Course Entry Requirements

Our entry requirements are either specific grades achieved in nationally recognised qualifications, UCAS Tariff Points or evidence of appropriate equivalent skills and experience.

Equivalent skills and experience means skills or experience we have judged to demonstrate the same level of merit, ability and potential as the nationally recognised qualifications that are required for entry based on the core competencies of the course. We retain the right to use our own tests to determine that applicants have achieved the minimum attainment levels associated with recognised qualifications which they do not hold.

Details of entry requirements for each programme of study are provided on the college’s website: https://www.iconcollege.ac.uk/course-list

In addition, we might require the applicants to attend an interview and/or complete an English Language test.

Applicants must usually be at least 18 years of age on admission to the college.

BA(Hons) Business Studies with Foundation Year (Bishop Grosseteste University)

There is no formal requirement for UCAS point to join the foundation year.

To meet the entry criteria for admission, the applicant should have one of the followings:

•  Minimum three GCSE or level 2 equivalent qualification

or,

•  Professional work experience supported by a CV with reference letter

and,

•  Demonstrate capability in English (normally GCSE English or equivalent is desirable)

and,

• Demonstrate a commitment to study and a reasonable expectation of success on the course

All Applicants will be interviewed by the ICON College Admission Tutor to assess their English and suitability for the Foundation Year. The Admission Tutor will assess the applicant’s skills in listening, speaking and writing.
International qualifications at the appropriate level will also be accepted. The College will use ECCTIS (formerly UK NARIC) to determine the equivalence of any international qualifications.

English Language Requirements

Applicants must provide evidence that their ability to read, write, speak and comprehend spoken English is at the equivalent to CEFR level B2 allowing them to succeed in their studies. ICON College accepts the following English language tests:

• GCSE English grade C/4
• IELTS 5.5 (including 5.5 for reading and writing)
• PTE 51

Where applicants do not have a formal qualification to demonstrate capability in English, they will be required to undertake the College's written English Language test before an offer of a place on a course is made. Judgement of their capability in spoken English will be assessed by the Admission Tutors at interview. Suitable alternative arrangements to written tests will be made where a student declares a disability, specific learning difficulty or long-term health condition on their application form, e.g, oral questioning, amanuensis, etc.

QAA Benchmark Statement(s)

The programme has been written to correspond closely with the:

• UK Quality Code for Higher Education (QAA 2018)
• Framework for Higher Education Qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (FHEQ)
• specific reference to benchmark statements for Education Studies (2015)

specific reference to relevant Bishop Grosseteste University codes of practice and guidance on programme specifications

Programme Aim

The Foundation Year aims to contribute to widening participation and lifelong learning by encouraging participation by learners who may not previously have considered studying for a higher level qualification, or those who, for a variety of circumstances, are unable to immediately satisfy typical entry criteria for undergraduate degrees.

The programme aims to prepare learners for Level 4 undergraduate study at Bishop Grosseteste University. It will:

•    Provide learners with knowledge and understanding of basic academic communication and problem-solving skills
•    Develop learners as critical thinkers utilising enquiry, investigation and evidence-based analysis within interdisciplinary contexts
•    Support learners to become self-directed learners in preparation for undergraduate study
•    Enable learners to develop a range of transferable skills as a foundation for employment.
The Foundation Year provides an extended and intensive induction to Higher Education (HE) that feeds directly into learners’ learning across the Foundation Year and beyond into their full degree programme. The Foundation Year is a direct articulation into existing and future undergraduate, non-QTS degree courses. Successful completion of this programme is required in order to follow the articulated degree programmes at Bishop Grosseteste University.

A number of degree programmes at Bishop Grosseteste University will benefit from the articulated Foundation Year, which will raise the number of appropriately prepared learners. It aims to reduce the level of additional academic support that might otherwise be necessary for some learners.

Programme Specific Outcomes

Final Award Learning Outcomes

Students successfully completing the Foundation Year will be able to:

K&U 1: Demonstrate foundational knowledge of the fundamental concepts, principles and techniques which underpin future study at Level 4 and higher.
 
SPS 1: Demonstrate emerging ability to construct and evidence critical arguments as part of academic development.
SPS 2: Develop and provide evidence of application of core academic study skills such as time management, study methods, research, interpreting evidence, academic writing, presentation skills and digital tools for learning.

IS 1: Demonstrate a basic understanding of different approaches to problem solving that underpin future study at Level 4 and higher.

TS 1: Be able to work independently and collaboratively as part of a wider team and communicate effectively
TS 2: To begin to demonstrate reflective evaluation and responsibility for their own learning and personal development.

Programme-based learning outcomes are necessarily generic to support the development of key study skills applicable across all potential undergraduate programmes of further study at Bishop Grosseteste University.

The Bishop Grosseteste University Graduate Attribute framework identifies further outcomes learners should acquire. These reflect a collective understanding of the essential skills of a Bishop Grosseteste University graduate. Those completing this one-year programme will therefore be further equipped with attributes suitable for a range of careers and lifelong learning.

These programme outcomes combine to provide a strong foundation for learners’ future study and employability

Exit Award Learning Outcomes

Course Structure

Regardless of whether students join in the Autumn (typically referred to as semester 1) or the Spring, (typically referred to as semester 2) the modules must be delivered in the following order: (Period 1 followed by Period 2).

Level 4 – 120 credits

Level 5 – 120 credits

The core learning outcomes for the level are delivered in 90c.

(*Modules do not form part of the core 90 credits.)

Level 6 – 120 credits

The core learning outcomes for the level are delivered in 90c. (*Modules do not form part of the core 90 credits.)

Module Structure

Download Foundation Year Module Specifications in pdf.

Level 4

Level 5
 

Level 6

Curriculum Design

The curriculum has been designed in line with the Subject Benchmark Statement for Business and aims to develop enquiring, critical and reflective students that respond well to challenge enabling them to contribute proactively to the world of private business, public or ‘third’ sector organisations, the main business-related professions, self-employment, and the wider society within which businesses operate.

At Level 4, students’ study eight 15 credit modules that give them a solid foundation for further study. As there is no pre-requisite to have studied Business previously, students are introduced to human resource management, leadership and management, marketing fundamentals, and the concept of organisations and their environments in Semester 1.

In Semester 2, students study modules centred around finance, innovation and creativity, project management and entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship, and start to develop their understanding of the importance of each of these aspects to an organisation.

At Levels 5 and 6, students study a diverse array of contemporary 15-credit modules and undertake one 30-credit module at each level.  Both 30 credit modules afford students the opportunity to undertake business projects and thus develop their project management skills.  Students will be encouraged and supported by their module tutor to undertake their projects in an area of personal interest allied to a discipline that reflects their career goals. At level 5 students undertake a 40-hour work placement over the duration of their first semester of study and use this as a basis upon which to develop their assessment for the Contemporary Project Management in Practice module.  Furthermore, at level 6 all students complete a Business Start-up module that culminates in a pitch to a panel of business experts.  Pitching is one of the most valuable skills an entrepreneur can harness to sell what they do, raise finance or just to explain what they do/ their proposition concisely. Regardless of whether students wish to enter self-employment or employment this module will provide all students with an invaluable skill set for use within the wider world.

Relevant commercial, transferable and research related skills are delivered progressively across the programme. Furthermore, students on the programme will be challenged to act in line with the ethos of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a collection of 17 global goals designed to be a "blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all”. Individual modules embed this ethos.

The curriculum is also reinforced by its commitment to uphold the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC). The ten principles focus on key global challenges in the areas of human rights, labour, the environment, and anti-corruption. As global citizens, BA (Hons) Business Studies students will develop a global mindset to understand, appreciate and take appropriate local or international action in response to these global challenges.

The curriculum maps to the BGU Graduate Attributes Award and further promotes the completion of the Graduate Attributes Excellence Award in the Level 6 module ‘Exploring Professional Practice’.

The programme structure aligns to the development of BGU Graduate attributes as follows:

1: Academic Literacies - students are enabled to develop academic literacy through engagement with evaluating and synthesizing original empirical research into their assignments. These skills are developed from the start of study at Level 4 with an increase in complexity in the types of sources used through the course of study. Additionally, assessments are specifically designed to support 

students in developing their academic competency, with levels of complexity increasing as the students’ progress through the programme.

2: Global Citizenship – Students will develop a global perspective of Business through specific modules such as Organisational Environments and International Business. Furthermore, as mentioned previously the curriculum is reinforced by its commitment to uphold the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC).

3: Information Literacy – Information literacy will be developed throughout the programme although specifically in modules such as Contemporary Project Management in Practice and the Capstone Project in which students will be required to independently search for academic sources through for example electronic library databases and Google Scholar.

4: Digital Fluency – Assessments are designed to support students in developing digital fluency through a range of assessments including narrated PowerPoints, podcasts and through employing a commercial understanding of digital skills to produce a digital marketing plan in the level 5 module Digital Marketing Strategies. The teaching team will also model the use of technology through session delivery as appropriate.

5: Employability – Employability is a key focus of the course, and a balance has been sought between creating a vocational course while meeting the demands of degree level study. As graduate attributes are embedded into all modules, it is anticipated that all students will develop the transferable skills necessary for employment / self-employment / portfolio careers. The modules that form the programme have been designed to build and enhance employability skills reflecting employer needs. The Contemporary Project Management in Practice encompasses 40 hours of work placement activity, and this is key to building the skills required by graduate employers.

6: Being Enterprising – the course discipline coupled with the practical nature and characteristics of the course means that students are supported to develop creative problem-solving skills through directed independent learning. BA (Hons) Business Studies students have the benefit of studying Entrepreneurship and Intrapreneurship at level 4 and undertake modules in Social Innovation, Social Inclusion and Entrepreneurship and a Business Start-up module at Level 6.  These modules provide students with the opportunity to develop more commercially minded enterprise skills. Throughout the programme, students will be challenged to develop intrapreneurial and entrepreneurial thinking and competency.

Learning and Teaching Strategies

• The programme helps students acclimatise to Higher Education and supports students through the different types of assessment they will engage with throughout the duration of the programme. Alongside the study skills taught by the programme’s tutors, generalised and individual study skills support is provided by the delivering institution.
• Induction/transition sessions are included at the delivering institution on commencing level 4, 5 and 6, to support student expectations of the progressive academic requirements of each level of study.
• Within the programme, modules are taught by tutors with relevant professional knowledge, experience, and qualifications. Tutors will employ a range of teaching strategies that include interactive lectures, seminars and tutorials and use web-based tools to enable learners to engage with module content and issues related to assessments.
• E-resources such as e-books and web-based materials and a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) are used to support augment in-person teaching, learning and assessment through activities such as directed reading (see Section 26 below for more detail).
• As appropriate to the module and content, the teaching team will utilise opportunities to teach students both in whole group situations and smaller seminar groups. In smaller group tasks, students are encouraged to peer-support one another through dialogue and collaborative learning.
• Student cohorts enter the course with a range of experiences, skills and/or qualifications. To support the students’ variable needs, teaching and learning is differentiated. For example, key concepts may be contextualised to the students’ professional experiences, through discussions relating to practice and practical activities. The aim is to create authentic, collaborative learning experiences within the classroom and independent study environments.
• Guest/ visiting tutors from within the delivering institution, BGU and/or from local and national statutory, private and voluntary organisations might also be utilised to support subject-currency and expose students to wider perspectives and/or specialised knowledge, where appropriate to do so.
• Students are supported by individual and group tutorials that are embedded into each module.

Assessment Strategies

Module assessments provide opportunities for students to acquire, develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, subject specific, intellectual, and transferable skills. A range of assessments are used which are relevant to the individual demands of the subject matter and enable students to participate in a varied and engaging educational experience. Assessments are used to appropriately test and encourage students to apply different areas of knowledge and demonstrate a wide range of skills.  

Students are assessed by a single piece of assessment within each module that comprises the BA (Hons) Business Studies.

Across the programme the workload for students is also carefully managed through the effective scheduling of assessments and the use of a consistent rubric.  

For written work at Level 4 a rubric of 2,000 words per 15 credits is applied. At Level 5, a rubric of 2,500 words per 15 credits is applied and at Level 6 a rubric of 3,000 words per 15 credits is applied. For practical work at Level 4 a rubric of 40 seconds per credit is applied. At Level 5, a rubric of 15 minutes per 15 credit is applied and at Level 6 a rubric of 20 minutes per 15 credits is applied.  

Group work is not used as a summative assessment strategy although students can expect to work with others throughout the duration of their programme as noted in Section 22.  Furthermore, formative assessment strategies will be employed throughout the programmes duration to monitor student learning and understanding, and to ensure that learners are in receipt of ongoing dialogue and feedback on their learning and progress.  Learners will be engaged as partners in this process and will develop skills such as self-assessment and peer-assessment.

The following table provides the indicative content of assessment tasks: