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level: UG top_up: true international: true clearing: false full_time: true part_time: false start_month: September, January location: Waterside

Commerce and International Business (Top-Up) BA (Hons)

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  3. Commerce and International Business (Top-Up) BA (Hons)

Key Facts

  • UCAS Code

    N123

  • Level

    UndergraduateUG BA (Hons)

  • Duration

    Full Time: 1 Year

  • Starting

    September, January

Updated 18/12/2024

Apply Now Open Days

Updated 18/12/2024

Get in touch

For questions regarding study and admissions please contact us:

UK STUDENTS ENQUIRIES

study@northampton.ac.uk
0300 303 2772

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ENQUIRIES

international@northampton.ac.uk
44 (0)1604 892134

Overview

The Top Up Commerce and International Business degree gives you the opportunity to further your studies in business and management and provides tools to enable you to start your own business. You will be ready for a wide range of career opportunities across an array of sectors, for instance, from trading organisations engaged in import/export, licensing and franchising through to financial services, information technology, pharma and retail.

 

Highlights

  • Study International Business with the key theoretical and practical issues involved in understanding how the international trade and commerce works
  • Opportunity to visit multinational corporations in action and to listen to industry experts through guest lectures
  • Extended support to help with your studies throughout the commerce and international business course.
Aerial view of the Learning Hub on Waterside Campus

Image shows an aerial view of the Learning Hub on Waterside Campus. Also visible are various green spaces next to the River Nene, as well as several university buildings including Halls of Residence.

View of the atrium inside the Senate building

Image shows the atrium inside the Senate building, which overlooks the lobby area. The building is modern-design, white walls with wooden accents, and is bright and airy.

Internal view of seating and book stacks inside the Learning Hub

Image shows a modern library interior with people reading at tables and seated on cushioned chairs in the Learning hub. Shelves filled with books are visible in the background under circular ceiling lights.

External view of the main entrance to the Learning Hub

Image shows the main entrance to the Learning Hub, which is a large, multi-storied building with many large windows, with ‘Learning Hub’ in large letters on the front. It is a sunny day, and several blurred people are walking outside.

View of a seating area on the ground floor of the Learning Hub

Image shows a large, modern lobby with high ceilings, circular light fixtures, and an upper floor visible. People are sitting on yellow seats and moving around. Stairs and a black staircase are also present.

View of the ground floor in the Learning Hub

Image shows the ground floor of the Learning Hub; it is a large, modern atrium with high ceilings, a large clock on the wall, turnstile gates, and an angular black staircase. A student carrying a backpack is walking through the space.

External view of Senate building on Waterside campus.

Image shows external view of the multi-storey Senate building, which features many large windows. In the foreground is a tree and purple flowers. The sky is blue and cloudless.

View of the lawn outside the Learning Hub

Image shows view of the lawn and courtyard outside the Learning Hub, featuring a bare tree, ornamental grasses, and an abstract sculpture. The building has several stories and features large windows.

Entry Requirements

Applications for the commerce and international business top up BA are welcomed from students with a HND (Edexcel, ABE, NCC) or Foundation Degree in Business (or overseas equivalent).

  • All International and EU students applying for this course with us must meet the following minimum English language requirements:

    • Minimum standard – IELTS 5.5 (or equivalent) with a minimum of 5.5 in all bands.

    Students who do not meet the English language requirement are encouraged to join a pre-sessional English class before the program begins. More information about IELTS test equivalents, pre-session English class, or English support can be found on our IELTS page.

Course Content

  • Four compulsory modules provide the core knowledge and skills for the top up international business and commerce degree: International Trade and Commerce will explore the tools and key concepts required to understand the forces that shape trade and help determine trade policies. In Academic Conventions and International Business, you will develop a good use of academic conventions within the discipline of Commerce & International Business, with a focus on academic language use. In Strategic Management Across Cultures, you will be equipped with the tools and techniques to manage business strategies that differ and may be divergent across cultures. The Research Project allows you to show a comprehensive and critical understanding of your chosen topic focused on current International business themes.

    The top up commerce degree focuses on creating a comprehensive awareness/understanding of Commerce and International Business.

    List of modules

    Please note the modules shown here relate to the academic year 24/25. The modules relating to the academic year 25/26 will be available from June 2025.

      • Module code: BUS3019
        Status: Compulsory
        The purpose of this module is to familiarise students with the tools and core concepts required to understand the forces that shape international trade and help determine trade policies, set within the context of theories and models in today?s international business environment.
      • Module code: BUS3020
        Status: Compulsory
        The purpose of this module is to equip students with the tools and techniques to manage business strategies that differ and may be divergent across cultures. Management practices and processes frequently differ across national and regional boundaries. As managers find themselves working across cultures, the need to understand and effectively navigate these differences has become increasingly important. This module examines why these differences exist and how as `global? managers students can develop multicultural competencies to deal with them effectively.
      • Module code: BUS4005
        Status: Compulsory
        The purpose of this module is to develop the students? research and business skills and their ability to present, analyse and evaluate information in a reflective and critical manner, addressing either a commerce or international business issue.
      • Module code: EDU3066
        Status: Compulsory
        This module develops students? ability to effectively apply academic conventions in the subject area, focusing on subject-specific and academic language development for a variety of written and spoken contexts. Students acquire reading strategies to engage effectively with academic literature and develop communication skills to enable active contribution to collaborative tasks.
      • Module code: EDU3067
        Status: Compulsory
        This module develops language and thinking skills for critical analysis and evaluation in academic and subject-specific contexts. Students analyse and critique academically challenging texts to support academic arguments, making effective use of information from a range of sources and adapting use of language to the purpose and context.
  • How will I learn on the commerce and international business top up degree?

    On this commerce and international business course you can expect taught study to be a combination of lectures, seminars, workshops, industry visits and guest lectures.

    How will I be assessed?

    The assessments for all modules are given to students at the start of the course and are made up of presentations, essays, reports and reflective portfolios.

Fees and Funding

2025/26 Tuition Fees

Fees quoted relate to study in the Academic Year 25/26 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.

  • UK Full Time: £9,535*
  • International Full Time: £17,000

* The 2025/26 annual tuition fee for undergraduate courses has not yet been confirmed by the Department for Education but is expected to be £9,535 for year one. UON will adjust fees annually in line with government policy.

  • There are no additional costs for this course for students beginning their studies in September 2025. Should this change, applicants and students will be contacted by the university with details of the costs.

  • For information on the scholarships available to you, please see our scholarships page.

    For more information about possible funding options, please visit our Fees and Funding pages.

  • Fees quoted relate to study in the Academic Year 2024/25 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.

    • UK Full Time: £9,250
    • International Full Time: £16,500

Careers and Employability

Graduates from this international business & commerce university programme will be well placed to start their own business or take up roles world-wide in import/export, licensing, financial services, IT, pharma, retail and many other fields.

Alternatively, you may choose to progress to a Master’s programme in a specialist or general management field.

Master’s Opportunities

Our master’s courses are a great way to enhance the skills you have already learnt. Benefit from our 20% alumni discount on postgraduate fees to give you a CV that will catch the eye of employers.

Facilities

The University of Northampton has many on-campus facilities and services that you will have access to as a UON student. Below are just some of the facilities available to you if you study a BA Commerce and International Business (Top-Up) (Hons) degree.

The main reception for the University and additional teaching spaces.

Senate Building

The Learning Hub is at the heart of the campus and home to the student information desk.

Learning Hub

Is this course for you?

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