services provide a wide range of services throughout the Exeter campuses including open access computer rooms, some of which are available 24 hours, 7 days a week. One of these is sited within Streatham Court, and in addition the School has a dedicated teaching suite comprising 21 workstations for undergraduate use, maintained by the School’s CDO. Helpdesks are maintained on the Streatham and St Luke’s campuses, while most study bedrooms in halls and flats are linked to the University’s campus network.
In accordance with University policy, the School of Business and Economics has in place a system of academic and personal tutors for its students. A University-wide statement on such provision is included in the University’s TQA Manual.
Additionally, the following units at Exeter between them provide a wide range of student support services: - Student Counselling Service - Student Health Centre
- Study Skills Service - Family Centre (Streatham campus) - Student Advice Centre (Guild of Students) - Chaplaincy
- International Office - English and Foreign Language Centres - Study Abroad Office - Disability Resource Centre
The University Careers Advisory service provides expert advice to all students to enable them to plan their futures, through guidance interviews, psychometric testing, employer presentations, skills events, practice job interviews and CV preparation.
In accordance with University policy, the School of Business and Economics possesses a Student/Staff Liaison Committee, which allow students to contribute directly to the enhancement of educational and other provision at discipline level.
15 Admission Criteria
Please refer to the latest Entry Data tables at www.exeter.ac.uk/undergraduate
These can be found under Entry Requirements within the relevant subject entries at
http://www.exeter.ac.uk/undergraduate/degrees/
16 Regulation of Assessment and Academic Standards
Each academic programme in the University is subject to an agreed School assessment marking strategy, underpinned by institution-wide assessment procedures. The security of assessment and academic standards is further supported through the external examiners appointed for each programme. Their responsibilities are described in the University’s code for external examiners and include access to draft papers, course work and examination scripts. Attendance at the Board of Examiners and the provision of an annual report are both required. Clear procedures are also in place for the monitoring of these annual reports at both School and University level. See the University’s TQA Manual for details of these processes (http://www.ex.ac.uk/ )
17 Indicators of Quality and Standards
The University and its constituent Schools draw on a range of data in their regular review of the quality of provision. The annual produced Performance Indicator Dataset details admission, progression, completion and first career destination data, including comparisons over a five year period.
18 Methods for Evaluating and Improving Quality and Standards
The University has procedures in place for the regular review of its educational provision, including the annual review of both modules and programmes which draw on feedback from such sources as external examiners’ reports, student evaluation, student achievement and progression data. In addition, subject areas are reviewed every three years through a subject and programme quality review scheme that
includes external input. These procedures are recorded in codes of practice contained in the TQA Manual. The department of Management was included in a review by the national Quality Assurance Agency for HE in February 2000, when a score of 22 (excellent) was awarded.
