Business and Management (Top-Up)

The highlights

• Gain a BSc degree in only one-two years of online study, provided you meet the entry requirements
• All the teaching and learning is online, so you can fit studying around your existing commitments
• Receive an extra professional qualification in addition to the academic degree, for no extra work or cost
• The curriculum has been updated so it covers the most recent trends, opportunities, and challenges in business management
• Network with students from all over the world and from a wide range of professional and cultural backgrounds. This will widen your perspective on the most contemporary business matters

Take your career to the next level

This online Top-Up route to a BSc (Hons) Business and Management is ideal for both aspiring and experienced managers, who are ready to take their career to the next level. A BSc provides formal recognition of high-level knowledge and understanding, as well as intellectual, subject specific and transferable skills.

If you don’t have the necessary qualifications or experience to get on to this Top-Up route, please take a look at our full online BSc (Hons) Business and Management instead.

This Top-Up programme focuses on the following:

• Strengthening your leadership and management capabilities
• Developing your specialist knowledge and understanding through optional modules
• Building transferable skills such as digital literacy, innovation and an awareness of multiple worldviews and business cultures
• Enabling you to learn more about a business and management topic you are interested in, by conducting an in-depth independent research project

With a curriculum that has been recently refreshed, this future-focused Top-Up covers highly relevant topics such as:

• Strategic management issues, strategic decision-making and leadership
• The management of resources in an organisation, particularly during change
• Different stakeholder needs within different situations
• Moral, ethical, cultural, and sustainability issues in managing a business
• Creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship

Blending theory and practice

Having recently refreshed our curriculum, we will provide you with cutting-edge content that introduces you to the most recent trends, opportunities, and challenges in business management. You will explore these through practical work and by looking at current research, new approaches, and management thinking. You will also hear the diverse professional experiences of other students on the programme.

In this way, we continuously encourage you to apply the theory you learn on this course to real business environments, including your own, if you are working.

Global insights for global careers

The course encourages an international outlook. We’ll explore contemporary international business issues, and consider cultural, ethical, and professional practice across a range of international contexts. In addition, listening to and learning from your fellow students - who come from all over the world and from a range of professional and cultural backgrounds - will help you see situations and issues from different perspectives.

All of this will enable you to work for businesses operating in a range of cultural and economic contexts, from small enterprises to large multinationals.

Two qualifications from one course

This online business and management Top-Up degree is accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI): a professional body in the UK dedicated to promoting the highest standards in management and leadership.

This accreditation provides a dual award, which means that alongside the BSc (Hons) Business and Management degree, you will also gain the CMI Level 5 Diploma in Management and Leadership or the CMI Level 5 Certificate when you graduate, as well as the BSc (Hons) Business and Management. This is subject to you passing the following modules*:

This combination of academic and professional qualifications will give you the advantage when looking for your next career move. It also enables you to access a range of CMI membership benefits.

Apply for exemptions

Previous qualifications

You may be able to apply for exemptions from some of our modules if you have already completed a Level 6 diploma in one of the following courses:

• ABE Level 6 Diploma in Business Management
• ABE Level 6 Diploma in Business Management and Marketing
• ATHE Level 6 Diploma in Business and Administrative Management
• ATHE Level 6 Extended Diploma in Management

You can find out more in our Exemptions section.

Previous learning or experience

Have you already studied at another institution, completed a training course, or does your work experience appear equivalent to one or more modules of this course? If so, you may be able to translate this prior learning into credits towards your course modules, so you don’t have to study them again.

For this BSc Top-Up, you can apply for credits of up to 50% for each stage. You can find out more in our recognition of prior learning section.

*Please note, only the modules studied on this course are counted towards the CMI accreditation. If you have been granted an exemption for any of the three modules listed as part of RPL (recognition of prior learning), you will not qualify for the CMI Diploma. Depending on the exemption, you may qualify for the CMI Level 5 Certificate.

You can view the study plan for this online course.

If we have insufficient numbers of students interested in an optional module, this may not be offered. In addition, where demand is high, some modules may be subject to a cap.

To achieve the top-up degree you will need to compete a total of 120 credits made up from the core modules and optional 20-credit modules.

Please note that our modules are subject to change - we review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects.

This course is delivered entirely online, so you can study from anywhere in the world and fit your studies around your existing work or personal commitments. We use a Virtual Learning Environment to deliver this course, which offers you a highly interactive experience.

You will learn through:

• Your own online study and research, which you can choose to do at times that suit you
• Live, interactive sessions delivered by a module tutor, which are also recorded and available to watch later
• Pre-recorded videos delivered by members of the academic team, which are available to watch at any time
• Discussion boards, which enable you to work with other students on activities, or discuss a particular topic with fellow students and tutors
• Guest lectures delivered by industry specialists, alumni, or CMI representatives, which will provide you with current insights

Support for your learning

You will get plenty of support, so if you are new to online learning or haven’t studied for a while, you don’t need to worry. You will be taught by our expert academics, who bring a wealth of experience and specialist knowledge to enrich your learning. There will also be a team of online learning advisors who will help you with any non-academic queries.

Pace of study

The academic year is made up of three, ten-week terms, known as trimesters. We recommend doing about 20 hours of study each week to complete one, 20-credit module over a trimester.

If you want to complete the course faster, you can choose to take our accelerated study plan. For this, you will need to study two modules in one trimester, which would mean about 40 hours of study each week. Think carefully before you choose the accelerated rate - it’s important that you have enough time to fully engage with your studies and produce the best work that you can. We often advise that you start by studying one module at the standard rate, before deciding whether to then increase to the accelerated rate of study.

Assessments

All your assessments will be coursework. Assignments vary so that you can develop a range of skills, but they may include essays, reports, projects, answering questions or various combinations of these submitted as a portfolio of work. Wherever appropriate, we try to ensure assignments bring in real-life business case studies or your own professional experiences.

Assignments may involve discussions with fellow students, but you will always be assessed individually.

All the resources you need to complete these assessments will be available electronically via our library, such as ebooks and journal articles.

Don't just take our word for it...

Graduate Tyra Johl talks about her time as a student with University of Derby Online Learning.

Student support and guidance

Whilst we encourage our students to become independent, life-long learners, we also recognise that offering the right support and guidance will help you to achieve your goals. There is a wealth of support available to you at the University, from your dedicated Personal Tutor and Online Learner Advisor, through to our:

• Library
• Health and Wellbeing Centre
• Careers and Employability Service
• IT Support
• Union of Students

All these services, and more, are available to you as an online student at the University of Derby.

Get a taste of the course content

Our Business and Management (Top-Up) BSc (Hons) course taster will give you an idea of how online learning works. It includes a selection of content from a course module so you can see what some of our learning material looks like.

You will need to complete a short form to access the course taster.

You will need to have a HND, foundation degree or equivalent qualification in a business-related field or 240 credits from a business-related qualification. Other professional business qualifications that equate to a HND level may be considered eg BTEC level 5, CMI level 5, Edexcel level 5, CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants).

Exemptions

If you have already completed a relevant ABE Level 6 Diploma in Business Management, an ABE Level 6 Diploma in Business Management and Marketing, ATHE Level 6 Diploma in Business and Administrative Management or the ATHE Level 6 Extended Diploma in Management, you will be eligible for module exemptions on this Business and Management BSc (Hons) course.

ABE qualification exemptions

*Note: Students with this module exemption will not be eligible for the CMI Level 5 Diploma but will be eligible for the CMI Level 5 Certificate.

ATHE qualification exemptions

*Note: Students with this module exemption will not be eligible for the CMI Level 5 Diploma but will be eligible for the CMI Level 5 Certificate.

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, origins, countries of residence and walks of life, as long as you can be considered adequately prepared to complete the course. This can be proved either by relevant academic and/or professional qualifications and/or business experience.

If you have experience of working in a business environment, we can take this into account. For example, you may be eligible for the direct entry at Stage 3 (Level 6) if you have significant proven managerial experience; this enables you to complete the course in one year on the accelerated route, or in two years following a standard route. Our Admissions Tutor would consider the supporting documents (e.g., CV, personal statement, recommendation letters, etc) to determine how relevant your work experience is and suggest an appropriate entry level.

English language qualifications

If English is not your first language, or you have not successfully completed your highest level of qualification in English, you will need an English language qualification. For this course you will need at least one of the following:

• IELTS (International English Language Testing System) 6.0
• TOEFL 550 (paper based) 213 (computer based) or 80 (internet based)
• Pearson Test of Academic English: 51
• Cambridge Advanced Certificate: Pass
• London Tests of English: we accept level 4 for undergraduate courses
• International GCE O-level English Language: Grade C
• International GCSE English/English as a Second Language: Grade C

Find out more about our English language requirements

^‡2024/25 for new entrants

Starting between September 2024 and August 2025.

2025/26 for new entrants

Starting between September 2025 and August 2026.

About your fees

This figure would be the total cost of this course based on the fee in the current academic year. However, please note that fees normally increase in line with inflation and the University's strategic approach to fees, which is reviewed on an annual basis. The total fee you pay may therefore increase if your course lasts longer than one year.

If you are required to undertake any associate study or additional study as a condition of your offer for the programme, please be aware that the cost for this may be in addition to the programme cost stated above.

Flexible payment plans available

Choose from two payment plan options:

• Pay monthly and only for the modules you are studying

• Pay your full course fees upfront and avoid annual increases

Undergraduate funding options

Depending on where you are from in the UK or EU, and on your pace of study, you may be eligible for an undergraduate student loan. Accessible through Student Finance, this is a non-income based loan to meet the cost of tuition fees.

If you are considering applying for a student loan, please also see our additional guidance on Loans for Online Students.

If you already hold an honours degree, and you are looking to re-skill or up-skill, you may still be eligible for a loan to study this course.

Apply directly to the University.

Apply now

For support with completing your application, view our guide to the application process.

Documents to support your application

In order for your application to be assessed, you will need to provide the following documents when you apply:

• Official photo identification such as a passport or driving licence
• Current CV
• Copies of certificates and transcripts or a letter of testimony for previous qualifications*

*Documents not in English or Welsh must be accompanied by a certified translation by a professional translator/translation company. Each translation must contain:

• Confirmation from the translator that it is an accurate translation of the original document
• The date of the translation
• The full name and signature of the translator, or an authorised official of the company
• The translator’s contact details

A list of approved translators can be found on the UK Government website.

Please note: failure to submit any documentation when requested, may result in your application being withdrawn.

Application deadlines

All of our online courses have set start dates throughout the year. We require time to review your application and get back to you with a response before your course starts. Take a look at information regarding applying for an online course to see full details of deadlines and term dates.

This online BSc (Hons) Business and Management Top-Up is designed for people who aspire to be managers in any industry and in any country.

You will graduate with:

• strengthened leadership and management capabilities
• an in-depth understanding of how major functions and processes in business management relate to each other
• specialist knowledge related to the optional modules you take, and
• improved research, data management, critical analysis and writing skills

As a result, you will become a more confident and competent business manager, with both an academic and professional (CMI) qualification to your name.

If you gain the extra CMI qualification, it will enable you to take a fast-track route to Chartered Manager status: the highest status that can be achieved in the management and leadership profession in the UK.

We will also help you to develop a wide range of important transferable skills, including:

• information literacy and digital literacy skills
• learning, team working, and innovation skills
• awareness of multiple worldviews and business cultures
• self-direction and the ability to adapt to change

If you want to progress onto postgraduate qualifications afterwards, you could consider programmes like the online MBA Global, online MSc Strategic Management or online MSc Sustainability and Environmental Management.

Utilise our Careers and Employment Service​

Whilst you are a student at the University of Derby, and for 3 years after you graduate, our Careers and Employment Service can assist you with job search advice, CV creation, workshops and events, as well as one-to-one appointments with employment advisers to help with career planning and interview preparation.

Contact us

Contact the University of Derby Online Learning:

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