About this course
- 22nd in the UK for Business and Management (The Guardian University Guide 2025)
- Top 20 in the UK for Business, Management and Marketing Teaching Quality (The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025)
- Top 20 in the UK for Business, Management and Marketing Student Experience (The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025)
Think sustainability, and you’ll likely think green — key global issues like emissions, footprints, and carbon management. But are you getting the full picture of what sustainability in business really means?
On this course, we’ll show you how to manage ethically, responsibly, and profitably. Learn how companies can do more than just make money, as guardians of the environment, the economy, and society. As well as getting to grips with the fundamentals of business management, you’ll cover hot topic issues like human rights, equality and diversity, work-life balance, wellness, and the big trends that are reshaping how business works. Take on live industry briefs and consultancy projects; complete an internship or a year-long placement; even study abroad!
This course is about responsible, inclusive leadership, and new growth strategies that could change the world. Sustainable management matters more now than ever before; in a competitive business landscape, it’s time to stand up and stand out.
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Get hands-on — this course includes a minimum 240 hours of employer-facing work experience. -
Our students get great jobs — we’ve been ranked 1st in the UK for employability (Uni Compare 2025). -
Study in the heart of Nottingham — one of Europe’s top 25 student cities, and home to over 75,000 learners. -
We’re a global sustainability leader — NTU is listed 1st in the UK, and 2nd worldwide (UI GreenMetric rankings)
What you’ll study
How do the environmental, economic and cultural faces of sustainability inform one another? When glaciers melt in the Himalayas, what are the social and financial consequences for chilli-farmers in northern Pakistan? How can we advocate for sustainable practice in countries where fossil fuels are still considered ‘gifts from God’? How and why have our ideas of ‘wellness’ and work-life balance evolved over time?
This course explores the what, why and how of business sustainability management — from emissions and footprints, to the rights and conditions of individual employees, to empowering whole communities with new ideas.
On this business and sustainability degree, you’ll:
- get to grips with the essentials of business management — from accounting and finance to budgeting and objective-setting
- analyse how companies of every shape and size have driven up global temperatures, and contributed significantly to pollution around the world
- learn what businesses are doing today to meet the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
- explore how AI, analytic tools and new digital technologies can be used to assess data, spot trends, solve problems, and encourage sustainability in business
- pick your own specialist modules as the course progresses — choose from Exploring Strategy and Innovation, Comparative and International Management, and more
- work on challenging live briefs and consultancy projects with real companies who are looking to improve their sustainability credentials
- learn what the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals have meant for the evolution of business — from emissions to employment practices
- explore sustainability in business from the customer’s perspective — how can we operate ethically and still turn a profit in an age where consumers often want to shop sustainably, but can’t always afford to?
- grow your vital ‘soft skills’ (things like resilience, confidence and communication), learn how to shine as an approachable, reflective, self-motivated team-player, and build up your employability profile.
Here’s a full breakdown of the modules you’ll be studying:
Foundations of Managing and Organising
The focus of this module is on the management of work in organisations. Both work and management are carried out by people, the human resources of the organisation. During the module you will examine some of the key applications, policies and practices involved in the management of human resources. You will analyse their underlying theoretical basis and the effects on the organisation and society in general. You will also develop a holistic understanding from the viewpoint of both workers and management.
Accounting and Finance for Managers
Through this module you will develop the skills and competencies needed to make effective use of accounting information, especially for control and decision making purposes. You will explore how business organisations are financed and the constraints and limitations that financing imposes on them. You will also learn about the calculation of accounting profit and its importance to an organisation. You will develop skills that will allow you to identify relevant cash inflows and outflows of a proposed business project, and learn about utilising the techniques of break-even analysis in project decision making.
The importance and use of budgeting for forward planning, communication, coordination and control within an organisation will be covered, as well as the importance of cash and liquidity within an organisation and the construction of cash and working capital budgets. You will learn how to use cash and working capital management models and techniques and how to construct financial statements.
Other areas covered in this vast module include financial appraisal of long term capital investment proposals and valuation of company shares.
Economics and Data Analysis for Managers
This module will introduce you to a range of skills, methods and knowledge that are applied by professional economists. It will enable you to offer a distinctive contribution to business and management decisions involving the deployment of globally scarce resources. The module will enable you to demonstrate a range of applications of economic ideas, principles and techniques, and to identify resource consequences of business and managerial decisions in a national and international context.
Principles of Marketing
This module aims to provide students with a fundamental understanding of the basic tools and concepts of marketing. More specifically, you will be introduced to the core marketing functions and develop an understanding of the key concepts, frameworks and models encountered in marketing. You will also gain the knowledge and skills required to identify differing marketing orientations, in particular how organisations identify, understand and satisfy customers and develop the skills required to produce a blended marketing mix that will satisfy the needs of the target customer.
Essentials of Business Development
This module introduces you to the dynamics of business and enterprise in the context of organisational growth, blending operations management theory with real-world challenges. You’ll explore how different types of organisations—start-ups, SMEs, large businesses, and the public sector—navigate decision-making, operational development, and strategic challenges. Emphasis is placed on the role of enterprise and entrepreneurship skills to design, deliver, and improve products and services, particularly in response to evolving customer preferences and sustainability pressures in a global landscape characterised by uncertainty and constant change.
Personal and Academic Development
Helps you recognise the personal skills, behaviours and attributes you currently have, and supports you in formulating a continuous personal and professional development plan to develop the skills and knowledge you need to achieve your future ambitions and realise your full potential.
First half of Year Two – Core modules
Sustainable Logistics and Transport
This module introduces the principles of sustainable logistics and transport, including the environmental, social and economic impacts of transportation systems, and covers topics including sustainable transportation modes, logistics management, and sustainable supply chain management.
Carbon and Energy Management
This module provides students with comprehensive understanding of carbon management and strategies or approaches business organisations can adopt to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate the challenge of climate change. The module will incorporate real world practice and case studies of business organisations across different sectors.
Sustainable Business in Practice
Managers and organisations face a multitude of complex decisions and challenges daily. The rapid rate of change globally has led to unstable environments and the constant need for managers to constantly innovate and solve problems more effectively to ensure sustainable success in a competitive market. In this practical module, we will explore what new challenges organisations are facing and what this requires of forward-thinking, outward-facing managers who need to find effective solutions to those complex social and environmental problems.
Second half of Year Two
You can either select one of our unique opportunities initiatives or continue with your taught modules listed below.
Option 1 – study abroad
Experience life in another country by studying at one of our partner universities. Choose from a host of countries in Europe or go further afield and study in the USA, South America, Australasia and South East Asia. This is a great opportunity to develop your independence and explore another culture.
Option 2 – enterprise project
Explore your entrepreneurial side and start to develop the meaningful and practical skills needed to run your own business. Supported by NTU Enterprise, NTU's Centre for Entrepreneurship and Enterprise, during this opportunity you'll work alongside other young entrepreneurs and a dynamic network of mentors and advisors, to develop your own ideas into a live enterprise project.
Option 3 – internship
Get a taste of the working world and gain some essential industry insight with a 16-18 week work placement. The experience will allow you to put your learning in to practice, with the experience gained improving your future career prospects, and sharpening your interpersonal and professional skills.
Option 4 – continue with taught modules
If you didn't fancy doing any of the above options then you can continue your studies at university. With a mixture of both compulsory and optional modules, the first will enhance your knowledge and skills set in your area of study, with the later allowing you to tailor your learning experience.
Students on Sandwich courses are eligible to choose the Enterprise project or continue with taught modules in the second half of their second year. They are not eligible for options 1 and 3. However, they are able to use their sandwich year to study or work abroad.
Core modules:
Applied Professional Development
Following on from the Personal Development module in Year One, this module supports you to build upon and reflect on your personal and professional skills, attributes and behaviours. You will attend a conference with a varied programme of events focused on the future of work, and later in the module you will immerse yourself in a period work or work-like experience to develop a range of skills designed to enhance your employability.
Project Management
The nature of project management is presented through a process of problem-based investigations, questions, arguments, evidence and evaluation. You will appraise and develop analytical techniques and problem-solving skills that can be applied in many vocational situations.
Plus one optional module from:
Marketing Management
This module explores the role of marketing management and its interaction with other business functions. You will study marketing management concepts that are used during the development of sound marketing strategies and will develop effective group and personal skills that are valued highly by organisational employers. You will learn about the application of marketing tools to different contexts, as well as segmentation, targeting and positioning. Other subjects covered include integrated marketing communications, social and ethical implications of marketing and marketing in context (including services, business, and international).
People, Organisations and Society
This module aims to explore and evaluate several contemporary business aspects affecting individuals and organisations from a practical perspective. It seeks to assess the theoretical perspectives of managing people, human behaviour and the evolving nature of work.
Exploring Strategy and Innovation
This module provides an understanding of business development and strategy with particular reference to processes of strategic management, innovation and business development in the global context. An understanding of competitive advantage is developed through assessment of the strategy and innovation process, and you will be introduced to key concepts in strategy, organisational change and development, drawn from different cultural contexts. A detailed understanding of innovation occurs through examining the nature of innovation itself, and the processes involved in bringing it about.
Placement Year
In year three, you have the option to take a placement year. This time spent working in business provides our students with crucial work experience, which is highly prized and much sought after by employers upon graduation. We have links with a wide range of sectors, firms and organisations that offer student placements. If you have decided to undertake a placement year then this will last for a minimum of 48 weeks during your third year.
Our Employability Team is here to inspire and enhance every stage of your career planning and as a graduate of NTU, you will be able to access their services for three years after your course has finished.
Services they provide include:
- finding placements, internships and part-time work
- pursuing self-employment
- taking gap years and time out
- getting into volunteering
- providing advice on further study.
Or
Taught modules
If you have decided to continue with your studies please view the 'final year' tab for your list of modules.
Developing Professional Impact
This module is designed to expand your horizons and challenge your attitudes and behaviours both in relation to subject specific issues and wider business concerns such as global citizenship and sustainable business practices. It will encourage you to build on your strengths and explore a range of possibilities as you embark on your next steps.
Contemporary Issues in Sustainable Business
This module enhances understanding of theoretical perspectives and concepts related to identifying and assessing current sustainability risks. It equips you with skills to critically analyse complexities in addressing sustainability challenges and responsible leadership issues. Through exploration of how organisations tackle these challenges, you will develop competencies in evaluating approaches ethically and proposing solutions. Additionally, you learn to develop partnerships for systemic change, gaining insights into sustainable practices and responsible leadership.
Innovation and Transformation
This module follows on from the Contemporary Issues in Sustainability and Organisations module, which sought to encourage you to recognise and engage with current and future challenges and opportunities related to sustainability in an organisational/ business context.
International Tourism: Sustainability, Development and Impact
This module aims to provide an insight into the global patterns of tourism development and the impacts (economic, environmental and social) that can result.
Plus one optional module from:
Applied Business Research Project
For this module you will undertake a purposeful, individual, in depth study of a relevant topic, developing your independent learning, critical thinking and knowledge of research techniques relevant to your subject area. The project will develop your ability to manage a major piece of work, for which you will be completely responsible, and will be completed over a period of several months. You will learn to utilise and improve your time management and communication skills, as well as test your initiative and resourcefulness. To support your development during this module you will study essential skills such as critical thinking, conducting a literature review, understanding the appropriate research framework, practical research methods and skills, report and academic writing skills.
Sustainability Impact Project
Sustainability is one of the most pressing challenges facing modern organisations, influencing every aspect of business strategy and leadership. This module equips you with the critical skills and knowledge to navigate the complex social, economic, environmental, and managerial dimensions of sustainability. You'll explore how businesses are adapting to global challenges, balancing profit with purpose, and driving long-term success through responsible decision-making. By applying theory to real-world scenarios, you'll develop the problem-solving and analytical abilities needed to shape sustainable strategies, preparing you to be a future leader in an ever-evolving business landscape.
Plus one optional module from:
Comparative and International Management
This module has been designed to explore issues surrounding culture’s influence on management and managing within and across diverse cultures, largely from an HR and international management perspective. At its end, you should be able to critically assess the factors influencing human resource decisions within multinational and international organisations and their implications for the development of HR strategy.
Strategic Marketing and Brand Management
This module aims to equip students with a comprehensive understanding of strategic marketing and brand management. It covers essential concepts, frameworks, and models in strategic marketing management, highlighting the direction and coordination of marketing activities within wider strategic objectives. Additionally, it explores the significance of branding decisions in gaining a competitive edge, especially in global markets, and encourages students to assess various branding strategies. Through these objectives, students develop the skills necessary for effective strategic marketing and brand management practices.
Managing Creativity, Design and Innovation
The ability to adapt to change and the capability of businesses to generate new ideas for products, services and processes is essential for future growth. The development of successful products and services involves complex processes which is dependent on how well the research, design and innovation activities are integrated with other functions in the organisation. The module develops students’ understanding of the relationships between creativity, knowledge, design and innovation in different contexts. It explores the different perspectives in the literature and examines the linkages between innovation and creativity in business. Also addressed on the module are issues facing organisations trying to harness the potential from their creative resources and the impact of building and sustaining a culture focused on creativity and innovation.
We regularly review and update our course content based on student and employer feedback, ensuring that all of our courses remain current and relevant. This may result in changes to module content or module availability in future years.
How you're taught
We’re TEF ‘Gold’-rated for teaching and learning. Our tutors come from areas as diverse as healthcare, psychology, civil engineering and transport-management, corporate consultancy, in-house innovation and problem-solving, and policymaking — fields that all offer different perspectives on the importance of sustainability in business. They’re ready to share their knowledge and insights, alongside an exciting rollcall of guest lecturers and returning NTU graduates.
This is one of the UK’s top business sustainability courses. You’ll learn by:
- Networking. Whether you’re hearing from guest speakers or attending the prestigious ‘Future of Work’ event, you’ll be meeting with business leaders and visionaries. This is a sustainability management course with a difference!
- Getting hands-on. We’ll put you on the frontline of business and sustainability. Tackle challenging live briefs, help local SMEs to consider the social, economic and environmental impact of their work, and identify potential improvements.
- Completing internships and placements. You’ll have the chance to take on a 16-18-week internship in Year Two, or a 48-week professional placement in Year Three of the sandwich pathway. Some of our students have received job offers before they’ve even graduated!
- Making your own choices. If you dream of studying abroad, you could attend one of our summer schools, or complete an extended stay with one of our global partners, anywhere from Sweden to South Korea. Looking to stay local? If the internship or project pathways don’t appeal, you can continue with your taught modules. It’s a versatile offer, built around your own preferences.
How you're assessed
People learn in different ways, and we want each one of our students to have the best possible chance of success. Our diverse range of assessment methods includes group presentations, real-world consultancy projects and business challenges, reflective learning, workshops and experiential learning, business reporting, and your ongoing personal development activities.
Currently, this course doesn’t require you to complete any ‘closed-book’, on-campus exams.
Careers and employability
Our graduates get great jobs
In their search for a competitive advantage and genuine USP, more and more companies are embracing sustainable business practices — reflecting the needs and expectations of today’s more ethically-conscious consumer. With huge multinationals like PricewaterhouseCoopers now emphasising sustainability in business, it’s become the World Economic Forum’s #2 source of jobs.
You’ll graduate knowing what sustainability is, why it’s important, how it’s applied, and where it aligns with the strategies of ambitious, innovative companies. What’s more, you’ll develop a broader, highly rounded understanding of what it takes to manage and lead a business. That’s why our Business Management joint honours students are employed by prestigious organisations like Unilever, Jaguar Land Rover, NEC, Vodafone, plus a host of up-and-coming SMEs. They’re specialists in sustainability, HR, marketing, accounting ,and entrepreneurship, with the holistic business education to shine in any area.
Personalisation at Nottingham Business School (NBS) — what it means for you
We’re a close-knit course, with unparalleled standards of support. You’ll receive pastoral care from the same people who are teaching you, on a joined-up, week-by-week basis. More than just a course, this is a community.
At NBS, we’re proud to provide our learners with a very personal experience. Each student’s experience is uniquely theirs, built around their own specific needs, interests, and ambitions. It’ll be the same for you: whether choosing your own specialist modules or picking your preferred means of hands-on, experiential learning, we’re here to help you gather the skills, knowledge and experience to gain that vital competitive edge. Your future and employability comes first, and everything you’ll experience at NBS has a purpose — from industry networking events and prestigious guest speakers, to the personal and professional development modules that’ll support each step of your university journey. Book onto an NTU open day to find out more.
Campus and facilities
You’ll mainly be studying in the Newton building, at the centre of our vibrant City Campus. As well as a range of classrooms and lecture theatres, our facilities include the Business Lab — a trading floor equipped with Bloomberg terminals, which enables you to delve into the global markets for real.
NTU’s City Campus has everything you’ll need to keep occupied between lectures. As well as the Boots Library and its beautiful roof garden, there’s our superb Students’ Union building and two-storey, 100-station gym; a whole host of cafés, bars, restaurants and food outlets catering to every taste; our much-loved Global Lounge; performance and rehearsal spaces for musicians; and so much more!
If that’s not enough, just take a few steps off campus, and you’ll find yourself in the beating heart of Nottingham — one of the UK’s top 10 student cities, and one of the top 25 in all of Europe. It’s a city stuffed with history, culture, and well-kept secrets to discover at your leisure: enjoy lush green spaces, galleries, hidden cinemas and vintage shopping by day, and an acclaimed food, drink and social scene by night.
For more details, why not take a Virtual Tour?
Entry requirements
UK students
Standard offer: 112 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications.
Contextual offer: 104 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications.
To find out what qualifications have tariff points, please use our tariff calculator.
Additional requirements for UK students
There are no additional requirements for this course.
Contextual offers
If you don’t quite meet our entry requirements, we might be able to make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (such as where you live and the school or college you attended), your experiences and your individual circumstances (you may have been in care, for example). This is called a contextual offer, and we get data from UCAS to help make these decisions. We do this because we believe everyone with the potential to succeed at NTU should have the opportunity to do so, no matter what barriers you may face.
Meeting our entry requirements
Hundreds of qualifications in the UK have UCAS Tariff points attached to specific grades, including A-levels, BTECs, T Levels and many more. You can use your grades and points from up to four different qualifications to meet our criteria. Enter your predicted or achieved grades into our Tariff calculator to find out how many points your qualifications are worth.
Other qualifications and experience
NTU welcomes applications from students with non-standard qualifications and learning backgrounds, either for year one entry or for advanced standing beyond the start of a course into year 2 or beyond.
We consider study and/or credit achieved from a similar course at another institution (otherwise known as credit transfer), vocational and professional qualifications, and broader work or life experience.
Our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy outlines the process and options available for this route. If you wish to apply via Recognition of Prior Learning, please contact the central Admissions and Enquiries Team who will be able to support you through the process.
Getting in touch
If you need more help or information, get in touch through our enquiry form.
International students
Academic entry requirements: 112 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications. We accept equivalent qualifications from all over the world. Please check your international entry requirements by country.
English language requirements: See our English language requirements page for requirements for your subject and information on alternative tests and Pre-sessional English.
Additional requirements for international students
If you need help achieving the academic entry requirements, we offer a Foundation preparation course for this degree. The course is offered through our partner Nottingham Trent International College (NTIC) based on our City Campus.
English language requirements
View our English language requirements for all courses, including alternative English language tests and country qualifications accepted by the University.
If you need help achieving the language requirements, we offer a Pre-Sessional English for Academic Purposes course on our City campus which is an intensive preparation course for academic study at NTU.
Other qualifications and experience
If you have the right level of qualifications, you may be able to start your Bachelors degree at NTU in year 2 or year 3. This is called ‘advanced standing’ entry and is decided on a case-by case basis after our assessment of your qualifications and experience.
You can view our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy which outlines the process and options available, such as recognising experiential learning and credit transfer.
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Getting in touch
If you need advice about studying at NTU as an international student or how to apply, our international webpages are a great place to start. If you have any questions about your study options, your international qualifications, experience, grades or other results, please get in touch through our enquiry form. Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world.
Policies
We strive to make our admissions procedures as fair and clear as possible. To find out more about how we make offers, visit our admissions policies page.
