University course Β· real outcomes from HESA / Discover Uni Β· part of Careermash
University degree

Business & Finance

University of the West of Scotland
Qualification
Degree
Length
4 yrs
UK fees / yr
Β£9,535
Study
full-time
Worth knowing: about 49% of students don't make it past first year here - ask the uni what support they offer.
Robin Β· your guide
Here's the honest picture on this course - what you'd study, whether you'd likely get in, what it pays, and where it leads. Everything's real data.
About this course

Business and finance are two sides of the same coin in professional practice. Business management provides the frameworks for understanding how organisations are structured, how strategies are formed and how operations are directed. Finance examines how money is raised, allocated and managed, and how financial markets, investment decisions and risk interact with the broader economic environment.

Studying them together gives you a degree that combines the breadth of a management education with the analytical depth that financial roles demand.

At the University of the West of Scotland, this four-year full-time programme includes a year abroad, giving you international exposure that broadens your perspective and adds value in a graduate marketplace where global awareness is increasingly significant. You will study core business disciplines including marketing, operations, strategy, organisational behaviour and entrepreneurship alongside finance subjects covering financial management, investment, corporate finance, financial markets and quantitative methods. The four-year Scottish honours structure gives you time to develop genuine depth across both fields, and UWS's professionally oriented approach means your studies connect to real business and financial practice throughout.

Graduates of business and finance programmes go on to careers across a wide range of sectors, including financial services, banking, management consultancy, accounting, corporate finance, investment, insurance, retail management and the public sector. Many pursue professional qualifications with bodies such as the CIMA, ACCA, ICAEW or CFA, where this degree provides a strong foundation. The year abroad component is valued by employers with international operations and by organisations in the financial services sector where global markets are central to the work.

Further study at master's level in finance, business administration, financial management or accounting is also a well-trodden route for those who want to specialise.

Could you get in?
The grades students arrived with
48-63 pts4%
64-79 pts5%
80-95 pts9%
96-111 pts10%
112-127 pts5%
128-143 pts7%
144-159 pts5%
160-175 pts4%
176-191 pts5%
208-223 pts2%
224-239 pts1%
How they qualified
50% got in with other higher education. The rest came in a mix of ways:
other higher education50%
A-levels35%
another degree15%
Other5%
Could I get in? Try your grades
120 UCAS pts
Pay & prospects
51%
Continue past first year
81%
Student satisfaction
What graduates earn over time
Β£21,000
3 years on
Β£26,000
5 years on
What students say National Student Survey
81%
of students are satisfied with the course overall
Teaching80%
Assessment & feedback79%
Academic support85%
Well organised79%
Learning resources81%
Student community79%
In students' own words
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Would do it again
Honestly, one of the best decisions I've made. The best part: small-group tutorials really push your thinking. If I'm honest, first-year classes can be quite large. On the city β€” the city is a brilliant student city with plenty to do outsid…
Class of 2023 Β· Full-time
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Solid, with caveats
Overall a solid programme but worth going in with open eyes. The best part: the teaching staff are genuinely world-class and accessible. If I'm honest, accommodation allocation was stressful in the first year. On the city β€” the city is a br…
Third year Β· Part-time
More courses like this
Where this degree can lead
Like the look of it?
When you're ready, the full entry requirements and application are on University of the West of Scotland's own site.
Apply on uni site
Careermash Β· real course data from HESA / Discover Uni, in plain English.

Career data: role, pay and progression profiles built for Careermash's careers engine; AI-impact estimates from Anthropic's observed AI-usage telemetry and OpenAI's AI Jobs Transition Framework. Course data: HESA / Discover Uni, including Graduate Outcomes, LEO and the National Student Survey. Apprenticeships: IfATE-published standards, approved only.

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