HND in Business (Undergraduate)

The Edexcel BTEC Higher National qualifications in Business are designed to equip students with the knowledge, understanding and skills required for success in current and future employment or for progression to an undergraduate degree. These transferable skills will enable students to meet changing circumstances, whether these arise from a shift in their own sphere of employment, promotion to supervisory or management roles or from general changes in business practices and the business environment.

The qualifications have been developed to meet the needs of the major functions in business, hence the inclusion of the functional pathways (Finance, Marketing, Management, Personnel).

The pathway qualifications ensure professional progression through recognition by relevant professional bodies. The pathway qualifications also underpin much of the knowledge and understanding required for the relevant NVQ level 5 units in Accounting, Management and Personnel.

These qualifications provide:

• nationally recognised qualifications with detailed standards for centres, students and employers
• guidance for centres with their own quality assurance procedures
• a focus on independent learning and practical knowledge and skills. Such a focus highlights
• the need for a common core study with related functional pathways into employment, professional or academic progression
• a Business pathway which provides the flexibility for centres to devise units of study to meet local or specialist needs. The related functional pathways of Business and Finance, Business and Management, Business and Marketing and Business and Personnel have been identified on the basis of popular demand from prospective students, providers, employers and professional bodies
• for a modular approach which allows the aspirations of different students to be met.

Aims:
The Higher National qualifications in Business are designed to meet the following aims:

• to provide an educational foundation for a range of administrative and management careers in business
• to provide specialised studies directly relevant to individual vocations and professions in which students are working or intend to seek employment
• to enable students to make an immediate contribution in employment
• to provide flexibility, knowledge, skills and motivation as a basis for future studies and career development
• to develop students ability in business through effective use and combination of the knowledge and skills gained in different parts of the programme
• to develop a range of skills and techniques, personal qualities and attitudes essential for successful performance in working life.

Professional recognition:
The Higher National qualifications and especially the pathway qualifications have been developed with career progression and professional recognition in mind. It is essential that students gain the maximum benefit from their programme of study. Consequently, we have added value to the qualification by ascertaining recognition from professional bodies. The following list is just a sample of the bodies who recognise the Higher Nationals in Business:

• Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators
• Association of Chartered Certified Accountants
• Chartered Institute of Management Accountants
• Chartered Institute of Public Finance Accountants
• Institute of Financial Accountants
• Association of International Accountants
• Association of Accounting Technicians
• Chartered Institute of Marketing
• Institute of Personnel Development
• Institute of Legal Executives
• Chartered Institute of Bankers
• Chartered Insurance Institute
• Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply
• Management Charter Initiative.

Course structure:

Core Units:
1 - Marketing H1
2 - Managing Financial Resources and Decisions H1
3 - Organisations and Behaviour H1
4 - Business Environment H1
5 - Common Law I H1
6 - Business Decision Making H2
7 - Business Strategy H2
8 - Research Project

Eights specialist Units
13- Managing Professional Development
18- Advertising and Promotion
19- Marketing Planning
21- Human Resource Management
29- Introduction to the Internet and E- Business
30- Internet Marketing
43- Small Business Enterprise
59- Business Ethics

Duration of programme:
24 months - Fulltime

Start Date:
Feb, June and Oct