Specialisms
You can concentrate your study in one or more subject
areas to gain the following specialisms : BA (Honours) Business Studies
with Accounting
with Economics
with French
with Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
with Law
with Spanish
with Systems Practice
more details below
See a list of undergraduate subjects
Registration information: To register for this qualification just select the course that you want to study first, then follow the procedures for registering for that course. You can ask us at any time to link courses that you have already studied towards it.
Once you complete this degree, you’ll have a general understanding of business organisations, their key elements, wider considerations such as environments, markets and processes, and how all these work together. You’ll be able to analyse how businesses develop strategies, handle risk and take decisions, and you’ll have an insight into essential business functions such as marketing, accounting and finance. You’ll have relevant and practical skills, in particular IT, numerical, study and thinking skills.
There are two main choices in the BA (Hons) Business Studies programme. You can gain a standard BA (Hons) Business Studies degree by taking three compulsory core courses, course options (you choose from a selection) and some free choice courses. Or, if you have an area of special interest, you can demonstrate this by combining another subject with your business studies degree. You can study any one of seven specialist options and attain a BA (Hons) Business Studies with ICT, Spanish, law, etc. See below or visit our BA (Hons) Business Studies website for more details.
While studying for an honours degree, you can achieve a Certificate in Business Studies or a Diploma in Business Studies along the way. You can pause or stop your studies at that point.
back to topTo gain this honours degree, you need 360 points, half of which are obtained by studying the three compulsory courses. 120 of the remaining points are gained by choosing two or more options from a list and the remaining 60 points can be gained by taking any OU Business School or OU courses that count towards an undergraduate degree.
If you decide to study one of the specialist options, then the course options are replaced by specified courses. The compulsory courses and your free choice of 60 points still apply.
If you have not previously studied at degree level, we strongly recommend that you start with an Openings or Level 1 course. Two Openings courses in particular make ideal starting points for this degree and can count towards your degree:
Understanding management (Y159) (10 points)
Understanding society (Y157) (10 points)
Any OU Business School or OU Level 1 course would also make a good starting point for this degree. B121 is the recommended place to start if you already hold a vocational qualification at level 3 with significant management elements level 3 (e.g. NVQ Level 3 in Management). Otherwise, we particularly recommend the Level 1 courses below. They could count towards your free choice courses or, if you choose the standard BA (Hons) Business Studies degree without a specialism, be part of your course options.
The BA (Hons) Business Studies has no set time frame for completion. Nevertheless each course contains deadlines and timetables that must be followed. Normally, only one 60-point course is taken per year. Programme rules state that a minimum of 60 points have to come from Level 3 courses. The courses can be taken in any order.
A few courses are ‘excluded combinations’ because their content overlaps. You are strongly advised to check the compatibility of your courses before making a commitment.
You can declare your intention to study for this degree when you register your place on individual courses, or you can ask us at any time to link courses that you have already studied towards the degree. This gives you the flexibility to delay your decision or to change your mind as your studies progress. You must include at least 120 points from OU courses that have not been counted in an OU diploma or other first degree you have been awarded.
back to topThis degree contributes to the career development of business studies graduates in two main ways. First, it develops not only cognitive skills – critical thinking, analysis, paraphrasing and evaluation – but also ICT skills, presentation skills and basic numeracy. Second, you will explore how business organisations think and work and develop your understanding of the function and contribution of such specialisms as marketing, HR, operations and finance. These skills and knowledge are recognised by employers as being of great value for work in management and business or in specialist areas concerned with offering guidance to managers – for example management consultancy or business journalism. The degree is an innovative and accessible introduction to the world of business that equips you to follow a number of career paths. (If you already have some personal knowledge and experience of managing in an organisation and are specifically interested in developing your management skills, a Professional Certificate in Management is also offered at undergraduate level.) Visit our careers website if you want to find out more about the process of career development, and about sources of careers information and guidance. Alternatively, contact the OU Business School Information Line on +44 (0) 845 366 6035.
There’s more information about the career relevance of degrees on the national HE Prospects website.
back to topIf you want a BA (Hons) Business Studies degree that shows you have concentrated your studies in one subject area, you must include the three compulsory courses listed above (B201, B203 and B300) and the courses listed below for the appropriate subject area. Any remaining points (maximum 60) can be from any OU courses that count towards a bachelor’s degree, bearing in mind the overall requirements for an honours degree.
back to top BA (Honours) Business Studies with Accounting |
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| Level 2 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
Course title |
Points |
Next start |
UK fee |
| Analysing data (M248) | 30 |
Feb 2009 |
£340 |
or the discontinued course BM240 |
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| Level 3 |
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Course title |
Points |
Next start |
UK fee |
| Certificate in accounting (B680) | 60 |
Sep 2009 |
- |
| Accounting for strategy implementation (B321) | 30 |
Nov 2009 |
- |
|
See Learning outcomes for more information on the educational aims, learning outcomes and teaching and assessment methods for this qualification. |
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back to top BA (Honours) Business Studies with Economics |
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| Level 2 |
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Course title |
Points |
Next start |
UK fee |
| Economics and economic change (DD202) | 60 |
Feb 2009 |
£610 |
| Level 3 |
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Course title |
Points |
Next start |
UK fee |
| Understanding economic behaviour: households, firms and markets (D319) | 60 |
Feb 2009 |
£795 |
|
See Learning outcomes for more information on the educational aims, learning outcomes and teaching and assessment methods for this qualification. |
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back to top BA (Honours) Business Studies with French |
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| Level 2 |
|||
Course title |
Points |
Next start |
UK fee |
| Envol: upper intermediate French (L211) (previously titled Nouvel envol) | 60 |
Feb 2009 |
£995 |
or the discontinued course LZX211 |
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| Level 3 |
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Course title |
Points |
Next start |
UK fee |
| Nouvelles mises au point (L310) or | 60 |
Feb 2009 |
£730 |
| Nouvelles mises au point (LZX310) | 60 |
Feb 2009 |
£730 |
|
See Learning outcomes for more information on the educational aims, learning outcomes and teaching and assessment methods for this qualification. |
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back to top BA (Honours) Business Studies with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) |
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| Level 2 |
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Course title |
Points |
Next start |
UK fee |
| Information and communication technologies: people and interactions (T209) | 60 |
Jan 2009 |
£690 |
| Level 3 |
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Course title |
Points |
Next start |
UK fee |
| Keeping ahead in information and communication technologies (T324) | 30 |
Feb 2009 |
£380 |
| Technologies for digital media (T325) | 30 |
Feb 2009 |
£380 |
the discontinued course T305 Digital communications |
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|
See Learning outcomes for more information on the educational aims, learning outcomes and teaching and assessment methods for this qualification. |
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back to top BA (Honours) Business Studies with Law |
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| Level 2 |
|||
Course title |
Points |
Next start |
UK fee |
| Understanding law (W200) | 60 |
Feb 2009 |
£1990 |
| Level 3 |
|||
Course title |
Points |
Next start |
UK fee |
| Law: agreements, rights and responsibilities (W300) | 60 |
Feb 2009 |
£1990 |
back to top BA (Honours) Business Studies with Spanish |
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| Level 2 |
|||
Course title |
Points |
Next start |
UK fee |
| Viento en popa: upper intermediate Spanish (L204) (previously titled Viento en popa: moving on in Spanish) or | 60 |
Feb 2009 |
£995 |
| Viento en popa: upper intermediate Spanish (LZX204) (previously titled Viento en popa) | 60 |
Feb 2009 |
£995 |
| Level 3 |
|||
Course title |
Points |
Next start |
UK fee |
| A buen puerto (L314) or | 60 |
Feb 2009 |
£730 |
| A buen Puerto (LZX314) | 60 |
Feb 2009 |
£730 |
|
See Learning outcomes for more information on the educational aims, learning outcomes and teaching and assessment methods for this qualification. |
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back to top BA (Honours) Business Studies with Systems Practice |
|||
| Level 2 |
|||
Course title |
Points |
Next start |
UK fee |
| Understanding systems: making sense of complexity (T214) | 60 |
Feb 2009 |
£610 |
Or the discontinued course T205 |
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| Level 3 |
|||
Course title |
Points |
Next start |
UK fee |
| Managing complexity: a systems approach (T306) | 60 |
Feb 2009 |
£610 |
|
See Learning outcomes for more information on the educational aims, learning outcomes and teaching and assessment methods for this qualification. |
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The learning outcomes of this qualification are described in four areas:
Read more detailed information about the learning outcomes, and how they are acquired through teaching, learning and assessment methods.
back to topIf you have already completed some successful study at higher education level at another institution we may be able to give you credit that you can count towards this Open University qualification. You can find out more on our Credit Transfer site. If you make a successful claim for transferred credit it may affect your choice of courses so you are advised to investigate this option as soon as possible.
Credit transfer details for this qualification:
back to topOn successful completion of the required number and type of courses you will be awarded a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Business Studies degree. Your honours degree will be classified either as first-class honours, upper second-class honours, lower second-class honours or third-class honours. The class of degree is determined by the best grades you achieve in a minimum of 120 and up to 240 points from those courses above Level 1 listed above. At least 120 of those points must come from courses at Level 3. You will have the opportunity to attend a degree ceremony to collect your award certificate.
back to topAs a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the Award Regulations and the Student Regulations.
The Student Regulations (including the Code of Practice for Student Assessment and the Code of Practice for Student Discipline) are available on our Policy Documents for Students website.
