BA (Hons) Business with Data Science with Foundation Year

This module will explore the environments in which organisations operate and will equip you with the ability to understand and analyse the interrelatedness of organisations and their environments. You will explore the dynamics of the modern business environment and links will be made to business planning and achieving competitive advantage. Factors impacting on an organisation’s internal environment including the impact of legal status on the governance of an organisation, the purpose of mission and vision statements and the impact of organisational values and ethics on decision-making will be explored. This module will further explore the determinants of supply and demand in the marketplace and an understanding of market structures. You will be challenged to explore how internal and external organisational environment(s) can influence stakeholders to act and behave. You will also be introduced to the concept of stakeholder management and will develop knowledge regarding the management of stakeholder relationships. This will provide the foundation to build and develop a wider understanding of the business environment as you progress through the programme.

During this module you'll learn the Fundamentals of Computer Science. You'll be introduced to foundational Computational Theory and Computational Thinking concepts using the logic, and abstraction, of Finite State Machines. You'll discover the importance of sequencing, data representation and the production of useful outputs to inform decision making.

You'll build on this knowledge, drawing a thread from understanding data and information structures to hardware and software architecture, networks and communication.

You'll also evaluate the Moral, Ethical, Legal and Cultural impacts of technological developments as they learn to produce a multi-faceted solution to a problem individually and in groups.

Teaching and learning will proceed through a combination of interactive lectures, tutorials and workshops, where the mode of delivery can be flexible according to group or individual needs.

On this module, you'll learn the fundamentals of writing structured computer programs using high-level programming language. The module enforces the importance of good programming practise and will review traditional computing algorithm analysis, design and implementation. No prior programming experience is required.

The module will cover a range of the most commonly used techniques and algorithms including data manipulation, graphics, file handling, and the use of package extensions.

Exercises are used to put theory into practice, which will enable you to build up your own library of algorithms for use in other modules.

This module equips you with the basic financial management skills to enable the development of sound financial acumen needed to ensure decision-making in financial management. These basic financial management skills are essential for success in business regardless of whether an organisation has a dedicated finance department. The module will explore the role of the finance function, the benefits and drawback of various sources of finance, current regulatory compliance and key financial documents including budgets, cashflows, balance sheets and profit and loss accounts. The role of financial information for business decision-making purposes will be analysed.

This module is designed to introduce you to digital marketing. This module is applied in its nature and challenges you to develop a digital marketing plan that will aid an organisation to achieve specific digital goals through careful consideration of selected marketing channels such as paid, earned, and owned media. This module brings you to the forefront of modern practices: bridging the gap between theory and its practical application. You will thus explore a variety of current and emerging online and offline digital marketing tools and platforms in order to make recommendations to a client regarding your digital marketing strategy. This module enhances your understanding of Business 4.0 organisations such as Amazon, Google, Netflix and Uber and will encourage you to analyse how these organisations have optimised the digital advantage to create customer value. You will consider how Industry 4.0 has revolutionised marketing and led to marketing innovations including Artificial Intelligence, Conversational marketing in real time using chatbots, personal brand influencers, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), omnipresence, internet marketing, relationship and mobile marketing.

You'll examine how various forms of quantitative enquiry can be brought to the investigation of historical and contemporary global issues. Exploring a range of quantitative methods and selected applied study contexts, you'll actively engage with a number of different disciplines.

In lectures, you'll be introduced to how quantitative enquiry can lead or inform interdisciplinary thinking and practice. In seminars, you will explore interdisciplinarity through different quantitative approaches, both theoretical and methodological, in relation to particular topics and in greater detail. You'll also have the chance to learn about different aspects of quantitative enquiry, including, for example: the meaning of statistical data, raw data extraction and manipulation, correlation and deviation, inference and interpretation and graphic representation.

You'll consider the design, relevance, application and value of particular quantitative and statistical methods in relation to applied, global issue study contexts.

The module provides you with a thorough introduction to economics with a specific emphasis on macroeconomics. The module builds on the knowledge gained in the Organisational Environments and Behaviour module at Level 4. You are introduced to key economic concepts, theories and economic policies and will gain an understanding of how such factors influence the world of business. The module explores how the health of the macroeconomic environment and the decisions taken within it (by countries and governments) influences the subsequent actions taken within the microenvironment. You will develop an understanding of how to measure and define the health of an economy and will understand how monetary and fiscal policy can be used to influence and pursue economic health (stable/ rising GDP). The module will encourage you to critique and explore the notion that countries, organisations and individuals make decisions in your own interests and subject to constraints.

This module provides you with a foundation in the theory and practice of Human Resource Management (HRM). You will develop a broad understanding of HRM and how its practices are applied in a business context. You will be challenged to engage with research and insight from the Chartered Institute of People and Development; the professional body for experts in people at work, and to develop an understanding of how HRM has evolved over time. You will come to appreciate that through the people professionals who work within it, the HR function helps an organisation deliver its corporate strategy and objectives by effectively recruiting and developing people and managing your performance. You will explore employment legislation and will develop an understanding of the factors that impact recruitment and selection. Furthermore, you will understand the rationale for workforce planning.

The ability to manage projects and work as a wider project team member is a vital skill for all managers. This module focuses on developing your knowledge and skills to manage projects successfully. Throughout this module you'll be encouraged to reflect on how you approached previous projects and to identify opportunities for further skills development.

During this module, you'll identify, evaluate and utilise methods and tools for planning tasks and activities, as well as extending your knowledge of how to implement and manage project activities, build stakeholder relationships, manage resources and risk, monitor progress and report on outcomes.

This module is intended to introduce you to data visualisation. We use industry-based data visualisation software’s library of resources and examples from the real world to demonstrate best practices for data visualisation and data storytelling. Software is used to create high-impact visualisations of common data analyses to help understand and make sense of data.

You'll learn to generate reports and dashboards to help with decision making derived from data and apply predicative analytics to improve decision making. Sample data is used to create visualisations and data models.

The module includes a work-based placement to help students get an insight into the role and importance of data visualisation skills in professional environments.

The module provides insight into different kinds of cyberthreats and cyberattacks as well as an introduction to techniques and mechanisms used to secure IT services, technical infrastructure and data to defend against them.

The areas considered include IT operating systems, applications, embedded services and users’ safety. You'll learn about techniques and mechanisms such as cryptography, authentication & authorisation, and user access control. Social and ethical implications of cyber security will be investigated to address concerns about data security, privacy, and the social impact of cyber security.

This module will allow you to continue to develop your knowledge and skills in programming. You'll learn to use algorithms and data structures to solve real-life problems based on datasets and databases.

You'll be taught about the abstract and applied notions of data structures and algorithms and their efficient implementation including in an object oriented framework. Fundamental concepts of data structures & algorithms are covered including linear data structures such as Arrays, Lists, Queues, & Stacks and associative data structures such as Sets, Dictionaries, Hash Tables, Graphs, & Trees. The data structures are presented and analysed with particular focus on efficiency of the operations they support and their application to solve real life problems.

This module provides you with an opportunity to explore the meaning of equality, diversity and inclusion. Equality, diversity and inclusion are important drivers of organisational performance, benefiting staff and stakeholders. For you to be effective as future fit employees and aspiring managers and leaders it is key that your everyday sense of ‘normal’ and the lenses that impact on how you see and interpret the world around you are explored. These individual lenses through which a person sees, frame the attitude and response to a changing world brought ever closer by globalisation. Thus, through undertaking this module, you will come to understand that promoting and supporting diversity in the workplace is an important aspect of good people management and that it is about valuing everyone in the organisation as an individual. Furthermore, you will come to understand that in order to reap the benefits of a diverse workforce it is vital to have an inclusive environment where everyone is encouraged and enabled to participate and achieve their potential. You will develop an understanding of UK legislation – covering age, disability, race, religion, gender and sexual orientation among others. You will come to appreciate that this sets the minimum standards, and that an effective diversity and inclusion strategy goes beyond legal compliance seeking to add value to an organisation, contributing to employee well-being and engagement. Through undertaking this module, you will be empowered to champion equality, diversity and inclusion and to challenge others to do the same if / where needed.

Through undertaking the module, you will begin to develop the
knowledge and skills required to develop practices for managing and leading Corporate Social Responsibility and sustainability in an organisational setting. The critical exploration of case studies will help support students to develop a fuller understanding of CSR / sustainability in a variety of contexts.

You'll take positive action within this module by working together as
part of BGU's Enactus team to actively tackle global challenges in line with The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This approach provides you with the opportunity to engage with the world’s largest experiential learning platform.

This module explores the ethics in the use of data science and considers how to address ethical challenges that arise. It explores ethics in data science and ethical implications of its applications. Drawing on work by data scientists, social scientists, philosophers, you'll investigate real-world case studies and explore topics related to data science ethics, developing your debate techniques.

This module will enhance your understanding of organisational strategy and the resulting strategic management challenges in an ever-changing world. It will introduce a range of contemporary models and concepts for building a firm's competitive strategy and corporate strategy and will develop your ability to evaluate and select strategies appropriate to case organisations including strategies where profit is of secondary, or no importance. In today’s risk-filled business environment, it can be hard for organisations and managers to have confidence that their plans and strategies will play out as expected. Strategic risks can strike more swiftly than ever before, hastened along by rapidly emerging and changing business trends and technological innovations such as social media, mobile and big data. Thus; managing strategic risk has become a high priority for organisations and developing these skills is therefore essential for the next generation of leaders. In real terms; this module will help you make sense of the strategies and strategic management of organisations around you and will challenge you to develop your analytical and decision-making skills in order to evaluate and make strategic choices and options that balance risk with opportunity.

This module will provide you with an understanding of the environment in which international business takes place and an appreciation of the opportunities and challenges globalisation and international business presents. This module seeks to develop your awareness of the importance of a range of contemporary issues and developments in international business and to enable you to confidently evaluate the impact of such issues and developments on the conduct and performance of international business. The module will examine the international political, technological, social, economic, legal and cultural environments that impact on organisations and will further explore international competitiveness, regulatory regimes and international governance. Factors such as environmentalism, ethics and corporate social responsibility will also be explored, as will approaches to international recruitment and the implications for effective international management.

This module equips you with the knowledge and skills to business plan for start-up. This module is practical in nature and provides you with the opportunity to create a business plan for a commercially viable product or service through a workshop approach. You will create a plan that will guide you in defining your unique selling proposition (USP) and give you clarity of the marketplace in which you choose to operate. You will be supported to seek out relevant enterprise guidance and support from outside agencies such as the local chamber of commerce and The FSB and will be encouraged to test start-up ideas in a safe environment using the facilities and expertise of the on-site business incubation centre BG Futures.

This module introduces you to the principles of managing and leading individuals, teams and organisations and provides an opportunity for you to evaluate and understand approaches for supporting, motivating and inspiring others to meet and exceed expectations. You will use case study examples to extend your knowledge and understanding and to review best practice in the workplace. An in-depth understanding of the theoretical and practical approaches to leading and managing effectively will thus prevail. Furthermore, you will analyse and evaluate the merits of various methods that can be used to monitor organisational, individual and team performance. Managing and leading in both physical and remote environments as well as in hybrid settings whereby individuals typically have more freedom to work when and where they choose will also be explored.

This module provides you with the opportunity to explore social innovation and entrepreneurship. You will review and analyse; the characteristics of social entrepreneurship, innovative, up-to-date research on the ecosystems of social entrepreneurship, the behaviour of social entrepreneurs, their ability to produce social innovation, social capital and social inclusion, and the role of stakeholders in fostering socially oriented businesses. You will be encouraged and supported to network with social entrepreneurs in order to explore first-hand the diversity of the social enterprise sector. In networking with social entrepreneurs you will consider the motivations and role of social entrepreneurs and social enterprises in the modern world.