Are business studies students satisfied with how their course is organised and managed?
Yes: compared with the sector, business studies students report steadier course operations but still press for predictable timetables and joined-up communication. In the National Student Survey (NSS), the organisation management of course theme skews negative overall (52.2% Negative vs 43.6% Positive), while students on business studies sit closer to neutral on this topic (index ≈ −0.3). Younger, full-time cohorts drive most criticism in this theme, with young students accounting for 70.0% of comments and showing a negative tone (index −7.2). In UK higher education this category captures the operational basics that shape daily experience (timetabling, communications, change control), and Business Studies as a Common Aggregation Hierarchy subject grouping gives a shared benchmark for comparing provision. These insights shape the improvements set out below.
How do students experience course organisation and communication?
Students ask for a single source of truth, fewer late changes and faster responses. Staff can stabilise delivery by publishing timetables earlier, naming an owner for operations, and issuing a weekly “what changed and why” note. Track timetable stability, minimum notice periods, and response time to student queries so programme and operations teams can see whether actions work. Provide accessible, mobile-friendly schedules and straightforward routes for reasonable adjustments so disabled students are not disadvantaged. Digital tools support consistent updates and reduce ambiguity about deadlines, assessment briefs and workshops. Group work benefits from explicit norms for collaboration across a culturally diverse cohort, with communications framed inclusively.
Is the course content and curriculum applied and current?
Students value applied learning that links business management, international business and sustainability to real contexts. Case studies, simulations and live projects help them practise decision-making. Staff keep momentum by sequencing modules logically, aligning assessment briefs to learning outcomes and maintaining current resources. Language challenges and the global nature of the cohort call for exemplars and glossaries so expectations are transparent. Programme teams periodically review relevance and currency with student input and employer partners to maintain engagement and progression.
Does the learning environment support engagement and wellbeing?
Interaction rises when technology is used to extend, not replace, good teaching practice. Interactive webinars, live Q&A and short asynchronous activities sustain participation in virtual classrooms, while on-campus sessions focus on discussion and application. Remote learning in Business Studies trends slightly negative, so staff prioritise presence, timely responses and clear structures online. Embedding wellbeing resources and signposting within modules helps students manage pressure at peak points in the assessment calendar.
Do university services and facilities meet business students’ needs?
Students look for services that link directly to employability: career guidance, industry events, and practical digital skills. Library and learning resources typically land well when they are easy to access and integrated into modules. Teams should schedule workshops at varied times and provide online options for commuting and working students. Regularly reviewing uptake and satisfaction with students enables services to refine offer, hours and modality.
Are assessment and evaluation perceived as fair and developmental?
Assessment clarity drives confidence. Students repeatedly ask for transparent marking criteria, exemplars at grade boundaries, and feedback that explains how to improve. Programme teams can standardise rubrics, publish annotated exemplars and apply a realistic feedback service level. Peer moderation and calibration sessions reduce variation in marking. For group work, short group contracts, interim milestones and calibrated peer assessment reduce friction and perceptions of unfairness.
Do student support and resources reach those who need them?
Support flows best when contact points are visible and routes are simple. Personal tutoring, academic skills and writing support benefit students at transition points and around major submissions. The category data show lower sentiment among disabled students, so staff ensure accessible formats and clear routes for adjustments. Mature and part-time students respond well to advance notice and fewer clashes; codifying these practices across programmes preserves what works. Transparent information on scholarships and financial aid reduces anxiety and helps students plan.
What should we prioritise next?
- Stabilise timetables and communications for the younger, full-time majority, while preserving practices that work for mature and part-time cohorts.
- Standardise assessment briefs, criteria and exemplars to reduce ambiguity and uplift feedback utility.
- Measure and close the loop: monitor change lead time, timetable stability, response and resolution times, and publish monthly actions by cohort and mode.
- Maintain momentum on applied content, and continue to build inclusive group work structures that reflect a global cohort.
How Student Voice Analytics helps you
Student Voice Analytics aggregates open-text feedback so you can see this theme at a glance. It shows sentiment over time and by segment (age, mode, disability, CAH subject group), lets you drill from provider to school and cohort, and generates concise anonymised summaries for programme and operations teams. Like-for-like comparisons across subject groupings and demographics help you spot where organisation practices diverge, and export-ready outputs make it straightforward to brief timetabling, exams and student comms teams on priorities and progress.
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