So you're thinking about studying business
Business degrees can look very similar on a course list. The names overlap, and it isn’t always clear what you’d actually spend your time doing. This guide explains what each of our undergraduate Business & Management courses focuses on and who it tends to suit, so you can choose with more confidence.
At its core, business is about understanding how organisations work and why they make the decisions they do. It’s the people side, the money side, the strategy side, and the reality of what happens when plans meet competition, customer behaviour, and the wider economy. If you like the idea of learning how that whole world works (and having the skills to step into it confidently), then a business degree makes a lot of sense.
At Greenwich, we offer several Business & Management courses. The variety is great, but it can also make the decision harder. Let me walk you through what's actually on offer so you can figure out which one makes sense for you.
What every Business & Management student gets
- Career support. Our Employability Team offers free one-to-one advice and mentoring. They can help you prepare your CV and interview answers, whether you’re applying for a placement, an internship, or your first graduate job.
- Help with your own business ideas. If you have a business idea, the Generator team can help you develop it. They also run the annual Enterprise Challenge, which gives student founders mentoring and funding to get started.
- The option of a placement year. Most of our business courses have a “sandwich” option. This means you spend a year working in a paid role between your second and final years, usually for 9 to 12 months. Our students have done placements with organisations including Disney, Nomura and the NHS. You find and arrange the placement yourself, with support from our team. The placement year isn’t available if you join us directly into Year 2 or 3, and it isn’t part of our new BSc Business Management (Artificial Intelligence).
Our Business & Management courses explained
BA (Hons) Business Management
This is our most popular business degree, and a good choice if you’re interested in business but haven’t settled on one area yet. You’ll study the main parts of how a company runs, including accounting and finance, marketing and innovation. You’ll also look at the bigger picture through economics, ethics and business law.
Alongside subject knowledge, you’ll build skills employers look for, such as leadership, negotiation and professional communication. You can start in September or January, and you’ll have the chance to study abroad as part of your degree.
Good for you if: you want a broad understanding of business and would like to keep your career options open.
Know where you’re heading? You can also choose Business Management (Finance) or Business Management (Marketing). Both share the core of the Business Management degree and add specialist modules. The Marketing route is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), the professional body for marketers. The Finance route can give you exemptions from some exams set by CIMA, the professional body for management accountants.
BSc (Hons) Business Management (Artificial Intelligence): new for September 2027
AI is already changing how businesses make decisions, and companies need people who understand both the business side and the technology. This new degree is built around that need.
You’ll study core business topics such as strategy, leadership and project management, with AI built into every year. In Year 1, you’ll learn how AI tools work and think about the ethical questions they raise. In Year 2, you’ll use AI for business analytics and lead digital change projects. In Year 3, you’ll look at how organisations manage the risks of AI. You’ll finish with an AI business consultancy project, working on a brief the way a consultant would.
Throughout the course, you’ll use AI tools that businesses already work with, so you’ll graduate with practical experience to show employers. Graduates could go on to roles in AI project management, business intelligence (using data to guide business decisions) or digital transformation (helping companies change how they work using technology).
The course runs for three years full-time and doesn’t include a placement year. You can still apply for internships through our Employability Team.
Good for you if: you’re curious about how AI is changing work and want to be the person who decides how a business uses it.
BA (Hons) International Business
This course is for students who want a career that crosses borders. You’ll study topics such as international marketing, emerging markets (fast-growing economies such as India and Brazil) and how to manage teams across different cultures. You’ll also look at corporate social responsibility and the global economy.
As well as the option of a placement year, you can spend a year studying at one of our partner universities abroad. Our International Business graduates have gone on to work at companies including PwC, JP Morgan, HP and Ericsson.
Good for you if: you’re interested in how business works in different countries and you’d like to work internationally.
BA (Hons) International Business with Language
This course covers the same ground as International Business, and you’ll also learn French, Italian, Mandarin or Spanish alongside your business modules. You can spend your second year studying abroad, and you can also choose a placement year.
Good for you if: you’d like to add a language to your CV and use it in your career.
Already studied business at university or college?
BA (Hons) Business Studies (Year 3 direct entry)
If you’ve already completed two years of business-related study, you can join Business Studies for your final year and graduate with a full honours degree. You’ll study small business development and strategy. You’ll also choose option modules, which can include a consultancy project or a project to create your own business.
To apply, you’ll need 120 credits at Level 4 and 120 credits at Level 5, with an average of at least 55% and no failed modules.
Don’t quite meet the entry requirements?
BA (Hons) Business Management (Extended)
The Extended version of Business Management starts with a foundation year. It builds your business knowledge and study skills before you move on to the full degree. The entry requirements are lower, and once you complete the foundation year, you’ll continue on the same Business Management degree as everyone else.
Thinking about starting your own business?
You don’t need a specific degree to become a founder. Students on any of our courses can work with the Generator team, enter the Enterprise Challenge and get feedback on their ideas from people who’ve built businesses themselves.
Dragos is a good example. While studying with us, he reached the semi-finals of the Enterprise Challenge, and he now runs three businesses. Read Dragos’s story
Where do these degrees lead?
Almost anywhere, which is the point of a business degree. The skills move across industries, company sizes and job types.
Some graduates join large companies. Some go to startups. Some move into consultancy, and some into charities or the public sector. Where you end up depends on what interests you and what you do with your time at Greenwich.
Maybe Business & Management isn't quite right?
That's fine too. The Greenwich Business School offers other programmes:
- Accounting & Finance
- Economics
- Human Resources
- Logistics & Supply Chain Management
- Marketing & Advertising
- Tourism, Events & Hospitality
One of these might be a better fit for what you actually want to do with your career.
Still not sure?
Picking a degree is a big deal. Nobody else can tell you what's right for you. But hopefully this clears up what's available and helps you narrow things down.
Take your time. Look around. Ask questions.