Business and Management (Top-Up)
BSc (Hons)

Our online Business and Management (Top-Up) BSc (Hons) equips you with the expertise needed to lead, change and understand business and management on both a national and global perspective. This programme is designed for and with both learners and employers in mind. It will benefit learners who wish to pursue an enterprising Business and Management course to gain employment, enhance their career or achieve a qualification that recognises their experience.

This CMI-accredited online Business and Management course combines the latest research and thinking, with the philosophy that future leaders of industry need a sound and broad-based business education. Structured to reflect today’s ever changing business environment, it embeds key themes such as globalisation, sustainability, social change and stakeholder needs, allowing you to fully understand the factors affecting businesses.

Using innovative technologies that give you the opportunity to collaborate, discuss and debate issues in Business, Management and related fields, this course is designed to give you more confidence in your ability to lead a team, deal with complex situations and communicate effectively via written reports and presentations. While being taught by academics who are industry leaders with direct influence and knowledge of the industry you are entering, you will network with mature and experienced peers who share real life and professional experiences with one another.

An accredited degree

This online Business and Management (Top-Up) BSc (Hons) degree is accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI).

A CMI-accredited double qualification

You will also be awarded with the CMI Level 5 Diploma in Management and Leadership upon graduation, provided you successfully achieve CMI-mapped modules*:

• Applied Research Project
• Management and Leadership – Challenges and Practices
• Strategic Marketing Management (subject to CMI external moderation)

With a CMI professional qualification on top of a bachelor’s degree, you become more marketable. A dual qualification speaks volumes to prospective employers, giving you the advantage when looking for your next career move.

Obtaining this double qualification provides various advantages to your professional career, such as CMI membership, providing you access to professional development events, networks, mentoring support, structured continuing professional development (CPD) and a jobs board showcasing the very latest management vacancies. You will also be supported in pursuit of becoming a chartered manager, a status coveted and prized by most employers.

*Please note, only the modules studied on this course are counted towards the CMI accreditation. If you have been granted an exemption for any of the modules as part of RPL (recognition of prior learning) process/progression routes, you will not qualify for the CMI diploma. Depending on the exemption, you may qualify for the CMI Level 5 Certificate or CMI Level 5 Award.

Apply for module exemptions from prior learning

If you have already completed a Level 6 diploma in one of the following courses, you may be eligible for exemptions for specific modules on the Business and Management (Top-up) BSc (Hons):

• ABE Level 6 Diploma in Business and Management
• ABE Level 6 Diploma in Business and Marketing
• ABE Level 6 Diploma in Business and Human Resources
• Qualifi Level 6 Diploma in Business Administration
• ATHE Level 6 Diploma or Extended Diploma in Management

Further details can be found in our Exemptions section.

Have you already studied at another institution, completed a training course, or does your work experience appear equivalent to one or more modules of your chosen course? If so, you may able to translate this prior learning into credits towards your course modules, so you don’t have to study them again.

For undergraduate courses you can apply for credits up to 50% of each stage. Further information about applying for credits for prior learning can be found in our recognition of prior learning section.

Develop essential employability skills

The course has been designed with collaboration in mind and an underpinning aim to develop key attributes demanded by employers, including information and digital literacy skills, appreciation of equality, diversity and inclusive practices, and the ability to produce work ready solutions to complex problems. This is achieved through:

• Learning, team working and innovation skills - creativity, critical thinking, communication, collaboration
• Consciousness of multiple world views, cross-cultural awareness, global citizenship
• Life, career and inter-disciplinary professional skills, self-direction and adaptability to change

Cultivating your existing skills and competencies to become graduate-level attributes will place you at a competitive advantage when seeking career progression opportunities and considerably augments your employability.

Flexible and supported learning

Learning in an online environment will equip you with the skills to research and question, and will nurture your desire to leverage new business ideas so that you can respond creatively to whatever the future holds. The flexibility afforded by online learning means you can fit your studies around any existing work or personal commitments. You will also be assigned a dedicated online learner adviser who will assist with any non-academic queries throughout your degree, helping you to achieve a recognised university qualification and advance your career.

A talk from our academic

Our Programme Leader for Business and Management, Dr Valentina Gorchakova, talks about the online Business and Management course in this video.

We will advise you of your study plan - the running order and availability of the modules - when you are invited to enrol.

If we have insufficient numbers of students interested in an optional module, this may not be offered. In addition, where demand is high, some modules may be subject to a cap.

To achieve the top-up degree you will need to compete a total of 120 credits made up from the core modules and optional 20-credit modules.

Please note that our modules are subject to change - we review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects.

Pace of study

The academic year is made up of three 10-week terms, known as trimesters. We recommend about 20 hours of study per week to complete one 20-credit module over a 10-week trimester.

If you opt to undertake the accelerated study plan whereby you will study two modules in one trimester, we recommend 40 hours of study per week.

Should you decide to study on the accelerated rate you should ensure that you have the capacity to fully engage with your studies and achieve the best grades and final award. If you choose to study on the accelerated rate, you will need to balance approximately 40 hours of study per week alongside your professional and personal life and commitments.

It may be useful to consider studying one module at the standard rate of study before deciding whether to then increase to the accelerated rate of study.

Assessment method

This course is assessed through 100% coursework with a range of methods, such as essays, research reports, presentations, group work and practical reports.

Don't just take our word for it...

Graduate Tyra Johl talks about her time as a student with University of Derby Online Learning.

Student support and guidance

Whilst we encourage our students to become independent, life-long learners, we also recognise that offering the right support and guidance will help you to achieve your goals. There is a wealth of support available to you at the University, from your dedicated Personal Tutor and Online Learner Advisor, through to our:

• Library
• Health and Wellbeing Centre
• Careers and Employability Service
• IT Support
• Union of Students

All these services, and more, are available to you as an online student at the University of Derby.

Get a taste of the course content

Our Business and Management (Top-Up) BSc (Hons) course taster will give you an idea of how online learning works. It includes a selection of content from a course module so you can see what some of our learning material looks like.

You will need to complete a short form to access the course taster.

You will need to have a HND, foundation degree or equivalent qualification in a business-related field or 240 credits from a business-related qualification. Other professional business qualifications that equate to a HND level may be considered eg BTEC level 5, CMI level 5, Edexcel level 5, CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants).

Exemptions

If you have already completed a relevant Level 6 ABE business and management diploma, an ATHE Level 6 diploma or extended management diploma or a Qualifi Level 6 Diploma in Business Administration you will be eligible for module exemption on this Business and Management (Top-up) BSc (Hons) course.

ABE qualification exemptions

*Note: Students with this module exemption will not be eligible for the CMI Level 5 Diploma but will be eligible for the CMI Level 5 Certificate.

Qualifi qualification exemptions

*Students will not be eligible for the CMI Level 5 Diploma but for the CMI Level 5 Certificate

ATHE qualification exemptions

*Note: Students with this module exemption will not be eligible for the CMI Level 5 Diploma but will be eligible for the CMI Level 5 Certificate.

English language qualifications

If English is not your first language, or you have not successfully completed your highest level of qualification in English, you will need an English language qualification. For this course you will need at least one of the following:

• IELTS (International English Language Testing System) 6.0*
• TOEFL 550 (paper based) 213 (computer based) or 80 (internet based)
• Pearson Test of Academic English: 51
• Cambridge Advanced Certificate: Pass
• London Tests of English: we accept level 4 for undergraduate courses
• International GCE O-level English Language: Grade C
• International GCSE English/English as a Second Language: Grade C*

*If you have a minimum of IELTS level 4.5, you can study our Certificate of Credit in English for Academic Purposes, which we will accept as evidence that you are able to perform at a suitable level of IELTS 6.0. We will also accept the Certificate of Credit as evidence that you can perform at GCSE level.

If you are unable to take an English Language Test locally, you may wish to consider our Derby English Language Test (DELT), which is an online test in two parts: reading and writing, and listening and speaking. Take a look at our Derby English Language test (DELT) page for full course details, online exam dates and how to book.

^‡2021/22 Fees for new entrants

Starting between September 2021 and August 2022.

About your fees

This figure would be the total cost of this course in the current academic year. However, please note that fees normally increase in line with inflation and the University's strategic approach to fees, which is reviewed on an annual basis. The total fee you pay may therefore increase if your course lasts longer than one year.

However, please also note that you can receive a 5% discount if you either:

• Pay your full course fees upfront, or
• When enrolling in September, pay for all of your modules to be studied in that academic year upfront

Flexible payment plans available

Choose from three payment plan options:

• Pay monthly and only for the modules you are studying

• Pay your full course fees upfront, receive 5% discount and avoid annual increases

• Pay for all modules studied in the year and receive a 5% discount (September enrolment only)

Undergraduate funding options

Depending on where you are from in the UK or EU, and on your pace of study, you may be eligible for an undergraduate student loan. Accessible through Student Finance, this is a non-income based loan to meet the cost of tuition fees.

If you already hold an honours degree, and you are looking to re-skill or up-skill, you may still be eligible for a loan to study this course.

Students should apply directly to the University.

Apply now

For support with completing your application, view our guide to the application process.

Documents to support your application

In order for your application to be assessed, you will need to provide the following documents when you apply:

• Photo ID – this could be your passport or driving licence
• Current CV
• Copies of certificates and transcripts or a letter of testimony for previous qualifications*

*Documents not in English or Welsh must be accompanied by a certified translation by a professional translator/translation company. Each translation must contain:

• Confirmation from the translator that it is an accurate translation of the original document
• The date of the translation
• The full name and signature of the translator, or an authorised official of the company
• The translator’s contact details

A list of approved translators can be found on the UK Government website.

Please note: failure to submit any documentation when requested, may result in your application being withdrawn.

Application deadlines

All of our online courses have set start dates throughout the year. We require time to review your application and get back to you with a response before your course starts. Take a look at information regarding applying for an online course to see full details of deadlines and term dates.

After graduating from this online Business and Management degree, you will be well prepared for a career in Business and Management, with both theoretical and practical knowledge that can be applied in any industry worldwide.

Careers in management typically involve recruitment, training and organisation of staff, ensuring company standards are met, making strategic decisions that affect your department or the company as a whole, maintaining awareness of competitors and the macro environment, and communicating with business stakeholders such as customers, investors and staff.

You may also be required to manage and oversee projects within your career. This degree will provide you with a sound knowledge of business concepts, enabling you to:

• Make sure that deadlines are met
• Meet financial targets
• Promote the business
• Conduct research and interviews
• Compile and present information
• Analyse statistics
• Write detailed reports
• Develop new procedures or training

Upon completion of this programme, you will also have the opportunity to apply to progress on to higher level awards such as the MBA Global or MSc Strategic Management, enabling you to develop a higher level of academic knowledge surrounding global business concepts, preparing you to move into senior and C-level (chief officer) roles within diverse multi-national organisations.

Contact us

Contact the University of Derby Online Learning:

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