BSc Food Business and Marketing with Foundation Year

If you want a commercial career in one of the most fundamental, dynamic and innovative sectors of the global economy, our BSc Food Business and Marketing with Foundation Year course is the degree for you.

This four-year programme includes a foundation year that leads directly into the three-year BSc Food Business and Marketing course.

Foundation year

The foundation year will provide you with the skills and knowledge to succeed at university. You’ll develop core skills in academic study, writing and research.

Your subject-specific studies will focus on basic principles in:

mathematics
business management
economics
psychology.

Your learning will be delivered through a combination of lectures, tutorials, practical classes and workshops.

A foundation year is more than just a stepping-stone to a degree. You will also benefit from:

access to our full range of facilities and resources
full integration into university life, before your degree year begins
experience of an academic environment, and the ability to work independently
specialist support and guidance.

After successful completion of your foundation year, you’ll progress onto our three-year BSc Food Business and Marketing degree.

This course will prepare you for the food industry of the future by providing training in business, management and marketing.

Throughout your degree, you will:

explore the key challenges facing UK, European and global food businesses, including food processors, retailers, food services, and start-ups
gain an understanding of current issues in the food sector, such as rising costs, sustainability, and consumer health and wellbeing
develop valuable digital marketing skills.

You'll have the chance to apply your skills to real food business and marketing problems – contributing to the creation or launch of new food products, for example, or designing social media campaigns and marketing communication plans.

You will also have the opportunity to undertake an exciting marketing project as part of a student team. You'll complete mock-consultancies, develop research proposals, carry out market research and present your findings. You’ll also interact with different food businesses through field visits, guest speakers and placements.

During your final year, you will complete either an applied marketing project or a longer independent research project on a food-related topic that inspires you. Past projects have covered a variety of topics, including consumer attitudes towards plant-based food and social media influence on young adults’ food choices.

If you're thinking of starting your own food business, this course also offers opportunities to gain entrepreneurial skills and insight.

Learning environment

You’ll study in a school that is the highest placed UK University for Agriculture and Forestry at 22nd in the world (QS World Rankings by Subject, Agriculture and Forestry, 2024), with its own farms and specialist facilities.

Our multidisciplinary staff have expertise that spans agri-food economics, consumer behaviour, marketing, and agriculture – enabling you to gain food chain insight from farm to fork.

Accreditation

This course is recognised by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) as an Accredited Degree, enabling graduates to receive exemptions from all but one module of the Certificate in Professional Marketing or Certificate in Professional Digital Marketing qualification, or exemptions from all but two CIM modules for the Diploma in Professional Marketing qualification or Diploma in Professional Digital Marketing.

Placement

If you would like to undertake a professional placement, our four-year BSc Food Business and Marketing with Placement Year course includes an integrated, year-long work placement between your second and final year.

Placements can be located anywhere in the UK, and occasionally take place overseas.

You could work in a wide variety of areas, including food product development, account management, category management, brand development, and business administration. Recent students have worked at major companies such as Unilever, Warburtons, and Waitrose.

Our dedicated placements officer can offer advice and support in finding your ideal placement, as well as developing your CV and interview skills.. They will continue to support you throughout your placement year.

For more information about securing and completing a placement, please visit our Important Information page.

To learn more about the course and Department, please visit the Agri-Food Economics and Marketing website.

Overview

This four-year programme includes a foundation year that leads directly into the three-year BSc Food Business and Marketing course.

Foundation year

mathematics
business management
economics
psychology.

access to our full range of facilities and resources
full integration into university life, before your degree year begins
experience of an academic environment, and the ability to work independently
specialist support and guidance.

Learning

After successful completion of your foundation year, you’ll progress onto our three-year BSc Food Business and Marketing degree.

This course will prepare you for the food industry of the future by providing training in business, management and marketing.

Throughout your degree, you will:

explore the key challenges facing UK, European and global food businesses, including food processors, retailers, food services, and start-ups
gain an understanding of current issues in the food sector, such as rising costs, sustainability, and consumer health and wellbeing
develop valuable digital marketing skills.

If you're thinking of starting your own food business, this course also offers opportunities to gain entrepreneurial skills and insight.

Learning environment

Our multidisciplinary staff have expertise that spans agri-food economics, consumer behaviour, marketing, and agriculture – enabling you to gain food chain insight from farm to fork.

Accreditation

Placement

Placements can be located anywhere in the UK, and occasionally take place overseas.

For more information about securing and completing a placement, please visit our Important Information page.

To learn more about the course and Department, please visit the Agri-Food Economics and Marketing website.

Entry requirements A Level See entry requirements

Select Reading as your firm choice on UCAS and we'll guarantee you a place even if you don't quite meet your offer. For details, see our firm choice scheme.

Our typical offers are expressed in terms of A level, BTEC and International Baccalaureate requirements. However, we also accept many other qualifications.

Typical offer

CCD

We welcome applicants from non-traditional educational backgrounds (for example, mature students, students who study part-time or those who have studied at International Schools in the UK or elsewhere) and will consider applicants on a case-by-case basis.

International Baccalaureate

24 points overall

BTEC Extended Diploma

DMM

Extended Project Qualification

In recognition of the excellent preparation that the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) provides to students for University study, we can now include achievement in the EPQ as part of a formal offer.

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5, with no component below 5.5

For information on other English language qualifications, please visit our international student pages.

Alternative entry requirements for International and EU students

For country specific entry requirements look at entry requirements by country.

Pre-sessional English language programme

If you need to improve your English language score you can take a pre-sessional English course prior to entry onto your degree.

Find out the English language requirements for our courses and our pre-sessional English programme

Compulsory modules

Mathematics Foundation

Gain a fundamental understanding of the role of basic mathematics in biological and chemical sciences.

An Introduction to Business Management

Enhance your ability to think critically, organise your thoughts logically, and argue persuasively in business and management contexts. You'll learn basic business and management theory, including entrepreneurship, business planning, marketing, human resource management, finance, and accounting.

Foundation Economics - Microeconomics

Discover how individuals and companies allocate and utilise resources. You’ll learn the neoclassical model of demand and supply, markets failures and the behaviour of firms.

Foundation Economics - Macroeconomics

Learn models and theories used by economists to understand the performance of the economy. You’ll develop basic mathematical and statistical skills and apply these to economic decision making.

Plus:

Foundation in Academic Skills (UK students)

Develop academic skills essential for success both on the Foundation Year and as an undergraduate.

Academic Skills (International students)

You’ll work through group activities and individual study tasks to develop the confidence, academic writing, and communication skills required to succeed on your degree course.

These are the modules that we currently offer for 2024/25 entry. They may be subject to change as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Please note that the University cannot guarantee that all optional modules will be available to all students who may wish to take them.

You can also register your details with us to receive information about your course of interest and study and life at the University of Reading.

Compulsory modules

The Economic Environment

Explore key microeconomic and macroeconomic concepts and the relevance they have to some of the most critical challenges facing individuals, businesses, and societies across the globe.

The Food Business

Study the food chain from a business perspective as you examine the different types of business that make up the food chain and the main trends and drivers that influence them. You’ll focus on changes in consumer preferences, technologies, policies and trade as you look at emerging changes.

The Fundamentals of Management and Marketing

Explore key concepts of marketing and management as you critically relate them to contemporary practice. You’ll study contemporary and traditional approaches to marketing and management, alongside issues that arise in practice.

Global Sustainability: Challenges and Prospects

Examine ecological crises including climate change, biodiversity loss and soil erosion. You’ll consider the drivers of these challenges and their relationship to other social and economic issues, alongside potential responses.

Research and Professional Skills for Business and Marketing

Discover the main research and professional skills used by consumer researchers, applied economists, and business managers, and develop them in a practical research project. You’ll be introduced to professional qualitative and quantitative research methods and underlying theoretical frameworks in consumer research and applied economics.

Optional modules

Agricultural Production Systems

Explore the exciting and complex process of primary food production. You'll familiarise yourself with key biological principles in crop and livestock science along with an international perspective on crop and livestock production.

Consumer Psychology

Explore basic concepts, methods, and theories in psychology and psychological processes pertinent to the consumption of goods and services by different consumer groups. You'll draw on traditional areas of psychology, learn about the key perspectives in the psychology of marketing, discuss examples of how psychological research has been used in marketing, and gain experience in conducting and reporting consumer psychology research studies.

These are the modules that we currently offer for 2024/2025 entry. They may be subject to change as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Please note that the University cannot guarantee that all optional modules will be available to all students who may wish to take them.

You can also register your details with us to receive information about your course of interest and study and life at the University of Reading.

Compulsory modules

Applied Marketing and Management

Gain a key understanding of the concepts of marketing and management and how their functional activities are essential to a successful marketing manager. You’ll learn how organisations respond to the marketing environment and how strategies are developed and implemented.

Research Methods and Data Analysis

Explore research processes with an emphasis on conclusive research design, techniques for primary data collection, and tools for exploratory data analysis. You’ll learn to use statistical software as you gain knowledge on statistical techniques and their applications in consumer and market research environments.

Practice of Entrepreneurship

Explore the key concepts of business start-ups such as entrepreneurial management, design thinking, business model creation, entrepreneurial finance, and marketing. You'll understand the basic entrepreneurial skills required to start and manage a new venture and learn and apply standard business practices such as organising meetings, business planning, opportunity evaluation, marketing and finance.

Food Choice

Learn about different factors that influence the food choices of individuals and populations. You'll be equipped with the knowledge to understand and interpret current issues in food choice behaviour and study socio-demographic, psychological, sensory factors and food ethics that impact food choices.

Optional modules

Consumer Attitudes and Behaviour

Explore the theoretical perspectives and psychological factors that influence consumer demand for goods and services. You’ll explore the relevance of understanding consumer attitudes and behaviours in terms of achieving business objectives.

Digital Marketing

Study the insights and competencies that enable companies to get the most out of digital media and achieve marketing goals. You’ll explore the role and place of digital marketing within the traditional marketing framework and learn to analyse the online environment to achieve competitive advantage.

Branding Theory and Practice

Gain an in-depth understanding of theories and business practice concerning the management of brands and the process of building strong brands. You’ll acquire skills and expertise necessary for you to apply this learning within real world scenarios.

Intercultural Competence and Communication

Develop your intercultural competence and communication skills to live, study, and work in an interconnected world. You’ll develop skills and competencies by using theories and models of cultural analysis that will allow you to communicate effectively in intercultural situations.

Compulsory modules

Marketing Strategy

Develop a sophisticated understanding of the increasingly ‘glocal’ context within which businesses operate. You’ll diagnose marketing problems and create effective marketing strategies as you’re exposed to the theoretical frameworks and practical considerations driving effective strategic marketing decision making.

Food Policy and Supply Chain Management

Gain a comprehensive understanding of the principles of food policy and supply chain management, raising awareness of how regulations and policy instruments can shape the governance of the food industry and supply chains. You'll learn about the rationale for government interventions, understand how interventions occur, and critically appraise them to address food market failures in specific contexts such as unhealthy diets, food safety, food quality, food sustainability, and animal welfare.

Plus at least one of:

Independent Research Project

Build on you’re the skills, knowledge and experience you’ve gained throughout your studies as you embark on your own research project. You’ll identify a suitable topic, develop a hypothesis, and conduct your project using your critical skillset.

Applied Marketing Project

Discover the role of marketing consultants and entrepreneurs as you apply knowledge and skills relevant to addressing real-world marketing problems. You’ll develop your own marketing solution that addresses consumer engagement using digital and offline marketing strategies.

Optional modules

Contemporary Issues and Policy in Consumer Behaviour and Marketing

Consider the concepts of ethics, globalisation and consumerism and how they’ve shaped the new regulatory state in the UK. You’ll develop an awareness of how changes in the theory and practice of regulation affect consumer markets, as well as how consumers are empowered and protected in different sectors.

International Human Resource Management

Learn the key concepts for understanding international human resource management. You'll explore the practice of managing human resources in international businesses and consider variations in the practice of managing human resources in different countries and cultures.

Digital Entrepreneurship

Understand how digital entrepreneurial ventures make use of the tensions and opportunities arising from current technological change. You'll learn about different approaches, methods and strategies employed by digital companies in validating and developing products, gaining market and customer traction, and competing for scale in hyper-competitive markets. Additionally, you'll be introduced to entrepreneurial marketing methods and data-driven decision-making processes.

You can also register your details with us to receive information about your course of interest and study and life at the University of Reading.

Fees

New UK/Republic of Ireland students: £5,760 for 2025/26 then rising to £9,535 per year for the standard duration of your bachelor's level study.

New international students: £25,250 per year for 2025/26 then fixed per year at this fee for the standard duration of your course.

Tuition fees

To find out more about how the University of Reading sets its tuition fees, see our fees and funding pages.

Additional Costs

Some courses will require additional payments for field trips and extra resources. You will also need to budget for your accommodation and living costs. See our information on living costs for more details.

Financial support for your studies

You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary to help pay for your study. Students from the UK may also be eligible for a student loan to help cover these costs. See our fees and funding information for more information on what's available.

Careers

You'll graduate from this course with a range of specialist and transferable skills required by the fast-paced, rapidly evolving food industry. As a highly skilled graduate, you'll possess tools for market and business analysis, qualitative and quantitative research, and an understanding of consumer behaviour, marketing and business strategy.

You will be well-placed to move into a range of key business roles within the food industry and other sectors. These can include marketing, brand management, category management, retail management, supply chain management, sales, buying, policy analysis, product development, and start-up businesses.

Previous students have gone on to work for a wide range of companies, both big and small, including Mars, Sainsbury's, Kellogg's, Unilever, and Heineken. They have also found employment with industry associations and boards such as the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).

Alternatively, you may choose to move into other careers, such as banking, accountancy or teaching. This degree is also an ideal stepping-stone for postgraduate study.

BSc Food Business and Marketing with Foundation Year

Foundation year

Learning environment

Accreditation

Placement

Tuition fees

Additional Costs

Financial support for your studies

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