BA (Hons) Business and Marketing
Due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, examinations may be replaced by an alternative form of assessment during the academic year 2020/2021. Please refer to the Programme Specification on these pages for further details.
This course includes the options of:
Work placement*
Study abroad*
*No fees are charged for this year
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Professional accreditations
Students taking the BA Marketing and Business degree are eligible to study for a Chartered Institute of Marketing qualification whilst at university. In the first year, students are given the opportunity to become Affiliate Members of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and study for a first CIM award in Marketing Principles. The Chartered Institute of Marketing has commended Hertfordshire Business School on numerous occasions for the success of the students studying CIM qualifications alongside their course.
Why choose this course?
If you’re looking to combine a strong interest in marketing with general business studies, this newly updated course is the one for you. It offers you a great deal of flexibility as you enter the job market, whether you wish to work in marketing organisations, or marketing departments within large businesses, or work more generally in business, with an extensive knowledge of marketing strategy.
You’ll learn the latest in business and marketing with a curriculum that integrates developments in the digital and data environments. You’ll also benefit from our strong links with the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM); the Business School is a CIM Strategic Partner and hosts the regional CIM Club. Learning for professional qualifications is embedded into the curriculum, with the chance to gain a professional CIM qualification within the first year and additional CIM qualifications during the second and final years.
There is a strong focus on your employability needs, giving you the transferable skills and attributes sought after by employers. You’ll benefit from a balanced and broad programme of business and marketing modules that combines core business subjects such as accounting, economics, project and people management and leadership, with marketing modules including consumer behaviour, branding, and marketing communications. You’ll also gain practical industry experience through live projects, industry speakers, events, and employability modules. You can enhance your CV further through an optional year’s study abroad, placement or short internship.
What's the course about?
This course uses a mix of teaching methods, including software and practical workshops, lectures, tutorials, individual coursework and groupwork. You’ll learn through experiential learning and through live business projects and field trips. Knowledge is enhanced through engagement with the wider Hertfordshire Business School (HBS) research community. Study includes blended learning materials, such as online modules and recorded lectures to enable flexibility for students’ learning needs.
You’ll be assessed through a wide variety of assessment types designed with employability and academic skills in mind. There will be a wide mix of assessments including the production of digital artefacts, projects, portfolios, pitches, and opinion pieces, as well as the more traditional essays, reports, and exams.
Your first year focuses on understanding the basic Principles of Marketing, and an Introduction to Marketing Communications. Core business studies include Accounting for Managers, Economics for Business, Quantitative Methods for Business and The Global Business Environment. Study will be underpinned with Essential Skills in Marketing and you’ll start to plan your career through Preparing for Professional Success.
In the second year you’ll deepen your critical and analytical skills in marketing through studying Marketing, Insight, Analysis and Planning and Consumer Behaviour. Core business management modules include Exploring Business Ethics, Project Planning and Control, and Cross-cultural Management. You’ll be introduced to entrepreneurship through Innovation and Business Model Design. Employability skills will be further enhanced through proactively Working in Industry and learning about Managing People.
Work placement/study abroad option: Between your second and final year, you’ll have the option to study abroad or do a work placement for up to a year. Not only will this give you an amazing experience to talk about but will also give your CV a boost. The University actively encourages and supports students through the Careers and Placements Office and the Hertfordshire Business School Employability team. Students who gain experience through an Internship, may also have the opportunity to have this recognised in their degree title. If you’d rather go straight to your final year, that’s absolutely fine too.
In the final year you’ll develop your strategic thinking through Branding and Communications Strategy, Business Strategy and Global Marketing. You will develop a deeper understanding of the Digital Economy, and Leadership and Organisations. At this level you will enhance your Business and Commercial Awareness, whilst learning how to make Data Driven Marketing Decisions. Whether you want to work in industry, not-for-profit organisations or set up your own business, you’ll benefit from the latest contemporary thinking in The Future of Marketing.
Your main campus is de Havilland
You’ll share this campus with students from business, law, sport, education, and humanities subjects. The student housing is close to our Sports Village which includes a gym, swimming pool and climbing wall. You can get breakfast, lunch, or dinner in our on-campus restaurant or bar (in the newly built Enterprise Hub) on days you don’t feel like cooking. You can also use the common room to play pool, video games or just to hang out with friends. Our Learning Resources Centres are open 24/7, which means you can study whenever suits you best. Want to pop over to the other campus? You can take the free shuttle bus or walk there in just 15 minutes.
What will I study?
Alongside traditional teaching methods of lectures, seminars and tutorials, we operate a web-based student support system called StudyNet where you can expect to find a range of material and communications about every module.
The teaching method for most modules on the course is a one hour lecture followed by a one hour seminar. Typically, a new topic will be introduced in each lecture. The seminars provide an opportunity to discuss and obtain feedback on the topic introduced in the previous week's lecture. Usually, assessment is split between coursework and examination. Coursework may take a variety of forms and could be individual or group work.
'My time at the University of Hertfordshire has been life-changing through the life skills I have gained. I recognise the importance of independence, as well as having academic goals. I have grown in confidence and am enjoying my placement working as an Events Assistant at the University.'
Check out our student blogs
Student Blogs
Jess - Week at a glance
My week at a glance
So, I applied for this course through clearing and it has been a highly educational and enjoyable two years and I am incredibly happy that I was told about this course through my teachers at the other campus. The way that our course works is that you go to your local consortium college (whether that be: Oaklands, West Herts, North Herts or Herts Regional- my college) and you learn a similar specification to those at the university campus, however, the material taught varies slightly in the way we carry out tasks; taking a more practical approach instead helps prepare us more for the workplace!
In the second year of our course, the biggest project we completed was a work-based learning project worth 30 credits. If we failed this, we would fail the entire year. This project asks for us to carry out research and make our own report. Having finished this project, I really enjoyed the process. This is the module with the most focus in year two due to the fact it carries the most marks!
My course is taught from Hertford Regional College, Ware Campus, one of University of Hertfordshire’s consortium colleges and the requirements are for me to be in two days a week. In the first year of my foundation degree, I needed to come in on Tuesday and Thursday. In the second year, it was Thursday and Friday. A typical day of a student at our college as part of the HE (Higher Education) department would look like:
09:30 Lecture starts - Our one to one lecturer would begin their lecture at 09:30 in comparison to a normal 09:00 start at University. Our first day in the week would normally consist of a 09:30 lecture until 11:00. However, despite that fact that this may seem quite long it goes by quickly as the information we learn is never too bulky to keep and is delivered in a fun and educational way.
11:00 -15/20 minute break
11:20-12:30 - Group discussion and extra topics normally discussed- we would normally discuss in our small class size (around 10 of us) about what we think about the topic we are learning about, whether we agree/disagree with each other,
12:30- 13:30 - An hour lunch break
13:30-14:30 -Class resumes
14:30- 14:15 - Second section of the day
14:30-15:15 - Lecture two
15:15-15:45 - one to one tutoring- progress checks- are you meeting your targets? what is your weekly attendance, have you been attending on time? how do you feel you are getting on? what is something you are struggling with?
15:45-16:15 - Last section of the day- Something which may at first appear off-putting about the foundation degree course is the normal day of our class and how similar it may appear to a normal school or working day. Personally, this has been very good in getting me into work mood which is the main aim of the course as it tests your punctuality, your ability to present original and organic ideas with substance and lastly tests your ability to get on with others (ie future colleagues). The course really prepares you for the real and competitive working world.
Student Blogs
Jess - Things you should know
Something interesting for a prospective student to consider
Something I think would be interesting to a prospective student when considering the FDA course is how great it is to commute to if you live within the Ware/Hertford area. For me, I lived a seven-minute drive from the facilities, so it was in perfect distance. I would really say this may be a massive positive for prospective students who do not wish to go far away from home/are unable to study far away from home due to medical or personal reasons.
An added element worth noting is that our course is cheaper. The standard course at the university is a fair amount more expensive in comparison; per year our course costs £6,165 compared to £9,250 at University.
Another thing worth noting is that the experience feels more personal compared to a larger course with lots of people. You get to know everyone on your course so that you are very comfortable with all of them by the time that your course ends. When you enter your third year you are taught on campus.
A final thing to consider is if you feel it has all gone wrong on results day, whether that be in your A levels or your Level three BTEC. This course is a great alternative for students who did not do as well as they may have hoped for whatever reason that may be! Another thing which is good for potential students considering this course is that you can still retake Maths/English alongside side the course. If there is a grade you were previously unhappy with you can still retake it, however, after 19 there may be fees that apply for you to be able to retake your Maths and English qualifications. The course is very welcoming and after the two years you can then go to the main campus with everyone else and by that stage, you would have built up your confidence and be ready to take on University life! Enjoy!
Student Blogs
Jess - Choosing my course
What I love most about my course
Over the past two years, What I love most about my course is the flexibility, confidence-building opportunities and the ability to investigate weaknesses in my skills and improve them as well as my and confidence in my abilities. Although the course is not taught directly from the university over the last two years, I felt highly independent.
As time when on I felt that being independent was very easy compared to when I was at college because if I were unsure about the quality of work I was producing, I would always ask questions. The course allows you to develop your skills individually and the small class sizes are great for those who may not learn well in a large lecture full of people. The smaller class size allows individuals to receive the help that you won’t get in a lecture class size.
For someone who suffers badly with social anxiety this course has been ideal as I now feel much more comfortable in my surroundings and environment and find it easy to relax and learn, therefore, if you feel overwhelmed with big lecture halls that have a 200-student capacity, this course is perfect for you. We are also able to see other Higher Education (HE) colleagues on the top floor art department who are studying HE Visual Merchandising and Graphic Design. This is nice as sometimes it may feel as though we aren’t at university so when we see students who are also studying HE courses, it makes us feel like we belong.
The graphic design and visual merchandising students also have a separate room upstairs- so if anyone is interested in studying one of the creative subjects, I would definitely say that Herts Regional College (HRC) cater well for it- especially as the campus itself is commonly known as the “creative enterprise campus”.
Alumni Stories
Wai Shan Cheng (Shanice)
Meet Wai Shan Cheng (Shanice) who has gained a wide portfolio of skills since graduating. She is currently a freelance copywriter and entrepreneur.
| Current job role | Marketing Director and Entrepreneur |
|---|---|
| Year of graduation | 2003 |
| Course of study | BA(Hons) Marketing |
Path to success
Shanice feels that her degree from the University of Hertfordshire provided her with the key principles of marketing to put her on the path to success in her career. She feels the most useful element of the course was the experience of working with others to complete group projects, a skill she uses daily in her current business.
After graduating, Shanice gained experience as a Marketing Executive in the Neon Light Manufacturing Company. This role enabled her to build on her current skills as well as exposing her to other key skills like customer handling, product management and trade show knowledge. Shanice feels that gaining this direct marketing experience after graduation has been key to both her inspiration as an entrepreneur, and her career achievements. Following this role, she worked for a pay TV channel for eight years assisting with channel promotion and marketing services.
Entrepreneur
Shanice founded her company, Kiana Handcraft, in early 2015. She had originally started making handmade hair bows and bow ties during her spare time. However, she soon decided to roll out her products to a wider audience by launching an online shop on Shopify through which she markets and sells her products. Shanice is involved in all aspects of running the company – including monitoring the website, sourcing fabric and materials, accounting, order enquiries and distribution.
In addition to running Kiana Handcraft in her spare time, Shanice joined Panda Group at the start of 2015 as a freelance copywriter. The company offers a full service Brand Design & Marketing Agency. Current clients include Citibank, Disneyland, HSBC, Nielsen, Morgan Stanley and Cathay Pacific. Having proved herself indispensable, Shanice is now their permanent Marketing Director. The role includes seizing new business opportunities, producing cost-effective marketing strategies to clients, and providing detailed costings.
Future goals
In the future Shanice would like to focus on her focus business and work on collaborations: 'I have just started an exciting new collaboration with Kiana Handcraft and the Hong Kong Jockey Club for a crossover promotion with their Swarovski Brooch for Silver Purse Day. My long term goal is to get 5000 likes on Facebook and roll out Kiana Handcraft world-wide.'
Alumni Stories
Francesca Francois
Meet Francesca Francois who has had a rich career since graduating. Francesca now works as a Marketing Manager.
| Current job role | Marketing Manager |
|---|---|
| Year of graduation | 2010 |
| Course of study | BA(Hons) Marketing and French |
University experience
Francesca had a good feeling when she walked around our campus. She visited us three times, just to make sure we were the right choice for her. We certainly were, as Francesca met her husband at Herts, and after twelve years together they married in 2017. She tells us that some of the friends she met at university, she couldn’t live without.
Francesca enjoyed her studies and learnt a lot about working with different types of people. Having the opportunity to learn business, marketing and French within one degree allowed her to fully understand the career she would soon enter. The curriculum interested her, and she welcomed the relevancy of the modules, such as global marketing and corporate social responsibility. Her placement year gave her valuable experience which helped Francesca find employment when she graduated.
Career progression
Francesca has had a rich marketing career. Highlights include working as a marketing manager for Hamleys and her current role as a Europe marketing manager. Francesca says that the key to her successes have been believing in herself and continuously learning. In the future, Francesca would like to set up her own marketing and events company and hopes to offer internships to students at the University of Hertfordshire.
Please note that some of the images and videos on our course pages may have been taken before social distancing rules in the UK came into force.