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

[Y9Options]

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.

@clary we are quite old skool where I am. We use language similar to what you say, something like "preferred" or "like to see" but it means the admissions tutors discount it IRL. Up until very recently, we could fill our Econ course several times over and they are accordingly picky.

(I don't in soc sci, by the way, but I am on my institution's admissions group.)

OP the other thing to bear in mind is that many places are subtly relaxing criteria. We have a big review of our GCSE policy coming up and I know some senior people would like to do away with subject exclusions altogether and accept maths at grade 6, which is nosebleed territory for lots of folk!

Ds is doing economics at university and has a business studies gcse i have never heard of it being excluded. It maybe depends on the university, but still I’ve never heard of it. Although when choosing his GCSEs he wasn’t going to do an economics degree he only decided in upper sixth

So Warwick asks for a 6 in Eng lang and a strong set of GCSE grades including the majority at 7-9 (or A-A). Your GCSE (or equivalent) English Language and Mathematics grades should be no lower than 6 (or B). We also consider your overall GCSE subject profile.* the uni doesn't say what it means by that last sentence but it doesn't exclude any subjects there or in the general requirements so it would be duplicitous of it to say business GCSE was no accepted.

Econ at Bristol needs "No specific subjects" and GCSE English Language grade C or 4 I presume (it doesn't say otherwise).

Bath says it considers top eight GCSE grades inc Eng and maths but does not specify subjects beyond that. "The strongest candidates will have mostly grade 9s" (even tho only about 1,000 students got all 9s in 2024 and I bet they didn't all apply for econ at Bath!). Bath is another that suggests A level subjects and these don't include business or PE it's true. You can stil study at Bath with PE A level tho (perhaps not econ) as I know someone who did. That was maths tho.

Ah @JohnnyMcGrathSaysFuckOff I see, but does it say on your website "we prefer students not to have business GCSE"? As I say, I am familiar with the A level subject strictures (and yes, econ is having such a moment that the top unis can certainly be picky) but I have never seen business excluded as a GCSE.

Tho tbh neither of my uni DC were interested in econ so it's not something they looked at, and I have not studied uni requirements in detail (I have looked, on behalf of friends). Pretty sure this is a question only for a very few uni subjects. As I say Ds is on a STEM masters course with PE A level, and his mate did very well in Bath maths with the PE A level too.

My son only did 6 GCSEs, one of them was business studies and he was interviewed at Oxford and is currently at UCL.

Most universities only specify minimum grades in maths and english for GCSE. They don't look any further than that.

Wow, this thread has shocked me! I am actually really surprised that Business studies isn't considered a qualification by some RG universities!
I personally think all children should study Business studies as its so relevant to working life.
My DS is at a very highly regarded Russell Group uni studying Politics, whilst its not entirely relevant to his degree, the sound knowledge he has from his Business studies GCSE will always be valuable to him.

I am actually really surprised that Business studies isn't considered a qualification by some RG universities!

To be totally honest @Ragdoll77 I am too. In fact I await with interest someone showing me a screenshot of a university website where the statement that GCSE business is not accepted is backed up. A level not enthused over for certain degree choices, at certain unis, yes.

Don’t worry BS is perfectly fine as a GCSE. OP has got it, and a few other things, wrong!

Having just used AI to search for entry requirements (or not allowed requirements) at GCSE for all russell group universities it can't find any reference to business studies. It does however show all of them need maths and the specific grades each requires.

Dump PE take GCSE Business. Year 2 business has a nice intro to Economics.

Take GCSE art for architecture. Lots of students heading for architecture will have a maths, physics arts mix at A Level.

Economics will have Maths, Economics plus Further Maths / Geography/ Politcs type combo

No subjects are excluded at GCSE. The ones he has chosen are great. Maths & English grade 4 is essential for all university courses & some may ask for higher than 4’s. It’s A levels that really matter.

That’s bloody rubbish. Of course it’s a recognised qualification

OP - BS is fine. Let him do it. A poor English grade will be a much bigger barrier. I’m not sure when your architect friend did their degree but requirements may well have changed a lot - and I’d strongly suggest Art, if only to see what the workload is like, and prepare for Art AL if architecture continues to be an interest.

Lots of students get caught out by GCSE English and Maths entry requirements for degree courses in both Economics and Business courses. Lots have entry requirements of 5 and higher.

@Y9Options In your place - I'd also look at Uni's recommended A-levels, not just UCAS.
For example - for Architecture (despite your architect friend) - your DC would need either Art at A-levels (and hence GCSE). Or DT.
In addition to maths, and physics he already has.

If he wants to study economics - he'll need Maths and Further Maths at A-levels. Business studies, or even economics A-level are not required.

If he were my child - I'd advise him not to take a GSCE that is not going to be accepted by Unis as a "proper" GCSE. Last year - a few of my child's friends were affected by similar issue - they took GSCE's that were not counted by the degree/uni they applied to. As a result of not having the required number of 8/9s for the number of GCSEs that mattered for those specific degrees they missed out on a chance at their 1st choice unis.

Your DC is young, and Uni applications are far in the future. I'd talk to him about picking GCSEs that keep as many doors open for his future choices.

...If he wants to keep architecture as an option - he must have EITHER Art or DT.
..If he wants to keep Economics - he'll need to keep up his maths and take Ad Maths/Further Maths if his school offers it. He will certainly need Maths and Further Maths at A-levels - as this is what the top UK unis require for Economics degrees. (They don't actually require Economics A-level. A few of friend's kids were caught out by that - and realised too late that taking Maths, Economics and History (or Physics) A-levels - for e.g. gives them no chance of gaining acceptance for Economics degrees at Russel Group Unis)

Also - you DS would need to make sure he has top grades in GSCEs as Economics is a very competitive subject. So it makes sense to take GCSEs that actually count - and try to maximise the grades.

As to the Languages GSCEs - even if you DC checked out in Y9 in Spanish - there is plenty of time to catch up in Y10/11 and get a good grade that would give him an option of counting.

As to PE at GCSE - I'd only keep it if he seriously is considering applying for a related field in Uni. Otherwise - it's not that useful for any other academic degree.

surely business studies is a really useful choice and might help with actual working life? As an employer I’d be happy to see it on a cv. Art too if an architect - surely the most inspiring architects need an artistic brain not just a maths one.

Some people spout some shit on these threads don’t they?

@Y9Options I suggest you talk to the head of sixth form who will have the latest info on entry requirements and more importantly know what the school’s previous cohorts got into to secure places on Economics and Architecture courses.

My ds has picked his GCSEs too and noone of us have given a thought about suitability for university in 4/5 years time just what he enjoys/is showing strength in.

They're 13 or 14 isn't this all a bit premature?
I have a degree and post grad qualification and had no idea at even 16/17 what I wanted to do

Genuine question as I went to school in Scotland and pretty ignorant on how it works in England.

GCSE PE is a valid choice for a kid that enjoys sports. Why should he dump it?

Just back to your OP the Edexcel Computer Science GCSE is very good and likely to helpful with further study of most science subjects by giving a grounding in computing and problem solving.

Yes I agree! I was quoting @Ragdoll77 who was expressing surprise after reading posts by the OP and I think one other poster.

A bit left field but has he looked at product design/ engineering at decent unis? If he likes design/ engineering? Places like Loughborough ?

If he were my child - I'd advise him not to take a GSCE that is not going to be accepted by Unis as a "proper" GCSE. Last year - a few of my child's friends were affected by similar issue - they took GSCE's that were not counted by the degree/uni they applied to.

@Sashya I am quoting you above – which GCSEs and which unis and which degrees? I am sorry but I am really sceptical about this. I'd love as I say to see a link to the uni page that says this.

Those saying PE is no use as a GCSE – but if a YP will get a grade 8 or 9 and is looking at unis that count those GCSE grades it will be a much better shout than a grade 5 in Spanish.

@Y9Options I agree with @titchy – for certain unis or certain courses he may need a 6 in English lang so that would be a good focus.

Agree maths and FM at A level are a good shout for econ, and art or DT (or both) at A level would be good for architecture (tho IIRC from recent research it is not essential to take both). If he is not keen on art then architecture is probably a poor choice for him.

I had no idea about this before either. My daughter has a GCSE and a L3 BTC in Business
She did her yr13 exams last year and now has the hard task of choosing which unconditional Uni offer to take at either Durham or Exeter Uni for their business schools.
She's been working in her gap year with her own groom business (horses) and she has a camp america placement working with horses also so she must of got something out of it all.

I have to say this is what I advised for my dc too. I wanted them to first half enjoy what they were studying and if they were decent at the subject they had a better chance of passing with a good grade.
Although one dc did choose a subject because she knew what she wanted to do but the others had no real idea and what they thought they wanted to do at 13/14 charged by the time they were doing ucas. Ds is doing economics at uni now but it wasn’t something he had thought about doing four years earlier