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Original poster

AIBU to worry Business Studies GCSE may affect future university choices?

159 replies

Y9Options · 23/03/2026 20:10

DS has chosen his options for GCSE and I'm concerned the Business Studies GCSE is not accepted by some universities. When completing UCAS applications for my DD recently, some of her uni choices stated they didn't accept some subjects - things like Business Studies, Media Studies etc.

DS's GCSE choices so far are:

English Language
English Literature
Maths
Physics
Chemistry
Biology
History
Geography
PE
And the last option is yet to be decided.

DS wants to do Business Studies (Edexcel). He'd consider Computer Science (also Edexcel) but doesn't really enjoy it - and everything I've read online suggests it's dull and hard to get a high grade in.

I'd love him to continue with his MFL (Spanish), but he checked out mentally a while ago when he realised he wouldn't have to choose an MFL for GCSE. He has some dyslexia which affects his spelling and doesn't languages even though, he seems to be naturally pretty good at them when he tries. He also has ADHD (medicated) and is far more motivated in the subjects he enjoys.

Uni applications look at the average of your top 8 GCSE grades, so I'm thinking about his chances of getting the best grades he can. He wants to do something like Economics or Architecture at Uni.

OP posts:
Tootiredforthis23 · 23/03/2026 20:31

YABU universities don’t specify GCSE subjects other than Maths and English and for some subject's science, but those are all core subjects anyway.

newornotnew · 23/03/2026 20:27

I also think you have got mixed up between GCSEs/A-levels.

JohnnyMcGrathSaysFuckOff · 23/03/2026 20:26

Hi OP, I work at a Russell Group university and our Economics dept has business studies as an excluded subject on their GCSE list like you said.

In some places Economics will be taught in the business school - I worked at a post 92 where that was the case - but in other places it is in Soc Sci.

It doesn't mean people with Bus Stud GCSE are banned, simply that they wouldn't take it into account as a qualification.

They would look for strong maths and traditional subjects, including sciences.

Ihatelittlefriendsusan · 23/03/2026 20:26

For economics at university he would ideally do business studies at gcse and economics at a level.

Architecture would need some sort of deisgm/art gcse and a level

What course was yoru dd looking at because that probably explains more about why business studies wasnt a relevant gcse to have taken.

Pinkissmart · 23/03/2026 20:25

OP, you’re really really off base here.
Universities don’t reject applicants because of GCSE options.
Are you perhaps thinking of the slightly outdated notion that Alevel Econ is preferred over Business?

The 8 GCSE average is for ultra competitive universities- doesn’t apply to most.
Incredibly silly to stop his academic exploration at GCSE level. Let him do what he enjoys.

Also- does he want to do a design subject? Is he creative?

dammitohdammit · 23/03/2026 20:24

Which universities didn’t accept business studies or media GCSE’s?? Are you sure it wasn’t A Levels? And even then it’d be a small pool.
Business studies GCSE will be absolutely fine (as would media studies). As long as they have maths, English, and the ones relevant to the A levels they want to do.
If he’s thinking about architecture, where is the creative choice?

Bex071509 · 23/03/2026 20:23

If he wants to do economics degree, surely he would be looking to do an economics a level. And from having 2 children doing economics a-level, business studies is very useful!

Nameychangington · 23/03/2026 20:20

If he's considering an economics degree, business studies GCSE seems like an excellent choice.

Ablondiebutagoody · 23/03/2026 20:17

Shouldn't art or design be in the mix if he wants to be an architect?

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