Economics and Management with a Professional Placement Year (BSc)

You’ll be taught through a mixture of lectures and small group teaching - classes, seminars, workshops, discussions and computer labs. Lectures provide an overview of the module content while classes and workshops give you the opportunity to practice techniques, discuss ideas, apply concepts and consolidate your understanding. These timetabled activities are supplemented by guided online study, which you are expected to engage with independently.

You’ll also engage with guest speakers and encounter case studies drawn from business, organisational, and policy contexts, helping you connect academic concepts to real-world business challenges.

Technology and applied learning are embedded throughout the programme. In quantitative and empirical modules, you will work with datasets and develop your skills in the practical use of tools such as econometric or statistical software for data handling, analysis, and presentation. 

Each module is taught by active researchers and subject specialists in the relevant field. As such, your learning is informed not only by strong disciplinary expertise, but also by current developments in economics, management, and related applied areas. 

How will I be supported?

Learning

Course materials will be provided on Learning Central, our Virtual Learning Environment. You’ll also have access to libraries across our campus which hold over 1.1 million printed books, supplemented by online books, journals, resources and databases.  

If English is not your first language, then our Academic English Skills for International Students team offer classes and one-to-one tutorials to support your studies including reading, writing and presentation skills.

Wellbeing

You’ll be assigned a Personal Tutor, who can support you with academic and pastoral matters in a confidential and informal manner. Additional support is available through our Student Life teams, based in the Centre for Student Life. These teams include Advice and Money, Counselling services, Health and Wellbeing, the Student Disability Service including dyslexia support, and Student Visa Support.

Careers and employability

You’ll have access to a dedicated Student Futures team in the Business School, supporting you with careers, placements and global opportunities. Focused on your employability, you can benefit from expert advice on career planning, job searching and applying for jobs. Our team will provide opportunities for you to network with and learn from employers via careers fairs and skills workshops and support you to gain experience via placements, internships and international study and work opportunities. You can explore entrepreneurial ambitions with our Enterprise Team, stand out from the crowd by completing our prestigious Cardiff Award and there is also tailored support for international and underrepresented students.

Community 

You’ll become a member of the Cardiff Business School community, making friends and connections that will last beyond your studies. You’ll have the opportunity to participate in programme and school level events and activities that enhance your learning and broaden your experiences.

How will I be assessed?

Our Economics and Management (BSc) programme uses a wide range of assessment methods designed to reflect the applied and interdisciplinary nature of the degree. This variety is intended to help you develop both subject knowledge and the professional skills required in business, policy, and organisational contexts.

Recognising the way in which real-world businesses operate, our assessment strategy comprises both individual and collaborative assessments and is designed to reflect the kinds of tasks you may face in a professional setting. You’ll encounter coursework, presentations, reports, projects, portfolios, class tests, and exams. 

We don’t view assessment purely as a means of testing knowledge, but also as an opportunity for you to develop transferable skills in communication, teamwork, problem-solving, critical thinking, and the application of evidence to real-world questions.

All modules have formative assessment opportunities, allowing you to get valuable feedback before completing summative assessment pieces. You’ll also receive timely feedback on your summative assessments, either in writing or orally. This feedback will help you understand your achievements and see where there may be opportunities for enhancement in future work.

What skills will I practise and develop?

The Learning Outcomes for this Programme describe what you will achieve by the end of your programme at Cardiff University and identify the knowledge and skills that you will develop. They will also help you to understand what is expected of you. 

On successful completion of your Programme you will be able to:

Knowledge & Understanding:

• Synthesise and evaluate core economic principles, theories and models.
• Critically analyse the application of economic reasoning and quantitative methods to individual and societal phenomena.
• Critically analyse the interaction between organisations and their social, cultural, political and economic environments, and assess implications for strategy and performance.
• Critically evaluate organisational structures, governance, leadership, marketing and management practices across varied contexts, including ethical and responsible practice.
• Appraise the contribution of economic perspectives to business decision-making across functions, including strategy, marketing and performance.  
• Analyse how firms, markets and economies operate, compete and adapt in domestic and global contexts.

Intellectual Skills:

• Critically evaluate competing economic arguments, theories and empirical evidence.
• Apply economic principles, quantitative techniques and evidence to explain and inform business and policy decisions.
• Analyse complex business and management issues using appropriate theoretical frameworks.
• Synthesise diverse sources of evidence to construct coherent and defensible arguments on business and management issues. 
• Critically apply economic reasoning to complex real-world organisational and policy contexts. 
• Formulate and justify evidence-based recommendations for business, organisational and policy challenges using economic analysis.

Professional Practical Skills:

• Use appropriate data, evidence and analytical methods to produce applied economic, business and policy analyses.
• Apply economic, business and management frameworks to evaluate organisational, market and policy decisions.
• Integrate economics and management perspectives to analyse firms, markets, organisational functions and performance.
• Develop strategic and operational recommendations to support organisational decision-making and resource allocation.
• Operate professionally and responsibly in the workplace, demonstrating work-related skills, ethical awareness, and attention to health and safety.
• Evaluate workplace practices and reflect on work-based experience to inform personal and professional development.

Transferable/Key Skills:

• Exercise independent learning and reflective judgement in academic and professional contexts.
• Communicate complex information and evidence clearly, using appropriate tools and acknowledging sources.
• Work independently and collaboratively to address economic, business and policy problems, with due regard to ethical, social and environmental considerations.
• Reflect on personal management skills and identify areas for professional development.
• Develop work-based skills, experience, confidence and professionalism.