International Business Entrepreneurship Foundation Programme Modules

Semester 1

Developing Business and Academic Skills for Success

The aim of this module is to help students to develop the essential business skills required to be successful in a sustainable business context. Within a supportive class environment, this module will help students to develop your understanding and skills related to IT, data collection and analysis, project management, networking and leadership. Acquiring these skills will aid the students transition to the higher levels of study associated with your chosen degree programme and enhance your employability. The assessments are:

1. Portfolio on business and academic skills (Group)
2. Learning Diary Presentation

Accounting and Personal Finance

The aim of this module is to introduce personal finance against its wider social, economic and political background. You’ll be provided with a gentle introduction to aspects of economics, while also gaining practical tools and ideas on how to manage your own money effectively. The module will also develop the student’s ability to budget effectively and understand much more about the basic principles of the financial world. Through workshop activities and case studies students will be able to take more control of your own finances as well as provide the basis for further studies in finance. The assessments are:

1. Online Examination
2. Spreadsheet Analysis

Introduction to Marketing Skills

Introduction to Marketing is a broad-ranging module which is intended to provide a foundation in the skills and practice, as well as to prepare for further marketing modules in subsequent years of a degree. The outcomes from the module is to provide students with a grounding of the role and importance of marketing and provide basic skills enabling the student to analyse and consider marketing problems and opportunities. The assessments are:

1. Group Presentation on the core skills of marketing
2. Timed online case study

An Introduction to Global Business

The module will introduce the components, functions and context of a business and the changing international business environment, and their impact upon business operations and strategy. It will give students an appreciation of the business difficulties faced; the variety of factors influencing the choices and compromises that have to be made in international businesses, and the implications of those for the future viability and effectiveness of the organisations concerned. The assessments are:

1. Essay exploring business case study structure
2. Presentation on international business

Semester 2

New Product Development

This module provides an introduction to the development of new products and processes as an essential aspect of a businesses competitiveness. Yet, organizations do not operate in isolation but are a part of complex and increasingly globalized supply chains affecting innovation and new product development. The module connects how New Product Development and Business value chains enabling students to analyse the process within complex supply chains from the definition of a new product concept to the involvement of suppliers and partners in developing new product/process architectures. The assessments are:

1. New product Development plan presentation (Group)
2. Poster presentation of business ecosystem for new product

English for Academic Purposes

Successful academic study at a university level requires the ability to communicate clearly and accurately using a range of academic skills such as writing, reading, listening and speaking. It can also be a developmental learning process as you may now begin to think, write and communicate in new ways. This module is designed to help you develop the academic English skills required in order to study within higher education. The assessments are:

1. Academic Essay
2. Presentation on a subject decided in consultation with tutor

Foundation Practice Project

This Project module aims to provide students with the essential skills involved in planning, undertaking and presenting a piece of independent research on a topic relevant to their degree programme. The module will link to knowledge and skills developed in the programme and place a strong emphasis on the application of these to the topic being investigated. Students will attend regular seminars/workshops each week, focusing on furthering their academic skills. The assessments are:

1. Project proposal
2. Project Essay

Business Maths and Decision Making

The aim of this module is to provide students with an understanding of and an ability to apply a range of mathematical techniques to a variety of business situations, thereby enabling decision making. This is an introductory module which provides a broad foundation for university-level mathematics used in business degree. The assessments are:

1. Essay on data presentation and decision making
2. Spreadsheet Analysis

Subject to Change.