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BA (Honours) Business and Economics - Learning outcomes

Educational aims

This joint degree in Business and Economics aims to provide you with: 

  • a good knowledge of business operations and organisational dynamics, including structures, cultures, processes, and key functions such as HR, finance, and operations, alongside economic insights into markets and socio-economic trends
  • a thorough understanding of economic and business theories, techniques and practices to analyse pressing global challenges, such as poverty, inequality, unemployment, ageing populations, international trade, market power and competition
  • the ability to critically engage with debates in both business and economics, evaluating diverse perspectives, assessing evidence, and applying insights to inform policy and decision-making
  • transferable and highly valued skills, including problem-solving, critical thinking, communication, data analysis, and the ability to reflect on and adapt practices for personal and professional growth
  • comprehensive support and guidance to develop as an independent learner, equipping you with the tools and confidence to succeed in a wide range of careers or further study.

Learning outcomes

The qualification provides opportunities for you to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, qualities, skills, and other attributes in the following areas:

Knowledge and understanding

On completion of this qualification, you’ll have knowledge and understanding of:

  • the main concepts, ideas, methods and theories from the disciplines of business management and economics
  • a range of modern debates in economics and business, particularly as they apply to our understanding of the contemporary social world
  • methods and techniques for analysing economic and business issues, including statistical data analysis, modelling, and digital tools, with a focus on their relevance to real-world applications. 

Cognitive skills

On completion of this qualification, you’ll be able to:

  • synthesise, critically evaluate and challenge information, arguments and assumptions from different sources, including current research and scholarship, in accordance with the theories, concepts and principles of business management and economics
  • apply knowledge and understanding of economic and business theories to a wide range of the principal professional skills, techniques, practices and/or materials, appreciating the uncertainty, ambiguity, and limits of knowledge in both disciplines
  • evaluate diverse theoretical perspectives in economics and business management to highlight and explain key aspects of organisations, markets, and societal dynamics
  • use and integrate diagrammatic, statistical, mathematical, and verbal analysis to evaluate economic and business issues effectively. 

Practical and/or professional skills

On completion of this qualification, you’ll be able to:

  • apply economic and business management theory and techniques to a variety of applied topics and practical problems. 
  • critically engage, as appropriate, with practical and professional skills and demonstrate an awareness of relevant responsible and ethical issues in business management. 
  • appraise, monitor and reflect constructively on your own personal progress; use skills to improve your own learning and performance, including learning from feedback, and identify your own strengths, weaknesses and preferences relating to work, career goals and other interests. 
  • plan workload and meet deadlines over an extended period of time under increasing levels of pressure. 
  • work independently to analyse a research question using quantitative and/or qualitative data. 

Key skills

On completion of this qualification, you’ll be able to:

  • identify, interpret and solve complex problems appropriate to business management. 
  • reflect on the appropriateness and effectiveness of the problem-solving processes used and identify some key principles which may be relevant in future situations. 
  • use a combination of formal, logical planning processes and an understanding of context to identify relevant information and risks and be able to identify alternative strategies and resources. 
  • present or communicate, formally or informally, information about specialised topics in a way which is appropriate to your purpose and audience and encourages the sharing of ideas and different perspectives 
  • search, process and prepare information using digital applications, such as statistical software packages, websites, databases and interactive and multimedia applications, and integrate this information within established understandings or show how it challenges them. 
  • collaborate with others to achieve joint outcomes, playing an active role in facilitating effective group interaction, influencing and/or leading as appropriate. 

Teaching, learning and assessment methods

You’ll learn independently, using the following types of material provided by us:

  • printed teaching texts
  • online teaching texts
  • multimedia packages
  • directed readings from a variety of sources
  • specialised software tools.

We’ll support your learning with:

  • self-assessment questions and exercises included in the teaching texts
  • computer-based investigations and open-ended project work
  • feedback and guidance in tutorials and direct from your tutor email and online moderated forums
  • study and project guides.

We’ll assess your learning with:

  • tutor-marked assignments (TMAs)
  • interactive computer-marked assignments (iCMAs)
  • end-of-module assessments (EMAs)
  • formal examinations
  • progress and project reports.