Business Studies BA(Hons): Links with business and industry

You have the opportunity to do either an industrial placement or a study exchange as part of this degree. 

Placement programme

The benefits of this include:

• enabling you to add work experience to your CV – this will give you an edge on the competition when you look for a job and help you to make better informed career choices;
• helping your final year academic studies – statistics indicate that somebody who has done a placement gets, on average, better results in their final year;
• developing your professional skills; and
• providing you with a salary, so potentially reducing debt in the middle of your degree.

Each year a number of students receive some form of permanent job offer from their placement employer. 

The Placement Office has a wealth of industrial contacts and exists solely to help you get the best possible placement position. It enjoys an excellent relationship with a wide range of organisations, from global multinationals to small cutting-edge enterprises and the public sector. These links serve to ensure that the calibre of Kingston graduates is recognised by potential employer. Organisations that supported the placement programme include:

• Toyota;
• The Walt Disney Company;
• British Airways;
• Fiat; 
• BUPA;
• Marks and Spencer;
• Sun Microsystems;
• British Gas;
• PricewaterhouseCoopers;
• Proctor and Gamble;
• Commerzbank;
• Lloyds TSB;
• BT;
• Volkswagen;
• Reuters; and
• IBM; to name but a few.

Study exchange

The benefits of this include the chance to:

• explore a different way of life and meet new people;
• learn a new language or improve your current language skills; and
• show employers you're flexible and able to take on a challenge.

We have links with European universities everywhere from Spain to Denmark through the Erasmus exchange programme. We also have exchange agreements with universities in the US, Hong Kong and New Zealand. Find out more about our study exchange opportunities.

The Strategic Management module benefits from a series of guest lecturers, all at senior management positions in prestigious organisations. They cover every aspect of business at a strategic level. So not only will you meet people renowned for their business expertise, but you'll also gain from their professional advice.

Guest lecturers have included:

• Patrick Harris, director of thoughtengine and former director of creativity for Orange Group;
• Stephen Barrow, head of global HR strategy and resourcing, HSBC Holdings plc;
• Eckart Schwarz, vice president, international clinical development and medical affairs, GlaxoSmithKline;
• Sally Coulden, head of clinical operations, GlaxoSmithKline;
• Fons van der Ham, director education sector Sony business Europe, Sony; and
• Graham Josephs, director personnel and development, Historic Royal Palaces.

You have the option of taking an Entrepreneurship module in Year 2, which involves forming your own company and trading as a business. This will enable you to:

• demonstrate your initiative and business skills to prospective employers; and
• establish an invaluable launch pad if you wish to work for yourself in the long-term.