Maritime Business with Foundation Year BSc (Hons)

Southampton Solent University

This essential business and law foundation course is ideal for those who are looking at an alternative route into higher education, or who wish to update or broaden their knowledge before progressing onto a full undergraduate degree.

The course will help you develop a strong foundation of business knowledge, alongside academic and transferable skills to ensure you get the most out of your degree-level studies – and provides a direct entry point to one of our business-related or law-related undergraduate degree programmes, such as Business Management, LLB, Accountancy and Finance, Maritime Business or Shipping and Port Management.

Designed by experienced academics who’ve worked across key roles in a wide variety of industries, our Business and Law foundation year is designed to build your confidence, develop your capabilities and ensure you’re future-ready and ready for the competitive global marketplace.

Whether you’re interested in the private, public, charity, social enterprise, entrepreneurial industries or legal practice, this course is your gateway to developing the skills for your first management job or to set up your own business or to pursue a career in law.

From core subjects such as business, law, finance, marketing, enterprise, personal development and projects in the community, you’ll gain a solid introduction to the foundations of business and law, study contemporary business challenges, identify future trends and focus on the areas and industries which matter to you.

And throughout the foundation and subsequent full Solent degree, you’ll do more than learn the theory – you’ll learn to apply it through an innovative range of assessment and ‘real-world’ live briefs. Our degrees offer the chance to engage and get hands-on experience of international business and legal challenges and contexts, as well as a variety of extra qualifications, exemptions and memberships in addition to your honour’s degree.

Solent offers excellent business connections, live briefs and projects and state of the art facilities including a specially equipped ‘moot’ room that mimics the key features of a real-life court room, giving our students an excellent opportunity to practice their skills and build confidence to be ready for the future – ready for anything.

At Solent you’ll become part of our active business or our law communities, encompassing students, staff, alumni and organisations who inspire and support current students. Our graduates work locally, nationally and across the globe, for a wide and fascinating range of industries. As well as visits, talks, guest lectures and opportunities to develop your professional network, we offer a great peer mentoring scheme – providing a talented and supportive mentor who will be there to coach and encourage you through your exciting degree journey.

What does this course lead to?

A Solent degree in areas such as business management, accountancy, finance or maritime business gives you the specialist business knowledge and broad transferable skills to find business-focused roles in any industry. Recent graduates have started their own entrepreneurial businesses, or gained professional and managerial positions across the world, such as:

Graduate scheme, TK Maxx

HR graduate scheme, Randstad

HR Assistant, B&Q

Assistant manager and graduate manager trainee, Enterprise Rent-a-Car

Transport Planner, DHL

Shipping Operations Assistant, Carnival UK

Resource partner, Roke

Ministry of Foreign Office (Saudi Arabia)

Investment Manager, Black Coat Group

Who is this course for?

Solent’s business foundation year is ideally suited if you want to build your academic knowledge and confidence to return to studying or progress in your studies. You’ll develop strong academic and organisational skills, and prepare yourself for successful careers in a range of business industries – studying a curriculum that is not just about theory but real-world application.

CILT accreditation offers the students an introduction to a professional body. Students studying on an accredited course will receive an exemption from the academic requirements for membership at either Chartered Member or membership level of the CILT. It may also reduce the length of experience that they would also require.

Accredited by the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers (ICS).