So, you think you’ve cracked it by finally deciding which degree you want to study at university; business. But then, you start to look at the course options, and actually… it’s not that simple.
Are you overwhelmed by the various types of business degrees on offer at the University of Bath? Are you unsure as to which course is best suited to you?
After all, all business courses at Bath are ranked very highly. See the image below for some of the latest rankings and this web page for the most up-to-date School of Management rankings:
In this post I’ll be breaking down the key differences between Management courses and BSc Business, so you can decide which is best for you.
Let’s start with Management…
There are three key management courses to choose from:
• Management (three or four years depending on if you choose to do a placement)
• Management with Marketing
• International Management
These three courses overlap significantly in the first year of study, but then begin to differ more from year two onwards. All three courses will give you a general overview of management as a broad discipline but then offer the chance to specialise through optional modules; for example in marketing or international business.
Within the management courses, you have the opportunity to spend one year on placement, which would take place in your third year. If you don’t want to do a placement you can choose BSc Management – three years. If you choose International Management you will go abroad in your third year and you can choose a work placement or an academic exchange at another university. If you study Management – four years or Management with Marketing, your placement will more likely be within the UK.
If you’re interested in Modern Languages, the School of Management also offers a joint degree with the Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies: International Management with Modern Languages. You can choose from French, German or Spanish. This course includes a year abroad in a country that uses your chosen language.
How does this differ to Business?
Whilst the field of study is largely similar to the Management courses, the main difference between Business is the course structure. If you study Business, you will do two six-month placements (one in year two and one in year three) rather than one-year-long one.
This alternative course structure comes with both pros and cons. The biggest advantage is that you get two different experiences, which can be in different fields and with vastly different companies. For example, you could do one of the placements with a large global company, and the other with a small start-up enterprise. Doing two placements means you get to really learn what you do and do not want to do in the future, which can help you to tailor your fourth year of study better as well. Not to mention, if you want to experience working abroad but don’t want to commit to a full year of it, then BSc Business is the perfect course for splitting that opportunity into smaller chunks.
However, being at university for only six months of year two and three can make the housing situation a little bit difficult. The way that people tend to get around it is by sharing a housing contract with another Business student who also does a six-month placement, but in the opposite semester to you. This is a really good way of minimising your costs, as you’ll only be paying for accommodation for the time that you’re actually living in it. Although this sounds daunting and challenging, it is achievable as the School of Management has set up a closed Facebook group for current students to help with this.
So which one is for you?
If you’re unsure about which career in business you want, then BSc Business can be a better option in terms of allowing you to try two different options on placement instead of one. Additionally, if you’re someone who gets bored easily and wants to break out of the academic cycle more frequently, then BSc Business is definitely the way to do this. Whereas, if you know that you want a career in marketing (for example)- or if you are someone who is less open to change- then one of the management courses might be a better route.
Either way, both courses offer a solid grounding in business knowledge, and which course you go for boils largely down to which structure you prefer.
For me, I have been very happy with my choice of Management with Marketing, as I prefer structure and the chance to fully settle into things- whether this be my academic year or my placement year- for extended periods of time. However, I know other people prefer more fast-paced experiences, in which case BSc Business may be preferable!
You might want to read this Business v Management blog post for comparison.
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