Unit descriptions for the INTO Diploma in Business Management or Economics

Students are required to obtain 120 credits for progression. One unit is worth 20 credits.  Please see Diploma pathways for specific core units for Business Management and specific core units for Economics.

Introduction to Business (20 credits)
This unit provides a basic understanding of business and management for those students who will undertake an undergraduate degree involving the study of business. The unit pursues the following themes: models of management, the business environment, managing people, leadership, corporate social responsibility, organisational culture, human resource management, managing change  corporate strategy, marketing, organisation structure, managing finance and budgets, managing operations, managing information systems.

Developing Business Skills (20 credits)
The overall aim of this unit is to encourage the development of key management skills that will form a basis for a future career in business and management. The unit incorporates the following themes: management skills and managerial effectiveness, self awareness: understanding and developing yourself, personal development planning, planning and goal setting, working in teams, management projects, report writing, written communication and email, managing meetings, obtaining data and information, oral presentation skills and interpersonal skills.

Information Systems and Business Research (20 credits)
The three main aims of this unit are:
i to introduce students to the use of business management applications of information and communication;
ii to introduce students to the use of Microsoft Excel; and
iii to introduce students to elementary statistical methods used in business and business research.

The unit incorporates the following themes: e-business domain, business systems and information systems, back-end and frontend information systems infrastructure, access devices and channels/electronic delivery of goods and services/the Internet and the World Wide Web, back and frontend ICT infrastructure/data security, the social, economic and political environment of e-business, electronic commerce, B2C, B2B and C2C e-commerce, e-marketing and e-procurement, e-business planning, strategy and management, e-business development and evaluation, graphical representation of data, numerical measures of central tendency, numerical measures of dispersion, introduction to probability, numerical outcomes, common patterns in data, continuous numerical outcomes and the normal distribution.

Economics for Business (20 credits)
The two main aims of this unit are:
i to introduce students to issues of central concern in business economics; and
ii to introduce students to the economic environment in which businesses operate.

The unit incorporates the following themes: introduction to economics, the demand curve, responsiveness of demand, the concept o  cost, the supply curve, markets in action, market structure and competition, monopoly, between perfect competition and monopoly, growth, externalities, the labour market, conflicts of interest, transaction costs, introduction to macroeconomics, aggregate demand and aggregate supply, GDP, Inflation, fiscal and monetary policy, unemployment, supply side policies and economic growth and global economics.

Introduction to Financial and Management Accounting (20 credits)
The aims of this unit are:
i to provide a foundation in the theory and practice of management accounting and finance for students going on to study accounting  at a more advanced level;
ii to provide an introduction to the role, context and terminology of management accounting and finance for students following a more general management pathway;
iii to provide a foundation in the theory and practice of financial accounting and
iv to introduce the role, context and language of financial reporting.

The unit assumes no previous studies of accounting and incorporates the following themes: the meaning of accounting, the balance sheet, the profit and loss account, the double entry system, adjustments of accounts, introduction to business games, accounts of limited companies, corporate governance, cash flow statements, interpretation of accounts: ratio analysis, regulatory frameworks (UK, EU and International), valuation and performance measurement, audit and control and corporate social responsibility accounting.

Organisational Behaviour (20 credits)
The aim of this unit is to develop an appreciation of the nature and historical development of organisational behaviour. The unit introduces key concepts, theories, and methodologies in organisational behaviour, and develops the student’s understanding of the linkages between research, theory and practice. It also enables students to develop analytical and academic writing skills. The overall aim is for students to develop an understanding of the structure, function and performance of organisations – with particular reference to the behaviour of individuals and groups who work within them.

Introductory Microeconomics (20 credits)
This is a compulsory unit for all Economics students. Topics covered in this unit include: what is economics, its scientific status; demand and supply analysis including elasticity concepts and tax incidence; costs and profit maximisation; perfect competition,
monopoly, and monopolistic competition; game theory and oligopoly; factor markets; an introduction to welfare economics – market failure, public goods and externalities. There are simple applications of calculus to problems in microeconomics such as profit maximisation etc.

Introductory Macroeconomics (20 credits)
Introductory Macroeconomics is a unit designed as an introduction to university level macroeconomic analysis. We start by considering national income accounting and the circular flow of income model. We then consider output and aggregate demand in an economy with a fixed price level: we analyse the expenditure multiplier model, the goods market and fiscal policy; the money market and monetary policy; the IS-LM model. We finally move on to an economy with a flexible price level and introduce aggregate supply factors into the analysis: we consider the Aggregate Supply and Aggregate Demand model; inflation, unemployment and the Phillips’ curve; economic growth.

Quantitative Methods (20 credits)
This unit offers an introduction to some basic statistical concepts and methods of data analysis which are commonly applied in the social sciences, and in other areas. Topics include: descriptive statistics, graphical analysis of data, probability, Bayes’ rule, permutations and combinations, random variables, the normal distribution, hypothesis testing and interval estimation. There is a strong practical element, with students engaging in statistical analysis of a range of problems using SPSS.

Introduction to Mathematics for Economists (20 credits)
This unit provides an introduction to some basic mathematical techniques that are used in economic analysis. Topics covered include arithmetic operations, simple algebra, equations and identities, solving linear simultaneous equations, factorising, linear and non-linear functions, plotting functions, and an introduction to basic calculus. Students are also trained in the transferable skills of spreadsheet use and calculators.

English Language and Study Skills (IELTS 6.5 required for entrance into Year 2)
The aims of the English Language and Study Skills unit are:
i to improve students’ ability to deal with complex academic texts;
ii to develop critical ability in relation to academic writing;
iii to develop fluency and confidence in academic discussion; and
iv to enhance students’ ability to extract information from spoken texts. The unit includes an investigative project involving research and investigation, data collection and analysis and a written and oral presentation of methods and results.