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BA (Hons) Business and Society

Explore how businesses and societies can address the grand challenges of our times through ethical businesses and effective public policies

Year of entry: 2025/26

UCAS code

N100

Institution code

Y50

Length

3 years full-time

Typical offer

AAB (full entry requirements)

Start date

September 2025 (semester dates)

UK (home) fees

£9,250 per year

International and EU fees

£25,800 per year

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To achieve sustainable growth and address grand societal challenges, businesses, governments and wider society need to work together.

Our innovative BA Business and Society draws together concepts, theories and evidence from the disciplines of business and management as well as social and public policy. You will consider how the private, public, and voluntary sectors might best address current and future societal challenges, such as inclusive growth, ethical business practices, social justice and democratic decision-making.

Course content

Based in the University of York’s cross-disciplinary School for Business and Society, this course will equip you with the skills to analyse complex problems and produce creative solutions. You will learn how to apply sophisticated theoretical knowledge to the resolution of real world scenarios.

This course is outward-looking and incorporates strong links with business and policy communities. You'll also have the opportunity to undertake placements in private, public, and voluntary sector organisations while gaining an international perspective to studying issues of business and society. 

Placements

This course is available with a year in industry.

Year 1

Core modules

  • Economy and Society
  • Introduction to Business Ethics and Sustainability
  • Contemporary Issues in Social and Public Policy
  • Social Evils in the Chocolate City
  • History of Management
  • Research and Information Criticality

Academic integrity module

In addition to the above you will also need to complete our online Academic Integrity module.

Year 2

Core modules

  • The Policy Think Tank
  • Business Planning and Sustainable Entrepreneurship
  • Capitalism and the Public Good
  • Strategy, Management and Society
  • Researching Policy and Society
  • Social Inequalities

Year 3

Core modules

  • Management in the Twenty-First Century
  • Independent Study Module or Dissertation

Option modules

You will also study three option modules. Examples include:

  • The Dark Side of Organisations
  • Leadership in Practice
  • Globalisation, Politics and Culture
  • Industrial and Corporate Change
  • International Perspectives on Leaders and Leadership
  • Applied HR, Business and Society
  • Welfare States in Crisis
  • Housing and Homelessness: Overcoming Inequality
  • Wellbeing of Children and Young People
  • Managing Diversity
  • Sustainability and Business
  • Management, Technology and Society
  • International and Comparative Employment Relations
  • Workplace Mental Health and Wellbeing
  • Strategic Management of Risk
  • Managing and Leading Change
  • Vulnerability, Deviance and Social Control
  • Migration, Immigration and Social Policy
  • Environmental Justice, Harm and Policy
  • Education Policy: Divisions and Inequalities
  • Global Social Problems
  • Left Behind Places
  • Business Consultancy Project

Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff, and in line with Department/School academic planning.

Learning by design

Every course at York has been designed to provide clear and ambitious learning outcomes. These learning outcomes give you an understanding of what you will be able to do at the end of the course. We develop each course by designing modules that grow your abilities towards the learning outcomes and help you to explain what you can offer to employers. Find out more about our approach to teaching and learning.

Students who complete this course will be able to:

  • Utilise their understanding of the societal value of collaborative working between private, public and other not-for-profit organisations to address contemporary social, economic and environmental challenges.
  • Advance sustainable and ethical principles in business practices by applying socially aware approaches to complex business and management situations, to ensure the contribution of business to the public good.
  • Analyse policy to develop a critical understanding of the ways in which the interplay between social, political and economic interests shape societal problems and responses.
  • Identify and diagnose diverse problems in business and society by applying social science theories, concepts and experience to specific cases.
  • Retrieve, generate, interpret and critically assess qualitative and quantitative data using appropriate research methods, digital resources and analytical techniques to investigate business and societal questions, assess evidence and produce reasoned written accounts of business decision-making and social enquiry.
  • Engage with debates on business practices and policy-making at national and global level, synthesising complex material and communicating ideas effectively to a range of audiences, both in writing and verbally, using up-to-date visual presentation techniques.
  • Work effectively and professionally in multidisciplinary teams by acknowledging competing interpretations of societal issues, and by recognising the value of collaborative and participatory approaches to problem-solving and the shaping of organisational practices.

Fees and funding

Annual tuition fees

UK (home) International and EU
£9,250 £25,800

Fees for students starting in the 2025/26 academic year.

UK (home) or international fees?

The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK (home) or international student. Check your fee status.

Fees for subsequent years

  • UK (home) fees may increase within the government fee cap in subsequent academic years. We will notify you of any increase as soon as we can.
  • International fees are subject to increase in subsequent years in line with the prevailing Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rate (up to a maximum of 10%).

More information

For more information about tuition fees, any reduced fees for study abroad and work placement years, scholarships, tuition fee loans, maintenance loans and living costs see undergraduate fees and funding.

Funding

We'll confirm more funding opportunities for students joining us in 2025/26 throughout the year.

Living costs

You can use our living costs guide to help plan your budget. It covers additional costs that are not included in your tuition fee such as expenses for accommodation and study materials.

Teaching Excellence Framework Gold Award

Gold-standard education

Our teaching, learning and student experience is outstanding, recognised by a Gold rating from the Office for Students in the 2023 national assessment (Teaching Excellence Framework).

Why we’re gold-rated

Teaching and assessment

You’ll study and learn with academics who are active researchers, experts in their field and have a passion for their subjects. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace. Find out more about our approach to teaching and learning.

Teaching format

We focus on teaching that equips you with the skills, knowledge and expertise that employers are looking for. These skills will allow you  to succeed in the future worlds of work, while making a contribution to the public good. Your learning will be applied and problem-centred, combining theoretical rigour with practical relevance through case studies and hands-on examples. Our passionate tutors' research-led teaching puts you at the forefront of current issues in business, management and public policy.

We use a wide range of teaching methods to suit different learning styles, including:

  • lectures
  • small-group seminars
  • activity-based workshops
  • group projects
  • individual projects.

We will support you to become responsible for your own learning and development. To ensure continuity of support beyond the modules you study, you will be allocated a personal supervisor who will guide you throughout your degree course. 

In the UK, full-time students are expected to spend 1,200 hours a year learning. That's about 40 hours of classes and independent study each week during semesters. Everyone learns at a different rate, so the number of hours you spend on independent study will be different to other students on your course.

Teaching location

You will be based in the School for Business and Society on Campus West. Most of your teaching will take place in the Church Lane Building, with additional contact hours elsewhere on Campus East and Campus West.

About our campus

Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can use the fast and frequent bus service. Take a campus tour.

Assessment and feedback

You will be assessed using a mixture of assignments, many with an applied focus, such as reports, strategy documents, presentations, and essays.

In your final year you will have some scope to choose forms of assessment that you prefer through the selection of optional modules. To conclude your studies, you will explore a topic of your own choice in a dissertation - with an emphasis on questions of management, public policy, or their interplay.

Students on laptops
Lecturer working with students

Careers and skills

Learning within the programme is tailored to increase your employability from the very start. We will help you to build and evidence the competencies that graduate-level employers look for. Our bespoke employability sessions help you identify and improve your skills. Our dedicated support team will help you to build an employability portfolio and to present yourself at your best for the next step of your career. This course enables students to look across different sectors, to not be focused primarily on either businesses or public policy, and therefore to gain a thorough understanding how these sectors interact and are crucial for addressing the grand challenges of our time. The course is beneficial for those who wish to keep career options open and have a wider ranging set of interests in understanding and addressing business and policy problems.

Career opportunities

  • Social enterprise
  • Charity
  • Civil service
  • Policy advocacy
  • Public-private partnerships
  • Voluntary sector organisation

Transferable skills

  • Team working
  • Creativity
  • Leadership
  • Communication skills
  • Professional development
  • Sustainable practice.

Entry requirements

Typical offer
A levels

AAB

Access to Higher Education Diploma 36 credits at Distinction and 9 credits at Merit or higher
BTEC National Extended Diploma DDD
Cambridge Pre-U D3, D3, M2
European Baccalaureate 80% overall
International Baccalaureate 35 points
T levels We will consider a range of T Level qualifications for entry. Please visit our dedicated T Levels page for a full list of accepted T Levels.
Scottish Highers / Advanced Highers Scottish Highers - AABBB

Advanced Highers - not required for entry

We may also be able to consider three Advanced Highers or a combination of Highers and Advanced Highers, where an applicant does not meet the grade requirement through Highers alone. Please contact us to discuss your qualifications.
International foundation programme Foundation Certificate from our International Pathway College or an appropriate alternative.
Other international qualifications Equivalent qualifications from your country

Additional requirements

We also require GCSE Mathematics at grade 4 (C) or equivalent. We do not accept adult numeracy in lieu of GCSE Maths.

Alternative offers

Meeting the following additional criteria may qualify you for an alternative offer.

Criteria Adjustment
Widening participation If you successfully complete one of the following programmes, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to two A level grades (or equivalent) below our typical offer: Black Access Programme, Next Step York, Realising Opportunities. More about widening participation.
Contextual offers If you have experience of local authority care or live in an area with low progression to university, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to two A level grades (or equivalent) below our typical offer. More about contextual offers.
EPQ If you achieve B or higher at EPQ, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to one A level grade (or equivalent) below our typical offer.
Core Maths If you achieve B or higher in Core Maths, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to one A level grade (or equivalent) below our typical offer.

English language

If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:

Minimum requirement
IELTS (Academic) 6.5, with a minimum of 6.0 in each component
Cambridge CEFR 176, with a minimum of 169 in each component
Oxford ELLT 7, with a minimum of 6 in each component
Duolingo Integrated subscores: 120 overall, with a minimum of 105 in each component
GCSE/IGCSE/O level English Language (as a first or second language) Grade C / Grade 4
LanguageCert SELT B2 with a minimum score of 33/50 in each component
LanguageCert Academic B2 Communicator with a minimum score of 33/50 in each component
Kaplan Test of English Language 478 Main Flight score with 444 in each component
Skills for English B2: Merit overall, with Pass with Merit in each component
PTE Academic 61, with a minimum of 55 in each component
TOEFL 87 overall, with a minimum of 21 in each component
Trinity ISE III Merit in all components
Other English language qualifications We also accept other English Language qualifications, including various school-leaving certificates.

For more information see our undergraduate English language requirements.

If you haven't met our English language requirements

You may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language courses. These courses will provide you with the level of English needed to meet the conditions of your offer.

The length of course you need to take depends on your current English language test scores and how much you need to improve to reach our English language requirements.

After you've accepted your offer to study at York, we'll confirm which pre-sessional course you should apply to via You@York.

Applying

To apply to York, you will need to complete an online application via UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service).

Next steps

Contact us

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School for Business and Society

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