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Course type: Degree

Degree

Also known as an undergraduate or bachelors degree.

Internationally respected, universally understood.

An essential requirement for many high-level jobs.

Gain a thorough understanding of your subject – and the tools to investigate, think critically, form reasoned arguments, solve problems and communicate effectively in new contexts.

Progress to higher level study, such as a postgraduate diploma or masters degree.
Credits: 360

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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BA (Honours) Business and Economics

: Course code: R75

Curious about how businesses and economies shape the world? This fascinating degree blends business insight with economic understanding to explore the challenges facing organisations and societies today. You’ll study how businesses function, how markets operate, and how economic forces influence decisions – from local policies to global trade. Along the way, you’ll learn to interpret data, think critically, and communicate persuasively. Whether you're passionate about finance, sustainability, strategy or policy, you'll build the skills to lead, influence, and innovate. With a strong analytical mindset and practical expertise, you’ll be ready to thrive in a fast-moving business and economic landscape.

Key features

Course details

This degree has three stages, each comprising 120 credits.

You’ll start Stage 1 with an introduction to business and management and gain the necessary grounding in economics and personal finance.
Next, in Stage 2, you’ll study an organisation's essential functions and look at economics from macro and microeconomics perspectives.
Finally, in Stage 3, you’ll study strategic management and use theories in economics to analyse global issues.

You’ll explore key areas of business and management, starting with the question: ‘What is a business?’ You’ll also be introduced to core economic theories and begin developing essential financial skills, giving you a strong foundation for Stage 2.

Stage 1 modules
Modules	Credits
You'll study the following:
An introduction to business and management (B100)	60
Economics in context (DD126)	30
You and your money (DB125)	30

Stage 2 focuses on an organisation's essential functions and examines their key practices, processes, and contributions to an integrated approach to management. You’ll investigate various issues in economic theory, including economic policy and forecasting, market structures, international trade, inflation, and managing the national economy.

Stage 2 modules
Modules	Credits
You'll study the following:
Shaping business opportunities (B207)	60
Essential economics: macro and micro perspectives (D217)	60

Stage 3 begins with the fascinating world of strategy, looking at how organisations operate and implement strategic decisions. You’ll explore economic theories for analysing economic growth, inequality, market power, innovation, and the environment. You’ll also gain the skills to conduct a research project.

Stage 3 modules
Modules	Credits
Strategic management (B302)	60
Doing economics: inequalities, innovation and environment (DD320)	60

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 6 May 2025.

Accessibility

Our qualifications are as accessible as possible, and we have a comprehensive range of support services. Our BA (Honours) Business and Economics 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
Assessment in the form of short-answer questions, essays, and examinations
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
Accessing online databases
Specialist statistical software, such as Stata
Mathematical and scientific expressions, notations and associated techniques
Online tutorials
Group-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

Read the detailed learning outcomes here

Credit transfer

If you’ve already completed some university-level study somewhere else, you may be able to count it towards this 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. For more details and to download an application form, visit our Credit Transfer website.

Classification of your degree

On successfully completing this course, we’ll award you our BA (Honours) Business and Economics.

The class of honours (first, upper-second, lower-second or third) will depend on your grades at Stages 2 and 3.

You’ll have the opportunity to attend a degree ceremony.

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.

BA (Honours) Business and Economics

Entry requirements

There are no formal entry requirements for this qualification.

At The Open University we believe education should be open to all, so we provide a high-quality university education to anyone who wishes to realise their ambitions and fulfil their potential.

Even though there are no entry requirements, there are some skills that you’ll need to succeed. If you’re not quite ready for OU study we can guide you to resources that prepare you, many of which are free.

Answer a few quick questions to check whether you’re ready for study success

How much time do I need?

Most of our students study part time, completing 60 credits a year.
This will usually mean studying for 16–18 hours a week.

Find out if you have enough time to study with our time planner

Preparing for study with an Access module

Students who start their study with an Access module are more likely to be successful when they advance to Stage 1 of their qualification. They’re specially designed to give you a gentle introduction to OU study, boost confidence in your study skills, and help you gain a broad overview of your chosen subject area.

You’ll also benefit from:

feedback from your tutor through regular one-to-one phone tutorials
support from a dedicated team throughout your study
detailed written feedback on your work.

The Access module we’d recommend studying in preparation for this qualification is our:

Psychology, social science and wellbeing Access module

What you will study

This multidisciplinary module provides an excellent introduction to studying with The Open University; you'll get to cover a wide range of subject areas, including psychology, childhood and youth studies, health and social care, wellbeing, sport, education and social sciences.

View full details of Psychology, social science and wellbeing Access module

Y034

Business and law Access module

What you will study

This multidisciplinary module provides an excellent introduction to studying with The Open University as you'll use printed and online materials to cover a wide range of topics in law and business.

View full details of Business and law Access module

Y035

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

You’ll develop strong analytical and critical thinking skills, enabling you to interpret economic data, assess business challenges, and make informed decisions. You’ll also gain expertise in statistical methods, economic modelling, and software tools to analyse market trends and policy impacts. The course enhances problem-solving abilities, strategic decision-making, and risk management skills while fostering a deep understanding of business operations and their societal impact. By exploring the interactions between organisations, markets, and economies, you’ll be equipped to tackle real-world challenges and apply economic principles effectively in diverse professional and personal contexts.

Career relevance

The skills and knowledge gained from this degree can open doors to various career paths. Business and economics graduates are well-equipped for roles in:

middle and senior management across sectors
regulation, governance and compliance
contract management
data analysis
economic analysis
accountancy
human resources
policy advice and development
sales and retail
management consultancy

Accreditation

The Open University Business School is also one of the few institutions worldwide that is triple-accredited by the Association of MBAs (AMBA), the European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS) and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). 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 highly value business and economics graduates because they possess a unique combination of analytical, strategic, and problem-solving skills essential for navigating today’s complex economic and business environment. Many graduate roles, particularly in business, management consultancy and the public sector, are open to graduates from any discipline, offering a wide range of career possibilities.

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 beyond your degree.

accountant
actuary
business development officer
civil servant

contracts manager
corporate governance officer
data analyst
financial analyst

investment banker
policy advisor
regulatory affairs specialist
risk analyst

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

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