Michelle Hall - FdA Business and Management

Michelle is the Administration Manager at the Department of Clinical Microbiology at Queen Alexandra Hospital.

'I had previously considered undertaking a degree but had set aside the idea because I did not wish to be a full-time student and wanted to stay in work with my current employer. However, when I saw the Foundation degree advertised I realised that this would provide me with an opportunity to work and study at the same time. Indeed, many aspects of the course overlapped with work projects ongoing at that time, e.g. 'Lean Working'.

Although three years seemed like a long time at the start of the course, the time flew by and it was a great personal achievement to graduate. I had an excellent mentor and the encouragement of my family to support me along the way. The FdA Business and Management has also taught me the importance of time management, which is essential to stay on track with work and study commitments.

The course was very rewarding and I realised I thoroughly enjoyed studying once again, so returned to the University the following year to complete the top-up programme to achieve a first class BA (Hons) Leadership, Business and Management degree. There will be some challenging times ahead in the NHS with the government's aim of streamlining public sector services but I am positive that units studied during the Foundation degree (e.g. human resource management, the economic environment of business, and financial resource planning, to name a few), will stand me in good stead to meet these head on.'

Ruth Sims – FdA Business and Management

Ruth was awarded the Taylor Made Computer Solutions Prize for the Best Student Performance on Foundation degree in Business and Management.

'I have been working as an Electronic Engineer since leaving university in 2001. I had been interested for some time in undertaking a degree related to business and management because I felt that it would enhance my skills if I continued as an engineer or would open up other career opportunities. I felt that other part-time and ful- time courses would interfere too much with work and life and eventually found the Foundation degree which seemed to fit in.

The Foundation degree Business and Management offered me the opportunity to get a good grounding in a wide variety of topics relating to business and management. This has helped me to appreciate more fully the other aspects of successful operation of an engineering business over and above design and manufacture. I think that the course is well designed to accommodate students from a variety of backgrounds and it has a lot to offer to those employed in local businesses in both managerial roles and other professional roles.

I would like to enrol on the BA (Hons) course to further develop my understanding before possibly taking the plunge and completing a Master's degree in a more specialist subject such as financial decision analysis or project management and leadership.'

Mandy McCartney - Foundation degree in Business and Management

'With my children growing up, I felt it was time to enhance my skills and gain further qualifications. As the programme combines work-based learning with taught classes I realised that this would be the perfect way to gain new skills and experiences to advance my future career.

The course allows for interaction with the lecturer and enables lively debate amongst the group. As students travel from various organisations across Hampshire, ideas and experiences are varied and this has provided me with an alternative view on management practices and strategies. I have enjoyed meeting new people, sharing working practices and a drink or two.

The subjects studied on the Foundation degree are varied, and this will enable me to have a broader knowledge of management principles and practices, which I am sure in the future will improve my career prospects and enable me to move to a supervisory/managerial role.

If I am successful in the Foundation degree, I will continue my studies by enrolling on to the part-time BA (Hons) Business and Management degree. Hopefully this will open even more doors.'

Emily Parry

'As an employee of the Business School, I was offered the FdA in Business and Management as part of my personal development plan. The course ties in well with what I do on a day-to-day basis and has already helped me to manage my time more effectively.

One of the great elements about the course is that it is up-to-date and uses current business cases to back the theory. This keeps the subject content interesting and relevant. The course involves two hours teaching and around eight hours of extra study on top, so it’s not too time consuming. The lecturers are also very approachable and willing to help with any difficulties.

Once I graduate, I hope that the course will help me progress my career.'

Steve Bamber

'I chose this course because it was relevant to my current position and work environment – I work for a local company as a manufacturing manager. I’m already putting what I’ve learnt into practice. For example, the course has helped me with some recent human resource issues.

The teaching environment is superb and the lecturers very approachable and knowledgeable. I hope that the course will help propel me into a higher position when I graduate.'

David Jones – FdA Business and Management and BA (Hons) Leadership, Business and Management

David Jones set up diving centre Triton Scuba in 1998. The centre has expanded rapidly and is now one of the biggest providers of diver training in the UK. Knowing that some of his business decisions were more luck than judgement, David decided to study for a Foundation degree in Business and Management before progressing on to the BA (Hons) Leadership, Business and Management. He was awarded a First Class Honours Degree and top student prize.

The Foundation degree was ideal for me as the workload was such that I was able to balance family, study and work commitments. Continuing onto the BA (Hons) was a natural progression and the culmination of all my hard work.

The course made me realize that some of the things we did were based on solid business theory. It also provided me with a better understanding of business activities and how best to control them. I learnt about pricing policies, marketing strategies, the inclusion of sustainable strategies and much more, all of which helped to provide a competitive advantage.

We now apply business theory in the everyday running of the organisation and, as a direct result, we have experienced continued growth even through difficult times. We recently moved to new larger premises, diversifying and expanding our product and training lines to attract new customers. We were also awarded the Portsmouth Best Small Business prize, an award sponsored by the Portsmouth Business School. This continuous improvement can be attributed in some respects to the knowledge gained on the course.

My experience of the Business School and its staff is extremely positive. Lecturers and tutors are keen to help and have an infectious enthusiasm for their subject areas. The city of Portsmouth has a good spirit and atmosphere, and with easy access to London and south coast towns and cities, it makes it ideal for business as well as a good place to live.’