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A-level Business Studies

Overview

By taking an A-level in Business Studies you can gain an holistic understanding of business in a range of contexts, a critical understanding of organisational behaviour, approaches to opportunities, issues and ethics. You will develop your critical analysis, decision-making and problem-solving skills, all of which are transferable to a wide range of contexts..

Key Facts

Start Dates:

  • 9 September 2024
  • 6 January 2025

Colleges:

  • Brighton
  • London
  • Oxford

Entry level:

  • Academic: Completed 10 years of schooling (GCSE or equivalent)
  • English: IELTS 5.5 or equivalent

Minimum age:

  • 16

Length:

  • 2 Academic Years (3 terms)
  • We also offer entry from Year 12

Lessons:

  • Average 7 hours per week for each A-level subject (plus homework and private study)

Learning outcomes

  • Gain UK national university entrance qualification
  • Raise English to university level
  • Develop study skills required at degree level
  • Develop specialist subject expertise

Course content and structure

The following syllabus outline is based on AQA exam board content. Please note that exam boards may vary from college to college.

Year 1

What is business

  • Understanding the nature and purpose of business
  • Understanding different business forms
  • Understanding that businesses operate within an external environment

Managers, leadership and decision making

  • Understanding management, leadership and decision making
  • Understanding management decision making
  • Understanding the role and importance of stakeholders

Decision making to improve marketing performance

  • Setting marketing objectives
  • Understanding markets and customers
  • Making marketing decisions: segmentation, targeting, positioning, using the marketing mix

Decision making to improve operational performance

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

Decision making to improve financial performance

  • Setting financial objectives
  • Analysing financial performance
  • Making financial decisions: sources of finance
  • Making financial decisions: improving cash flow and profits

Decision making to improve human resource performance

  • Setting human resource objectives
  • Analysing human resource performance
  • Improving organisational design and managing the human resource flow
  • Improving motivation and engagement
  • Improving employer-employee relations

Year 2

Analysing the strategic position of a business

  • Mission, corporate objectives and strategy
  • Analysing the existing internal position of a business to assess strengths and weaknesses
  • Analysing the external environment to assess opportunities and threats
  • Analysing strategic options: investment appraisal

Choosing strategic direction

  • Strategic direction: choosing which markets to compete in and what products to offer
  • Strategic positioning: choosing how to compete

Strategic methods: how to pursue strategies

  • Assessing a change in scale
  • Assessing innovation
  • Assessing internationalisation
  • Assessing greater use of digital technology 

Managing strategic change

  • Managing change
  • Managing organisational culture
  • Managing strategic implementation
  • Problems with strategy and why strategies fail

Typical A-level subject combinations with Business Studies

Sample enrichment activities

  • Business Enterprise
  • Bank of England visit
  • Coca Cola factory tour
  • BMW factory visit

Sample academic calendar (2021-2022)

Year 1

Sept

6th: term starts
Student induction

Oct

18th – 22nd: half term
Progress tests

Nov

University fairs and talks

Dec

10th: term ends
End of term exams

Jan

3rd: term starts

Feb

10th – 11th: half term
Progress tests
University fairs

Mar

End of term exams
18th: term ends

Apr

4th: term starts

May

Progress tests

June

Exams
10th: term ends

Year 2

Sept

5th Sept: term starts

Oct

17th – 21st: half term
15th October: UCAS deadline (Medicine)
Progress tests

Nov

University fairs and talks

Dec

9th: term ends
End of term exams

Jan

2nd: term starts
15th January: UCAS deadline (other subjects)

Feb

9th – 10th: half term
Progress tests

Mar

17th: term ends
Mock exams

Apr

3rd: term starts
Progress tests

May

Final exams

June

9th June: term ends

Recommended reading

Below is a list of books which may help you prepare for your studies prior to arrival. Please note that additional books, and online resources such as websites and journals will be shared once you begin your course.

  • The Big Business Book by Dorling Kindersley
  • Shoe Dog: A memoir by the creator of Nike by Phil Knight
  • Steve Jobs: The exclusive biography by Walter Isaacson
  • The One device: The secret history of the iPhone by Brian Merchant. 

Degree progression

A-level Business Studies opens up many options for students at university, and there are many courses available with permutations of Business/Management/Administration/Accounting and Finance.

Business and Management graduates typically progress to careers in areas such as business development, marketing, recruitment and banking, although plenty of other options are available.

Sample alumni progression

Duy Bang Thanh Dao

  • University of Exeter
  • Business and Management

Min Fu

  • Lancaster University
  • Business Studies

Wang Fung Li

  • Durham University
  • Marketing

Thi Thu Ha Phung

  • University of Bath
  • Business Administration

Yuzhi Yao

  • LSE
  • Management

Gaochuan Zhang

  • Durham University
  • Marketing
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