Applied Business AS/A2

Details: Created: Sunday, 13 May 2012 16:15; Written by Super User

Students should have 5 A* - C grade GCSE's or equivalent and preferably a grade B in a Humanities subject or English.

The Applied Business course consists of six units studied over 2 years. The units cover a wide range of topics relating to business.

DURING THE COURSE YOU WILL:

Gain a broad understanding of business and study selected areas in more depth
Have an opportunity to apply learning in a practical and realistic way
Follow a programme of study that enables progression to both higher education and employment within business
Develop key skills that are highly valued by employers and universities
Gain confidence through developing independent research and learning skills

THE COURSE CONTENT

AS Units

Unit 1 - Investigating Business
You will explore the objectives of businesses, how they deal with competition, the needs of customers and how these are met through the marketing mix. You will explore the meaning of enterprise and enterprising behaviour and why individuals and teams are vital to the success of a business.

Unit 2 - People in Business
You will study the roles and responsibilities of people in business and the qualities looked for by an employer. You will investigate training and development opportunities, why motivation is vital in retaining staff and develop the skills needed to carry out the activities associated with the recruitment process.

Unit 3 - Financial Planning and Monitoring
You will be assessed on your ability to calculate business costs, revenues and profits and how managers use this information in decision-making. You will also need to know how businesses plan their finances, eg, drawing cash flow forecasts and budgets and how this data is used to monitor the performance of the organisation.

Unit 8 - Business Planning
You will produce a business plan for a new product/service to present to an external lender, eg a bank who might provide finance, or to an internal stakeholder, eg, a senior manager, who may have the authority to give the go-ahead for the business idea. This is a synoptic unit giving you the opportunity to apply enterprise, team working and presentations skills as well as applying knowledge developed through other units.

Unit 12 - Managing People
You will learn how different types of management styles impact on the way in which a business operates and on its staff. You will also be assessed on your ability to recognise when different management styles are appropriate and be able to discuss this in a given situation.

Unit 15 - Financial Accounting for Managers
You will learn about the fundamental accounting concepts and terminology that are used in accounting. The unit will provide an overview of the bookkeeping system. You will learn about the main checks within a financial accounting system. You will need to understand the purpose of financial statements and the concepts that underpin them in order to understand what they mean.

WHO IS THE VOCATIONAL A LEVEL SUITABLE FOR?

At least three of the six units will be coursework based with no end examination. The remaining units are externally assessed. The teaching of this subject encourages an approach which is investigative and problem solving. It is expected that students should be able to use their own initiative and resourcefulness particularly in relation to the portfolio units.

POST A LEVEL

Higher Education Institutions will accept Applied Business in combination with other subjects on an extensive range of Degree and HND courses The skills developed on this course are recognised by employers as being of great value and can lead to a wide range of employment opportunities in areas such as accounting, marketing, personnel and retailing.

ASSESSMENT

External assessment will be through written examinations. Internal assessment will be through coursework assignments.

Exam Board : AQA

For more information, help or advice about Applied Business AS/A2 Level, contact:
Mrs Carlyn Bryan
0116 2879921