Undergraduate BSc (Hons)
Business and Marketing
with a Year in Industry
Develop your creative and analytical skills. Impress employers, clients and customers. Kick-start your career.
Develop your creative and analytical skills. Impress employers, clients and customers. Kick-start your career.
Are you full of creative ideas and great at communicating them? Do you have an entrepreneurial streak or ideas for your own business? Our Business and Marketing course will kickstart your career in marketing and give you the option to specialise in other areas of business too.
Exploring where the dynamic fields of business and marketing meet, this course will introduce you to business theory and give you industry-relevant practical skills in areas such as social media, web content, advertising, and brand development. Alongside marketing topics you’ll also learn about essential fields within business, from human resources to operations management, putting the role of marketer into context, giving you a crucial edge to help you stand out to employers.
You’ll learn through a mix of lectures, seminars, and practical sessions delivered by our world-leading academics, giving you the right mix of skills to succeed no matter your chosen career path. Wherever you want to go, our Business and Marketing course is your first step to get there.
Gain the skills you need to stand out from the pack. Employability is at the heart of everything that we do for you.
Study at a ‘Triple Crown’ business school accredited by AACSB, AMBA, and EQUIS.
Take a ‘selfie year’ and bring your business ideas to life at our aspire centre.
Marketing at Kent was ranked 20th for graduate prospects in The Complete University Guide 2025.
Our dynamic course gives you the skills you need to thrive across business and marketing. Set your own pace and make rapid progress in your career.
ABB
DDM
128 Tariff points from your IB Diploma, Typically H5, H6, H6 or equivalent
Mathematics grade 4 / C and English grade 4 / C.
Pass the University of Kent International Foundation Programme.
The University will consider applicants holding T level qualifications in subjects closely aligned to the course.
Access to HE Diploma with 45 Credits at level 3 with 30 credits at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit
How do you effectively manage people in organisations? In this module, we’ll tackle that question by exploring decision-making processes concerning work design, organisational structure, and accountability.
We'll consider classical management perspectives such as scientific management and human relations theory, as well as contemporary issues like culture management and diverse leadership styles. Through case studies, you’ll develop critical thinking skills and gain an understanding of contemporary business operations with an emphasis on reflecting on the ethics and fairness of current workplace practices.
How do companies measure, assess and communicate their financial performance? Managers prepare, read and interpret financial information daily and they use it to communicate company financial results to a variety of stakeholders.
In this module you’ll learn how sole traders and limited companies record accounting transactions using bookkeeping and how they summarise and report their financial results to external stakeholders using financial statements. You’ll also gain essential knowledge of the regulatory framework of financial reporting which guides the process of preparing annual reports for a variety of companies.
By the end of the module, you will have developed the analytical skills needed to both prepare and analyse financial statements. This will enable you to holistically assess company financial performance and provide recommendations, an important skill in your future career.
Given the startling pace at which human-driven changes are occurring to our social and ecological systems, what skills do you need to be ready for whatever challenges await you when you graduate?
You’ll look at the biggest challenge facing businesses in every industry today: how to organise themselves in ways that ensure a sustainable future for the global community. You’ll look at various case studies to examine the impact climate change is having on business. You’ll also consider the key theories, concepts, and practices of sustainable business, including the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.
In doing this, you’ll develop the skills you need to succeed as you navigate university and professional life, so that you can make a positive impact — both in your local community and globally during your time at Kent, and in your career afterwards.
Economics are a crucial tool for business to utilise to help make informed decision that support success and drive growth. Devloping a knowledge of microeconomics will help you understand how millions of consumers and producers make decisions, how they interact and use scarce resources.
You will learn how to apply microeconomic theories and tools to understand consumer and producer behaviour, resource allocation, and pricing policy, including cost and benefit analysis. The application of microeconomic theory to real-world situations will help you make efficient decisions as a manager and as an entrepreneur.
You ability to both understand and apply microeconomics theories to real business situations is vital to not only launching your career, but making rapid progress and delivering results on a managerial or executive level through informed decision making.
Marketing is an exciting and dynamic field that offers endless opportunities for innovation, creativity and growth. With advancements in technology, shifts in consumer behaviour and emerging trends, marketers have the opportunity to explore new strategies and tactics to help firms effectively reach and communicate with their target customers.
Creating brand awareness, engagement, satisfaction and loyalty is vital for sales growth in competitive and dynamic markets. You'll learn how to develop and implement effective marketing plans and strategies as well as exploring how key elements of the marketing mix can be used to create and communicate a distinctive value proposition that helps a product or service stand out from the competition. You’ll gain the skills, knowledge and confidence needed to develop, deliver and refine digital marketing strategies that make employers sit up and take notice.
Excel is the industry standard software for data processing and modelling, so if you want to hit the ground running in your career, mastery of Excel is crucial. You'll learn the techniques of Excel and spreadsheet modelling through realistic problems and extensive exercises, giving you real hands-on experience to make rapid progress.
By the end of the module, you wont only have mastered excel to report, model and forecast for businesses, you'll have also developed the confidence you need to present your insights to managers, stakeholders and business leaders. This makes you a vital asset for businesses focused on growth, and gives you an extra edge when looking to make progress in expanding industries.
The process of leading employees – or managers – and helping them and yourself to be creative is very interesting.Jacquelynn Coughlin
You take all compulsory modules and then select one module from a list of optional modules.
In competitive marketplaces, strategic marketing planning is essential for firms seeking to reach their target customers, foster brand awareness and increase revenue.
In this module, you’ll develop your understanding of marketing strategy and planning by learning how to systematically approach and develop a strategic marketing plan for a commercial or social organisation. Through this process, you’ll learn the tools marketers use to assess market opportunities and evaluate their competition. You’ll also practice your skills by responding to live briefs and practical marketing simulations, gaining crucial hands on experience.
You’ll also learn by considering case studies and hearing from guest speakers will boost your understanding and appreciation of marketing strategy and the issues, challenges and ethical dilemmas marketers face. If you want a career where you lead on impactful and successful marketing campaigns, this module is your first step to getting there.
As businesses embrace digital marketing as a tool to reach key audiences and deliver results, they need experts in strategy and planning to give their campaigns an edge and ensure they are successful.
Through collaborative projects and hands-on workshops you'll become the kind of expert businesses are looking for. You’ll gain the skills, knowledge and confidence needed to develop, deliver and refine digital marketing strategies to drive results and enhance brand visibility in a competitive landscape.
Being a leader in digital marketing gives you the edge that makes employers sit up and take notice, not only ensuring you’ll jump into a successful and exciting career, but you’ll be a driving force in the field.
Consumer behaviour is a critical exploration of how consumers and organisations engage with products and services. Society, culture, identity, and psychology all influence consumer habits. So, what can marketers learn from the social and cultural world?
You'll discover why consumers from different backgrounds react uniquely to the same products, what drives these consumption patterns, and how culture shapes our buying decisions. You’ll explore the social and cultural intricacies of consumer behaviour and gain the insights needed to connect, engage and succeed in a global marketplace.
By embracing a wide spectrum of philosophical and research perspectives, you’ll gain a multifaceted understanding of the subject, alongside critical thinking skills. This will greatly enhance your employability and prepare you to tackle complex problems as you begin your career.
Marketing research helps businesses to understand their markets and target consumers, and identify opportunities that inform decision-making about the business and customers.
You’ll learn how to use traditional marketing research techniques to gain insights into consumer behaviour before delving into the analysis of digital data from online sources and interactive dashboards. You’ll gain hands-on experience using analytical software that will give you the skills needed to navigate digital data landscapes, analyse customer behaviour and trends, and extract actionable insights into customers and competitors.
Embracing this data-driven approach to market research ensures that your marketing strategies are grounded in empirical evidence. This results in meeting customer expectations better, building stronger relationships, and fostering brand loyalty.
How do brands differentiate themselves from their competitors? How do they create competitive advantage in a crowded marketplace? This module covers four main areas: developing brand strategy, implementing brand management, evaluating brand performance, and sustaining brand growth.
By studying these four areas, you’ll gain insights into formulating effective strategies, executing brand management practices, assessing brand effectiveness, and fostering long-term brand growth in dynamic market environments.
You'll delve into real world case studies, engaging discussions and collaborative projects, so you'll not only grasp the theoretical foundations but also cultivate practical insights into the dynamic world of branding. You'll emerge with a profound understanding of how to strategically build and manage brand identities that leave a lasting impact and produce results.
What is the impact of a changing world on cross-border management? How can culture, organisation, communication, leadership, and ethics be managed effectively in different locations? The current era offers unprecedented excitement and opportunities for learning.
You'll gain a comprehensive introduction to the latest research on cross-cultural management. Based on critical analysis of the assumptions underlying various approaches to studying national cultures, you’ll apply frameworks to understand cross-cultural issues managers in international organisations may face. Some of the topics you’ll study include different approaches to cross-cultural management, cultural frameworks and how to apply them, the role of the global manager, and global management challenges.
Experiential learning and teamwork are integral to the module and the teaching is highly participative. You’ll participate in various group exercises including an assignment in partnership with Kelley School of Business in the USA. This active experience working with peers and with another international institution helps you make rapid progress in your understanding of cross-cultural management, giving you an edge in the job market.
Are you interested in starting your own business? What are the tools and skills you need to do so? Why are startups becoming more popular? We’ll delve into the social and economic changes that have raised the status of enterprises, small businesses, and entrepreneurial ventures in the global economy.
We’ll consider entrepreneurs, their characteristics and motivations, and the barriers and issues that they face when planning and establishing a new startup venture. You'll learn what makes new ventures grow and succeed, and evaluate the practical decisions that entrepreneurs need to make to maximise the chances of their business succeeding.
In today's business context there is a wealth of data available. Many businesses currently struggle to transform that data into useable information that they can use to make meaningful decisions. We'll learn to extract insights from historical data through interactive visual analytics, communicating complex information effectively and gain hands-on experience in using data to drive positive change in business, environment and society.
We'll also explore advanced techniques for pattern recognition and forecasting, providing the ability to foresee future outcomes and trends. We'll explore real-world case studies from diverse industries, offering a deep understanding of how data analytics is integral to sectors like supply chain management, marketing, healthcare and finance.
By the end of this module, you'll be equipped with the skills and knowledge to transform data into actionable insights and predictions, making an impact on any organisation that you work at.
Making decisions is crucial for managers and businesses, as they shape our lives and impact outcomes at work. However, making smart decisions in the face of complexity and uncertainty can be challenging. How can data support our decisions in such uncertain contexts?
Together we’ll explore various quantitative and graphical methods that help identify, represent, and evaluate different options. These can help us make optimal decisions. We’ll guide you through the decision-making process in organisations, using an evidence-based approach drawn from research in behavioural psychology, economics, error management, and intuitive judgment. These tools will help you to make sound decisions in uncertain situations, enabling you to influence and lead effectively.
By the end of the module, you’ll have a deep understanding of informed decision-making methodologies. You’ll learn how to analyse problems, identify potential solutions, and evaluate outcomes in uncertain conditions. You'll be able to make decisive decisions supported by data and evidence in order to drive growth and deliver results for businesses.
Gain an in-depth and critical understanding of the complex and volatile work environments they may experience in the workplace. The development of relevant knowledge and skills to thrive and lead in today’s dynamic workplace in an ethical and sustainable way is a vital toolkit for today’s graduate. In doing so, you will understand the importance of values-driven and inclusive leadership, collaborative working, employee well-being, valuing difference and championing diversity, creativity, innovation, managing change and the role of AI. This will enable you to develop the knowledge and skills-base needed by business professionals.
Managers use financial controls for daily decision-making, with profit planning being vital for business sustainability and growth globally. They prepare profit plans by integrating strategic, marketing and financial analysis. Performance measurement involves utilising management accounting tools like budgeting, variance analysis and KPIs. Revisions to the profit plan are identified through continuous monitoring, comparing actual results to targets and analysing discrepancies. Managers leverage data analysis and performance management tools to enhance business performance, provide feedback and suggest improvements, fostering socially responsible and sustainable practices.
International Marketing offers companies the opportunity to expand their business and reach new customers on a global scale. You’ll learn how to identify and evaluate new market opportunities, assess different ways to enter potential markets and appreciate the range of influences that exist in the international marketing environment that might require adaptations to marketing strategy and programmes. By taking a problem solving approach to the opportunities and challenges international marketers face, you’ll learn how to apply key international marketing theories and frameworks to help you demonstrate and develop the essential critical thinking and analytical skills needed in today’s workplace to justify your decision-making.
Many developed economies are dominated by services, so it’s increasingly important to understand the customer decision making process involved with service encounters, as well as what’s involved in delivering quality service experiences and understanding how to positively influence customer perceptions at key touchpoints in the service delivery process. You’ll learn how the distinct characteristics of services create challenges for service marketers and explore how theoretical concepts and models of services marketing can be applied to address these challenges by examining the strategies and practices of service based companies. This will give you the skills and knowledge to formulate marketing strategies and programmes that are customer centric and enhance the service experience for target customers, enabling service organisations to compete more effectively.
All students spend a year in industry in the UK or internationally, supported by a dedicated Employability and Placement teams. The programme is designed to ensure that students gain experience in the functional areas and industries of their choice. For students taking one of the specialist pathways, our strategic partnerships provide opportunities for placements in specific areas.
Unique to KBS, students can take a Self-Employed Placement year during which they develop their initial business idea into a feasible business plan. The ‘Selfie’ programme students are supported by an in-house entrepreneur who acts as their specialist mentor.
The placement allows you to experience, first hand, many of the issues addressed in the taught programme and to use the tools, techniques and applications in a real business setting. It will become a vital component of your CV and will give you a distinct advantage over other business graduates.
What could you do in a year?
My year in industry couldn’t have gone better. I secured a role at IBM, working in their sports and entertainment department – it was perfect for meTom Tillin Find out more
Marketing communications serve as the voice of a brand. They create a dialogue that connects businesses with their audiences across various platforms and mediums. This module will examine how advertising fuses creativity and strategy to influence consumer behaviour and perceptions.
You’ll engage with tools like social media and search engine optimisation (SEO) to create conversations and nurture communities. Integrated marketing communications (IMC) ensure consistency across all channels, amplifying the resonance of each message. Ethics and sustainability practices that guide responsible marketing are at the heart of the module: respecting privacy, ensuring transparency and embracing sustainable practices that prioritise long-term well-being over short-term gains.
You’ll enhance your employability by blending practical, applied learning with essential marketing concepts. By engaging directly with current advertising tools, digital platforms and real-world case studies, you’ll be able to apply your knowledge effectively in a professional setting. You’ll learn the theory and strategies to navigate digital landscapes and uphold ethical standards. This hands-on approach, combined with insights into sustainability, prepares you to enter the workforce with the confidence and skills needed to excel in a dynamic industry.
In the rapidly evolving world of business, developing and implementing effective strategies is vital for success. This module equips you with the knowledge and skills necessary to excel in the field of strategic management.
You’ll engage in rigorous analysis and critical thinking to explore a range of strategic concepts. These include the fundamentals of strategic planning, advanced topics in supply chain dynamics, and issues such as quality management, technology-driven innovation, and project/event management.
Throughout the module, you’ll engage in interactive discussions, group projects, case studies, and hands-on exercises to enhance your problem-solving and decision-making skills. By the end, you’ll have the ability to analyse and apply critical thinking to evaluate strategic alternatives and make informed recommendations.
In a world marked by perpetual transformation, how can emerging leaders adeptly navigate the challenges and seize the opportunities that shape corporate strategies? Through engaging and interactive sessions, students will unravel the complexities inherent in leadership principles and strategic decision-making. Hands-on applications are used, ensuring that, alongside the theoretical knowledge, you develop the practical skills essential for effective leadership in the contemporary business environment. You will leave the module with a knowledge of corporate strategy tools that are indispensable resources utilized by organisations to navigate the intricate landscape of strategic decision-making and planning.
An introduction to the concept of behavioural science and how its insights can be applied to the workplace. Behavioural Science is drawing from multiple scientific disciplines (e.g. psychology, behavioural economics). It aims to give new insights into how our minds operate in the modern business world. Applied to the workplace it can help us to shed new light onto a wide range of issues relating to HR. You'll gain a first insight as to how the developing cross-disciplinary field of behavioural science and provide you with novel tools to overcome organisational challenges. For example, you'll cover how behavioual sciences can help us to understand how our decision making can be inherently biased and affect selection and assessment processes or equality and inclusivity within the workplace, how humans are motivated, how the workplace environment can be affected by workplace interactions both between individuals and teams, or how stress or wellbeing are influenced by a number of workplace factors.
The law expects businesses to be governed responsibly and individuals within them to be mindful as to how they fulfil their legal obligations to their customers, the environment, their workforce and the public. You'll study negligence, company, employment and discrimination law, emphasizing responsible business governance and individual accountability. By analysing current legal issues and applying them to real-world scenarios, you'll enhance problem-solving skills, understanding of diverse impacts and ethical decision-making in business. Navigating complexities and ambiguities fosters critical thinking and integrity, preparing you for future studies and careers.
Study the different ways in which people operate within organisations. You're introduced to the strategic use of data in people operations to tackle workplace challenges effectively. You'll learn various methodologies for analysing and interpreting data to improve organisational performance and employee well-being. Explore diverse data collection, processing and utilisation techniques. Through practical exercises and case studies, you'll learn to extract valuable insights, recognise patterns and make informed decisions to optimise human capital management. Ethical considerations such as privacy and confidentiality are emphasised, ensuring responsible data usage. You'll leave with a thorough understanding of how data-driven approaches can positively impact organisational culture and productivity.
How do you think creatively for business and startup planning? You'll address opportunity recognition, product development, business proposal creation and entrepreneurial finance. Through teamwork, you'll develop leadership, problem-solving, communication and analytical skills. Analogies from diverse cultures aid personal connections, while the curriculum emphasises sustainability, lifelong learning and systems thinking. You'll gain entrepreneurial confidence, adaptability, opportunity recognition, risk management, and innovative mindset for diverse career paths.
International Marketing offers companies the opportunity to expand their business and reach new customers on a global scale. You’ll learn how to identify and evaluate new market opportunities, assess different ways to enter potential markets and appreciate the range of influences that exist in the international marketing environment that might require adaptations to marketing strategy and programmes. By taking a problem solving approach to the opportunities and challenges international marketers face, you’ll learn how to apply key international marketing theories and frameworks to help you demonstrate and develop the essential critical thinking and analytical skills needed in today’s workplace to justify your decision-making.
Many developed economies are dominated by services, so it’s increasingly important to understand the customer decision making process involved with service encounters, as well as what’s involved in delivering quality service experiences and understanding how to positively influence customer perceptions at key touchpoints in the service delivery process. You’ll learn how the distinct characteristics of services create challenges for service marketers and explore how theoretical concepts and models of services marketing can be applied to address these challenges by examining the strategies and practices of service based companies. This will give you the skills and knowledge to formulate marketing strategies and programmes that are customer centric and enhance the service experience for target customers, enabling service organisations to compete more effectively.
Designed to ignite your entrepreneurial spirit, inspire you to recognise the potential for international success and equip you with the knowledge and tools to navigate the complexities of the modern industrial age. Through a combination of theoretical concepts and interaction with entrepreneurs, you'll gain insights into international opportunities, the critical factors contributing to initial success, and strategies for sustained growth.
Interdisciplinary thinking is encouraged, fostering the ability to merge theories from different subjects to solve complex problems. You'll develop independent study skills and effective communication, both orally and in writing, while honing their critical thinking abilities. You'll consider teamwork in multicultural settings, preparing you to work efficiently and effectively in diverse, cross-border collaborations.
You'lll emerge with a multifaceted skill set, including the capacity to work across disciplines, plan and study independently, communicate effectively, think critically and understand the intricacies of entrepreneurship on a global scale.
Our enthusiastic team of international teaching staff are all experts in their field of study and are regularly published in leading journals worldwide. They guide and support your learning, bringing their subject to life and drawing you into the conversation through lectures, seminars, presentations and computer-based simulations.
Your progress is assessed through a mix of coursework – including reports, essays and presentations - and exams.
For a student studying full time, each academic year of the programme will comprise 1200 learning hours which include both direct contact hours and private study hours. The precise breakdown of hours will be subject dependent and will vary according to modules.
Methods of assessment will vary according to subject specialism and individual modules.
Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.
For course aims and learning outcomes please see the course specification.
Our Marketing graduates go on to careers in all aspects of marketing, business and management, finding both overseas and in the UK in a wide range of companies and organisations, including:
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
Fees for undergraduate students are £1,900.
Fees for undergraduate students are £1,430.
Students studying abroad for less than one academic year will pay full fees according to their fee status.
Students will require regular access to a desktop computer/laptop with an internet connection to use the University of Kent’s online resources and systems. Please see information about the minimum computer requirements for study.
There may be additional costs associated with the Year in Industry such as travel or accommodation, which will need to be covered by the student. Please see Careers and Employability webpages for more information.
Find out more about accommodation and living costs, plus general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. See our funding page for more details.
We have a range of subject-specific awards and scholarships for academic, sporting and musical achievement.
Next steps
If you are from the UK or Ireland, you must apply for this course through UCAS. If you are not from the UK or Ireland, you can apply through UCAS or directly on our website if you have never used UCAS and you do not intend to use UCAS in the future.
We welcome applications from students all around the world with a wide range of international qualifications.
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