Introduction

Formerly BA (Hons) Business and International Management. This course allows you to top up your existing qualifications to an honour’s degree in one year, whilst benefiting from all that Northumbria University has to offer.

This course has been designed to give you the ideal balance between a broad understanding of business, whilst developing your specialist knowledge in contemporary business management models and learning how to evaluate how businesses operate globally in an increasingly competitive environment.
 

Modules

Project Management

In this module, you will learn about the role of a project and project manager in organisations and the concepts and techniques required to manage the core aspects of a project.

The main topics covered include the core knowledge areas outlined in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) published by Project Management Institute (PMI) as well as essential fundamental theories, knowledge, and techniques required to manage a project in contemporary business settings.

These topics include:
• Defining project characteristics, lifecycle, and activities.
• Understanding how projects drive change and achieve strategic goals in organisations.
• Realising the role of the project and project manager in various organisational structures and cultures.
• Managing core project aspects, such as stakeholder relationships, scope, cost, schedule, and risk.
• Distinguishing traditional, agile, and extreme project management approaches.

Drawing on contemporary project management research and business case studies, this module will develop your knowledge, skills, and confidence in managing projects and your learning with take place though lectures and practical IT workshops. Your learning will expose you to a wide range of project management examples (successful and unsuccessful) and project management approaches (classic and contemporary) to broaden your understanding of project management in a dynamic business setting. You will be given opportunities to work as a team and develop essential project management documents for a chosen project.

On completing this module, you will be able to utilise appropriate project management techniques and technical skills to effectively and efficiently manage different projects and you will be able to critically challenge the assumptions and existing practices in project management.
 

Transforming Self and Organisations

Successive global and national crises and organisational failures have demonstrated that conventional approaches to understanding and managing organisations and their people are less than effective.
Transforming Self and Organisations will support you in developing alternative approaches to analysing organisations, people and work practices. A research-rich curriculum will enable you to develop your appreciation and application of critical management tools and perspectives which challenge conventional approaches to understanding organisations. Drawing upon tools from, for example, identity, aesthetics, power and culture, you will develop your capabilities for questioning the neoliberal status-quo and the politics of managerialist and performance-driven agendas. You will examine the practices of large corporates through to SMEs, NFPs and social enterprises, interrogating, challenging, questioning what is typically taken-for-granted, seen as usual and appropriate, to recognise the inherent power and control that exists, to propose far-reaching change within organisations and society that prioritises fairness, justice, equality, diversity and sustainability. Your learning will place you in good stead to bring about future transformation within organisations. In adopting these alternative critical perspectives on organisations so this may also challenge your own assumptions, values and beliefs transforming yourself. This learning will be invaluable to your future employment, enterprise/entrepreneurial activity.

Career Development and Research Informed Learning

This module has twin aims, firstly supporting your transition into higher education by developing your academic skills in the context of your business, management and finance studies. The second aim is to equip you with the necessary knowledge and transferable skills to maximise your future employability and career development. This module begins by supporting you as a final year undergraduate student to understand, enhance and demonstrate advanced academic skills. The first part of the module will therefore help you strengthen and enhance your academic writing skills, progress your critical thinking ability and enable you to understand research and how to use academic journal articles. The second part of the module will focus upon your employability and leadership attributes, exploring key aspects of your knowledge, skills, personality, values and abilities to enable you to make well-informed career choices.

The topics covered on this module will include:
• Academic writing skills;
• Understanding learning styles;
• Working in teams;
• Enhancing critical thinking and writing skills;
• Understanding research and the effective use of journal articles;
• Developing a literature review;
• Understanding Employability and leadership attributes;
• Evaluate the global graduate labour market;
• Design career personal development plan.

This module aims to develop and empower you as a student to become a critical and reflective thinker with respect to both your academic development and to your future career planning.
 

 

Digital and Data Driven Marketing

This module is designed to develop your skills in understanding how one-to-one forms of marketing communications, across offline and online channels, can be combined into an overall campaign to generate new customers and enhance existing relationships. To do this, the module is broken into three distinct themes:

• Principles of Direct and Digital Marketing: In this part of the module you will cover the fundamental practices in the direct marketing field, which will include acquisition and retention strategies, customer profiling and segmentation, database marketing, permission marketing and personalisation, relevant legislation and campaign testing.
• Digital Media: In this section you will explore the range of communications media available, ranging from traditional offline channels (such as direct mail and telemarketing) through to the ever-growing range of digital media options (including social media, email, web design and mobile commerce).
• Campaign Planning: Here you will be introduced to the principles of campaign design, from initial context analysis and goal setting through to campaign implementation and evaluation. You will be encouraged to combine different marketing communications tools as part of an integrated campaign and consider campaign budgeting and measurement.
 

Responsible Strategy

In this module you will learn about the context of responsible strategic thinking, how to identify and explore sustainable business opportunities as a source of competitive advantage. You will gain an appreciation of the overarching principles of setting and executing a responsible and sustainable organisational strategy. Within the setting of these strategic objectives, you will understand how the associated responsible decision making will impact on both internal and external stakeholders. Your learning will span across private and public sector organisations, MNEs and SMEs and how each of different organisations and industries interact with the responsible and sustainable business opportunities and challenges.

Contemporary Business Enquiry 

The module will be concluded with a theoretical session and a number of practical exercises designed to develop your self-confidence and employability

Assessment

Assignment(s), poster presentation(s), group presentation(s), literature review, group report(s), individual report(s), etc.

QF Level

QF Level : Level 5 QR Registration No. : 24/000531/L5 Validity Period : 01/09/2024 - 31/08/2029

Importance of choosing a non-local top-up with QF Level 5 Employment Degree qualifications pitched at QF Level 5 are formally recognised by the HKSAR Government for employment purposes within the Civil Service for graduate posts. Further Studies Having been recognised at QF Level 5, this top-up degree programme meets the standard of locally-accredited bachelor's degree programmes.  Upon graduation, students can pursue their further studies at Master’s degree level in Hong Kong or Overseas. Financial Assistance and Scholarships Various HKSAR Government financial assistance schemes and scholarships are only made available to eligible students enrolled into programmes with QF recognition.

Entry Requirements

Holders of VTC Higher Diploma in relevant Business subjects;

• HD in Accountancy with Business Analytics 
• HD in Advertising and Media Communications 
• HD in Artiste and Cultural Management 
• HD in Aviation and e-Logistics 
• HD in Aviation Services and Passenger Transport 
• HD in Banking and Financial Analysis 
• HD in Business Administration 
• HD in Event Marketing and Digital Promotion 
• HD in Financial Technology 
• HD in Global Business Management with Languages 
• HD in Human Resources and Talent Analytics 
• HD in Law and Legal Informatics 
• HD in Marketing and Customer Analytics 
• HD in Public Relations and Digital Communication 
• HD in Real Estate and Property Management 
• HD in Retail Innovation and Management 
• HD in Aviation and Logistics 
• HD in Aviation Inflight and Passenger Services 
• HD in Aviation Services and Transport Studies 
• HD in Business Administration and Management 
• HD in Business and Legal Studies 
• HD in Business with E-Commerce 
• HD in China Business and Marketing 
• HD in Event Marketing and Business Promotion 
• HD in Management for Disciplined Services 
• HD in Professional Accountancy 
• HD in Public Relations and Communication Management 

OR

English Proficiency Requirements

• Applicants holding post-secondary qualifications (e.g. Higher Diploma, Associate Degree) taught and assessed in English from recognised institutions;

OR

• At least an overall IELTS score of 6.0 (with 5.5 in each component), or TOEFL 575, or Pearson overall 62 (with 51 in each component), or equivalent.

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Fees

• Application Fee : HK$200 (No application fee before the deadline!)
• Registration Fee : HK$3,500
• Tuition Fee: HK$79,110 by 2 instalments

Scholarships

A variety of attractive scholarships are available to current and graduating SHAPE students

Financial Aids 

 The following HKSAR Government financial assistance schemes are available to eligible students who pursue this programme at SHAPE:

Financial Assistance Schemes		Amount (HK$)
	Non-means-tested Subsidy Scheme (NMTSS)	Up to $35,120 per year  [AY2025/26]
	Financial Assistance Scheme for Post-secondary Students (FASP)	Up to $93,130 (Tuition fee grant) Up to $9,010 (Academic expenses grant) Up to 58,890 (Living expenses loan) [AY2024/25]
	Non-means-tested Loan Scheme for Post-secondary Students (NLSPS)	Up to the annual tuition fees payable in the academic year

For details including eligibility and subsidy amount, please refer to the hyperlink of each scheme.

Career Prospects

On graduation you’ll be well-equipped to embark on a business career in the UK or internationally. Your in-depth study of international management will give you an extra edge in employability.

Further Studies

Having been recognised at QF Level 5, this top-up degree programme meets the standard of locally-accredited bachelor's degree programmes.  Upon graduation, students can pursue their further studies at Master’s degree level in Hong Kong and Overseas.

Graduation Ceremony

Enquiries

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