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Starting or changing your career

Does your career need direction or a change of direction?

If it does then discover where your future lies with an Open University Business School foundation course or qualification; there's an exciting choice of courses to help a career start or career change.

There are two main things to consider:

  1. Whether you need a foundation course in business generally or in a particular area or profession.
  2. What level of qualification you should aim for.

Business Studies

To get you started on a rewarding career in a commercial organisation you should consider our business studies options.

An introduction to business studies explains what a business is all about and can be used as a building block towards several qualifications, such as:

A Foundation Degree (FD) takes about 4 years of part-time study. This will be recognised by your employer as proof of your ability to contribute to business success.

By studying part-time for a further two years you could earn the right to put B.A. (Bachelor of Arts Honours) after your name.

General management

Understanding management introduces you to the skills and techniques of being a manager or team leader. It takes only three months and leads on to valued management qualifications such as:

Specialist qualifications

We can give you the tools to make your mark in:

Retail

Financial Services

You can find out if you’re suited to financial services by taking the three month part-time courses, Introduction to financial services or Introduction to bookkeeping and accounting. Foundation Degrees take about 4 years of part-time study.

Law

The Law degree will take about 6 years and will qualify you to be a solicitor or barrister in England and Wales. If you are considering a law career, there’s a three month introductory course, Starting with law, which will help you make up your mind.

Professional skills courses

If you’re not seeking a qualification but would like to acquire a basic professional or business skill quickly, look through our range of flexible online CPD  courses. There’s almost a hundred ranging from New Managers Toolkit to Social marketing.

Further information

See our suggested qualification routes to find out where your new qualification could lead.

For more career advice online, visit the OU Careers Advisory Service.

Read the stories of students who have changed their lives by studying with the OU Business School.

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