Pre-Masters Programme in Business and Management

Academic English Skills

Academic English Skills aims to provide thorough training in the language and related academic skills which will enable international students to best achieve their academic potential at university. Our Academic English programme is validated by UK ENIC, the UK government agency responsible for providing information and expert opinion on qualifications and skills worldwide.

You will develop awareness and competency in a range of language-related academic skills, including the processes of academic writing, effective and extensive reading strategies, effective participation in seminars and delivery of presentations, and listening to and recording information effectively from lectures. You will also develop the accuracy and range of written and spoken language required to use language effectively and appropriately, with clarity and confidence in an academic context.

Alongside your classes, your studies will be supported by an online learning platform, providing you with a range of tasks and activities specifically designed to develop and extend your language and academic skills outside the classroom and to give you more control over your own learning.

Accounting and Finance

The overall aim of the module is to provide you with core foundation knowledge in Accounting and Finance. The module enables you to understand the fundamental basics and concepts of accounting, covering both Financial and Management Accounting as well and associated topics therein. It will enable you to acquire appropriate skills, both in the preparation of accounts and the analysis of them, and thus progress with confidence onto the Masters programme.

On successful completion of the module, you will be able to: explain key concepts, principles, regulations, documents and structures of Accounting in a business context; identify the differences and key aspects relating to Management Accounting, Financial Accounting, Costing and Decision Making theories; prepare advanced financial statements – Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Statements – taking into account multiple adjustments; critically analyse the financial position of a company from both a Financial and Management Accounting viewpoint; critically assess the value of management decision making processes in the context of practical examples and use decision making processes to evaluate capital investment methods and risk and return.

Economics

The module will introduce you to the fundamentals of economic analysis; provide basic and intermediate knowledge in microeconomics and macroeconomics; develop your skills and ability to apply economic concepts and theories to real world situations and prepare you for further study at postgraduate level in Economics.
On successful completion of the module, you will be able to: apply knowledge and understanding of macroeconomic theories to explain decisions made by households, firms and governments; critically analyse different market structures and explain mixed case realities; use Data from national income accounting to analyse economic performance; evaluate general equilibrium and discuss the role of price adjustment in achieving it and analyse both domestic and international economic issues using macroeconomic models, propose and critically evaluate appropriate policies to address the issues.

Entrepreneurial Innovation and Leadership

This module introduces students to creative processes, behaviour and skills that are central to entrepreneurial venture. The module will help you to draw the link between entrepreneurship, innovation, and leadership skills. You will gain an understanding of the nature of entrepreneurs and leadership styles and identify your own leadership capabilities whilst exploring a business start-up and preparing a business plan.

On successful completion of the module, you will be able to: highlight and explain theories and models that underpin leadership and entrepreneurship in relation to starting a new business venture; explore the principles of innovation and its relevance to entrepreneurship in an economic context; recognise and relate the link between leadership, organisational management and innovative capabilities of an organisation; identify the causes of business or organisational failures and how failures can become opportunities for innovation and leadership; critically assess the key requirements of starting a new venture and show how these can be met in starting a business; evaluate strategic position, leadership goals and innovation strategy of a given company or organisation and analyse the impact of leadership styles on the creativity and performance of an organisation.

Project Research Skills

You will be encouraged to select a project linked to your intended Master’s Degree. You will take responsibility to effectively manage the project. The choice of a project title can be made in consultation with the research interests of the destination departments and colleagues at the Royal Holloway University whilst your tutor in the Centre will act as supervisor and research is discussed during regular tutorials. You will cultivate the necessary research skills to work both individually and as a group to identify a research gap, research and think critically on subject module content, drawing on theory for application in an academic research context.

On successful completion of the module, you will be able to: identify and explain the differences between qualitative and quantitative data methods of data collection; explain the relevance of primary and statistical methods to academic research projects; undertake a literature review and be able to critically evaluate academic arguments to identify gaps; detect and discuss methodological and ethical thoughts in academic research; formulate research question, select appropriate research method, critically evaluate information and data to undertake an individual academic project and apply theoretical knowledge from the subject area to chosen research project.