Business Administration

You study 12 courses to earn the BSc degree.

There are four degree pathways you can choose from:

• Business Administration
• Business Administration - Human Resource Management
• Business Administration - International Business
• Business Administration - Marketing

We also offer a Business Administration CertHE for which you must complete four courses. This is a qualification in its own right that also provides an entry route to degree-level study.

Modules are released from October 2021 onwards, and thereafter will run in either the April or October session each year. Please refer to the module availability schedule [PDF] for full details.

• Download the Programme specification (New regulations)
• Download the Programme specification (Old regulations)
• View the Programme Regulations

This programme has one intake date per year: November.

Local teaching support

To study the BSc Business Administration you must register at an approved teaching centre that supports this programme. In this way, you benefit from local support and the facilities of a campus-style environment.

Find a local teaching centre for the programme.

Online support

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

• The Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). Here, you can access electronic resources including audio-visual and revision guides, and forums to discuss course material and work collaboratively with others.

Through the VLE you will be able to:

• access your online course materials which include bite-sized learning activities specifically designed to aid your learning.
• access specifically selected articles and e-texts to develop your learning.
• take part in discussions with your tutor and other students.
• receive support for the examinations and coursework.
• complete automated self-test exercises and submit assignments.
• access the Student Guide and Programme handbook. These contain information about examinations, University contacts and important dates.
• access the University of London Online Library. The Online Library provides access to over 100 million academic electronic items comprising E-books, E-journals, conference proceedings, etc. In addition, students can request items which are not held in the library via the library's Inter-Library loans service with the British Library.
• access to Senate House Library. Senate House Library provides free reference access for all registered distance and flexible learning students
• receive notices and other programme related information.
• ask questions regarding the administration of the programme.

Student Support

We are committed to delivering an exceptional student experience for all of our students, regardless of which of our programmes you are studying.

You will have access to support through:

• The Student Advice Centre – provides support for application and Student Portal queries.
• TalkCampus – a peer support service that offers a safe and confidential way to talk about whatever is on your mind at any time of day or night.

Assessment

Each course is examined by one written examination and one piece of coursework. You can sit examinations at any of our 400 examination centres around the world. Conversely, the coursework is submitted in the Virtual Learning Environment.

More about exams.

What qualifications do you need?

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

• Be aged 17+ by the date of registration
• Satisfy our General Entrance Requirements.

Even if you don’t meet the standard requirements, 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.

I don’t meet the entry requirements. What can I do?

CertHE Business Administration

If you are not eligible for this programme, you may be able to study the CertHE Business Administration before progressing with credit onto this programme. This must be studied at an approved local teaching centre.

Alternatively, you might be interested in our International Foundation Programme. This pre-university programme is equivalent in standard to qualifications studied in Year 13 (i.e. A levels) and must also be studied at an approved local teaching centre.

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 degree, you will also need Adobe Flash Player to view video material and 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 courses

We will not consider any application for recognition of prior learning if you have already entered the exam for the course concerned.

Automatic:

Some qualifications are automatically recognised as meeting the learning outcomes of our courses. 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.

Fees payable for the 2022–2023 session only and are effective from 15 December 2021. For all students registering on the programme for the first time and attending a Recognised Teaching Centre.

Disclaimer: Currency conversion tool.

*You pay for your degree as you progress rather than in a single payment. This 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 exam resits).

*The online examination administration fee is charged for each examination paper held online, including resits. This does not apply to any coursework submissions. This fee will be charged at the point of exam entry and is in addition to the exam entry fee listed above.

More about programme fees.

Additional Costs

You will also need to budget for:

• Tuition costs (if you choose to study at a local teaching centre).
• Exam centre fees, which are paid directly to the venues where you sit your exams.

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, even if you plan to receive support from a local teaching centre.

Founded in 1879, Royal Holloway is one of the University of London’s six largest member institutions and is home to more than 9,000 students.

The BSc in Business Administration is led by academics within the School of Management. Now one of Royal Holloway’s largest departments, the School gives high priority to original research in international business, and the deep understanding of the subject that follows is reflected in its teaching of management studies. 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 to be published by Sage.

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