Digital Business with Foundation Year

At least 3 GCSEs including

• GCSE Maths, Grade C or Grade 4 or above. 

• GCSE English, Grade C or Grade 4 or above. 

If you don't hold GCSEs, we accept 45 credits at Level 2 or equivalent.

If your qualifications are older than 3 years we also ask to see a professional CV.

We strive to support students to succeed, whatever their background, and we encourage you to apply to study with us even if you don’t meet the academic requirements.

We view all applications holistically – and will consider a minimum of 12 months professional work experience (evidenced with a CV and reference) if you don't meet the academic entry requirements.

You'll also be required to submit a motivation letter that outlines:

• your motivations for choosing this course

• how your work experience has prepared you for the Foundation Year course

• how the course aligns with your career goals.

Thinking of transferring institutions or have you studied before? Your prior learning could mean you're exempt from some modules, bringing you closer to your goals.

Unlock the value of your past learning and experience with our recognition of prior learning process. Simply consult with our Study Advisers, and submit a recognition of prior learning form alongside your application.

If you’re a mature student and you don’t meet our entry criteria, you may be eligible to enrol through our mature student process.

You may be required to submit a CV and a short supporting statement of 500 to 600 words. This should set out why you want to study this programme and how it will support your career plans.

We also consider a variety of qualifications including Functional Skills Qualifications, BTEC Firsts and National Vocational Qualifications.

Overseas qualifications may be accepted, and will be subject to evidence of equivalency normally verified through ECCTIS (UK ENIC).

If you’re a non-native English speaker, you’ll be asked to provide proof of your English language proficiency in one of the following forms.

Alternatively, you may be accepted if you have previously studied in English at an appropriate level and attended a recognised institution.

IELTS grade of 6.0 overall or above, with no element below 5.5.

An online English test is offered (SPEEXX) if IELTS not available. 

TOEFL minimum 80 points.

Trinity College ISE – ISE III at minimum pass. Please note that Trinity College ISE academic results are only valid for two years.

Duolingo English test minimum 95 points. Take Duolingo’s online English test. It takes just 45 to 60 minutes, and you’ll receive your results within two days. You can then send your certificate to us.

Cambridge Certificate minimum B grade overall.

• Foundations of learning

  Discover the variety of learning styles and effective communication within teams. Master time management and set precise academic and personal goals.

• Academic Integrity and Writing for Business

  Gain adeptness in academic writing tailored for the business world, learn to use sources ethically, and master the art of crafting impactful, stakeholder-oriented communication.

• Personal career plan

  Map out your future career path with strategic career planning, personal branding, and understanding modern job search strategies to enhance your professional identity.

• Elective: Foundation Year: (see Electives: Foundation Year)

• Applied learning strategies

  Enhance your self-study techniques, elevate your communication and presentation skills, and tackle learning challenges effectively to thrive academically.

• Developing a business mindset* – business related track

  Cultivate a business mindset with a focus on self-management, learning from failures, and integrating sustainability in business and societal roles.

• Business ethics – business related track

  Engage with ethical principles in business practices focusing on social justice, sustainability, and ethical decision-making in a corporate context.

• Project: innovation and investigation

  Synthesize all previous learnings in a practical project, applying theories and strategies explored in earlier modules to a real-world context.

*Please note, this elective will be available to study from April 2025.

• Business 101

  Learn the basics of general business administration, including corporate goals, strategic marketing, organisational structures, decision-making, and accounting principles.

• Introduction to computer science

  Understand foundational topics in computer science, including algorithms, data structures, computer hardware, networks, and software systems, alongside professional ethics.

• Managerial economics

  Explore economic principles related to different markets, consumer behaviour, and corporate decision-making influenced by supply, demand, and market balance.

• Digital future commerce

  Examine the latest trends in digitization, the role of big data in e-commerce, and the implications of digital value networks on logistics and business processes.

• Introduction to data science

  Develop a thorough understanding of data science, including data origins, challenges, statistics, and machine learning, and how these methods integrate into business settings.

• International marketing

  Acquire skills in strategic marketing with a focus on international contexts, understand cultural differences, and gain experience in international market research and brand management.

• Collaborative work

  Learn methods for professional networking, collaborative learning, and working, and develop competencies in communication, conflict resolution, and using both analogue and digital tools.

• Introduction to artificial intelligence

  Gain insights into the historical and current developments in AI, explore reinforcement learning, natural language processing, and computer vision.

• Introduction to academic work for business and social sciences

  Understand the basics of academic work, learn to cite sources correctly, and apply different types of research methods within business and social sciences.

• Statistics

  Learn to evaluate quantitative real-world conditions, apply probability distributions, perform statistical tests, and critically appraise statistical analyses.

• Digital business models

  Explore the definition, historical development, and evaluation of digital business models, and learn their significance in creating a business plan.

• Intercultural and ethical decision-making

  Understand interculturality, diversity, and ethics, plan intercultural learning processes, and apply this knowledge through practical case studies.

• Augmented, mixed and virtual reality

  Explore AR, MR, and VR technologies, understand human perception in digital environments, and learn development processes for these applications.

• Corporate finance and investment

  Gain foundational knowledge in corporate finance, learn to value financial assets, analyse investment decisions, and understand risk management principles.

• Elective A (see electives A section below)

• Elective A (see electives A section below)

• Leadership 4.0

  Understand the evolving nature of leadership in the digital age, analyse different leadership styles, and develop strategies for managing change and innovation.

• Seminar in current topics in digitalization

  Critically evaluate trends in digitalization, analyse their implications on business models and strategies, and develop strategic recommendations using practical case studies.

• Elective B (see Electives B section below)

• Elective B (see Electives B section below)

• Elective C (see Electives C section below)

• Elective C (see Electives C section below)

• Bachelor thesis

  Conduct independent research, apply appropriate methodologies, analyse data, synthesize findings, and present professionally structured research outcomes on a digital business topic.

• Foundations of Academic English

  Refine your academic English with extensive training in grammar, sentence structure, and academic integrity, essential for your academic success.

• Skills for Business

  Acquire vital business communication skills, including email writing, proposal drafting, and delivering compelling presentations within a business context.

• Maths foundations

  Reinforce essential mathematical concepts, learn academic mathematical language, and independently engage in effective study and tutorials.

• Digital skills

  Explore the impact of digital transformation across professional fields, learning about digital economies, design thinking, and emerging technologies.

• Sustainability

  Learn about the importance of sustainability in business, develop strategies for sustainable practices, and understand the role of corporate social responsibility.

• Agile project management

  Explore principles of Agile methodologies, apply Agile practices in projects, and develop plans for implementing Agile within organisations.

• Project: digital entrepreneurship

  Identify opportunities for digital entrepreneurship, develop business ideas, create and evaluate business plans, and implement strategies for digital startups.

• Fundamentals of product management

  Understand the role of product management, develop product strategies, conduct market research, and manage the product lifecycle from conception to launch.

• Internet of things

  Explore IoT concepts and applications, develop IoT solutions for business challenges, and understand security and privacy implications of IoT.

• Algorithms, data structures, and programming languages

  Learn fundamental algorithms and data structures, implement them in programming languages, and develop programs to solve computational problems.

• Project: AI excellence with creative prompting techniques

  Develop creative AI solutions, implement AI algorithms, evaluate AI model performance, and integrate AI technologies into business processes.

• Introduction to programming with Python

  Write basic Python programs, understand programming concepts, develop algorithms, use Python libraries, and debug Python programs effectively.

• Self-arranged internship I (*)

  Develop your practical and analytical skills by doing an internship and improving your employability. In several preparation tutorials, you’ll consider the working environment and the overall goal of your placement.

• Self-arranged internship II (*)

  As with the first internship, this is an opportunity to apply your skills and knowledge in a business environment. Develop your communication style, problem solving ability and time management.

  
  

*You'll be responsible for arranging a suitable internship for your field of study. Once arranged, please complete an application to the internship module via myCampus, to make sure your internship can be recognised and credited towards your course requirements.

Online and social media marketing

• Online marketing

  Learn key concepts of online marketing, develop strategies for campaigns, utilize online marketing tools, and measure campaign effectiveness.

• Digital methods in market research

  Apply digital research methods, analyse and interpret digital market research data, and develop digital research projects.

  
  

Business administration and management

• Project: prototyping and validation of a business idea

  Develop prototypes, validate ideas, conduct user testing, and iterate based on feedback to ensure market potential and feasibility.

• Project: design thinking

  Apply design thinking to solve complex problems, develop innovative solutions, facilitate workshops, and evaluate the effectiveness of design thinking approaches.

  
  

Data science and artificial intelligence

• Statistical computing

  Utilize statistical software for analysis, interpret results, communicate findings, and apply statistical methods to real-world data.

• Data analytics and big data

  Understand key concepts of data analytics and big data, use visualization tools, apply techniques to large data sets, and develop big data solutions.

  
  

Engineering

• Supply chain management I

  Learn key components of supply chain management, analyse processes, develop strategies, and understand the impact on business operations.

• Supply chain management II

  Implement advanced supply chain concepts, develop integrated strategies, understand the role of technology, and analyse global trends.

  
  

Computer science and software development

• Techniques and methods for agile software development

  Explore principles of agile software development, apply agile techniques in projects, and evaluate their effectiveness.

• Project: agile software engineering

  Develop software using agile practices, collaborate in development teams, implement continuous integration, and deliver software products.

  
  

IT management

• IT service management

  Apply IT service management principles, develop strategies, and implement frameworks in real-world scenarios.

• Project: IT service management

  Work on projects to apply IT service management theory, develop solutions for company-specific situations, and evaluate outcomes.

  
  

Human resources

• Introduction to new work

  Understand new work principles, analyse their impact on organisational culture, develop and implement new work strategies, and evaluate their effectiveness.

• Organisational behaviour

  Learn key concepts of organisational behaviour, develop strategies for improvement, understand leadership roles, and apply principles to enhance workplace effectiveness.

Online and social media marketing

• Social media marketing

  Integrate social media into marketing strategies, develop strategies, implement tactics, understand legal aspects, and stay updated on trends.

• Project: digital methods in market research

  Develop and implement digital market research projects, apply various methods, analyse data, and present findings.

  
  

Business administration and management

• UX prototyping

  Understand UX design principles, develop prototypes, conduct usability testing, refine designs, and implement UX principles.

• Project: minimum viable product

  Apply lean startup principles, develop MVPs, conduct market validation, iterate based on feedback, and implement strategies for MVP launch.

  
  

Data science and artificial intelligence

• Project: data analysis

  Apply data analysis techniques using software, interpret and present results, evaluate methods, and develop data-driven business solutions.

• Project: artificial intelligence

  Develop AI solutions, implement machine learning algorithms, evaluate performance, integrate AI into business, and address ethical considerations.

  
  

Engineering

• Product development in Industry 4.0

  Learn Industry 4.0 concepts, develop products using these technologies, evaluate their impact, and implement successful strategies.

• Project: smart product solutions

  Develop smart products using IoT, integrate them into systems, evaluate performance, address security concerns, and implement in various industries.

  
  

Computer science and software development

• Seminar: software engineering

  Explore advanced software engineering concepts, develop solutions, analyse methodologies, and present research findings.

• Project: software development

  Use agile methodologies for software development, implement best practices, test and debug applications, and deliver complete software products.

  
  

IT management

• IT project management

  Apply project management principles to IT projects, develop plans, manage resources and budgets, evaluate risks, and implement tools.

• IT architecture management

  Understand IT architecture principles, develop strategies, evaluate business impact, implement frameworks, and analyse case studies.

  
  

Human resources

• Digital HR

  Develop and implement digital HR strategies, evaluate the impact on engagement and performance, and analyse trends in digital HR.

• International HR management

  Understand the principles of international HR, develop global strategies, evaluate cultural impacts, implement policies, and analyse successful cases.