Business and administrative studies

The UK is home to some of the world's finest business schools, while its universities and colleges offer first-rate teaching in subjects such as accounting, business administration, human resources, marketing and financial management. There are more than 100 dedicated business schools in the UK, several of which are situated on university campuses.

If you're looking for a career in the business world, then you'll give yourself a head start by studying in the UK. With a global reputation for innovation, enterprise and excellence, British companies and their workers are some of the best in the business.

The number of hopeful business people and entrepreneurs in training remains high. In 2009:

• 56,387 students applied to single honours business studies degree courses.
• 59,601 students applied to courses combining another subject with business or administrative studies.
• Management studies attracted more than 65,500 applications, making it one of the most popular courses out of the hundreds offered by the UK's universities.

The famous City of London (also known as the Square Mile) is the financial heart of the UK. Many international banks, financial institutions and law firms have their British or European headquarters here. Its location between the American and Asian time zones has helped the UK to become a global contender, so the opportunities for its employees to learn and to build on their experience are invaluable and unparalleled.

With a strong track record in commercial services, the UK is one of the foremost trading nations, specialising in banking, accountancy and insurance. Most of the world's investment banks have an office in the UK, whether it's their headquarters or a major office. If you're hoping to work in foreign exchange or insurance, you'll be able to witness both industries first-hand in the UK as they have a healthy presence here.

UK universities and colleges offer a wide range of subjects, including banking, accountancy, administration, business, economics, human resources, management, marketing, office skills and public service at pre-university and undergraduate level. There are also many more specialist programmes, such as sports management or restaurant management. Business, management and finance studies in the UK will put you right at the heart of an exciting and vibrant business environment.

Following this career path in the UK will be relevant and practical, giving you a number of career opportunities. Students particularly appreciate the fact that UK courses give them the chance to gain practical experience, with work placements lasting up to a year. There's a growing emphasis on linking research to entrepreneurship at UK universities, and many higher education institutions have enterprise centres to develop these connections.

Graduates are also increasingly in demand in the related fields of marketing, human resources and personnel. It's often possible to specialise in these areas in the second or third year of your course, after a first year that will introduce you to the business and business practices, or as a business specialisation within another subject.

There's plenty of choice: you can study marketing alongside agriculture, economics, modern languages or tourism management, or focus on international markets. You can also combine human resources with law, modern languages or business and personnel. All of this helps to make you more employable.

What can I study?

Business and finance: schools and further education

There's a wide choice of qualifications and levels to choose from in business and finance. GCSEs and A-levels are available in subjects such as Applied Business, Business and Communications Systems, and Business Studies and Economics. Vocational qualifications in business and finance are available at a range of levels across further education: BTEC Nationals in Business give you the option of specialising in Finance, Human Resources or Marketing. Management courses are also available for specific industry areas.

You could start by taking a BTEC National Diploma in Hospitality Supervision and progress to an HND in Hospitality Management.

Many further education colleges and specialist business or language schools offer courses accredited by professional bodies such as the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT), the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), the Chartered Management Institute and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

The Institute of Financial Services' Certificate in Financial Studies (CeFS) appears on the UCAS Tariff and is accepted as entry to higher education.

Business and finance: higher education

A typical business course at higher education level is likely to cover marketing, accounting, information management, tax and business law, and computer issues.

Foundation Degrees and BTEC HNDs are available in Business Management alone, and there are courses that specialise in culinary management, events management, hospitality and tourism management, all of which are likely to include work placements. Some courses are approved by professional bodies such as the Chartered Institute of Marketing.

There is just as much choice in management undergraduate courses. You can select from Management Science, Financial Management, Management and Entrepreneurship, Industry Enterprise Management and many more. All will provide you with the essential knowledge you need for a career in business.

If you study for a three-year business management degree, for example, you might spend your first year being introduced to accounting, finance, economics and organisational behaviour with optional modules in business law, modern language or computer science. In the second and third years you would probably be encouraged to find a subject in which to specialise, and perhaps take work placement too.

Courses may be assessed through exams, essays, case studies and group work. Most courses lead to a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BSc), although you can also gain a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) or an undergraduate Master of Management Science (MManSci).