Employability and entrepreneurship

Elevate: next level learning for tomorrow’s business leaders.

In the Faculty of Business and Law we’ve designed a learning experience to help you rise to the challenge of thriving and succeeding in the constantly changing world of business.

Built into all our undergraduate business courses - Elevate will amplify your potential. You’ll work on live business briefs and can choose to go on a year-long work placement. You’ll gain badges for demonstrating the world’s most in-demand skills. Your progression will be measured in a variety of ways. You’ll learn to stand out to employers by developing your tech skills and human abilities.

These are the four essential elements of Elevate

Real business projects

Learn the practical way with live briefs and challenges. You’ll put your learning into action with practical projects, supported and mentored all the way by our entrepreneurs in residence. For our seasonal market challenge, you’ll turn an idea, and our money, into a product you market and sell for charity at Christmas. In your second year, you’ll work on a real consultancy brief and deliver an innovative solution to a business partner of the ARU Business Clinic.

Tomorrow’s skills

Gain badges for developing the skills employers need. We’ve integrated the skills global employers need today and tomorrow into our degrees. Taking insight from our partners, surveys and the World Economic Forum, we’ve identified10 critical skills and created a badge for each one. These include AI & Big Data, Analytical Thinking and Leadership & Social Influence. As you complete relevant modules, our Employability Team will award you a badge that details your achievements and skills gained.

360 evaluation

Track your progress and performance indifferent ways. You’ll learn about business in a variety of ways in the classroom and the real world. So, your progress and performance will be measured through a range of assessments. These include a mix of project work, assignments, live briefs and business pitches. This enhanced approach means our assessments are always relevant to what you’re learning and meet the needs of different learning styles.

Connected leaders

Develop both your digital skills and human abilities. To succeed in tomorrow’s business world, you’ll need to be just as fluent in tech and data, as you are people and purpose. So, our business courses blend the best of both worlds. You’ll gain a wide range of technology skills from AI and cloud computing to data analytics and digital transformation. You’ll also develop those human abilities that AI can support, but people do better - creativity, resilience and working with different people.

How does Elevate work?

Elevate is part of your curriculum, with dedicated modules in each year.

Level 4

Elevate 1: How to do Business - You’ll get hands-on in your first few weeks, bringing the “How to Do Business” module to life.

Innovation & Entrepreneurship - You develop and pitch your own products and services, with guidance and mentorship from our Entrepreneurs in Residence.

Real-World Experience - Projects are launched at the Winter Market, giving you hands-on enterprise experience.

Community Impact - All proceeds support local charities, showing how you can make a real difference.

Level 5

Elevate 2: Entrepreneurship and Consultancy - You’ll work on team-based projects with external clients via the Business Clinic.

Level 6

Elevate 3: Individual Consultancy Major Project - You'll continue your Elevate programme in your final year with your undergraduate major project with, where available, real-world consultancy, a business simulation or a traditional dissertation.

Student Engagement team

Our Student Engagement team is here to support your student experience.

Here's what you can expect:

• Communication during Welcome Week and throughout your studies, including a monthly newsletter, so you're always in the know.
• In-curricular opportunities such as course and module leader activities, and course enhancement sessions.
• Faculty conferences and symposiums where you can expand your subject knowledge or learn about something new.
• Regular chances to have your say about your experience and hear how student feedback has made a difference in the faculty.
• Co-curricular opportunities such as our award-winning ARUCPD programme.
• Extra-curricular activities such as employability, networking, and social events, and personal development opportunities.
• Support with organising your own activities as a Course Rep or member of a student society.
• Recognition of our students' success through our newsletter, social media, and Faculty Awards.