What stood out to me was the wide range of module choices, enabling me to shape my studies around both my personal interests and my professional goals

Ethan Gell

Current student

BA Business Management with Placement Year

Ethan is a final year student on our Business Management BA. Having undertaken a placement year as part of his studies and specialising his degree through optional module selection, Ethan feels well-prepared for the workplace.

I chose to study Business Management at Sheffield because of how versatile the course is. What stood out to me was the wide range of module choices, enabling me to shape my studies around both my personal interests and my professional goals. The mailable nature of the course meant I was able to make decisions which facilitate my career ambitions. Rather than following a very narrow path, the course gives me the flexibility to explore different areas within Business – enabling me to discover my career ambitions and build a degree that’s relevant to what I want to do in the future. The course also offered the opportunity for me to participate in a placement year, enhancing my professional development employability.

I decided to study at the University of Sheffield because of the balance between city life and sense of local community

Whilst there is always plenty going on with the extensive nightlife, cafes, restaurants, and places to visit, Sheffield’s size enables it to maintain a unique feeling of familiarity and student centricity. Another pulling factor towards Sheffield for me was the abundance of green spaces - with plenty of parks situated between the city campus and the suburban student housing but also with its proximity to the peak district – providing a great balance alongside university life. Another thing that attracted me to Sheffield was its academic standing. Its Russell Group membership and strong league table performance gave me confidence in the quality of education and opportunities available.

I enjoyed the variety of areas of business studies that I was exposed to in my first year

In first year, I was introduced me to modules such as ‘Accounting and Finance for Managers’. This module opened my eyes to the world of accounting and finance, shaping my placement year application scope at the start of second year. Building on this, my second year 'Corporate Governance' module introduced me to the legal and regulatory side of corporate governance and the business management/ownership divide. My enthusiasm in these modules positioned me well when going into my placement year in my third year, where I gained invaluable experience within Financial Services Audit at a Tier 1 Audit firm. My placement year gave me the opportunity to begin my chartered accounting exams (ACA) and work on the audits of FTSE-250 listed corporations. My placement year helped take my business management studies to the corporate world, gaining experience on top of my degree and enhancing my employability. Returning to university for my final year, I have enjoyed again studying the underlying theories of business strategy, decision making, and supply chain management. I'm looking forward to being able to again apply these insights to the corporate world once graduating.

Throughout this course I have gained knowledge in a vast array of Business functions, modules have included Accounting, Marketing, Supply Chain and Strategy – providing me with a well-rounded understanding of business management. This course has enabled me to develop a broad array of skills, both soft and hard. Modules such as ‘Business statistics’, ‘Decision sciences and Optimisation’ and ‘Operations Management’ have taught me how to use specialist software such as SPSS, IBM’s CPLEX, and Excel. Other modules such as Business Strategy and Practice have taught me how to effectively work within a team to propose solutions to real life business issues, developing my presentation and team working capabilities.

Through a well-rounded education in business management, I have discovered that I am interested in a career within the accounting and financial side of businesses

I aspire to become a successful consultant within Corporate Finance – leveraging my placement year experience within Financial Services Audit alongside studies in Strategy, Accounting, Corporate Governance, and Business statistics. My degree has already helped me take the initial steps towards achieving this, through the opportunity to undertake a placement year and achieving highly within specially selected modules, helping to secure multiple graduate employment offers from leading corporations.

My placement year drastically enhanced my CV, supporting me in making graduate scheme applications when returning to university and enabling me to better understand my strengths, weaknesses, and career ambitions

I undertook a placement year at Forvis Mazars within the Financial Services- Asset management service line. This provided me with the opportunity to work on FTSE-250 listed client engagements, working in the city of London between various client offices. I was able to learn vast amounts about Asset Management firms through the testing of their Financial Statements and corporate reporting. During my placement year I was also fortunate enough to start my ACA (Association of Chartered Accountants) exams, enabling me to begin my accounting professional qualification. My placement year followed the first year of the graduate programme, meaning I was able to gain valuable experience to take with me into post-graduate life, as well as receiving an offer to return as a second-year graduate after completing my degree.

During my placement year I had continued access to university services, including frequent communication with my personal tutor and the university placement services. The university placement services continuously followed my progress and offered support if needed. After returning to University, many services were on offer to support my return to studies, and lecturers and teaching staff in my final year have been very much aware of the fact some students had been away from studies and gained industrial experience.

Sports and societies at the University of Sheffield have shaped my student experience aside from academics, not just through personal development but the friendships and responsibilities I have acquired as part of being in a society

For me, the University’s Men’s Rugby Union team has been a key part of my University experience. As a first team player and treasurer of the club in my final year, it has been great to see the sense of community flourish within the club, and success both on and off the field. With integration of students across all year groups, we have both encouraged participation in university sport and created a thriving environment which has led us to winning varsity rugby in front of large crowds from other university societies.

Undergraduate

Business Management BA

2027-28

/ September start

A Levels AAB

UCAS code N200

3 years

/ Full-time

Accredited

Gain a comprehensive understanding of a range of core business topics, combining academic study with practical skill development. With a wide array of optional modules, you can specialise in an area of interest or keep your options open, gaining insight into a range of different disciplines.

Management School

Management School

What stood out to me was the wide range of module choices, enabling me to shape my studies around both my personal interests and my professional goals

I decided to study at the University of Sheffield because of the balance between city life and sense of local community

I enjoyed the variety of areas of business studies that I was exposed to in my first year

Through a well-rounded education in business management, I have discovered that I am interested in a career within the accounting and financial side of businesses

My placement year drastically enhanced my CV, supporting me in making graduate scheme applications when returning to university and enabling me to better understand my strengths, weaknesses, and career ambitions

Sports and societies at the University of Sheffield have shaped my student experience aside from academics, not just through personal development but the friendships and responsibilities I have acquired as part of being in a society

Business Management BA

Management School

Management School

What stood out to me was the wide range of module choices, enabling me to shape my studies around both my personal interests and my professional goals

I decided to study at the University of Sheffield because of the balance between city life and sense of local community

I enjoyed the variety of areas of business studies that I was exposed to in my first year

Through a well-rounded education in business management, I have discovered that I am interested in a career within the accounting and financial side of businesses

My placement year drastically enhanced my CV, supporting me in making graduate scheme applications when returning to university and enabling me to better understand my strengths, weaknesses, and career ambitions

Sports and societies at the University of Sheffield have shaped my student experience aside from academics, not just through personal development but the friendships and responsibilities I have acquired as part of being in a society

Business Management BA

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