PRE-MASTERS IN BUSINESS, ECONOMICS, ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE

Academic English Skills aims to provide thorough training in the language and related academic skills which will enable international students to best achieve their academic potential at university. Our Academic English programme is validated by UK ENIC, the UK government agency responsible for providing information and expert opinion on qualifications and skills worldwide.

You will develop awareness and competency in a range of language-related academic skills, including the processes of academic writing, effective and extensive reading strategies, effective delivery of presentations, and listening to and recording information effectively from lectures. You will also develop the accuracy and range of written and spoken language required to use language effectively and appropriately, with clarity and confidence in an academic context.

Alongside your classes, your studies will be supported by an online learning platform, providing you with a range of tasks and activities specifically designed to develop and extend your language and academic skills outside the classroom and to give you more control over your own learning.

Students will be assessed in all four skills areas: listening, reading, speaking and writing, this is assessed through examinations, coursework and a presentation.

The recommended text for this module are Academic Writing Skills for International Students by Read and English for Academic Study; Reading Course Book for Slaght.

In this module students concentrate on developing the critical skills specific to the reading and writing that will be required in their taught Masters degree programme. The course focuses on developing student criticality, fostering thorough scholarly skills and independent learning through the development of critical note taking and reading skills; the analysis, evaluation and summary of authentic academic texts.

The module will be assessed by notetaking, critical summary and a literature review.

Recommended text for this module are Critical Reading and Writing for Postgraduates by Wallace & Wray and Academic Writing; A Handbook for International Students by Bailey.

This one-term module covers some fundamental techniques in statistics. The module is particularly important because of its huge applicability. The skills studied are used widely across many scientific, business, and social science fields. The module content includes data exploration, correlation and regression, probability distributions and hypothesis testing.

This module is assessed by an invigilated examination.

Recommended texts for this module are Edexcel AS and A Level Mathematics – Statistics & Mechanics Year 2 and Probability and Statistics for Engineering and the Sciences.

_{*Not studied on some Data Science routes} 

This module looks to establish academic competency in research methods for use in a business research context. The main aim of this course is to introduce and develop skills relating to research methods. The module will be focussed on developing an understanding of the application, collection and limitation of a variety of techniques related to data and materials relevant to analysis within the area of business.

This module has two summative assessments: an essay and a formal exam.

Recommended reading includes Bryman, A. (2015). Social Research Methods. 5th edn and Saunders, M., Thornhill, P. and Lewis, P. (2018). Research Methods for Business Students. 8th edn.  

Data Science Route

• Management
• Mathematics for Economics

Economics route

• Economics
• Mathematics for Economics

Marketing route

• Marketing
• Management

Accounting route

• Accounting
• Management

Management route*

• Management
• Marketing

Finance route*

• Finance
• Mathematics for Economics

_{*only available as a three-term option}

Accounting

This module will provide all learners with a concise and contemporary overview of accounting, and give them the knowledge and skills to underpin further study in the field.

This module is assessed by formal exam and assignment.

The recommended text for this course is Atrill, P. and McLaney, E., (2018) Financial Accounting for Decision Makers. 9th edn.

Management

The central aim of this module is to introduce to the students the broad concepts of organisational structure, leadership, culture, understanding teams and groups, recruitment and selection in organisations with a strong focus on the underlying theoretical underpinnings of the same. In addition to the organizational behaviour side of things, this module would study operations management to help students identifying and making feasible use of operational resources within a global context (capacity, procurement and outsourcing decisions), exploring the content and process of operations strategy, managing the supply chain and developing effective supplier relationships, establishing and monitoring 'fit', 'sustainability' and 'risk’.

This module has two summative assessments: an essay and a formal exam.

The recommended textbook for this course is Management and Organisational Behaviour by Laurie Mullins and Gary Rees, although there are many good management textbooks available.

Economics

The Economics module will provide students with a sound understanding of theories, models and concepts in economics and the relationship between microeconomics and macroeconomics. Students will be introduced to a variety of contemporary business scenarios. They will be supported in their exploration of the role and purpose of microeconomic and macroeconomic policy and its impact on the behaviour and performance of business activity and economic systems.

This module has two summative assessments: an essay and a formal exam.

The recommended textbooks for this course are: Blanchard, O. (2017) Macroeconomics, Global Edition, Kreps, D.M (2020) A Course in Microeconomic Theory (2020).

Extended Research

This module allows students to work independently researching a topic of interest to them. They develop skills in referencing, researching, reflecting, and extended essay writing. Different research approaches are explored and analysed.

Assessment is in the form of a written project and a reflection.

Recommended reading includes Bryman, A. (2015). Social Research Methods. 5th edn and Saunders, M., Thornhill, P. and Lewis, P. (2018). Research Methods for Business Students. 8th edn.

Finance

To provide a grounding in the theory and empirical applications of investment and portfolio management, focusing on both the theoretical concepts and empirical applications.

This module has two summative assessments: an essay and a formal exam.

The recommended textbook for Finance is Essentials of Investments by Bodie, Kane, Marcus.

Marketing

This module will provide all learners with a concise and contemporary overview of marketing and give them the knowledge and skills to underpin further study in the field.

This module has two summative assessments: an essay and a formal exam.

The recommended text for this module is Blythe, J. and Martin, J. (2012). Essentials of Marketing. 6th edn. Financial Times Prentice.

Mathematics for Economics

Though economics is technically a social science, students pursuing this field require a firm foundation in mathematics. This one-term module is not a study of economics, but rather a review of the relevant mathematical skills required to aid the study of economics. The module content includes algebra and functions, differentiation, integration, differential equations, matrices, and Lagrange's theorem.

This module is assessed by an invigilated examination.

Recommended texts for this module are Maths for Economics 4th Edition and Essential Mathematics for Economic Analysis 6th Edition.