Fast Track A level in Business Studies (Full AS+A2)

AS Business Studies
Why choose Business Studies?
The course has been designed to provide students with an understanding of the following: how businesses work; how the world around them affects decision-making within a business; what leads to change and how businesses respond to these issues; and the range of perspectives that can be taken on business activities.

It also helps develop a range of important and transferable skills: data skills; presenting arguments and making recommendations on the basis of the available evidence; and problem solving.

The Course
The course is divided into two units, each of which is divided into several lessons. All of the lessons have references to the textbook and selected websites. At the end of each lesson is a set of self-check questions. After studying the lesson you should be able to answer these questions. If you struggle with any of them, go back and re-read the relevant section. There are also a number of assignments. At various points you will be asked to complete one of the assignments and send it to your tutor for marking.

Each unit corresponds to a unit as set out in the syllabus and an examination. The lessons also correspond to sections of the units in the syllabus. It is important that you will study the lessons in the right sequence. However you should be aware that business studies is very much an integrated subject – try and see the links between topics as you go along, and remember that this is certainly something the examiner will expect.

The units are divided up as follows:

Unit 1- Planning and Financing a Business
Starting and Business:

Enterprise
Generating and protecting business ideas
Transforming resources into goods and services
Developing business plans
Conducting start up market research
Understanding markets
Choosing the right legal structure for the business
Raising finance
Locating the business
Employing people
Financial Planning:

Calculating costs
Using Break-even analysis to make decisions
Using cash flow forecasting
Setting budgets
Assessing business start- ups
Unit 2 - Managing a Business
Finance:

Using budgets
Improving cash flow
Measuring and increasing profit
People in Business:

Organisational structures
Measuring the effectiveness of the workforce
Developing an effective workforce
Motivating employees
Operations Management:

Making operational decisions
Developing quality
Customer service
Working with suppliers
Using technology in operations
Marketing and the Competitive Environment:

Effective marketing
Designing the marketing mix
Marketing mix: product
Marketing mix: promotion
Marketing mix: pricing
Marketing mix: place
Marketing and competitiveness
The full syllabus can be found on the AQA exam board website at www.aqa.org.uk, together with other useful material such as example exam papers. (The syllabus used is the one that is new in 2008 – please make sure you look at this rather than the previous syllabus).

Recommended Textbook
Although the course material provides explanations of the whole syllabus you are strongly advised to purchase a copy of the following AS level textbook:

Hall, Jones and others, Business Studies, AS (AQA) 4th edition, (2008), Causeway Press. ISBN 978-1-4058-9220-9

Sections of the book will be set out as recommended reading in places within the course material.

Studying Business Studies
Business studies is a contemporary and “real world” subject. Business studies students can benefit greatly from drawing on experience of employment, experience as consumers and what they see in the media.

Students need to have gcse level mathematics skills to do well on the course. There is no difficult mathematics but there is a need to have a go at interpreting figures and performing simple calculations.

Unit 1 – BUSS1
Planning and Financing a Business
40% of AS, 20% of A Level

1 hour 15 minutes examination
60 marks

Short answer questions and extended responses based on a mini case study.

Available January and June

Unit 2 – BUSS2
Managing a Business
60% of AS, 30% of A Level

1 hour 30 minutes examination
80 marks

Compulsory, multi-part data response questions. Available January and June

A2 Business Studies
The Course
The course is divided into two units, each of which is divided into several lessons. All of the lessons have references to the textbook and selected websites. At the end of each lesson is a set of self-check questions. After studying the lesson you should be able to answer these questions. If you struggle with any of them, go back and re-read the relevant section. There are also a number of assignments. At various points you will be asked to complete one of the assignments and send it to your tutor for marking.

Each unit corresponds to a unit as set out in the syllabus and an examination. The lessons also correspond to sections of the units in the syllabus. It is important that you study the lessons in the right sequence. However you should be aware that business studies is very much an integrated subject – try and see the links between topics as you go along, and remember that this is certainly something the examiner will expect. The knowledge and understanding contained in AS units is also assessed through the A2 course – do not see these AS units as wholly separate.

The units are divided up as follows:

Unit 3 - Strategies for Success
Functional Objectives and Strategies:

Using objectives and strategies
Financial Strategies and Accounts:

Understanding financial objectives
Using financial data to measure and assess performance
Interpreting accounts
Selecting financial strategies
Making investment decisions
Marketing Strategies:

Understanding marketing objectives
Analysing markets
Selecting marketing strategies
Developing marketing plans
Operational Strategies:

Understanding operational objectives
Operational strategies: scale and resource
Operational strategies: innovation
Operational strategies: location
Operational strategies: lean production
Human Resource Strategies:

HR objectives and strategies
Developing and implementing workforce plans
Competitive organisational structures
Effective employee/employer relations
Unit 4 - The Business Environment and Managing Change
Corporate aims and objectives:

Mission, Aims and Objectives
Changes in the Business Environment:

Businesses and economics
Businesses and the political and legal environment
Businesses and the social environment
Businesses and the technological environment
Businesses and the competitive environment
Managing Change:

Internal causes of change
Planning for change
Key influences on change
Making strategic decisions
Implementing and managing change
Studying Business Studies
Business studies is a contemporary and “real world” subject. Business studies students can benefit greatly from drawing on experience of employment, experience as consumers and what they see in the media. Students need to have gcse level mathematics skills to do well on the course. There is no difficult mathematics but there is a need to have a go at interpreting figures and performing simple calculations.

Unit 3 - BUSS3
Strategies for Success

25% of A Level
1 hour 45 minutes examination
80 marks

Questions requiring extended answers based on an unseen case study drawing upon knowledge from AS units.

Available January and June

Unit 4 – BUSS4
The Business Environment and Managing Change

25% of A Level
1 hour 45 minutes examination
80 marks

Pre-release research tasks leading to the first section of a two section examination.

The second section will consist of choice of essays. All questions will be essay style and synoptic therefore drawing upon knowledge from all four units.

Entry Requirements
Basic English reading and writing skills, as full tutor support is given.

Study Hours
Approximately 300 hours.

Qualification
AS/A2 - A level in Business Studies. Both AS and A2 level courses and examinations must be successfully completed to gain a full A level.

Specification: AQA (Full A Level) 2130, AQA (AS) 1131 and AQA (A2) 2131

What's Included
Learning documentation, plus priority Tutor support for 1 year. Students are required to arrange and pay for their examinations themselves. Students must check the relevant examination board website for final examination sitting dates for this syllabus. You will receive priority tutor assistance for fast track students on this course. Students will be able to sit a full A Level examination in one year or less. Examinations take place in January and Summer (May/June) yearly.

Further Information

 Your course is delivered online via the Oxford Learning On Campus website.

Please note that included in your course fee is your registration to the On Campus student community, and a licence to print your study materials. Please note that the licence is for one print only, so please ensure that you have enough paper and ink to print the full course materials if required.

You will require having one of the following packages to access your On Campus area:

Windows: Windows 98, 2000, XP, Vista - Acrobat Reader 4.0 and above
Macintosh: Mac OS X, Mac OS 9.2 - Acrobat Reader 4.0 and above
In the student 'On Campus' you are also able to take part in the student chat room and forums as part of our online student community.

After enrolling online you will receive your username and password to access the On Campus area within 5 working days. You will also receive your personal Oxford Learning student number via email.

Students are required to arrange and pay for their examinations and manage the course work element if the subject requires this. Students must check the relevant examination board website for further information and final examination sitting dates for the specification.

www.aqa.org.uk