Retail management is a dynamic industry consisting of food, fashion, consumer goods, and other sectors. The degree in retail management at the University of Surrey provides essential business skills and specialist knowledge of the retail industry needed for a successful career. Students gain hands-on experience through a placement year and study topics like store operations, logistics, global retail, and performance measurement. Graduates have excellent employment prospects, with 98% employed within six months at companies like Fortnum and Mason, House of Fraser, and Tesco.

1. Retail Management
Retail Management
“The quality of the facilities reinforces
Surrey’s reputation as being one of the best
places to study a management degree…”
Chris Gallon
Factfile Degree Programme Why study Retail Management Our Degree
at Surrey?
Typical entry requirements BSc (Honours) Degree Retailing is a dynamic industry, consisting of activities
A level grades BBB (300 points) Retail Management N240 (3/4* yrs) The Retail Management degree at Surrey was such as food, fashion, consumer goods, financial
Other suitable qualifications * Programme includes a professional placement year
introduced in 1989 as one of the first of its type to be services and leisure, which comprise some of the
AVCE 300 points developed. The degree has been designed to equip largest companies in Europe. This degree aims to
BTEC National Diploma DMM Other degrees you may be interested in you with essential management skills together with provide you with the skills and knowledge required
International Baccalaureate 32 points Accounting and Financial Management the specialist knowledge of the retail industry that to be a successful retail business manager. You will
European Baccalaureate 70% Business Management
you will need for a successful career. In addition to gain an excellent business education and the
A wide range of other qualifications will be considered Business Management and French
on an individual basis such as HND, Irish Leaving
studying a range of key business and management specialist approach needed for your chosen career.
Business Management and Spanish
Certificate, Scottish qualifications and Access courses. International Hospitality Management topics, you will have the opportunity to study a range The programme is based around a core of business
English language requirements International Hospitality and Tourism Management of specialist topics that will enable you to develop and management subjects combined with industry-
An IELTS score of 6.0 or equivalent for non-native Technology Entrepreneurship an understanding of the working realities of retail related retail modules.
English speaking applicants. Tourism Management management, operations and relevant retail
Planned intake concepts. You will learn to apply and evaluate In your first year, you will be given an introduction to
25 appropriate techniques and frameworks that lie at the retail industry. The practical operations of a retail
Selection process the heart of successful retailing. outlet are studied, developing your operational
Selection is primarily on the basis of UCAS forms. knowledge. You will also be introduced to the
Offers are usually made in terms of points. We invite complexities involved in managing a large-scale retail
suitable candidates to a UCAS applicant day (November
to April) to find out more about the programme and Ten Reasons business. As you progress, you will learn about the
meet staff and students. We welcome informal visits. importance of store location and its significance in
Contact the Admissions Assistant for details. • An excellent reputation in the retail industry the performance of retail stores. You will develop an
• A truly international and multicultural environment understanding of the logistics involved in getting
in which to learn products to consumers and the importance of retail
• Professional placements with leading UK and buyers in this process.
overseas companies
• Outstanding employment prospects – 98 per cent In your final year you will develop an understanding
of graduates employed within six months of international retailing and the marketing challenges
Contact Details Top for Jobs • Academic staff with excellent retail industry faced by organisations operating on a global platform.
For general enquiries: Graduates over the last few years entered employment experience This knowledge, combined with the awareness and
Tel: 0800 980 3200 or +44 (0)1483 683076 with organisations such as: • Dedicated student support networks and services skills you will develop in measuring performance, the
Email: ug-enquiries@surrey.ac.uk • Fortnum and Mason, London – Project Manager • Integrated technology utilised to enhance role of branding, pricing strategy, quality control and
• House of Fraser, Croydon – Sales Manager your learning consumer behaviour, is aimed to ensure that you can
For admissions enquiries:
• John Lewis, High Wycombe – Management
Tel: +44 (0)1483 686300 • International student exchange opportunities become an effective retail manager.
Development Trainee
Email: somadmissions@surrey.ac.uk around the globe
• Tesco, Gatwick – Graduate Trainee
Web: www.som.surrey.ac.uk • Programme headed by UK’s first female We are the only business school in the world to hold
• Monsoon, Canterbury – Branch Manager
Professor of Retail simultaneous accreditation from the Association to
Amongst 2005 graduates, starting salaries reached • Strong entrepreneurial culture encouraged Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB),
£25,000, with an average salary of £19,000. throughout our programmes the Association of MBAs (AMBA) and the United
Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
www.som.surrey.ac.uk www.som.surrey.ac.uk

2. Retail Management Retail Management
Chris Gallon
Programme Overview At Level 2 and Level 3, you will study a Professional Placements Student Profile
combination of core modules based on fundamental
The programme consists of core and elective management topics such as Business Finance and The optional professional placement year allows you
modules which you study to earn credits towards Business Strategy, and retail management-specific to consolidate the management education you have Chris Gallon
your final degree. You will study for 120 credits topics such as Consumer Behaviour, and Retail acquired and provides a platform on which you can BSc Retail Management Level 2
per level. Buying and Merchandising Management. You will build when you return to your studies. It gives a
be able to choose from a wide selection of elective valuable opportunity to put your management After finishing college I was very unsure of what
At Level 1 all of the modules are core and languages modules based on a variety of management topics learning into practice in real organisations in the UK, I wanted to do next. I took a deferred place to
can be studied as optional elective modules. The including business, entrepreneurship, finance, with some placements available overseas. study another subject at Surrey and got on with
core modules will enable you to develop fundamental hospitality and tourism, together with retail. making the best of my gap year. A few months
and retail-specific management skills and knowledge. The School of Management has many years’ before I was due to start I was thumbing through
A core module, fundamental to management, such Level 3 provides the opportunity for you to experience in placing students and has partnerships the Surrey prospectus and came across Retail
as Organisational Behaviour 1, looks at a wide range undertake a final-year project consisting of a with a range of excellent companies, such as Management. The programme really appealed
of behaviours at work, how we make decisions and detailed study in your particular field of interest. House of Fraser, John Lewis Partnership, Harvey to me as it seemed like an interesting mix of
how we interpret and assess people. A retail-specific Nichols & Co, Fortnum and Mason, Majestic modules, and the option to take a year in
core module, such as Retail Operations, facilitates Wine Warehouses and Dunhill. industry was a massive attraction. Needless to
your understanding of the fundamentals of effective say I transferred. I’m now enjoying my second
retail operations at store level. year and am currently planning my professional
Teaching placement.
Programme Structure and Modules Each of our modules is designed to involve 100 The quality of the facilities which the School of
hours of student work. This time will be spent in Management offers reinforces Surrey’s reputation
Level 1 Level 2 Level P Level 3
• Optional professional lectures, laboratories and tutorials, and includes as being one of the best places to study a
Core modules: Core modules: Core modules:
placement year private study on your own or in small study groups. management degree. Teaching is effectively split
• Business Environment • Business Finance • Business Strategy
• Business Research • Consumer Behaviour • International Retailing
You will also write essays and assignments that between large lectures and smaller tutorial
Methods • Entrepreneurship Theory • Retail Strategy and draw on your understanding of a particular area. sessions. These allow for wider discussion about
• Financial Accounting and Practice Retail Space topics and give a chance to ask questions. The
• Management Skills • Management Accounting • Final-year Project teaching staff are easily approachable and are
• Organisational
Behaviour 1
• Managing and Marketing
Retail Locations
Plus elective modules Career Opportunities happy to help as much as they can.
• Retail Industry and the • Marketing
Consumer • Organisational There is great demand for our Retail Management Living on campus was a fantastic experience.
• Retail Operations Behaviour 2: Managing graduates from retail organisations and related The surroundings are beautiful and the Union is
Organisations service sector industries. Some of our graduates on your doorstep! I have made many new friends
Plus optional elective
language modules • Retail Buying and choose to go into operational management roles, from both my Courts of Residence and my
Merchandising
Management others specialise in marketing, buying, IT and other programme and I still continue to meet new
Plus elective modules
head-office retail positions. Other graduates move people. I know I made the right choice by
into banking, accounting and teaching. Graduates coming here.
of this degree have proven to be highly employable
Please visit www.som.surrey.ac.uk/ugmodulematrix for details of the elective modules. across a wide range of organisations, not just
limited to retail.
www.som.surrey.ac.uk www.som.surrey.ac.uk