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Southampton Solent University logo

BSc (Hons)Business Management

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Starting in2025
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UCAS code: BM03
Institution code: S30
Campus: Southampton City CentreView on Google Maps

Why study business management with a foundation year

Develop the skills, confidence and real-world experience you’ll need to succeed in the world of business or excel as an entrepreneur with our top-ranked, CMI-accredited Business Management degree.

  • 0th
    in the sector for graduate start-ups (HESA 2023)
  • 0th
    UK uni for sustained employment (Longitudinal Educational Outcomes 2022)
  • Top0%
    for teaching quality, out of 131 institutions (Times Good University Guide, 2025)
  • The business and law foundation year is ideal for those who are looking at an alternative route into higher education, or who wish to update or broaden their knowledge before progressing onto the full BSc (Hons) Business Management degree.
  • Solent ranked in the top 25% of UK universities for satisfaction with assessment in business and management (out of 117 institutions) (The Guardian University Guide 2025).
  • Solent Business School, winner of the Outstanding Higher Education Training Provider of the Year at the CMI Awards 2022, holds the Small Business Charter. Solent is one of only 62 Business Schools to have this acknowledgement of excellence in working with SMEs.
  • Gain an additional Chartered Management Institute (CMI) Level 5 Management and Leadership qualification.
  • Graduates from a CMI-dual accredited degree are significantly more likely to be working in high-skilled jobs 15 months after graduation compared to students on non CMI-accredited degree courses (CMI, Dual Accreditation Employability Statistics, 2024).
  • Sustainability is embedded in the curriculum. Learn about climate change, population growth, digitisations and the impact on people, planet and profit and study regenerative business practices, financial, environmental and social sustainability.
  • Deliver projects for clients including PWC, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Red Funnel, and B&Q – giving essential knowledge of business and management, and the understanding to apply that knowledge in real-world contexts.
  • Our teaching team offers a wealth of experience in varied national business and marketing environments with strong connections with a range of successful businesses.
  • You’ll have the opportunity to do a 13-week placement or study abroad in semester 2 in your second year of the full degree.
Video transcript, with a description of visuals available.

Course overview

From core subjects such as business, law, finance, marketing, enterprise, personal development and projects in the community, the business and law foundation year will help you gain a solid introduction to the foundations of business and law, study contemporary business challenges, identify future trends and focus on the areas and industries which matter to you.

And throughout the foundation and subsequent full Solent degree, you’ll do more than learn the theory – you’ll learn to apply it through an innovative range of assessment and ‘real-world’ live briefs. Our degrees offer the chance to engage and get hands-on experience of international business and legal challenges and contexts, as well as a variety of extra qualifications, exemptions and memberships in addition to your honour’s degree.

Solent Business School offers the skills and confidence you need to progress a successful career in business and international management – or even to start up your own business.

With a range of option choices to help you focus your personal career path, this challenging course will prepare you for the ever-changing business environment – teaching you to analyse future trends, identify local and broader impacts, and recommend sustainable, ethical solutions to contemporary business challenges.

Hone your skills through interactive learning sessions and a variety of practically focused assessments – giving you not just essential knowledge of business and management, but the understanding to apply that knowledge in real-world contexts.

We also pride ourselves on being interdisciplinary and preparing our students for the diverse and dynamic world of modern business.

You can also graduate with an additional Chartered Management Institute (CMI) Level 5 Management and Leadership qualification.

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Accredited by with Dual Award:

CMI logo

Solent Business School awarded:

CMI outstanding partner of the year winner 2022

Course features

  • Foundation year available

    If you're not quite ready for a full undergraduate degree, there's alternative entry through one of our foundation years

  • Professional accreditation

    This course has been accredited by a professional body

  • Placement year

    If you apply for this course with a placement year, you have the opportunity to undertake a year in industry between your second and third years

  • Additional qualification

    This course offers additional qualifications for you to obtain with your degree

  • Further studies

    After successfully completing your studies, there's an opportunity to continue your studies at Solent

  • Study abroad

    You have the opportunity to study abroad in one of our partner universities for a semester on this course

Who is this course for?

Solent’s Business and Law Foundation Year is ideally suited if you want to build your academic knowledge and confidence to return to studying or progress in your studies. You’ll develop strong academic and organisational skills, and prepare yourself for successful careers in a range of business industries – studying a curriculum that is not just about theory but real-world application.

Solent’s business management degree is ideally suited if you want to develop strong business skills and prepare yourself for a successful career in a range of business industries – studying a curriculum that is not just about theory, but focused on real-world application.

You may not be sure yet which area of business will suit you, but all avenues are open - social enterprise, charity, government, big local, global business or a smaller entrepreneurial firm or start-up.

What does this course lead to?

A Solent business management degree gives you the specialist business knowledge and broad transferable skills to find business-focused roles in any industry. These will include careers in project management, logistics and distribution, human resources, sales, business development, sustainability, marketing, retail, management, and recruitment consultancy. Our course will also provide you with the confidence, knowledge, and practical skills to start your own business.

Our graduates have secured jobs within companies such as Deloitte, DHL, Pinterest, ThinkEngine, Carnival UK, PwC, Airbus, Red Bull Racing to name only a few.

Graduate stories

Hear from Solent alumni about where their careers have taken them and how studying at Solent prepared them for their future.

Read more stories
So my studies at Solent really helped me in my career – giving me the theory that I could then put into practice

Meet the team

Teaching staff for the BSc (Hons) Business Management degree have extensive industry experience working in a wide range of business sectors as practitioners and are actively engaged with current research in the field.

The University cannot guarantee any particular members of staff will teach specific aspects of the course in the future, but will endeavour to ensure the teaching team maintains their balance of experience and qualifications.

Facilities

Our vibrant campus brings state-of-the-art facilities to enhance your learning and elevate your student experience. Our award-winning teaching building, The Spark is centred around students and offers a stimulating study environment with flexible learning spaces.

Away from studying, why not try out the gyms, fitness studios and sports halls in our £28 million Sports Complex, or watch a blockbuster film at our student-run cinema with Dolby Atmos audio.

    International opportunities

    Broaden your horizons by adding an international dimension to your CV – essential to achieving success in today’s fast-changing, global environment.

    Studying, working or volunteering in another country could be the experience of a lifetime. Enhance your degree by developing important global skills such as knowledge of other countries, language skills, intercultural awareness, adaptability and confidence.

    For more information, please email international.mobility@solent.ac.uk.

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