Program Overview

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BA Business Management

Overview

Our Business Management top-up course provides you with a broad foundation in business and helps you develop skills across a number of business disciplines to complement your previous studies and prepare for a career in business.

This top-up course is delivered fully online (part-time) meaning you can study at a pace and place that suits you. It is particularly aimed at those who already have a broad business-related HND, associate degree or equivalent.

You can pay for this course flexibly on a module-by-module basis. This means that you don't have to pay the full course cost upfront.

You may wish to combine your Business Management with a specialist theme as listed below:

• Finance
• Hospitality
• HRM
• Marketing
• Sustainability

Mode of Study:

Online learning

Duration:

12-24 months

Start date:

June, January, September

Course details

This is a vocationally relevant course designed to equip you for a career in business and management.

Building on your previous experience and skills, you'll develop your understanding of the theories and concepts of business and management and the ability to apply these in practical business situations.

A BA top-Up is the equivalent of the final year of a full-time Bachelors degree, delivered by us straight to your screen via our online learning environment.

The course develops critical, analytical, creative and reflective approaches to business and its environment, further enhancing your employability and leadership skills.

The international perspective developed through the materials will provide you with the background to better understand and succeed in the increasingly global environment faced by all organisations.

You'll also have a solid foundation on which to proceed to more specialist studies.

How will my degree reflect sustainability and sustainable development?

The Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME) – established under the UN Global Compact – places a clear onus on Higher Education to ‘transform management education and develop the responsible decision-makers of tomorrow to advance sustainable development ’. The Business School is a PRME signatory, and we seek to influence professional practice and policy nationally and internationally, helping to drive key societal, economic and environmental impacts.

Our mission is ‘to empower communities to apply business knowledge for positive societal impact’ and we work constantly to embed practical actions into our curriculum, to promote sustainability and relate these to the key ideas of sustainability, as reflected in the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes now reflect one or more of the SDG, and our research is targeted to solve real world problems, mapped against the criteria used in the Times Higher Education’s Impact Ranking.

What is distinct about equality, diversity and inclusion?

Edinburgh Napier University is enriched by the diversity of perspectives, cultures and backgrounds brought by all within our global community. We are committed to a positive environment where diversity and inclusiveness is celebrated and everyone is treated fairly regardless of sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, disability, age, ethnic origin, religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status or whether pregnant or on maternity leave. We commit ourselves to providing a learning, working and social environment that is free from discrimination, prejudice, intimidation, stigmatisation and all forms of harassment and bullying.

The Business School's vision:

'To be the Business School for empowerment, enterprise and employability for all'.

Our mission statement:

'Empowering our communities to apply business knowledge for positive societal impact'.

How you’ll be taught

This top-up course is delivered fully online. You can choose from three start dates (September, January, May) and typically takes between 12-24 months to complete, subject to your pace of study and module availability. You'll study six modules in total, with a maximum of two modules each trimester where available.

Engaging in the online learning materials and participating in the online discussions will enable you to exchange knowledge with fellow participants. While you'll manage your own learning, you'll be provided with guidance on how best to work with the online materials and the importance of reflection in order to meet the course objectives.

In addition to the module materials, you'll receive full support from module leaders, the programme leader, full access to our online library support, as well as being able to contact our dedicated administration team, should you have any queries.

Assessments

For the award of BA Business Management you must successfully pass all six modules, giving a total of 120 credits. All modules are 20 credits.

Within each trimester, whilst there is flexibility to work through the material at your own pace you need to be aware of the assessment dates as there is no flexibility in these.

If there is any question regarding the authorship of any submitted assessments, we reserve the right to require students to undertake an online viva.

Popular modules

What you study

Trimester 1 (September - December)

• Organisational Change Management
• Strategic Management in a Global Context

Trimester 2 (January - May)

• Operations Management
• International Business

Trimester 3 (May - August)

• International Marketing
• Leadership in Organisations

Disclaimer

Study modules mentioned above are indicative only. Some changes may occur between now and the time that you study.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

Our entry requirements indicate the minimum qualifications with which we normally accept students. Competition for places varies from year to year and you aren't guaranteed a place if you meet the minimum qualifications.

Year 3

• A HND in Business with grade C at SCQF Level 8

Applicants who do not meet the standard entry requirements may be considered if they have a minimum of 5+ year's relevant business management work experience.

English language

If your first language isn't English, you'll normally need to undertake an approved English language test and our minimum English language requirements will apply. The test will normally need to be within 2 years of starting your course with us (unless you are studying online with us).

International students

We welcome applications from students studying a wide range of international qualifications.

Admissions policies

We’re committed to admitting students who have the potential to succeed and benefit from our programmes of study.

Fees & funding

The course fees you'll pay and the funding available to you will depend on a number of factors including your nationality, location, personal circumstances and the course you are studying. We also have a number of bursaries and scholarships available to our students.

Tuition fees

	2024/25	2025/26
UK Students	£900	£935
Overseas Students	£920	£955

Modules for your course can be purchased through our online store and must be paid in full at the time of enrolment. You will purchase modules in advance of each trimester of study. The fee listed above applies to 20 credits. Please note, the full course comprises of 120 credits in total for BA/BSc (top-up) and 180 credits in total for MSc.

Careers

On successful completion of the course you'll be well placed to enter employment in management related positions and management trainee posts in both public and private sectors.

Graduates have secured employment in local authorities, retail management, financial services, media service providers and a wide range of other sectors.