Product Description

The aim of the study is to develop skills of presenting arguments and data and problem solving abilities for the betterment of the business. It provides complete understanding of the impact of decision making process on entire business operations. The emphasis while framing the content of this home based programme is to answer questions like what leads to change and how business responds to these issues.

The courseware also aims at imparting knowledge about the range of perspectives, which can be taken into consideration while carrying out various business activities.

The entire curriculum of this online training programme is segmented into two different units, which is again divided into numerous lessons. The lessons of this courseware are based on the references to the textbook and selected websites, which offer complete understanding of the concepts. At the end of each lesson, the students will have a set of self-check questions, which will help them in evaluating themselves regarding the understanding of the concept. If the students fail to answer these questions, then they can refer to the relevant section and understand the concept and theories thoroughly. Besides this, each lesson has several assignments that need to be completed and forwarded to the tutor for further evaluation.
Every unit is backed by an examination that will be based on the entire curriculum studied by the students. As the lessons in the online course are arranged in proper sequence, the students need to study the course as per its chronological order. Besides this, lessons included in the eLearning programme also relates to lessons of the units in the curriculum.

Entry Requirements
Basic English reading and writing skills, as full tutor support is given.

Whats Included
Learning documentation, Online Resources and Tutor support for 2 years.

Course Study Format
Course will be delivered online.

Courseware Support
The biggest advantage of studying with us is that using your unique student account, you can immediately access the course materials online and submit all the question papers to the tutor online. On submission of question papers, you will immediately, receives the email containing the results and feedback.

Study Hours
Study hour is dependent upon the dedication and grasp towards the learning concepts mentioned in the course material. Furthermore, at the end of each lesson there is a question paper that needs to be completed and returned to the tutor.

Learning Hours
Approximately 300 hours.

Assessment Method

The Examination:
The course is examined in below components:

Unit 1 BUSS1-Planning and Financing a Business 40% of AS, 20% of A Level
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes examination
Marks: 60 marks
Short answer questions and extended responses based on a mini case study.
Available January and June

Unit 2 BUSS2-Managing a Business 60% of AS, 30% of A Level

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes examination

Marks: 80 marks

Compulsory, multi-part data response questions.

Available January and June

Unit 3 – BUSS3-Strategies for Success 25% of A Level

Duration: 1 hour 45 minutes examination

Marks: 80 marks

Questions requiring extended answers based on an unseen case study drawing upon knowledge from AS units.
Available January and June

Unit 4 BUSS4-The Business Environment and Managing Change 25% of A Level

Duration: 1 hour 45 minutes examination

Marks: 80 marks

Pre-release research tasks leading to the first section of a two section examination.

The second section will consist of choice of essays. All questions will be essay style and synoptic therefore drawing upon knowledge from all four units.

Exams would need to be carried out at a approved examination centre. Please contact us for assistance.

Exams would need to be carried out at an approved examination centre. Please contact us for assistance.

Exams
Exam vouchers supplied with our courses must be used within the duration of your course. Exam Vouchers become invalid once the course has expired.

A Level in Business Studies (AS) 1131
Unit 1- Planning and Financing a Business
Starting and Business:
Enterprise
Generating and protecting business ideas
Transforming resources into goods and services
Developing business plans
Conducting start up market research
Understanding markets
Choosing the right legal structure for the business
Raising finance
Locating the businessEmploying people
Financial Planning:
Calculating costsUsing Break-even analysis to make decisionsUsing cash flow forecastingSetting budgetsAssessing business start- ups
Unit 2 – Managing a Business
Finance:
Using budgets
Improving cash flow
Measuring and increasing profit
People in Business:
Organisational structures
Measuring the effectiveness of the workforce
Developing an effective workforce
Motivating employees
Operations Management:
Making operational decisions
Developing quality
Customer service
Working with suppliers
Using technology in operations
Marketing and the Competitive Environment:
Effective marketing
Designing the marketing mix
Marketing mix: product
Marketing mix: promotion
Marketing mix: pricing
Marketing mix: place
Marketing and competitiveness
The full syllabus can be found on the AQA exam board website at www.aqa.org.uk, together with other useful material such as example exam papers. (The syllabus used is the one that is new in 2008 please make sure you look at this rather than the previous syllabus).

A Level in Business Studies (A2) 2131
Unit 3 – Strategies for Success
Functional Objectives and Strategies:
Using objectives and strategies
Financial Strategies and Accounts:
Understanding financial objectives
Using financial data to measure and assess performance
Interpreting accounts
Selecting financial strategies
Making investment decisions
Marketing Strategies:
Understanding marketing objectives
Analysing markets
Selecting marketing strategies
Developing marketing plans
Operational Strategies:
Understanding operational objectives
Operational strategies: scale and resource
Operational strategies: innovation
Operational strategies: location
Operational strategies: lean production
Human Resource Strategies:
HR objectives and strategies
Developing and implementing workforce plans
Competitive organisational structures
Effective employee/employer relations
Unit 4 – The Business Environment and Managing Change
Corporate aims and objectives:
Mission, Aims and Objectives
Changes in the Business Environment:
Businesses and economics
Businesses and the political and legal environment
Businesses and the social environment
Businesses and the technological environment
Businesses and the competitive environment
Managing Change:
Internal causes of change
Planning for change
Key influences on change
Making strategic decisions
Implementing and managing change

Job Prospects
Become fully trained and substantially improve the chances of employment or earn more money!

Qualification NVQ Level 3
Fully recognised UK Qualification. On completion of this course you will be awarded with a Diploma, which is an NVQ Level 3 qualification. It will be awarded by a UK accredited body.

Certificates
Upon completion of the course, you can download the completion certificate as well as any other qualifications you have been awarded.

A Level in Business Studies
Course Completion Certificate

*Please note, unless stated otherwise or included in package, our online courses only offer course completion certificates ( £10 fee) and in all cases official testing (at a charge made by testing centre) is required to gain officially certified recognised qualifications.

Award
On completion of this course you will earn an A Level in Business Studies.

AS/A2 -A level in Business Studies. Both AS and A2 level courses and examinations must be successfully completed to gain a full A level..

Specification: AQA (Full A Level) 2130, AQA (AS) 1131 and AQA (A2) 2131

Course Information
Please note that the registration to the On Campus student community and licence to print the study materials is included in the course fee. The licence is only for you print, therefore you have to ensure proper availability of cartridge and papers to print the full course materials, if required.

You need to have either of the following packages to access the On Campus area:
• Windows: Windows 98, 2000, XP, Vista, Windows 7 – Acrobat Reader 4.0 and above
• Macintosh: Mac OS X, Mac OS 9.2 – Acrobat Reader 4.0 and above

In the student ‘On Campus’ you can also be a take part of the student chat room and forums, as part of our online student community.

Once enrolled to the online programme, the username and password to access the On Campus area will be sent within 5 working days.

Students are required to arrange and pay for their examinations and manage the course work element, if the subject requires. Students must check the relevant examination board website for further information and final examination sitting dates for the specification.

Textbooks

This course is self-contained so you will not need to use any extra textbooks. However, you may find useful to read other books on this subject:

Although the course material provides explanations of the whole syllabus you are strongly advised to purchase a copy of the following AS level textbook:

Hall, Jones and others, Business Studies, AS (AQA) 4th edition, (2008), Causeway Press. ISBN 978-1-4058-9220-9

Sections of the book will be set out as recommended reading in places within the course material.

You can also contact the tutor if he/she feels the need to practice more in any of the areas covered in this course.