I hesitated for a long time between a Marketing degree or a Business Management degree. I opted for Business Management and I am delighted with my course. The main advantage the course presents is that it is quite varied. If like myself, you know you are interested in the commercial world of business but not 100% sure in what area specifically, this degree is a good option.
So is a Business Management degree worth it?
Read on to learn why I enjoy my course.
Variety of content
During my first year, I had modules that varied from Marketing, to Economics, to Human Resources or even Finance. It’s very interesting to be able to learn about all these different areas. And then be able to choose modules that interest you most in your second year.
Year in industry
The degree is a three year course. But students have the option to do either a year abroad or a year in industry during their third year, before returning to university for their fourth and final year. This is not only the case for Durham’s business degree (where I study), but for the majority of them in the UK.
You will find that most large companies have specific schemes designed for undergraduate students who are doing a placement in their third year. Having a varied course makes it easier to decide what kind of experience, in which industry and, in which business are you are interested to work in! I actually discovered that I was very interested in marketing, as I had predicted, but also had a very strong interest for Operations Management. Consequently, I have applied to a mixture marketing and supply chain management roles for my placement!
Contact time
I have about seven hours of lectures a week, and three or four hours of seminar groups. The lectures are not compulsory but I can only advise you to attend them as they are very interesting.
Seminars are smaller groups of around 10-20 people, where presence is compulsory and recorded. Often, they are based on group work, group presentations and case studies. Based on the topics studied in lectures. This is a great aspect to the course as you learn to work as a team and have the opportunity to take on leadership roles, which are both key skills that recruiters will look for. As well as that, seminars really allow you to get an in-depth understanding of the topic being discussed. Also, giving you a chance to ask questions.
For both lectures and seminars, there is usually a lot of advised reading to do. You are completely independent as to how much extra reading you decide to take on. The reading will help you expand your knowledge on different topics. And this will be very useful when it comes to the exam. Nonetheless, I find that the course is what you make of it: you decide to put in as much work as you want. Naturally your results will reflect this.
Job prospects
Overall, I would say that this course is a good one, and leads to very interesting jobs. Thanks to the broad range study, the jobs you can get with a business management degree are varied and will allow you to experience many areas of business. This is undeniably a positive point!
Written by Alice J.