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Business Management (Top-Up)

BA (Hons)

Summary

Study level

Undergraduate

Award

Degree Top-Up

Full time

1 year

Part time

1 year+

Location

Birmingham, Leeds, London, Manchester, Nottingham or Online

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Faculty of Business and Innovation

What makes Arden University special?

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.

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.

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.

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

Our business management top-up degree will help you get ready for the career you really want. The perfect choice for anyone who’s already completed a HND in business or an equivalent qualification, this course will equip you with the knowledge and skills you need to excel in business management roles through six carefully selected degree modules.

Graduating with an undergraduate degree in as little as one year, you’ll have gained the modern skills, competencies, and technological know-how required to lead and manage successfully in today’s business environment. Our aim with this newly updated business top-up degree is to help you make a valuable and lasting impact, wherever your professional career takes you.

The BA (Hons) Business Management (Top-Up) been developed by industry experts with your long-term future in mind. When you graduate from the course, you’ll do so as a well-rounded, highly-employable and self-motivated professional ready to take on any number of roles and challenges.

Accreditation and Memberships

ILM Accredited

ILM accreditation awards a Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management upon graduation, which costs up to £3,000 if pursued independently.

CMI Accredited

This course awards a CMI Level 5 Certificate in Management & Leadership and offers CMI Foundation Chartered Manager Status.

AACSB Membership

Arden University is a member of the prestigious Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

The Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs (IOEE)

This course awards the IOEE Professional Extended Diploma in Business Innovation and Growth.

ILM Accredited

ILM accreditation awards a Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management upon graduation, which costs up to £3,000 if pursued independently.

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Professional accreditation

This course is accredited by the Chartered Management Institute and Institute of Leadership and Management.

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Course details and modules

During your studies you’ll gain a wider understanding of business functions, operations, and cutting edge technologies in a range of exciting industries. You’ll also develop inspiring personal and management attributes in dedicated skills-related modules to help build your soft skills and leadership abilities. Learning research and data analysis techniques using academic and industry focused texts, articles, and reports, you’ll gain a better understanding of contemporary business and management, with the ability to analyse practical case studies drawn from a range of international organisations.

Using our business simulation software, you’ll be able to access a virtual business and run it as your own enterprise – managing activities such as marketing, sales, finances, people, product development, operations, and your supply chain. This will give you the chance to practice making critical decisions within a safe environment, helping you develop your ability to interpret commercial information and apply your learnings to generate a profit for your enterprise. You’ll also have access to our Arden Enterprise Incubator throughout your course, which provides you with additional software and resources as well as real-world mentors and industry experts to draw knowledge from. The Arden Enterprise Incubator also gives you the chance to engage in social learning with your classmates, developing your collaborative skills and providing the opportunity for networking with fellow professionals.

The course gave me the confidence and skills to go for senior jobs that I wouldn’t have previously. I have been promoted several times since.

Martin Scahill

BSc (Hons) Business & Computing (Top-Up)

Modules

You have 1-3 years to complete this top up degree course, which means you can study at a pace that works best for you.

Level 6 Modules

Business Transformation (20 credits)
Entrepreneurship and Innovation (20 credits)
Corporate Governance, Law & Ethics (20 credits)
Independent Study (20 credits)
Project Management (20 credits)
International Business Management (20 credits)

How do we assess you?

Assessments

Unlike on more traditional degree courses, you don’t need to sit any exams on the BA (Hons) Business Management (Top-Up), and you won’t need to spend the summer at home writing a dissertation either. Your assessments have been designed to help you apply your learning to real-word scenarios. This means you’ll be better prepared to apply the skills you’ve gained on the course to your professional role after graduation.

As you work through your course modules you’ll have the chance to compete a range of useful assessment methods such as individual reports, case study analyses, group presentations, and personal independent assignments devised in consultation with your course module leader. Your assessments will have an emphasis upon personal discovery, digital technology, the application of theory to real world business, and management practice and innovative thinking.

We encourage you to be innovative when carrying out your assignments and assessments. You can create podcasts, videos, infographics, consultancy reports, campaigns, posters, interviews, debate sessions, and more. This approach will help you develop skills you'll use in the real world, and most of all, is a fun and engaging way to demonstrate your knowledge and development.

Study options

This course is available to study through Arden’s blended learning study mode at our campuses in London Ealing, London Stratford, London Holborn, Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham, and Leeds.

The course is also available to students as a fully online programme, which gives you the convenience of being able to study from anywhere in the UK or worldwide.

"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)

Part time online learning

How does it work?

Studying the BA (Hons) Business Management (Top-Up) online gives you the ultimate in convenience. You can enrol with Arden from anywhere in the world and study your degree from the comfort of home, 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. ilearn provides everything you need to study at University. It offers an integrated virtual learning experience, including your virtual classroom, lecture theatre, and online library (which when used along with our supplementary library, Perlego, gives you access to almost half a million books and journals – yours for free while you study with us).

ilearn is also integrated with Zoom, making it easier to chat with your course tutor during your scheduled seminar sessions. You can even integrate our study materials into your Kindle, making it possible to study wherever you have you Kindle handy. 

Studying online doesn’t mean studying alone. As well as receiving regular feedback and guidance from your course tutor, you’ll be studying with likeminded students who you can meet with through our Unitu community, and you’ll have access to community message boards to discuss your course and the topics being raised within it. We’ve even set up community boards embedded into each of the course modules so you can have discussions with your tutor and classmates on the topics you’re currently learning. 

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

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 campus of your choice. This is combined with around 25 hours of independent study, which takes place through ilearn, our university campus in the cloud. ilearn contains all the resources you need to study successfully. You’ll also have access to our online library, Perlego, which contains almost half a million books, journals, and industry literature which you can make use of throughout your studies, removing the need to buy expensive course books in order to study successfully.

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 campuses.

If you're a student from the UK who is enrolling on a blended learning course with Arden (based in one of our UK campuses) 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.

Learn more about blended learning

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.

What you need to study with us

Our aim is to make learning as accessible as possible by ensuring that you can study in a flexible and convenient way. That's why we keep our requirements simple. All you need is a laptop or desktop PC (we recommend one running the latest version of Windows), and a good internet connection. Through ilearn, our online university campus in the cloud, you'll be able to access your course calendar, support services, learning materials, and our online library containing thousands of ebooks, as well as tools for creating assignments, keeping notes, and collaborating with other students on your course.

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Eligibility

To be eligible for our BA (Hons) Business Management (Top-Up) course, you must have:

A HND in Business or equivalent, provided that your prior learning is consistent with Level 5 of the functional areas of business such as finance, marketing, operations management, human resource management, etc.

English proficiency

IELTS 6.0 (no less than 5.5 in any element); or TOEFL iBT 80; or equivalent
Alternatively, evidence you have previously studied in English, such as a letter to show that the Medium of Instruction was in English can be accepted.

Course fees and funding

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Meet the faculty

Professor Alison Watson is the Head of School for Business Management and Creativity, she was also the Programme Team Leader for UG Business and Accounting programmes. Having taught at Arden for 15 years, she has supported many students on various management courses at all levels of study. Prior to this, Alison was an operations and project manager for a number of large retailers, and therefore has a wealth of experience in the field of business and management.

Alison will provide guidance to the School of Business and Creativity, ensuring that it delivers high quality academic provision and student satisfaction across all courses.

Professor Alison Watson

Head of School - Business Management and Creativity

Career prospects

Perhaps you have a strong idea of where you want to go with your business top up degree, or perhaps you want to keep your career options open for now? Either way, don’t worry if you’re still a little unclear about what the future holds. Your business management degree will give you a range of in-demand and transferable skills that will help you understand how modern organisations work. This gives you the freedom to take your time deciding where in the business ecosystem you’ll fit best, be it as an entrepreneur, manager, or if you’re an experienced professional looking for a career change.

Related courses

What will the BA (Hons) Business Management (Top-Up) do for me?

As well as developing important soft skills, up-to-date knowledge of business functions, and career planning abilities, you’ll also be encouraged to develop a Personal Development Plan as you work through your degree. With support from our lecturers, this will help you track your progress and identify areas where you excel.

On the course, your assessments will be linked to real-world workplace issues and practices. Added to the benefits of our enterprise simulation software and Digital Business Hub, you’ll graduate with hands-on experience in problem solving and identifying areas for business growth – all highly desirable skills for today’s employers.

The BA (Hons) Business Management (Top-Up) will also give you the chance to:

Gain an in-depth understanding of contemporary business functions, with particular focus on the latest digital technologies.
Develop an analytical eye for important detail and through keen critical thinking abilities.
Become an expert problem solver, confident communicator, and informed leader.
Understand all levels of organisational structure and how to evaluate the positives and negatives of these with real-life case studies.
Begin to form a clearer idea of which aspects of business you enjoy learning about the most, and develop ideas about where your career path might lie.

What can I do after Arden University?

Your top up degree in business management will open up many opportunities across all aspects of the business sector. As you study with us you’ll have access to our dedicated career services portal, where you can access additional 'bolt-on' e-learning courses, employer presentations, and search for jobs worldwide. Of course, your course lecturers are always on-hand to provide advice and guidance when it come to your professional future. Just a few of the possible roles you might want to consider after graduation could include:

Business Analyst
New business owner
Project Manager
Data Analysist
Careers is AI & Machine Learning
Big Data Specialist
Digital Transformation Specialist
Digital Marketing Specialist
People manager

Industry skills

Chartered Management Institute (CMI)

This course awards a CMI Level 5 Certificate in Management & Leadership*

The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) promotes excellence in UK management and leadership. As the CMI possesses a Royal Charter, they are the only organisation in the UK that can award Chartered Manager status to their members – the gold standard in management. With 140,000 members, the institute aims to boost career development across the management sector and connect like-minded professionals.

As an Arden student, you’ll have free CMI Membership throughout your studies, giving you access to a range of additional resources including a mentoring service and invitations to networking events both online and offline.

*Upon completion of this CMI-accredited course, you will be awarded CMI Level 5 Certificate in Management & Leadership and gain Chartered Manager 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 CMI qualification and a clear pathway to full Chartered Manager status.

The Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs (IOEE)

This course awards the IOEE Professional Diploma in Enterprise and Entrepreneurship

The Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs (IOEE) is the first learning institute dedicated to developing and recognising enterprise and entrepreneurial skills. Arden University has been recognised as an IOEE Academy and our courses are accredited. This demonstrates our commitment to enterprise and equipping students with the skills needed to set up and run their own business, work in a small enterprise, or bring entrepreneurial skills to a larger organisation.

The Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM)

This course is accredited by the Institute of leadership and Management (ILM). That means you’ll graduate with a Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management, which costs up to £3,000 if pursued independently.

The ILM is a professional membership body for leaders and managers, with a mission of inspiring great leadership through qualifications, training, and cutting-edge research. The institute is a globally recognised mark of quality for its members and provides valuable insights through its vast industry links and publications.

As an Arden student, you’ll have free membership to the ILM throughout your studies, giving you access to over a thousand comprehensive learning resources, including webinars, videos, leadership assessment tools, a dedicated e-learning tool, careers advice, and networking opportunities.

Aligned to Salesforce and AWS Educate (Amazon)

During the course you will learn about some of the most prominent cloud-based tools used in business currently, allowing you to independently acquire certification from Salesforce and Amazon to add to your degree qualification. Certification from Salesforce and Amazon will help you understand how to process real time data and insights to create more meaningful relationships with your customers.

Business Graduates Association (BGA)

Arden University’s Faculty of Business is an esteemed member institution of the Business Graduates Association (BGA).

Arden Enterprise Incubator

As an Arden University student, you’ll have access to the Arden Enterprise Incubator (AEI) online platform to support you in the area of entrepreneurship. Whether students are exploring the idea of setting up their own company or need help and guidance launching or growing an existing business, the AEI provides everything students need to kick start their entrepreneurial journey, as well as to support and empower them along the way.

The AEI has a wealth of resources available including monthly master classes, boot camps, podcasts, blogs, external events, and mentorship. Mentors include Arden University lecturers and industry experts, so our students receive the very best support and expertise.

As an IOEE Centre of Excellence, we foster an entrepreneurial culture among our students. We are dedicated to supporting their continuous growth by promoting enterprising thinking and practical entrepreneurial skills.