In the fourth block of your second year, you will choose two specialist modules from the below.
Making a difference from campus to community
This module gives you hands-on volunteering experience through social impact projects with local organisations and charities. It helps you build essential skills such as teamwork, leadership, project management and communication while contributing to meaningful community initiatives. Through active engagement that contributes positively to鈥痮rganisations, charities, social enterprises or workplaces, you’ll be gaining insight into鈥痮rganisational鈥痗ontexts, developing transferable professional skills and strengthening your employability.鈥痀our portfolio for assessment may include reflective diaries, blog posts, critical reflections and awareness campaigns.
Managing business projects
This module is designed to introduce you to the principles and practices of managing business projects. It equips you with foundational project management skills and provides you with opportunities to apply project planning tools and techniques to practical scenarios. By the end of this module, you’ll be able to apply project management approaches to structure, plan and communicate small鈥�scale business projects.鈥�
Ethical and responsible leadership
This module explores the鈥痗entral role鈥痮f ethics and responsibility in contemporary leadership and organisational practice. You’ll examine how debates about business responsibility have evolved and analyse how leaders navigate complex ethical dilemmas. You’ll be introduced to core theories of ethical and responsible leadership, and be provided with practical tools for evaluating鈥痙ecision鈥憁aking, assessing consequences of managerial actions and fostering ethical cultures. Through case studies,鈥痵cenario鈥慴ased鈥痑ctivities and reflective analysis, you’ll develop the skills and judgement鈥痳equired鈥痶o approach ethical challenges confidently and professionally in鈥痳eal business鈥痗ontexts.鈥�
Environmental impacts and measurement
This module examines how business activities affect the natural environment and how these impacts can be measured,鈥痑nalysed鈥痑nd managed. You’ll explore key environmental impact areas,鈥痠ncluding greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, water consumption, waste generation and biodiversity impacts across business operations and supply chains.鈥�
You’ll be introduced to the practical tools used by organisations to measure environmental performance, such as carbon鈥痜ootprinting, environmental audits, life cycle assessment (LCA) and sustainability indicators. You’ll also learn how environmental data supports decision-making, sustainability鈥痵trategies鈥痑nd ESG reporting.鈥�
By the end of the module, you’ll have developed the ability to interpret environmental metrics,鈥痠dentify鈥痠mpact鈥痟otspots鈥痑nd propose practical actions to improve organisational environmental performance.鈥�
Sustainable operations management
This module explores how organisations design, manage and improve operational systems to balance efficiency,鈥痳esilience鈥痑nd environmental sustainability. You’ll examine the role of operations management in supporting sustainable production,鈥痩ogistics鈥痑nd supply chain practices. And you’ll analyse how decisions relating to resource use, production processes, sourcing strategies,鈥痩ogistics鈥痵ystems and waste management, influence an organisation’s performance and environmental outcomes.鈥疎xplore key frameworks including: lean operations, circular economy principles, sustainable supply chain management,鈥痩ife-cycle鈥痶hinking and environmental performance metrics. Then consider how digital tech and analytics tools can support organisations in improving resource efficiency, reducing鈥痺aste鈥痑nd designing more resilient supply chains. By the end of this module, you’ll be able to analyse operational systems, evaluate environmental鈥痠mpacts鈥痑nd propose operational improvements that support sustainable and responsible business practices.鈥�
Start-ups 鈥� strategy to success
This module introduces you to the core strategic decisions involved in launching and scaling a start-up. Through a structured group鈥痺ork鈥痗ase鈥憇tudy simulation, you’ll examine how shifting customer expectations, competitive dynamics and industry structure can influence early鈥憇tage strategy. At each stage, you will have to interpret data, justify strategic鈥痗hoices鈥痑nd revise your approach as鈥痭ew information鈥痚merges. You’ll explore pricing strategy, customer insight generation and competitor response, evaluating and selecting鈥痑ppropriate growth鈥痯athways, tech development, strategic鈥痯artnerships鈥痑nd new market entry.鈥疉nd ultimately whether ventures should ‘scale or survive’ depending on resource availability, market鈥痶iming鈥痑nd operational resilience.鈥疶hrough this mix of simulation, theory and reflective practice, you’ll develop a sophisticated understanding of the challenges and opportunities in early鈥憇tage entrepreneurial strategy.鈥�
Managing equality, diversity and inclusion
This module is designed to explore and debate the concept of equality and inclusion in the workplace against a backdrop of diversity, and it begins with the nature and causes of discrimination and disadvantage in employment. You’ll explore both visible and non-visible dimensions of diversity including race, ethnicity, religion and belief, gender and gender identity, age,鈥痙isability鈥痑nd sexual orientation. You’ll be encouraged to assess the measures put in place by organisations to manage equality and diversity, and to consider the merits of introducing an equal opportunities policy along with practices aimed at managing diversity.鈥�