BSc Business Administration

You undertake 12 modules to complete the BSc Business Administration comprising:

• Four Stage 1 modules (FHEQ Level 4)
• Four Stage 2 modules (FHEQ Level 5), including a choice of one module for students on the general Business Administration pathway.
• Four Stage 3 modules (FHEQ Level 6), including a choice of three modules for students on the general Business Administration pathway.

There are two pathways to the BSc degree:

BSc Business Administration - General pathway
BSc Business Administration with Human Resource Management pathway

Download the module release schedule [PDF]

• Download the Programme Specification
• View the Programme Regulations

This programme has two intake dates per year: April and October.

The programme offers a variety of highly engaging learning materials and activities.

Online support

The programme is delivered online and there is no requirement to come to the UK as part of your studies.

Creative interactive learning is delivered through Coursera - the world’s largest online learning platform, to provide you with an immersive learning experience.

Our flexible online programme allows you to work around your own schedule and leads to a globally-recognised qualification.

Your learning experience will be enhanced with an accessible and attractive virtual learning platform. And there are opportunities for self-assessment so you can understand your own progress.

When you register, we will give you access to the Student Portal. With this you can access your University of London email account and other key resources including:

• The Student Guide with useful information about your relationship with the University of London through to your graduation.
• The Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) provides you with access to the online Reach Out Forum and discussion areas which allow students to communicate with each other.
• Sample examination questions and formative quizzes aid your revision and tutors hold live tutorial webinars plus provide online support throughout each study session.
• As a registered student, you will have free access to the University of London’s Online Library with over 100 million electronic items, and further items can be requested via the library's Inter-Library loans service with the British Library.
• Senate House Library provides free reference access for all registered distance and flexible learning students.

Are you affected by US-imposed restrictions?

United States export control regulations prevent Coursera from offering services and content to users in certain countries or regions. More information about which countries or regions are affected can be found on Coursera's website(Opens in new window).

Coursera must enforce this restriction in order to remain in compliance with US law and, for that reason, we advise that all learners check this information before applying to the programme.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you have appropriate internet access for this Programme and that you meet any related technical requirements for your Programme.

Time commitment

Each 30-credit module comprises weekly topics, corresponding to the key content items detailed in the module descriptors.

Your study equates to approximately 10 - 12 hours of directed learning per week.

Assessment

During your study period you will undertake formative assessments, which help you to measure your progress but do not count towards your grade.

You will also take summative assessments, which do count towards the final grade. Summative assessments comprise multiple choice question tests evenly spaced out throughout the study session and an online assessment at the end of the session.

All assessments are 100% online.

What qualifications do you need?

For direct access to the BSc Business Administration degree, you will usually meet the following criteria:

• Age 17+ by the registration deadline of your enrolment session.
• Satisfy our General Entrance Requirements.

For access by Performance-based admission

If you do not meet the academic requirements for direct entry, you can apply for the programme via the performance based admission route.

To be eligible to register, you must normally:

• Age 17+ by the registration deadline of your enrolment session.
• Have passed at least four separate subjects at GCSE level, with grades A* - C / 9 - 4, or the equivalent. Equivalents include successful completion of the US High School Diploma.
• If you do not satisfy the above GCSE requirement then work experience will be considered on an individual basis.

If registering through the performance based admission route you must satisfy the following before progressing onto the full degree:

• Pass one required module with an overall result of 40% or above.

If you are unsure as to which entry route you are eligible for, please apply via the direct entry route only.

If you do not meet all of the entrance criteria for this route your application will automatically be considered for performance-based admission.

Even if you do not meet the standard requirements for direct entry, we will consider each application on its own merits. Our Admissions Panel will consider whether any alternative/incomplete qualifications or work experience you have are suitable for entry to the programme.

If we are unable to issue you an offer then if available we will advise on further alternatives such as our International Foundation Programme or on additional qualifications you need to take in order to meet our minimum entrance criteria.

English Language requirements

You need to demonstrate a good level of English to be admitted to our programmes. We accept a range of evidence, including proficiency test scores. If you don’t have evidence but believe you can meet the standard, we may consider your case.

Do I meet the language requirements?

Computer requirements

We set minimum basic computer requirements because your study resources are accessed via the Student Portal and it is vital that you can access this regularly.

For this programme, you will need regular access to a computer with a strong internet connection allowing internet access to all Programme resources and systems. You will also need a media player (such as VLC) to play video files.

More about computer requirements.

If you have studied material as part of a previous qualification that is comparable in content, level and standard to our Business Administration modules, you might be exempted from the equivalent course of our degree. This is known as Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) or Exemption. You will not need to study or be assessed in the module(s) to complete your award.

To be considered for RPL you should make a formal request within your application when applying online. Alternatively, this can be done through an online enquiry, once you have submitted your application.

This is available for both Stage 1 and Stage 2 modules.

We will not consider any application for Recognition of Prior Learning if you have already entered the assessment for the programme concerned.

Automatic:

Some qualifications are automatically recognised as meeting the learning outcomes of our programmes. If you satisfy the conditions, make a formal request and supply the necessary evidence, we will accredit your prior learning as detailed here: Recognition of Prior Learning degrees in Business Administration. No fees are charged for this service.

Discretionary:

Other qualifications will need to be assessed by specialist academics on a case by case basis, before we can potentially approve RPL. A formal application is required and an RPL application fee is payable. The RPL application fee is non-refundable, even if your prior learning is not recognised. Further details can be found here: Recognition of Prior Learning degrees in Business Administration.

Note: The application/ request for Discretionary RPL and all required supporting evidence must be received before the deadlines stated, in the year that you apply, to be processed.

Further information on rules regarding RPL is covered in the Recognition of Prior Learning section of the appropriate Programme Regulations and Section 3 of the General Regulations.

RPL and Performance based admission 

If you wish to enter the programme via the Performance Based Admissions (PBA) route , you may apply for recognition of prior learning at the point of application. Any approved RPL will be formally applied to your record once you have been successfully admitted onto the full BSc programme. 

To enter the BSc via the PBA route, you must first register for and pass one of the following required modules:  

• Interpreting management, markets and consumption [BU1520]; OR 
• International business and accounting [BU1540]

We will not recognise or accredit prior learning for both of the two modules above, as at least one must be passed in order to progress onto the full BSc programme. 

If you do not successfully pass one of the modules and therefore are not admitted onto the full BSc programme, any application fees paid for discretionary RPL are non-refundable. 

The programme fees shown below refer to the October 2022 and April 2023 sessions only and are effective from 1 June 2022.

Your fees will depend on whether you live in a developing (Band A) or developed (Band B) nation. See the list of Band A and B countries [PDF].

Disclaimer: Currency conversion tool.

*The indicative total is a guide to what you would pay if you allow for fee increases and complete the degree in three years (with no assessment resits).

**The full programme fee does not include the fees payable to resit or repeat the assessment of a failed module.

• More about programme fees.
• How to pay your fees.

Please note: all student fees shown are net of any local VAT, Goods and Services Tax (GST) or any other sales tax payable by the student in their country of residence. Where the University is required to add VAT, GST or any other sales tax at the local statutory rate, this will be added to the fees shown during the payment process. For students resident in the UK, our fees are exempt from VAT.

Further information on Sales Tax.

Your payment provider may apply additional transaction fees (if in doubt, please check with them before making a payment).

Further information about fee payment options can be found in the “How to pay your fees” link above.

When you graduate from the programme, you will be well-equipped for careers in business, management, consultancy and beyond, as well as for advanced academic study (including the Global MBA).

Dr Paul Dudley, Programme Director:

The programme has specifically been designed to provide a platform to develop both essential knowledge and skills required to succeed in today’s business environment. In practice this means that as well as providing the core business administration learning elements, the programme focuses on key skill sets including the ability to analyse and evaluate current issues facing organisations in a global setting.

What do employers think of our graduates?

University of London graduates are among the most employable in the world. Our rigorous courses provide not only subject specific knowledge but also important transferable skills that are valuable to your career progression.

In some countries, qualifications earned by distance and flexible learning may not be recognised by certain authorities or regulators for the purposes of public sector employment or further study. We advise you to explore the local recognition status before you register.

Founded in 1879, Royal Holloway is one of the University of London’s six largest member institutions and is home to more than 11,000 students.

This programme is led by academics at Royal Holloway’s School of Business and Management. Royal Holloway is in the top 25 per cent of UK universities for research rated ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ in the latest REF 2021* (Research Excellence Framework).

This commitment to research excellence, in combination with an emphasis on practical, applied skills, helps to establish a strong business foundation and ensure job readiness.

The programme also balances quantitative and qualitative research theory and practice, and incorporates an innovative emphasis on business ethics. All staff members are active researchers, and the publication of their findings in books and journals is a key part of their professional work.

Programme Director

Dr Paul Dudley is a Senior Lecturer in Strategy with a focus on teaching methods and approaches to strategy development. He is passionate about education and the student experience, whether this be in the classroom or online. Paul's experience of Higher Education straddles UK State and Private Universities, commercially orientated Higher Educational providers, alongside European and non-European settings. His interests revolve around strategic decision-making and how an understanding in this area can aid a range of stakeholders including employers, employees and most significantly our students. Paul is currently writing a book on Global Strategy with a focus on the Asia Pacific region to be published by Sage.

Senior Lecturer in International Business and Strategy

Dr Mariya Eranova is a sinologist by training, she worked as a chief representative of a Russian company in China prior to her doctoral studies at the University of Nottingham. Her research interests relate to strategic decision-making, paradox theory, pedagogy and East-West differences with special reference to China. She has published in Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Long Range Planning and European Management Journal.

Without the cost of moving to London, studying for your University of London degree anywhere in the world represents excellent value for money. However, there are additional sources of support depending on where you live and how you choose to study.

More on funding your study.

Scholarships for refugees and displaced persons to study this programme are available in the scholarships section.