Business Management with Marketing with Industrial Placement and Integrated Foundation Year BSc

BScUndergraduate (Foundation + Placement)Business & Finance
Foundation YearIndustrial Placement

About This Programme

The BSc Business Management with Marketing with Industrial Placement and Integrated Foundation Year adds a foundation year in Dubai to the University of Birmingham Dubai's marketing placement degree, making a four-year programme for students who need a foundation year before first-year university entry. Developed with companies including Beiersdorf, Big Cat, Cogent Elliott, UBAglu and Unilever, the degree builds broad marketing knowledge and hands-on experience, including two summer work placements, alongside intellectual, analytical and perceptual skills and the transferable skills needed to carry out strategic marketing in new and demanding contexts. Close links with industry keep the course relevant and let students learn from practising marketers. The programme is also accredited by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM).

Course Highlights

  • Birmingham Business School appears consistently in international rankings and holds triple-crown accreditation from AMBA, EQUIS and AACSB, placing it in an elite group.
  • Strong industry links combine academic study with a practical focus, supporting strong job prospects.
  • The University of Birmingham has been one of the universities most targeted by the UK's top graduate employers for the last decade (High Fliers Research 2026).

What You'll Study

Learning combines lectures, collaborative projects and personal support in small-group sessions. Students have 30 hours of contact time a week, plus independent study set by the degree and each module. Small-group seminars are for discussion and working with peers; practical workshops apply theory to real-world problems. Placements are tailored to each student, approved by the University of Birmingham and arranged with guidance from the Careers Team. Assessment is by coursework and exams. Coursework includes reports, essays, group presentations, class essays and computer assignments. Satisfactory results are needed to move on to the next year, and the final degree is based on marks from the third and fourth years of study plus the credits built up across the programme. The two placements together are worth 120 credits and make up 12.5% of the final degree classification.

Foundation Year

A supported first year in Dubai that prepares students for undergraduate study, covering academic skills, quantitative methods for business and economics and more. Completing it with at least 100 credits guarantees progression to the BSc Business Management with Marketing with Placement.

  • Introduction to Business and Management20 credits
  • Business and the Market20 credits
  • Introduction to Global Environmental Issues20 credits
  • Quantitative Methods for Business and Economics20 credits

Students are also enrolled on one of these English modules, depending on their IELTS score.

  • Academic English and Study Skills40 credits
  • Advanced Academic English and Study Skills40 credits
  • Advanced Academic Skills (SSBL)40 credits

Year 1

Core modules and compulsory Ministry of Education modules build a foundation in business management suited to the UAE region and to international business. The first placement takes place in the summer vacation at the end of this year.

  • Economics for Business20 credits
  • Introduction to Marketing and Communications20 credits
  • Accounting, Accountability and Financial Decision-making20 credits
  • Organisations, Management and Entrepreneurship20 credits
  • Discover Management Education and Learning20 credits
  • Quantitative Skills for Business20 credits

Year 2

Real-world challenges, management skills and responsible business, human resource management at national and international level, and business practice in modern organisations. The year in industry is made up of two placements of at least 3 months each: the first in the summer vacation at the end of Year 1, the second in the summer vacation at the end of Year 2. Together they form the 120-credit Industrial Placement.

  • Business Strategy20 credits
  • Consumer Behaviour20 credits
  • Research Methods20 credits
  • Responsible Business: Theory and Practice20 credits
  • Human Resource Management20 credits
  • Marketing Communications20 credits
  • Industrial Placement120 credits

Year 3

The final year: specialised business and marketing modules, including crisis management, with optional modules and a dissertation on a topic of the student's choice.

  • Crisis Management20 credits
  • Data Visualization and Consumer Insights20 credits
  • Dissertation40 credits

Choose 2 modules from the following options. Optional modules are indicative and can vary from year to year.

  • Responsible Marketing and Society20 credits
  • Services and Retail Strategy20 credits
  • Small Business and Entrepreneurship20 credits

Entry Requirements

English: Applicants must show a good level of written and spoken English, through IELTS, TOEFL, PTE or alternative qualifications; accepted tests and scores are listed on the University of Birmingham Dubai English language requirements page.

The foundation pathway suits students who finished high school to a high standard but would normally need a foundation year before first-year undergraduate entry to UK universities. Applicants must meet both the University's general entry requirements and the course's own criteria, and each application is reviewed by the course's Admissions Tutor, who decides whether to make an offer.

Careers

Graduates leave with the critical, analytical and communication skills that leading employers look for, plus two placements of work experience. Business Management graduates have gone on to work in advertising, banking, law, accounting, marketing, consulting and communications. On-campus careers support helps students plan a career strategy, whether they want to start their own business or work in the UAE or elsewhere, and the Careers Network Dubai offers information, advice and guidance to identify options, build skills and reach opportunities before graduation.

Accreditation & Professional Recognition

Accredited by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and listed as Active on the Commission for Academic Accreditation register as the Bachelor of Science in Business Management with Marketing with Industrial Placement. The programme is also accredited by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), and Birmingham Business School holds triple-crown accreditation (AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS).

Programme Details

Award

Bachelor of Science (BSc)

Start Date

September 2026 (applications closed; September 2027 details to follow)

Duration

4 years (foundation year plus three degree years, with two summer placements)

Qualification

Bachelors

Subject Area

Business & Finance

Campus

Dubai

Course Type

Integrated year in industry, Integrated foundation year, Major/minor

Study Pattern

Full time

Delivery Format

In person

Tuition Fee

AED 123,506/yr

AED 123,506 for the foundation year, full-time, as published for September 2026 and January 2027 entry; each later year costs AED 134,922. The fee covers tuition, examinations and graduation, is charged for each year of study, and can be paid in full or in three instalments a year. Applications for September 2026 entry to this programme are closed, and details for September 2027 entry will be published later. Applications are made directly through the University of Birmingham Dubai Admissions portal (not UCAS), with no application fee, and are usually decided within 10 working days of all documents arriving. A non-returnable AED 5,000 deposit, deducted from tuition, is paid on accepting an offer. Scholarships of up to 30% are assessed from the application itself, with no separate form.

EnquireView University of Birmingham Dubai
Next intakes
Sep