The module offers a comprehensive exploration of cutting-edge advancements in big data analytics and their transformative impact on business operations and strategy. Throughout the course, you’ll delve into key topics such as data mining techniques, machine learning fundamentals, real-time data analytics, and advanced analytics techniques. Emphasis is placed on the practical application of these concepts through case studies highlighting innovative business applications across various industries, including finance, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, and telecommunications. Additionally, the module addresses ethical considerations, privacy protection, infrastructure, and future trends in big data analytics. By the end of the module, you’ll have gained a deep understanding of how big data analytics drives innovation and competitive advantage in the evolving landscape of business.
View the full module definitionThis module introduces you to programming using ‘Python for finance’. No prior knowledge or coding experience in Python is assumed. Python has emerged as an industry- standard language and is extensively used to develop innovative financial products and services. This course covers foundational programming concepts such as conditional statements and loops, data processing from files, receiving input, and displaying relevant output. At the end of the module, you should be proficient in writing basic Python functions, manipulate data files - including reading, modifying, and writing to external files - and performing tasks such as reading and writing to Excel and CSV, connecting to databases, retrieving and processing web data, and employing Python for Finance applications. These applications include developing event-based trading strategies and back testing and optimising them using historical data.
View the full module definitionOrganisations and managers have to adapt, change and evolve to meet the conflicting, competing and complex business related environmental change factors, whose rate of change is developing at an exponential rate. Irresistible influences fromNational, International and Global Macro. Micro and Operating environments are shaping and influencing contemporary management theories and practice. Today’s managers must equip themselves with new skills and knowledge in order to interact with and respond to the emerging challenges that change brings and where appropriate take the required corrective action. Business leaders are required to develop higher level management skills, especially critical evaluation and decision making within National, International and Global contexts, when needing to respond effectively to the challenges within theseconstantly changing operating environments This module provides professional managers with an opportunity to consider eflect and critically appraise a range of current contemporary management issues, including developing International lenses of reference from a theoretical and practical application whilst relating these factors to the art of management. The course content will provide a framework to assess how these issues impact within organisations and how managers are able to reactto these issues. The module will develop your critical appreciation of the challenges faced by management professionals in developing responses to business environment conditions which are complex, dynamic and diverse. You'll engage with contemporary issues in context with associated links to organisational strategy and management approaches and systems related to information, networks and collaborations as well as organisational learning.In achieving its overall objectives, You'll be encouraged to further develop, engage, evaluate and critique your contemporary understanding with a view to the realities of practice and organisations. You'll consider interactions, theories and frameworks that explain contemporary issues and ground this in organisational and individual contexts. It is widely accepted that such issues are crucial to the viability of organisations across all sectors and contexts and the creation of value (however defined).
View the full module definitionInternational business strategy evaluation and formulation are crucial tasks within all organisations, requiring the analysis of complex information. This module aims to broaden and deepen your understanding of critical and strategic issues and activities in international business. It introduces the tools, theories, and concepts of international business strategy for multinational enterprises (MNEs). Through this module you'll develop an understanding of firms' internal and external environments, critically assessing their strategies and proposing and evaluating strategic options. By learning how to analyse international firm strategy, you'll gain insight into how firms strive to achieve and maintain competitive advantage and what distinguishes successful companies. Additionally, this module aims to develop skills in interpreting and analysing complex real-world issues using theoretical perspectives, concepts, models, and data. The emphasis is on using theory to inform practice and address real-world problems.
In this module, you'll develop the skills and knowledge necessary to collect, manipulate and analyse business data to produce, and effectively explain, data-driven answers to real-world business and managerial questions. The first part of the module covers research design and the collection and management of data. Next, you'll explore various methods of analysing structured and unstructured data. Finally, the module explores interpreting, visualising and communicating results. During the student-led workshops, you'll practice applying the methods covered to business-related datasets using statistical software. No prior knowledge of statistical software is assumed. By the end of the module, you'll be able to rigorously analyse a variety of data and communicate your results to specialists and non-specialists, including the unavoidable uncertainties of such analysis.
This major project module allows you to engage in a substantial individual primary and/or secondary research project focussed on a topic relevant to your business degree and specialist subject area under the supervision and guidance of a member of academic staff. Supervisors will discuss with you the contemporary research problems and issues based on your research and practice, and you will conduct literature reviews, evaluate and critically appraise a range of information, investigate and adopt suitable theoretical frameworks, research methodologies and methods, and process and analyse data to produce a coherent and justified solution to the problem(s) identified. Throughout the module your supervisor will support you in terms of content and skills development so that you can work semi-autonomously on your individual research project. This is achieved through regular supervisory meetings throughout the year, which will allow for individual discussion of the tasks that will have to be completed in order to develop the project smoothly.
View the full module definitionEntering third level education is exciting; but it can also be a daunting experience. At ARU, we want all students to make the most of the opportunities Higher Education provides, so they reach their potential, become lifelong learners and find fulfilling careers. However, we appreciate that the shift from secondary education, or a return to formal education is, in itself, quite a journey. This module is designed to ease that transition. You'll be enrolled on it as soon as you receive an offer from ARU so you can begin to learn about university life before your course starts. Through Into ARU, you'll explore a virtual land modelled around ARU values: Courage, Innovation, Community, Integrity, Responsibility, and Ambition. This innovative module is designed as a game, where you collect knowledge and various complete mini tasks. You'll proceed at your own pace, though we expect all students to have completed their Into ARU exploration by week 6. Students who, for whatever reason, are unable to complete by that date, will be signposted to existing services so that we can be confident that they are supported.
View the full module definitionYou'll investigate and critically evaluate historical and contemporary approaches to leadership theory, focusing especially on leadership at junior to middle management level. Classical theories of leadership will be examined including traits theory, behavioural theories and contingency theories. Some contemporary theories will include issues such as emotional intelligence, psychodynamics and leader-led relations. There will be a strong emphasis on applying the theory to your own personal leadership with a view to enhancing leadership performance in preparation for middle management roles within the organisation. Management of change will be another key emphasis, including organisational politics & power, change theories and the implementation of the change process. Issues for consideration will include the organisational context of change, resistance to change and practical management of the change process.
View the full module definitionIn this module, you’ll be introduced to basic economic principles, theories and models that are used to explain the behaviour of businesses, consumers, markets and the economy as a whole. You’ll develop the ability to utilise these to understand and predict economic behaviour and the direction of influence of different factors (such as changes in government policies). You’ll gain an understanding of how individual consumers decide on how much to purchase in order to maximise their satisfaction derived from consumption, how individual firms decide how much to produce and what price to charge in order to maximise profits in different types of markets (from perfect competition to monopoly), how the interaction of demand and supply determines the market outcome, how aggregate demand and aggregate supply describe the economy, and how changes in business conditions and other factors influence the performance of the economy (short-run economic fluctuations and the economy in long-run). You’ll develop economic intuition, the ability to interpret economic information and employ economic reasoning to improve managerial decisions.
View the full module definitionManagement decision making is a complex subject involving many variable factors. The primary objective of this module is to provide a conceptual and analytical framework for looking at organisations operating in capital, financial and operational markets. You'll explore the financial element contained in decisions and the techniques that may be used to assist informed management decisions. You start by considering the availability of financial information that may be relevant to decision making and whether this fits with the information you need to make the decision. This is further developed to the type of decision and differing requirements, leading to a more bespoke deliverable information set that meets the context of the decision. You'll gain an appreciation of core themes prevalent throughout financial management. The module also explores the financial techniques developed by financial and management accountants and how they may be used and applied. Finally, consideration is given to the relevance and weighting of the financial element in the decision-making process and how qualitative issues may be incorporated in the overall decision.
View the full module definition