BSc International Business

Our business degrees are highly regarded by employers and our graduates are very successful in the job market. There is no single type of business that our students go in to.

The nature of our degrees is such that you’ll be prepared for and capable of adapting to a diverse range of jobs. Many employers visit the Business School to run seminars for our students. In fact, companies such as IBM, BP, Deloitte and L’Oreal see these sessions as an opportunity to look for suitable candidates for their summer internship programmes and graduate training schemes.

Highly sought after by diverse employers around the world, our BSc International Business graduates go on to have successful careers in advertising, banking, law, accounting, marketing, consulting, telecommunications, Human Resources, and distribution/logistics working for employers such as Deloitte, HSBC, EY, Accenture, L’Oreal, Capgemini, Unilever, KPMG, JLR, IBM, PwC, Microsoft, and EY to name a few.

BBS Careers and Careers Network

As a Birmingham Business School student, you benefit from two award-winning Careers teams.

Careers Network is the University of Birmingham careers and employability team offering: career fairs, employer events with top firms across the UK, start-up and entrepreneurial activities, and support. Internships and bursaries are also available exclusively to University of Birmingham students.

BBS Careers is a dedicated service for Birmingham Business School students. The team provides guidance, support, and work experience opportunities, tailored to business school students, to help you succeed during and after university. We offer workshops, alumni & employer events, and 1-to-1 consultations. These will help you to develop your skills and learn how to submit high-quality internship, placement, and graduate applications.

BBS Careers is one of a few, if not the only business school career service to offer life-long support.

We are here to support you! Whether you are applying for a summer internship, a third-year sandwich placement, a graduate job, or applying for a management role five years after graduation.

Visit the BBS Careers website for more details

Work Experience, including Placement Year

You will have the chance to gain work experience, including year placements, summer internships, voluntary work, work shadowing, insight programmes, and part-time work.

The BSc International Business degree enables you to undertake unique work experience opportunities to enhance your employability and rise above the competition. Work experience provides an ideal opportunity to gain invaluable skills and knowledge that will help further your career plans. With generous support from Alumni, undergraduate students (excluding those in their final year) can apply for funding to cover their incurred costs whilst they are working:

• Global Challenge Bursary (apply for one of our sourced opportunities) - up to £9000 available
• Gateway Bursary - up to £2000 available
• International Bursary - up to £800 available
• UK professional Bursary - up to £800 available
• Research Experience Bursary - up to £500 available

This funding can help you pay for accommodation costs, travel expenses and living costs.

Professional Development Module

The Professional Development Module (PDM) is an award-winning 20-credit module that is optional for students in their final year who don’t undertake a placement year. The module includes a minimum of 40 hours of work placement in the summer or during term time.

The module aims to help you bridge the gap between your academic life at Birmingham and your future professional life after graduation. The module is flexible, so you can use it to extend your experience into a specific area of work that interests you.

Extra-curricular activities

Our employer-endorsed Personal Skills Award (PSA) recognises your extra-curricular activities, and provides an accredited employability programme designed to improve your career prospects. There are also a vast number of student groups and volunteering opportunities offered by the Guild of Students, our students’ union, which cover a wide variety of interests across drama and the arts. With over 300 societies and groups at The Guild, there is something for everyone – and if your interest does not yet have a group, then The Guild will support you to set it up and find likeminded individuals to join you.

Exclusive to Birmingham - the Capgemini Challenge

Global consultancy firm Capgemini works exclusively with us to deliver a second-to-none consultancy training experience that you won’t find at any other UK university. Taking place over one week at Capgemini’s world-renowned facilities, this is an amazing opportunity to make a difference by engaging in projects for charitable organisations.

Learn more about the Capgemini Challenge

Professional Accreditation

Depending on the options you choose, you may be able to gain partial exemption from the examinations of professional bodies such as CIM, CIMA and ACCA. This will depend on the options chosen in your second and final years.