Course Content

Business and Management serves to develop an appreciation of the value and importance of business activity. The course extends beyond this to give the students the ability to develop a practical understanding of how business management decision making is absolutely crucial in determining the success or failure of business. There is significant scope during the course of study to delve into the real world and apply the theoretical study to actual businesses.

A range of stimulating and contemporary topics such as corporate social responsibility, waste management and off-shoring are offered, coupled with the more traditional principles which will continue to be relevant in business.

Overall the course will cover the four main functional areas of Business; Marketing, Human Resources, Operations and Accounting. Our students are encouraged, however, to explore beyond these areas and tackle problems which may, at first, appear difficult to solve.

As part of the course, students are required to carry out a personal investigation. This allows our pupils to develop research skills, which are valued highly by both employers and universities. The investigation involves independently exploring the problems faced by a small/medium-sized business.

Course Structure

Examination 75%Controlled Assesment 25%

Paper 1: Business Concepts

Written paper, 2 hours 45 minutes, 100 marks – weighted at 35%

• Section 1: 20 multiple-choice questions covering the entire syllabus. Candidates answer all questions. Guide time is 30 minutes.
• Section 2: questions based on a previously unseen case study. Candidates answer all questions. Guide time is 1 hour 15 minutes including reading time.
• Section 3: choice of essay question that is not case study related. Guide time is 1 hour.

Paper 2: Strategic Decisions

Written paper, 3 hours, 100 marks – weighted at 40%

All questions are based on a previously unseen case study.

• Section 1: one question with multiple parts. Guide time is 45 minutes.
• Section 2: three long-answer responses. Guide time is 2 hours 15 minutes.

Paper 3: Personal Investigation

• Report, 100 marks – weighted at 25%

Reading and Resources

As a department we have a weekly subscription to The Economist and Bloomberg magazine which students are encouraged to be aware of. The department has a well-stocked library of business and management titles available for student use.