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Course type: Certificate

Certificate

Widely recognised qualification.

Equivalent to the first third of an honours degree.

Study for interest or career development.

Shows that you can study successfully at university level.

Count it towards further qualifications such as a foundation degree, DipHE or honours degree.
Credits: 120

Credits

Credits measure the student workload required for the successful completion of a module or qualification.

One credit represents about 10 hours of study over the duration of the course.

You are awarded credits after you have successfully completed a module.

For example, if you study a 60-credit module and successfully pass it, you will be awarded 60 credits.
How long it takes
Study method: Distance learning
Entry requirements: Find out more about; Entry requirements

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Certificate of Higher Education in Business Management

: Course code: T27

This flexible qualification starts with you: where you are now, and where you want to be in the future. Taking a practical approach that’s grounded in your own experience, you’ll be introduced to the essentials of business and management, the context in which businesses and other organisations operate, and their common aims and characteristics. This includes learning about the ethical and legal responsibilities that businesses have, and the global context which impacts businesses of all sizes. You’ll also encounter work-based learning issues that are particularly relevant to your current role.

Key features

Tailor your study according to your interests and professional needs with options including communication skills, personal finance or mathematics
Examine case studies from international companies to enhance your learning by using real world situations
Builds a solid foundation for further study focusing on leadership practice, accounting, economics, innovation and enterprise or marketing

A nationally recognised qualification in its own right, this certificate of higher education is also equivalent to the first third of the BA (Honours) Business Management (Q91).

Course type

Certificate

Credits

120

How long it takes

Part-time study – 2 years

Full-time study – 1 years

Time limit – 7 years

Study method

Distance learning

Entry requirements

Find out more about Entry requirements

Ask a question

Course details

This business and management certificate has one stage comprising 120 credits.

You’ll study an introductory business and management module and choose from a range of modules according to your interests now or the route you might want to progress onto with one of our diplomas of higher education or degrees.

You’ll begin with a broad and engaging introduction to the fundamentals of business and management in its global context. This includes exploring the business functions of accounting, finance, human resource management, and marketing. You’ll then study 60 credits from one of the following routes:

Broad study of business management
Economics
Innovation and enterprise
Leadership practice
Marketing
Accounting

Stage 1 modules
Modules	Credits
You'll study the following:
An introduction to business and management (B100)	60

Broad study of business management; Economics; Innovation and enterprise; Leadership practice; and Marketing routes

Broad study of business management; Economics; Innovation and enterprise; Leadership practice; and Marketing routes
Modules	Credits
You'll complete your certificate with 60 credits from:
Business data analytics and decision making (B126)	30
Communication skills for business and management (LB170)	30
Design thinking: creativity for the 21st century (U101)	60
Discovering mathematics (MU123)	30
Economics in context (DD126)	30
Fundamentals of accounting (B124)	30
Introducing statistics (M140)	30
Making your learning count (YXM130)	30
Marketing essentials (B128)	30
You and your money (DB125)	30

Accounting route

Accounting route
Modules	Credits
You'll study the following:
Fundamentals of accounting (B124)	30
You’ll also choose one from:
Business data analytics and decision making (B126)	30
You and your money (DB125)	30

We regularly review our curriculum; therefore, the qualification described on this page – including its availability, its structure, and available modules – may change over time. If we make changes to this qualification, we’ll update this page as soon as possible. Once you’ve registered or are studying this qualification, where practicable, we’ll inform you in good time of any upcoming changes. If you’d like to know more about the circumstances in which the University might make changes to the curriculum, see our Academic Regulations or contact us. This description was last updated on 18 March 2025.

Accessibility

Our qualifications are as accessible as possible, and we have a comprehensive range of support services. Our Certificate of Higher Education in Business Management uses a variety of study materials and includes the following elements:

Online study – most modules are online; some have a mix of printed and online material. Online learning resources could include websites, audio/video, and interactive activities
Pre-determined schedules – we’ll help you to develop your time-management skills
Feedback – continuous assessment includes feedback from your tutor and using this to improve your performance
Using and producing diagrams and screenshots
Finding external/third-party material online
Specialist software, such as OpenDesignStudio and CompendiumDS.
Mathematical and scientific expressions, notations and associated techniques
Online tutorials
Group-work
Practical work

Every module has its own Accessibility Statement with more detailed accessibility information – you’ll find these on individual module descriptions. Visit our Disability support page to learn about our services.

Learning outcomes, teaching and assessment

This qualification develops your learning in four main areas:

Knowledge and understanding
Cognitive skills
Practical and professional skills
Key skills

The level and depth of your learning gradually increases as you work through the qualification. You’ll be supported throughout by the OU’s unique style of teaching and assessment – which includes a personal tutor to guide and comment on your work; top quality course texts; elearning resources like podcasts, interactive media and online materials; tutorial groups and community forums.

Read the detailed learning outcomes here

Credit transfer

If you have already studied at university level, you may be able to count it towards your Open University qualification – which could save you time and money by reducing the number of modules you need to study. At the OU we call this credit transfer.

It’s not just university study that can be considered, you can also transfer study from a wide range of professional or vocational qualifications such as HNCs and HNDs.

You should apply for credit transfer before you register, at least 4 weeks before the registration closing date. We will need to know what you studied, where and when and you will need to provide evidence of your previous study.

For more details of when you will need to apply by and to download an application form, visit our Credit Transfer website.

On completion

On successfully completing this course, we’ll award you our Certificate of Higher Education in Business Management.

International recognition

If you intend to use your Open University qualifications to seek work or undertake further study outside the UK, we recommend checking whether your intended qualification will meet local requirements for your chosen career. Find out more about international recognition of Open University qualifications.

Regulations

As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the qualification-specific regulations below and the academic regulations that are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.

Certificate of Higher Education in Business Management

Entry requirements

Fees and funding

How you'll study

How will I study this course?

With our unique approach to distance learning, you can study from home, work or on the move.

You’ll have some assessment deadlines to meet, but otherwise, you’ll be free to study at the times that suit you, fitting your learning around work, family, and social life.

For each of your modules, you’ll use either just online resources or a mix of online and printed materials.

Each module you study will have a module website with

a week-by-week study planner, giving you a step-by-step guide through your studies
course materials such as reading, videos, recordings, and self-assessed activities
module forums for discussions and collaborative activities with other students
details of each assignment and their due dates
a tutorial booking system, online tutorial rooms, and your tutor’s contact details
online versions of some printed module materials and resources.

If you have additional needs, we can also provide most module materials in alternative formats. Find out more about materials on our accessibility webpage.

Tutor support

You’ll have a tutor for each module, who will introduce themselves before the module begins.

Throughout the module, they will:

mark your assignments and give feedback to help you improve
guide you to learning resources
support you, whether with general study skills or help with a specific topic.

Tutorials

Tutorials usually take place online, and they’re always optional.

Online tutorials are live presentations with module tutors in dedicated online tutorial rooms and are sometimes recorded.

Assessment

Our assessments are all designed to reinforce your learning and help you show your understanding of the topics. The mix of assessment methods will vary between modules.

Computer-Marked Assignments

Usually, a series of online, multiple-choice questions.

Tutor-Marked Assignments

You’ll have a number of these throughout each module, each with a submission deadline.
They can be made up of essays, questions, experiments or something else to test your understanding of what you have learned.
Your tutor will mark and return them to you with detailed feedback.

End-of-Module Assessments

The final, marked piece of work on most modules.
Modules with an end-of-module assessment won’t usually have an exam.

Exams

Some modules end with an exam. You’ll be given time to revise and prepare.
You’ll be given your exam date at least 5 months in advance.
Most exams take place remotely, and you will complete them at home or at an alternative location.
If a module has an in-person exam (that you must take at one of our exam centres) or is invigilated online, we’ll make this clear in the module description.

Progressing to a point where I felt more comfortable writing my assignments, and having my scores reflecting that, made me quite happy because it showed the hard work was being rewarded.
Patrick ‘Ricky’ Skene, BSc (Hons) Sport, Fitness and Coaching

Other support and resources

Throughout your studies, you’ll have access to our subject-specific Student Support Teams.

They’ll help you with any general questions about your study and updates to your OU account.

To help with your studies, you’ll also have access to:

our online library, with high-quality online resources to support your study
other university libraries in the UK and Ireland
the online Help Centre, which has general information about OU study and support, along with study skills advice
free Microsoft Office 365 software
IT and computing support from our Computing Helpdesk.

Find out more about student support and being a part of the OU community.

Careers

Skills for career development

The skills and knowledge you’ll develop by studying this certificate are recognised by employers as having great value for work in management and related business professions – such as marketing, finance and HR – in a variety of business sectors. The compulsory business and management module will have immediate career relevance, helping you understand the context in which you're working and the impact that you can have. This certificate also contributes to career development by building your cognitive skills – writing, critical thinking, analysis and evaluation – as well as ICT, presentation and basic numeracy skills.

Career relevance

The skills and knowledge you’ll develop by studying this qualification will equip you to follow a number of career paths, and are recognised by employers as having great value for work in management and business. A qualification in business management can lead to opportunities in a wide range of areas such as:

middle and senior management positions across all sectors
advertising and marketing
human resources
banking, including investment banking
sales and retail
management consultancy
business journalism
transport and logistics.

Accreditation

The Open University Business School is one of the few institutions worldwide that are triple-accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) the EMFD Quality Improvement System (EQUIS), and Association of MBAs (AMBA) These are internationally recognised quality standards which independently validate the quality of the School’s teaching, research and operations. The School undergoes regular reviews to ensure that standards are maintained and has successfully retained its triple accredited status since 2004. This qualification is accredited through inclusion in these reviews.

Other careers

Employers are keen to utilise the commercial awareness that people with business and management skills offer, as increasing globalisation and continual changes in technology, communications, financial services and distribution of goods and services open up new business opportunities. This awareness can also lead to opportunities in specialist areas concerned with offering guidance to managers, such as management consultancy or business journalism.

Exploring your options

Once you register with us (and for up to three years after you finish your studies), you’ll have full access to our careers service for a wide range of information and advice. This includes online forums, website, interview simulation, vacancy service as well as the option to email or speak to a careers adviser. Some areas of the careers service website are available for you to see now, including help with looking for and applying for jobs. You can also read more general information about how OU study enhances your career.

In the meantime if you want to do some research around this qualification and where it might take you, we’ve put together a list of relevant job titles as a starting point. Some careers may require further study, training and/or work experience.

business development officer
recruitment consultant
e-marketing executive
publicity officer
risk analyst

advertising account manager
management consultant
business journalist
accountant
human resources manager

sales and retail manager
business analyst
area manager
logistics manager
marketing manager.

Register for this course

Start dates

Oct 2025 - Registration closes 11/09/2025
Feb 2026 - Registration closes 08/01/2026

Credit transfer: apply by 14/08/2025

Credit transfer: apply by 04/12/2025

Request your Business and Management prospectus

Our prospectuses help you choose your course, understand what it's like to be an OU student and register for study.

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