Diploma in Business (Level 4)

This course is of great academic and corporate value to anyone wanting to pursue a career in Business, Management or Retail. Students will be exposed to both academic and vocational aspects of business. This is an internationally recognised qualification that provides a strong foundation for working within the private and corporate sector. Successful students can go on to develop their own business, become a consultant, or pursue their studies at university level.

Award

• Diploma in Business (Level 4)
• In addition to the Diploma, successful students will receive a Certificate of Achievement from ABC Awards and a Learner Unit Summary (which lists the details of all the units the learner has completed as part of the course).

The course has been endorsed and quality assured under the ABC Awards Quality Licence Scheme (QLS). The completion of this course alone does not lead to an Ofqual regulated qualification but may be used as evidence of knowledge and skills towards regulated qualifications in the future.

ABC Awards is a leading national Awarding Organisation, regulated by Ofqual, and the Welsh Government. It has a long-established reputation for developing and awarding high quality vocational qualifications across a wide range of industries. As a registered charity, ABC Awards combines 180 years of expertise but also implements a responsive, flexible and innovative approach to the needs of our customers. Renowned for excellent customer service, and quality standards, ABC Awards also offers Ofqual regulated qualifications for all ages and abilities post-14; all are developed with the support of relevant stakeholders to ensure that they meet the needs and standards of employers across the UK.

The unit summary can be used as evidence towards Recognition of Prior Learning if you wish to progress your studies in this sector. To this end, the learning outcomes of the course have been benchmarked at Level 4 against level descriptors published by Ofqual, to indicate the depth of study and level of demand/complexity involved in successful completion by the learner.

How long is the course?

This course has three elements: 1. the Diploma course; 2. Business IT Skills; and 3. Business Enhancement Skills. All three elements are separate courses, but combined into the overall course curriculum to help better prepare you for a career in Business.

All course modules are self-paced and come with differing access periods. See below for further details (the number of hours indicates the number of study hours). We recommend you complete the courses with shorter access periods first.

• Diploma Course: 2 years access (480 hours)
• Business IT Skills Courses: 12 months access (40 hours)
• Business Enhancement Skills Courses: 6 months access (18 hours)

Total Study Time: 538 hours

Diploma Course Modules:

Unit 1: Using information, communication and technology ICT in the study of Business

1.  Applications of ICT in Business Studies Applications
2.  ePortfolio constructs
3.  Independent web based research
4.  Principles of self-assessment and reflective writing

Unit 2: Financial planning in business

1.  Cost and profit
2.  Break even analysis
3.  Cash flow forecasting
4.  Budgeting

Unit 3: Structure, risk and enterprise

1.  Enterprise
2.  Variance analysis
3.  Trading processes
4.  Organisational structure

Unit 4: Job analysis and operational management

1.  Job analysis
2.  Operational targets
3.  Quality measurements
4.  Quality systems

Unit 5: Marketing and the competitive environment

1.  Principles of marketing
2.  Promotion
3.  Product placement
4.  Competitive processes

Unit 6: The economy and business

1.  Principles of economic growth
2.  The role of government
3.  Technical developments
4.  The role of competition

Unit 7: Understanding the layers in business administration

1.  Business personnel
2.  Skills requirements
3.  Leadership
4.  Future roles and responsibilities

Unit 8: Leadership: developing visionary concepts

1.  Visionary leadership practice
2.  Root cause analysis
3.  Theories of leadership
4.  Models and approaches

Additional Information

You will receive a certificate. A digital version is included in the price and will be emailed to you within 5 days of taking your online exam. Should you require an embossed hard copy of your certificate, you can order this separately after taking your exam. The course can be enrolled upon by students Internationally. There are no deadlines for enrolments.

What’s Included?

1. Online study materials to enable the student to successfully complete the Diploma.
2. Tutor support for the duration of the course (2 year).
3. Certification upon completion.
4. All examination fees.

Further Information

• The Quality Assured Diploma is a Level 4 equivalent of the National Qualifications Framework. The Diploma is a 2 year course which is self study and is examined by online examination.

• Level 4 Diplomas provide an ability to gain and apply a range of knowledge, skills and understanding in a specific subject at a detailed level.

• Level 4 Diploma courses can assist you in career development, continued professional development, personal development, and provision of a basis for further study.

• Progression from Level 4 is to specialist learning and detailed analysis of a higher level of information (for example university level study, Diploma Level 5 study).

• This is a flexible learning course, so the more time you have to commit to your studies, the sooner you are able to complete.

• In the student ‘On Campus’ you are also able to take part in the student chat room and forums as part of our online student community.

• After enrolling online you will receive your username and password to access the On Campus area within 3 working days.

Business IT Skills Course Modules:

• Microsoft Excel 2013 (12 hours)
• Microsoft PowerPoint 2013 (8 hours)
• Microsoft Word 2013 (12 hours)
• Microsoft Outlook 2013 (8 hours)

Business Enhancement Skills Course Modules:

• Working in business and administration (1 hour)
• Working in a business environment (1 hour)
• Creating business documents (6 hours)
• The balance sheet barrier: The basics of business finance (1 hour and 30 mins)
• Ethics in Business (3 hours)
• Cost Benefit Analysis (3 hours)
• Writing and Analysing Reports (1 hour)
• Negotiating: tying the knot: A skill for life (1 hour and 30 mins)

1. All students must be 16 years of age and above.
2. Level 4 Diploma courses require a minimum ‘prior learning to GCSE standard‘ in order that students can manage their studies and the assumed knowledge within course content.

The teaching features of this course are as follows:

• All courses are online and self-paced, meaning you do it in your own time;
• You will be given a username and password to log into your courses;
• The Diploma course comes with full tutor support. You will have your own personal tutor;
• The Diploma course is a text based course, using online reading materials and tests;
• The Business IT skills and Business Enhancement skills course modules are multi-media based, using audio and video in the lessons. You can pause a lesson at any time;
• All examinations are done online or at a testing centre. We can advise you where your nearest testing centre is.

You will need access to a PC and an internet connection (preferably broadband). You will also need a set of speakers to hear the lessons. If you wish to speak with your tutor online, you will need a microphone and webcam. If you have a laptop, all of these should be built in.  If you are unsure about anything, please feel free to ask us.