BA (Honours) Business Studies

Course Code: Q70 Course Level: Undergraduate Subject Area: Business and Management Course Qualification: Degree Find out about the Business School This course is available for study in: Aland Islands, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Channel Islands, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Isle of Man, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Vatican City State

What you will learn

This degree in business studies provides an innovative and accessible introduction to the world of business, and helps you relate your studies directly to your own workplace.

How do businesses develop strategies, handle risk and take decisions? What’s involved in essential business functions such as marketing, accounting and finance? This degree in business studies provides an innovative and accessible introduction to the world of business, and helps you relate your studies directly to your own workplace.

You will investigate how organisations think and work, how they are managed, and the external world in which they operate. You will also gain a general understanding of business organisations and their key elements; wider considerations such as environments, markets and processes; and how all these work together.

Read more detailed information about the learning outcomes, and how they are acquired through teaching, learning and assessment methods.

Time required and Cost

You require 360 credits to complete this course. Time to complete studies can range from 4 to 16 years depending on how many credits are studied each year. Typically 9 hours of study a week equates to 30 credits achieved in a year.

What you pay is based on the number of credits you study in a year and this depends on the modules you choose. Fees for study commencing in academic year 2013/2014 are:

• £5,124 if you study 120 credits in a year (full-time)
• £2,562 if you study 60 credits in a year
• £1,281 if you study 30 credits in a year.

NB: Costs and course content is subject to change.

Career impact

The skills and knowledge you will develop by studying this business studies degree are recognised by employers as having great value for work in management and business. They can also lead to opportunities in specialist areas concerned with offering guidance to managers – such as management consultancy or business journalism.

This degree course will contribute to your career development by:

• developing your understanding of different business functions: marketing, HR, operations and finance
• improving your numerical skills
• improving your ICT and presentation skills
• developing your cognitive skills – critical thinking, analysis, paraphrasing and evaluation.

Accreditation

The Open University Business School is one of the few institutions worldwide that are triple-accredited by EQUIS, AACSB and AMBA. These are internationally recognised quality standards which independently validate the quality of the Schools teaching, research and operations. The School undergoes regular reviews to ensure that standards are maintained and has successfully retained its triple accredited status since 2004. BA Business Studies and other Undergraduate programmes are accredited through inclusion in these reviews.

Key dates

Please see the table shown on the Pathway pages via the links shown at the bottom of this page.

Entry requirements

There are no formal entry requirements to study this degree. You will however need to be proficient in English, to an IELTS standard of 6.5. If you are unsure you will be able to take a free English test as part of the registration process.

Classification of course

On successful completion of the required number and type of modules you will be awarded a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Business Studies degree.

Your honours degree will be classified either as first-class honours, upper second-class honours, lower second-class honours or third-class honours.

The class of degree is determined by the best grades you achieve in a minimum of 120 and up to 240 credits from modules at Levels 2 and 3, 120 of which must come from modules at Level 3.

Credits

For information on Credits, click here.

NB: Levels 2 and 3 of this qualification are not available until October 2014, so if your credits allow you to start this qualification at level 2, you will need to register next year for the October 2014 start of the course.

Regulations

As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the following regulations:

• Student Regulations
• Module Regulations
• General Qualification Regulations
• BA Business Studies
• Schedule A to the Qualification Regulations.