BA (Hons) in Rural Business Management

It is an exciting time to work and study within the rural business sector; it continues to evolve and offer great career opportunities for skilled graduates with knowledge of rural business diversification and sustainability.

Our BA (Hons) in Rural Business Management is the perfect choice for you if you are interested in starting or diversifying a rural business. Rural businesses span many industry sectors, including agriculture, tourism and events, equestrian, horticulture, conservation, food production and many more, this course is designed to develop the business and entrepreneurial skills and knowledge you will require to develop, start, or diversify any rural business.

You may already have a rural background/qualification or simply just want to begin your journey into the lucrative area of rural diversification? The course applies business theory to the rural environment providing the potential for you to identify rural business opportunities and be able to act upon them.

University Centre Reaseheath is an academic partner of the University of Chester. Foundation degrees, Honours degrees, and Cert Ed are awarded by the University of Chester.

UCAS Entry Points

A minimum of 104 UCAS points

Start Date

September 2022

Course Length

Full-time: 3 years

While studying this BA (Hons) Rural Business Management degree, you will develop skills in areas central to the success of small to medium sized rural businesses, including:

Rural resources management
Innovation and diversification
Environmental sustainability 
Finance 
Human resources 
Marketing

What will I study?

This degree has been specifically designed to equip you with the skills and knowledge needed to be part of the driving force behind this exciting transformation in rural business. We are all about innovation at University Centre Reaseheath so you will be encouraged to go above and beyond to explore bold, new and creative ideas, which will not only benefit the industry, but will also benefit you and your career.

Modules include:

Level 4

RC4716 Human Resource Management in Rural Business
RC4717 Business Law in Land Based Industries
RC4718 Introduction to Marketing in Rural Business
RC4719 Leadership and Organisational Performance in Rural Business
RC4720 Rural Innovation, Creativity and Enterprise
RC4721 Introduction to Business and Rural Diversification

Level 5

Level 6

Teaching and Learning

Your overall workload consists of class contact hours, independent learning and assessment activity, plus field trips. Your actual contact hours may depend on which optional modules you select, but the following information gives an indication of how much time you will need to allocate to different activities at each year of the course:

Year 1:

30% of your time is spent in timetabled teaching and learning activity

Teaching, Learning and Assessment: 360 hours

Independent Study: 840 hours

Year 2:

22% of your time is spent in timetabled teaching and learning activity

Teaching, Learning and Assessment: 296 hours

Placement: 100 hours

Independent Study: 774 hours

Year 3:

22% of your time is spent in timetabled teaching and learning activity

Teaching, Learning and Assessment: 296 hours

Independent Study: 874 hours

Assessment and Feedback

Assessment

Assessments are designed to encourage both academic skills and skills valued in the workplace. Coursework may take many forms including: essays, reports, data processing, presentations, academic posters, seminar discussions, interviews, critical reviews, portfolios of evidence and practical competency assessments.

The approximate percentage of the course assessed by coursework is as follows:

Year 1

100% coursework

Year 2

100% coursework

Year 3

100% coursework

Feedback

Feedback is supplied via Turnitin or directly from the module tutor. The majority of submissions are made via Turnitin and feedback for coursework is provided within twenty working days after the submission date.

Written feedback will be supported verbally should the student require clarification. Formative assessment feedback will be provided at the time of completion where possible, with more detailed summative feedback for reports.

Timetable Information

Placement Information

In year two of the course there is a compulsory 150 hour work-experience element to our Work-based Learning module. This would normally take place before the Easter break.

Students are encouraged to find their own placement to suit their preferred career path and interest. The college can provide some support with this.

Students are required to cover any financial expense incurred whilst on placement.

Travel arrangements at your own cost.

Study tours are optional and charged at an additional cost.

Entry requirements

A minimum of 104 UCAS points from A & AS levels
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016) – a minimum of grade DMM
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016) a minimum grade D*D
City & Guilds Level 3 Technical Advanced Extended Diploma (1080 – first awarded in 2019) – a minimum of grade DMM
City & Guilds Level 3 Advanced Technical Extended Diploma (720 – first awarded in 2019) – a minimum of grade D*D
Access to HE – a minimum of 104 tariff points
Mature students (21 years of age or over) working in (specified sector/industry) and without evidence of the above qualifications, will be required to demonstrate enthusiasm and aptitude for higher level study, and have the support of their managers for linking their education with their work activities. Where mature students do not have standard academic qualifications but are able to demonstrate considerable vocational experience and transferable skills, their applications will be viewed on an individual basis to assess suitability. All students in this category will be required to attend an interview and may be asked to submit a piece of work to confirm their ability to undertake the programme.

Career Options

On successful completion of your studies there will be pathways and career opportunities open to you such as starting your own business, become an entrepreneur, roles in sustainability or environmental consultancy.

Useful Information

How much will this course cost?

Tuition Fees

As a Higher Education student you will have two main costs to meet; your tuition fees and living costs.

Our full-time tuition fees for UK and EU students, entering University, can be found on the student finance page. These fees are charged for each academic year of a course and are set by the college annually.

If you are an international student or for the latest information on tuition fees visit the student finance page on our website.

Additional/Equipment Costs

Textbooks (approximately £40 per book if purchased)
Stationery (approximately £30)

Prices of equipment are subject to change dependent on retailer.

Additional financial support

Accommodation

All Higher Education students are given the opportunity to apply for residential accommodation. First year students are guaranteed accommodation and this offer is made to all applicants who live more than a reasonable daily travelling distance from Reaseheath and who apply before 31st July of the year they intend to start their course. For full details on our halls of residence visit the accommodation pages.

Student support

How do I apply?

Before you apply you can come and visit us at one of our HE Open Events to see what we have to offer. Once we have received your application we will invite you to attend an Offer Holder Day.

Applications for full-time Degrees and Foundation Degrees are made through UCAS. Applications for all other full-time courses such as Access to HE and Level 4 Diplomas should be made directly to Reaseheath via the online application form. You can find out more here.

Student contract

For students to get the best out of their time at University Centre Reaseheath, we must both recognise that we owe obligations to each other. These obligations are set out in our Higher Education Student Contract. Before you accept an offer of a place at University Centre Reaseheath, it is important that you read these contract conditions. If you are going to be living in Halls of Residence, you will also need to read the Student Accommodation Licence Conditions. Both of these contracts can be found here.

Click here to view the University Centre Reaseheath Student Protection Plan.