BSc (Hons) Business Start-Up

Program Overview

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Course Details

Are you a budding entrepreneur? The University of Bolton's innovative 2-year BSc (Hons) Business Start-Up degree is a full-time, accelerated course designed to support you in setting up your own business. Traditional business degrees cover the broad scope of business, but this course is different. We focus as closely as possible on your individual industry and business development needs, incubating your entrepreneurial potential.

Whatever your business speciality, through individually tailored teaching and assessment, and personalised business support, we aim to ensure you and your business are commercially sustainable post-study.

Tailored teaching and assessment

Our team of highly experienced business partners and lecturers are dedicated to helping you develop the fundamental business knowledge and practical expertise needed to set up and run your own business. We'll focus on building your understanding, skills, and confidence so you can plan and implement each stage of your new business effectively. One-to-one support is fundamental to our approach, and each module offers focused knowledge and skills that you can employ to help pass the assessments and, more importantly, support your business.

Personalised business support

Enrolling in this course gives you access to our hands-on business mentors through our Business Start-Up Support Network. Network members will act as mentors to provide our students' new ventures with the best possible starting point. We'll identify your needs and introduce you to a business mentor, then work with you to assess your business opportunities and ability to grow.

After graduation, you'll be a valued member of our business alumni network, so we can continue to support you and your business in the future. You may hopefully become a mentor to our students yourself!

Building your business network

You'll benefit from workshops and guest lectures from business start-up experts, SME advisors, successful entrepreneurs, and business owners. Networking events will help build your confidence and interpersonal skills. This direct access to the business community will help develop your skills and facilitate your success and growth.

Become a full-stack entrepreneur

Our BSc (Hons) Business Start-Up accelerated programme combines core, fundamental business, and specialised modules to develop the skills and knowledge needed to set up and grow your new business.

Enterprise and Opportunity – including the process of setting up a business

Business Skills Development – including sourcing suppliers and talent

Finance for Business Decision-Making – including financial documentation and processes

Issues in Enterprise Planning – including assessing market conditions and identifying opportunities

Business Growth – including identifying funding mechanisms and measuring capital returns (ROI)

Company Law – including contract law and intellectual property

Sustainability and Business Ethics – including both commercial and environmental sustainability

Overall, we aim to support you in gaining the vital mix of technical, practical, and theoretical business knowledge and skills needed to build a business from the ground up. We'll focus on the hard and soft skills necessary for success in your chosen business area, so you are ready to appraise risks, seize opportunities and lead your business to long-term growth and profitability.

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Highlights

Our Business, Management and Marketing courses are ranked second in the UK and top in the North West of England for Course and Teaching Satisfaction by The Guardian University Guide 2022.

The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022 ranks our Business, Management and Marketing courses second in the UK and top in the North West of England for Student Experience.

Our team of highly experienced and enthusiastic lecturers have worked in a wide range of businesses ranging from multinational organisations to SMEs and are experts in their fields.

Benefit from studying with business management students (core modules) and like-minded entrepreneurial students from across the globe who are in the process of setting up and developing their own enterprises (specialist modules).

Personalised business advice through our Business Start-Up Support Network will guide you in navigating the complexities of starting your own business.

Some modules will support you in taking a deep dive into your business to investigate a business problem or opportunity and devise realistic, implementable solutions.

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Key Features

This intensive 2-year full-time accelerated undergraduate degree runs over three trimesters per year, including over the summer.

This course is offered within our vibrant Institute of Management environment in Bolton town centre.

We use small group and tutorial teaching, so you can fully benefit from the excellent support offered by our teaching staff.

Benefit from the advice and guidance of a business mentor who can support you in developing your business ideas.

Course materials are available online, allowing you to prepare work at home and make the most of the highly interactive in-class tuition.

The University offers 24/7 access to excellent library and IT facilities, Wi-Fi, and well-appointed learning areas.

Choose to study with us and you'll have the chance to enjoy Bolton's many shops, bars, restaurants, and leisure facilities. Manchester, one of the UK's most multicultural and lively cities, is less than 20 minutes away by train. Not forgetting the Northwest of England is renowned for its beautiful countryside, coastline, and heritage sites.

Program Outline

Big business may grab the headlines, but in reality, SMEs are the backbone of a healthy economy. They provide employment, drive growth, and open new markets. If you have an idea for a new business venture but need help to realise your ambition, the University of Bolton's BSc (Hons) Business Start-Up is the ideal choice. Our academic and practitioner professionals are here to help you to navigate the complex and exciting world of business start-ups and practical entrepreneurship.

As a graduate of this highly personalised and individually tailored degree, you'll possess an impressive combination of skills and knowledge. Throughout your studies, your learning will be focused on your chosen industry area and the criteria for success in your field. This solid commercial awareness, sound business knowledge, innovation and development theory will translate to other sectors should you choose to diversify.

You'll also have essential and in-demand interpersonal and people skills, possess academic skills in research, critical thinking, and opportunity recognition, and have the lifelong learning, problem-solving and decision-making skills needed to adapt to new challenges.

What can I do with this qualification?

With the UK's first BSc (Hons) Business Start-Up degree, you'll be ready to plan, launch, and grow your own business. We expect you to already be trading, using your new knowledge and skills to develop and grow your business, with the benefit of ongoing support from the University's business alumni network.

You will also be well-equipped to enter a wide range of business and management roles in the public, private or voluntary sectors. Typical employment opportunities include retail management, human resources, marketing, customer service management, advertising, merchandising, logistics and supply chain management, accountancy, and law.

You may also choose to undertake further study in subjects such as international business management, marketing, finance, human resources and data analysis, and to develop your expertise in a particular business area. Studying for an MBA is also another option.

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Alternative career options

Graduates can use the qualification as a stepping-stone into a range of careers. Some of these roles may require relevant experience and/or postgraduate study. Possibilities include:

Advertising, marketing and public relations

Advising and consultancy

Business journalism

Civil service

E-commerce and social media

Education and teaching

Leadership and management

Not-for-profit fundraising

Policy management

Product management

Recruitment and human resources

Research and development

Sales

Social enterprise