Our AS level Business online course will not only provide you with high-quality course materials, it will also help you to become a mover and shaker in the world of business. It’s the perfect course for you if you:

• Are keen to take your career further, and are keen to develop your knowledge on how business works.
• Are interested in setting up your own business.
• Want to explore a wide variety of applications and industries.
• Are keen to prove to future employers you possess sound reasoning and leadership skills, an analytical approach and can be innovative and agile in a range of contexts.

Future opportunities

• Studying business at degree or higher level.
• Strengthen your position to pursue a career in a wide range of professions including management, marketing, finance, accounting, banking, retailing, manufacturing and local government.

Section 1: What is business?

• The nature and purpose of business
• Different business forms
• The external environment

Section 2: Management

• Management, leadership and decision-making
• Management decision-making
• Role and importance of stakeholders

Section 3: Marketing performance

• Setting marketing objectives
• Understanding markets and customers
• Making marketing decisions
• Using the marketing mix
• Influences on the marketing mix

Section 4: Operational performance

• Setting operational objectives
• Analysing operational performance
• Increasing efficiency and productivity
• Improving quality
• Managing inventory and supply chains

Section 5: Setting financial objectives

• Setting financial objectives
• Analysing financial performance
• Making financial decisions

Section 6: Human resource performance

• Setting human resource objectives
• Analysing HR performance
• Organisational design
• Improving motivation and engagement
• Improving employer-employee relations

Study AS level Business with us and benefit from:

• Flexible learning
• Support from a personal tutor by email, phone or Skype
• Any time enrolment
• Our exam booking service
• Assignments with tutor feedback
• Ongoing support from Student Support
• Forums to discuss your course with other students

learn@nec

Choose when and where you access your course, using learn@nec our 24/7 learning platform.

This easy-to-use learning platform includes interactive checkpoints, quizzes and activities to help you evaluate your progress.

You’ll have access to support from a personal tutor. All NEC tutors are subject experts, with experience of supporting online learners.

Meet Linda who is just one of our first-class business tutors:

“I am passionate about business, both from an academic and practical point of view. I have been since I was the MD of a Young Enterprise company when I was 17. Since then I have had many jobs in industry, have helped many charities, and more recently taught the subject. I have been in the classroom for over 10 years, but also continue to support many small and new businesses to prosper. I believe that detailed feedback and encouragement to improve in small steps is the way to achieve educational potential which is the appeal of 1:1 online tutoring. My qualifications include a BSc in Business Studies, MA in Organisational Behaviour, PCE (Post Graduate Certificate in Education) and the graduate diplomas from several professional bodies, including the Institute of Marketing.”

Exam board

• AQA 7132

Format

• Online learning with support from a personal tutor

Hours

• Complete at your own pace
• Approx. 120-150* hours plus time for completing assignments

*The specification suggests that 150 hours is needed. You’ll also need time to complete assignments and prepare yourself for exams and some courses like English literature involve a lot of reading.  Everyone is different so it’s impossible to say with certainty how long a course will take you, but you should expect to spend longer than 150 hours. Taken across the length of time we recommend, this equates to approximately 4 hours per week. This will increase if you choose to take it over a shorter time frame or may be less if you are retaking a subject and have covered a lot of of the course content.

Assignments

• 7 assignments (one introductory) – these do not contribute towards your final grade

Resources

• Set textbooks – included as a free ebook with your course: AQA A level Business for AS, I Marcousé, A Hammond and N Watson, Hodder Education, 2015

Requirements

• Maths Skills for A level Business Studies, D Mansell, Oxford University Press, 2014
• Internet access
• Computer operating system and browser to support learn@nec

Our course fees are open and honest to help you plan for any additional costs.

Your course fee includes:

• Access to learn@nec
• All the course materials you need to complete the course
• Support from a personal tutor for up to 24 months from your date of enrolment
• Assignment marking
• Marking for one past paper
• Guaranteed exam place
• free e-book version of the essential textbooks
• NEC’s guide to study skills: How to Succeed as an Independent Learner
• Spelling, punctuation and grammar guide
• Time planner to help you plan your study timetable
• Information on how to apply for exams

Your course fee does not cover:

• Exam entry fees
• Additional textbook

Optional extras:

• Additional past paper marking
• Revision tutorial
• Optional tutorial
• Additional review

Two exams:

• 1 hour 30 minutes, 50% of marks
• 1 hour 30 minutes, 50% of marks

Non-exam assessment (NEA):

• None

We know that our younger students often need an extra helping hand with their studies.  In our experience, learning online works best when the parents are involved, so when you enrol your child with NEC, you’ll have a unique set of services to help you to support your child.

This includes:

• Your own log in to learn@nec to access the course so you can view the course materials and other information for yourself.
• Access to your child’s gradebook to help you to monitor progress and provide appropriate and timely intervention and support
• You’ll receive emails and forum posts so that you have all the examination and assessment updates/information provided by the NEC team
• Dedicated Progress Portal Pages and targeted blogs with updates/information/help and advice on many aspects of home education.

Read more about how we work with young students who are studying at home or through a school.