BA (Hons) Business (Top-Up)

Summary

Study level
Attendance
Daytime / Evening / Weekend
Full time
1 year
Part time
1 year+
Location
London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds or Online
Faculty of Business

What makes Arden University special?

Education
Education for everyone, everywhere
Whether you're constrained by location, cost, time, or other life commitments, we're passionate about giving you access to higher education that fits into your busy, modern life.
Where to study
You decide how and where to study
We offer a wide range of flexible undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in both our online and blended study modes.
Support
Full support both online and on-site
We're also proud to offer non-standard entry, meaning your work experience and previous qualifications are taken into account when assessing your application.
Employability
Strong focus on employability
You will gain in-depth subject knowledge and transferable skills that employers from a huge range of industries will value. Many of our courses at Arden are also accredited by leading professional bodies in the UK.

Course Overview

Do you have an interest in business and a keen desire to manage? With this business top-up degree you’ll have the opportunity to combine those passions and rise up to the career you want. 

On this one year top-up course, you'll gain all the skills that are necessary to become an effective manager in a variety of business environments. Developing professional level business skills and an understanding of business structures, the course give you the skills needed to fulfil your career aspirations in whichever sector you choose. 

The perfect choice for anyone who’s already completed a HND in business (or equivalent), this top-up degree covers all aspects of business functions and practices, leaving you to decide where you want to go in your future career path. All you need to get started is the desire to succeed and the drive to push yourself to the next professional level. 

Find out more about Business at Arden
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Career development resources
You'll have online access to a huge range of career development tools from the day you start studying.
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Professional accreditation
This course is accredited by the Chartered Management Institute, supporting your career and connecting you with likeminded professionals. 

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Course details and modules

This business top-up degree will bring you up to speed with the issues that managers face, while developing and enhancing your strategic and management skills. You’ll explore internal and external business environments and gain an in-depth understanding of business functions in the modern world – giving you excellent grounding to thrive in your future career. 

Toby Bradley

It’s a great way to study if you’re looking for flexibility. It was challenging to balance a full-time job with my degree but once I was in a routine, it was much easier to manage everything. Online learning has actually helped me become very good with time management and given me the ability to prioritise tasks.

Toby Bradley
BA (Hons) Business & Accountancy

Modules

  • Contemporary Management Issues
  • Strategic Management
  • Managing Self and Others
  • International Management
  • Research Methods and Dissertation

How do we assess you?

The way we assess our students gives you regular opportunities to demonstrate your strengths and knowledge in a variety of ways. That’s why we choose a range of different methods to assess and track your progress. These methods include: 

  • Assignments
  • Essays
  • Presentations
  • Case studies
  • Portfolios of work

Study options

This course is available to study through Arden’s blended learning study mode.

Daytime classes are available in London EalingLondon Tower HillLondon HolbornManchester, BirminghamLeeds and Berlin, Germany

Evening classes are available in London Tower Hill, London Holborn, Leeds and Birmingham study centres.

Weekend and evening classes are another option. You’ll have one class on a Friday evening and one class on Saturday each week. These are available in London Tower Hill and Leeds.

The course is also available to students via online learningThis gives you the convenience of being able to study from anywhere in the UK or worldwide, providing you with the same high standards of teaching but with lower tuition fees.

Adrian Williams

"I was already in the working world and running two businesses. Not to mention I also have a young family, so the freedom online learning offered, and the cost effectiveness of the course, was a big draw for me."

Adrian Williams
BA Business (Human Resource Management)

Full-time blended learning

How does it work?

When you choose our blended learning study mode, you’ll have eight hours of timetabled classes spread over two days at the Arden study centre of your choice. This is combined with around 25 hours of independent study, which takes place through ilearn, our university campus in the cloud.

Blended learning is the best option for students who prefer the structure of regular face to face classes with their tutor and fellow classmates, and is particularly suited to students who live within commuting or driving distance of one of our UK study centres.

If you're a student from England who is enrolling on a blended learning course with Arden (based in one of our UK study centres) then you can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan and Maintenance Loan to help pay for your living expenses. You can find more information on our fees and funding page. If you're a student from Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland you can find information about obtaining a student loan to cover your costs from your student finance body.

This course is also available to study full-time at our campus in Berlin, Germany.

Learn more about blended learning

Part-time online learning

How does it work?

Studying your degree online with Arden means you can earn your anywhere in the world without the requirement to attend classes in a physical location. Our online students study their degree through iLearn, Arden’s university campus in the cloud.

Online learning students resident in the UK can apply for a Maintenance Loan if they cannot attend their course in person because of a disability. Please find more information on our fees and funding page. If you're a student from Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland you can find information on Living Cost Loans from your student finance body.

Learn more about online learning

Student Route – Full-time in attendance

Students studying with us via Student Route full-time in attendance can enrol with us from September 23 intake. 

Available for overseas students who want to study in the UK, full-time in attendance study with Arden gives you face-to-face teaching with timetabled classes for your chosen subject at our study centres at Tower Hill, London, or Lock 14 in Birmingham. You’ll also have full access to ilearn and our extensive online library throughout your studies.

You will study your course through a blend of face to-face seminars with your course lecturers at your study centre, combined with independent online learning activities which you can fulfil in your own time.

  • Each module of your course is completed over a 9-week period.
  • Each week will require a minimum of 33.5 hours of study time, which comprises:
  • Eight hours of timetabled face-to-face teaching each week based at our study centre
  • A minimum 25.5 hours independent online learning.

Find out more about Student Route

Entry requirements

At Arden University we consider applications on a case by case basis. If you have significant work experience, have qualifications you have gained elsewhere, or a degree or qualification that isn't a clear pathway to this degree - we are more than happy to discuss your application.

Eligibility

To be eligible to study this BA (Hons) Business top-up degree, we need to see that you have: 

  • A HND in Business or equivalent, provided that your prior learning is consistent with Level 5 of the functional areas of business (Finance, Marketing, HRM and Operations Management)

English Proficiency

  • IELTS 6.0 (no less than 5.5 in any element); or TOEFL iBT 80; or equivalent

We also offer an internal English test for applicants. More information on this can be found here.

We are happy to consider an application from you if you can show us you have the motivation to study this business top-up course. 

We’ll ask you for a personal statement that demonstrates your ability to study the course. We may also want references and evidence of relevant experience.

Before you start studying

Whilst you can read your study materials on your smart phone or tablet, to make the most of your learning experience, you will need access to a laptop or computer (we recommend one running the latest version of Windows), and a good stable internet connection.

Course fees and funding

Faculty of Business Online Learning Offer

For a limited time only, UK applicants can save £500 on the cost of BA (Hons) Business (Top-Up). To qualify, you need to enrol to start studying with us on our July or October 2023 start dates. Eligible students who take advantage of this offer will have their fee per level reduced to £6,435. Terms and conditions apply.

Find your country

Use the dropdown above to find course fees and funding information for your country. If you can’t find information for your country in the dropdown, visit our International support page.

Meet the faculty

Professor Dilshad Sheikh

Here at Arden University we strive to provide a fresh and unique approach to your business and management education. With ideas and experiences taken from employers and thought leaders across the world, we give you the opportunity to put proven business skills and techniques into practice during your studies. I look forward to welcoming you to the Arden University family.

Professor Dilshad Sheikh
Dean of the Faculty of Business

Career prospects

It’s your graduate status that most employers will be interested in, along with the transferable skills you’ve gained. These include analytical and critical thinking, problem solving, strong interpersonal and communication skills and an appreciation of organisational behaviour and structures. These skills show strong potential for future development in multiple areas, leaving your career options wide open.

What can a business top-up course do for me?

By developing a wide range of transferable skills throughout your studies, you’ll graduate with an exciting variety of employment opportunities. Once you’ve completed your degree, you’ll:

  • Have an in-depth understanding of business functions
  • Have demonstrated your ability to learn and solve problems
  • Be able to make a decision about where to target your career planning as a result of your module choices
  • Be an attractive proposition to many employers due to your transferable skills

What can I do after Arden University?

Your graduate status and the skills you gain throughout your degree are what employers will be interested in. These skills cover everything from analytical and critical thinking, problem solving, strong interpersonal and communication skills and an appreciation of organisational behaviour and structures. With it, you’ll have a variety of opportunities at your fingertips. Some of the job roles you might want to explore include:

  • Business Manager
  • Hotel Manager
  • Travel Consultant
  • Sales Manager
  • Business Development Executive
  • Marketing Executive
  • Operations Manager
  • Tour Manager
  • Travel Agency Manager
  • Event Organiser
  • Travel Administrator

Industry skills

Chartered Management Institute (CMI)

This course awards a CMI Level 5 Certificate in Management and Leadership.

The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) promotes excellence in UK management and leadership. The institute aims to boost career development across the management sector and connect you with like-minded professionals across diverse sectors. 

The CMI is the only organisation in the UK that can award Chartered Manager status – the gold standard in management. They are also active in business policy-making across the globe and ensure that their more than 140,000 members are represented in policy decision-making. 

You will have free CMI Membership throughout your studies, giving you access to a range of exclusive resources, mentoring services, and networking events.

Upon completion of one of Arden University’s CMI-accredited courses, you will be automatically awarded CMI Foundation Chartered Manager (fCMgr) status. This recognises you have the skills needed to be an effective manager, helping you stand out from the competition and start your management career journey - with a clear pathway to full Chartered Manager status.

Career Development Resources

Career development resources

Once you’ve enrolled with Arden, our careers centre is easily accessible directly from inside our online platform, ilearn. The careers centre is here to help you discover the areas of your academic and professional life that you find most meaningful and rewarding, and then apply this to your career pathway. 
Just a few of the career tools you’ll find in the careers centre include:

  • CV360, which analyses your CV and provides instant feedback for improvement
  • Interview360, helping you practise your interview technique in a stress-free environment and tackle some of the most common interview questions - as many times as you need to
  • Aptitude tests to help your improve your critical thinking, numeric, and logical reasoning skills
  • 100s of interactive courses focused on giving you the skills and confidence you need to excel in your professional life. 
  • My Jobs, where you can search employment vacancies, browse employer profiles by location and, or connect with other employees on LinkedIn.

Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) membership.

Arden University is a member of the prestigious Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). AACSB International is a global association of leaders in education and business dedicated to supporting and advancing quality business education worldwide.

This membership reflects the fact that Arden University has successfully matched the high standards required by the AACSB, and enables the sharing of ideas and the exchange best practises between global business schools. Membership also gives our faculty members access to in-depth data and research to support the development of our courses and teaching methods, ensuring that we are able to provide you with the best possible university experience.

Business Graduates Association (BGA)

The BGA is a membership and quality assurance body. As a member, Arden University have signed up to the BGA Charter, committing their institution to responsible management practices and lifelong learning, positively impacting their students, communities, and the economy. This shows our students that we are demonstrating responsible management ourselves, as well as it being a central theme that runs through our own courses.

As Arden University is a member of the Business Graduates Association (BGA), students will receive complementary BGA student and graduate membership. Through this membership, current students will have access to the BGA Career Development Centre, packed with interactive tools, e-learning content, partner discounts and the latest job opportunities. This is a lifetime access, which means students will continue to have access to these services even after they graduate.