Higher National Diploma (HND) in Business

How is the course structured?

The HND Business consists of 14 modules each containing either one or two SQA units. The first five of these modules make up the HNC Business.

Module 1

Unit 1- Communication: Analysing and Presenting Complex Communication (1 credit)
This unit is about responding to and presenting complex business communication. Whilst studying this unit students will: analyse complex written business information, produce complex written business documents and organise and participate in a formal meeting.

Unit 2- I.T: Application Software 1 (1 credit)
This unit is designed to enable students to use Information Technology (IT) systems and applications independently to support a range of information processing activities. The unit is intended to develop a broad knowledge of the theoretical concepts, principles, boundaries and scope of IT applications. These activities will be centred on using software applications packages to meet complex information requirements while paying attention to security and the needs of other users.

Module 2

Unit 1- Managing People and Organisations (2 credits)
This unit is designed to enable students to gain an understanding of different approaches to managing an organisation in today’s dynamic and complex business environment. It will introduce students to current management theories to enable them to use these to evaluate organisational effectiveness.

Unit 2- Marketing: An Introduction (1 credit)
This unit is designed to provide students with a knowledge and understanding of marketing and its importance in organisations. This unit is also designed to develop students’ understanding of the marketing mix in the context of both products and services.

Module 3

Unit 1- Economic Issues: An Introduction (1 credit)
This unit introduces students to fundamental issues in economics with a particular emphasis on the business environment. Students will learn about the basic economic problem and how the consumer and other economic agents address this problem. Students are introduced to the operation of markets and actions that can be taken to help avoid market failure. The unit introduces the theory of National Income and the circular flow of income model.

Unit 2- IT in Business: Spreadsheets (1 credit)
This unit is designed to allow students to develop an understanding of spreadsheet design and how to use spreadsheet features and functions for practical and effective use. Students will be able to develop their knowledge of spreadsheets as a tool to help provide solutions to common business problems. In studying this unit, students will: create a spreadsheet design to provide solutions for a business scenario, present spreadsheet data in graphical form and interpret the results and provide solutions to a business scenario using spreadsheet statistical functions.

Module 4

Unit 1- Business Accounting (2 credits)
This unit is designed to enable students to develop their knowledge and understanding in the preparation and use of accounting information within a business organisation. Students will develop the skills required to prepare basic financial and management accounting reports and will also develop the skills, knowledge and understanding to enable them to interpret and use financial information for decision making.

Module 5

Unit 1- Business Culture and Strategy (2 credits)
This unit is designed to enhance students' understanding of business strategy and how it can be developed and managed within the culture of an organisation. It highlights the dynamic nature of the business environment and the role that business strategy and organisational culture can play in improving the long-term performance of an organisation.

Unit 2- Business Graded Unit 1 (1 credit)
This Graded Unit is designed to utilise and test the knowledge and skills gained throughout the HNC Business.

Module 6

Unit 1 - Behavioural Skills for Business (1 credit)
This unit is designed to enable students to explain what managerial behaviour in organisations involves and to analyse the behavioural skills which managers need in order to manage their own behaviour and to deal with others. It enables students to recognise the skills which managers need in order to behave effectively in situations which arise within a dynamic business environment.

Unit 2 - Creating a Culture of Customer Care (1 credit)
This unit is designed to enable students to recognise, develop and evaluate effective customer care within a work environment appropriate to his/her needs. Whilst studying this unit students will: discover how best to establish and maintain relationships with customers, analyse the need for empowerment within a customer care culture, and evaluate a customer care strategy for an organisation.

Module 7

Unit 1 - Business Law: An Introduction (1 credit)
This unit is designed to introduce students to the framework of law as it applies within the business environment. The unit will examine the sources of Scottish law, the contractual relationships between individuals, the contractual relationships between individuals and businesses, and the distinction between types of business relationships.

Unit 2 - Business Contractual Relationships (1 credit)
This unit is designed to develop students’ knowledge of the law as it applies within the business environment. The unit will examine consumer legislation, the law in employment and the Law of Obligations as it relates to the contractual relationships between the business, their customers and their employees.

Module 8

Unit 1 - Economics 1: Micro & Macro Theory and Application (1 credit)
This unit is designed to build on students’ knowledge of introductory economics and expose them to microeconomic and macroeconomic applications of theory. The unit allows the introduction of current issues in economics and provides an opportunity for candidates to analyse and evaluate these issues. In particular, students will study: market structures within which firms operate, the impact of unemployment and inflation and government macroeconomic policy.

Unit 2 - Economics 2: The World Economy (1 credit)
This unit introduces the world economy, the main focus being the key features of the global economic environment. It advances economic concepts and allows students to develop their research and analytical skills. The core economic issues that are focused on in this unit are trade, international payments, exchange rates and economies undergoing change.

Module 9

Unit 1 - Statistics for Business (1 credit)
This unit introduces students to statistical concepts and descriptive statistics used in business. The unit will provide candidates with the underpinning knowledge and skills required to use statistical and graphical techniques to address business problems using appropriate IT software.

Unit 2 - Preparing Financial Forecasts (1 credit)
This unit is designed to enable students to develop an understanding of the use of management accounting information within a business organisation. It provides candidates with the skills required to prepare basic management accounting reports. In addition, the unit will also enable students to learn the financial techniques used for making decisions in relation to costing and budgeting, pricing and investments.

Module 10

Unit 1 - Information and Communication Technology in Business (2 credits)
This unit is designed to develop students’ knowledge and skills in identifying, evaluating, managing and presenting business information to facilitate and influence decision-making. The unit requires students to consider the role of information in the decision-making process, evaluate data communications systems and ICT innovations, use planning and control tools for project management and use software application presentation tools to present findings and recommend actions.

Module 11

Unit 1 - Human Resource Management: An Introduction (1 credit)
This unit is designed to enable students to gain a holistic overview of how Human Resource Management can add value to an organisation. It is intended to develop knowledge of the role of Human Resource Management as a key function within organisations and also to develop understanding of the background to the development of the discipline of Human Resource Management.

Unit 2 - IT in Business: Advanced Word Processing (1 credit)
This unit is designed to allow students to develop and apply advanced word processing skills to assist in the production of business related documents. Students will be required to solve problems and make decisions relevant to a working environment. Tasks which students will undertake include: evaluating existing document processing procedures and explaining the importance of an organisational house style, creating pro-forma documents and macros to meet an agreed organisational house style, performing an advanced mail merge and applying advanced word processing skills to produce business documents to an organisational house style.

Module 12

Unit 1 - Presentation Skills (1 credit)
This unit is designed to develop the skills required for the advanced use of presentation software, including a range of multi-media, and to apply these skills to deliver effective presentations. Tasks which students will undertake include: evaluating a selection of business presentation methods appropriate to different presentation scenarios, preparing and evaluating a screen-based presentation on an agreed topic and delivering a screen-based presentation.

Unit 2 - Developing Personal Effectiveness (1 credit)
This unit is designed to enable students to develop the knowledge, skills and attributes which underpin personal effectiveness. It will provide them with the underpinning knowledge to audit their own personal effectiveness; equip them with the skills to create an action plan to develop their own personal effectiveness and provide them with a framework to implement and evaluate the action plan.

Module 13

Unit 1 - Marketing Research Theory (1 credit)
This unit is designed to enable students to demonstrate an understanding of the key theoretical concepts and ideas underpinning marketing research (students are not required to undertake marketing research as part of this unit). On completion of the unit students will have studied: the basic concepts and terms of marketing research, how to select and justify an appropriate qualitative research technique, how to design appropriate research instruments and select and justify an appropriate sampling technique.

Unit 2 - Marketing Research Applications (1 credit)
This unit builds on the Marketing Research Theory unit and is designed to enable the candidate to apply marketing research applications. Whilst studying this unit students will: conduct a qualitative research project, plan a research survey and process a research survey.

Module 14

Unit 1 - Business Graded Unit 2 (2 credits)
This Graded Unit is designed to provide evidence that students have met the principal aims of the HND Business.

In order to pass this unit students must submit an extended piece of project work which encompasses the three stages of planning, developing and evaluating. The graded unit draws on the skills and knowledge developed in the other HN units which make up the HND qualification.

Course Fees

Our aim is to provide you with the best deal available, therefore any registration fee, certification fee and full tutor support is included in the course price for you. The enrolment fee for the HNC Business home study course is £2812.5, though for a limited time we are offering you the opportunity to pay only £2250 which is a 20% discount if you enrol online and pay in full.