Business Management with Social Purpose

Business management with social purpose brings together the analytical and operational tools of business education with a sustained focus on organisations that are driven by mission as well as commercial imperatives. Social enterprises, charities, cooperatives, and purpose-led businesses of all kinds face the same challenges of strategy, finance, marketing, and operations as any other organisation, but they also navigate the particular complexity of balancing commercial viability with social or environmental objectives. Understanding how to do that well requires both rigorous business training and genuine engagement with ethics, governance, and impact measurement.

At City St George's, University of London, this three-year, full-time programme includes a sandwich year and a work placement, meaning you will gain substantial professional experience within the degree structure. The placement provides direct exposure to organisations operating at the intersection of business and social purpose, whether in the charity sector, the public sector, or the growing community of mission-driven enterprises. You will develop skills in business strategy, financial management, marketing, operations, and organisational behaviour, while also studying social entrepreneurship, stakeholder theory, corporate social responsibility, and the governance structures of purpose-led organisations.

London provides an exceptional environment for engaging with social purpose business, with a dense ecosystem of social enterprises, charities, and values-driven companies accessible throughout your studies. A typical entry tariff of 152 UCAS points indicates the level of entry expected.

The programme develops both the analytical tools and the ethical frameworks that effective social purpose leaders need. You will be equipped to make a commercial case for impact and to hold both ambitions simultaneously.

Graduates work in the charity and voluntary sector, social enterprise, local government, impact investment, corporate responsibility, and international development. Many also enter mainstream business with a distinctive perspective on purpose and stakeholder value.