Marketing and Other Disciplines Essay Example

a decision. • • • • Are you keen on a career-based vocational course that will allow you to progress to a higher level, or perhaps return home better prepared for the world of managerial work?

Do you need an access course which will serve as a foundation for more advanced study, or permit you to increase your language proficiency so that you can gain from further study? Do you want a three or four year BA or BSc course, or a two year foundation degree, to gain both academic and practical skills? Do you need a postgraduate Masters programme (MA, MSc) that will serve as a foundation either for doctoral study or prepare you for enhanced work in a functional area of management? www. educationuk. org 2 What can I study?

What work-based courses are available? • • • • National qualifications (for example, GNVQs, NVQs and SVQs) in business or retail and the distributive services, which last one or two years (see Choosing a work-based training course in this series) Vocational A-levels in business or retail and the distributive services, lasting one or two years BTEC/Edexcel National Diplomas in a range of business-related subjects, usually lasting two years BTEC/Edexcel Higher National Diplomas (HNDs) in a range of business-related subjects, usually lasting two years.

Where can I study these courses? NVQs and vocational A-level courses are available at most further education colleges, which are located throughout the UK. BTEC/Edexcel Diplomas are also available at these colleges. Higher National Diplomas are available at some further education colleges and universities, where success on the two-year course can lead directly on to the final year of a degree course. What

undergraduate degree courses are available? There are four types of course available: • • • • ccess courses, usually one year, which provide an alternative route into higher education for students who lack standard entry requirements Higher National Diplomas (HND) in business studies (two years), which can lead on to the final year of an honours degree foundation degrees, normally lasting two years, in subjects including business, e-business, marketing, business IT and retail management. Foundation degrees are qualifications in their own right. Graduates can progress into employment or into the final year of an honours degree course a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or sometimes a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree at honours level.

These degrees usually require three years of full-time study. Where can I study undergraduate courses? All universities teaching business and finance provide degree courses. Some universities also provide HNDs and foundation degrees. Colleges of further education offer access courses and HNDs, and may also be franchised by a university to offer foundation and occasionally full honours degrees. What subjects can I study at undergraduate level? Subjects that can be studied include: • • • • • business management (and international business management) financial services management business administration accounting and finance business IT.

BUSINESS AND FINANCE 2 How long are postgraduate courses and what qualifications can I gain? You can do a one-year taught Master’s (MA, MSc, MBA) or a two-year research degree (MPhil). There are also postgraduate certificates and diplomas in fields such as: • • • • business management total quality and innovation management international business human resource management. For more information on MBAs, refer to the subject sheet Master of Business Administration

(MBA) in this series. How long will it take me to study for a PhD and what is involved?

You will usually need to allow a minimum of three years. Professional doctorates are also becoming very popular such as the DBA (Doctor of Business Administration). All universities offer postgraduate courses, and many also offer research opportunities to students. Where can I gain professional qualifications? These are offered by the professional bodies that cover management, banking and insurance. Business and finance – the major professional bodies and qualifications Financial services Professional body Personal Finance Society – part of the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) group www. hepfs. org Banking Institute of Financial Services (IFS) – the official brand of the Chartered Institute of Banking (CIB) www. ifslearning. com The IFS delivers a range of qualifications examined and awarded by the CIB. BSc (Hons) in Financial Services with electives chosen from ‘Risk and Insurance Management’, ‘Retailing Financial Services’, and ‘Corporate Banking’ Advanced Diplomas in the three specialisms listed above A range of certificates and diplomas -----------------------------The Chartered Institute of Bankers in Scotland offers a range of qualifications. www. iobs. org. uk Insurance Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) www. cii. co. uk The CII handles qualifications in insurance and financial services. Management Chartered Management Institute (CMI) www. managers. org. uk The CMI offers a flexible course structure of certificates, diplomas and NVQ awards. Foundation-level certificates NVQ in Management Diploma in Strategic Management Diploma in Management Studies MBA Qualifications offered Certificate in Financial Planning Advanced Financial Planning Certificate (AFPC) Financial Advisers’ International Qualification (FAIQ)

Certificate in Insurance (CertCII) (entry-level qualification) Diploma in Insurance (DipCII) Advanced Diploma in Insurance (ACII) It may be possible

to take the exams for some of the qualifications listed here at your local British Council office. Contact your local office for more information or go to www. britishcouncil. org/learning-exams. htm BUSINESS AND FINANCE 3 3 How can I register as a professional? Each professional body has its own professional examinations (and often a work-experience requirement), through which you can attain membership and higher professional qualifications.

You should look at the relevant websites. 4 Next steps Checklist: Your next steps 1 Before you apply for a UK course in business or finance, do some thorough research at home (or in the countries where you would like to work) about the best qualifications for the career you would like to follow. You should check that the UK qualification is acceptable in your own country and will enable you to find employment. Ensure that you have the English language ability required by the institutions you intend to apply to. For an undergraduate course this may be an IELTS score of 5. 5 to 6. , while for a postgraduate course an IELTS score of 6. 0 to 7. 0 may be required. Ask your local British Council office where and when you can take the test. Apply for undergraduate degree courses, foundation degrees (England only) and Higher National Diploma through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) at www. ucas. com For other courses, apply to the institutions direct. 2 3 5 What else do I need to know? You should bear in mind immigration requirements when considering whether to study in the UK. Requirements vary according to your nationality or citizenship and the length of time you

want to study.

You will not be allowed to extend your permission to stay in the UK for more than two years on courses that are below degree level and are of less than one year's duration. The UKCOSA website will give you further information on this topic – www. ukcosa. org. uk/pages/guidenote. htm Note in particular that you will not be given permission to enter the UK as a student if the school, college or university that you want to study at does not appear on the UK Department for Education and Skills Register of Education and Training Providers. You can check the register by clicking on 'Browse the Register' at www. fes. gov. uk/providersregister/ For practical advice on living in the UK download Studying and Living in the UK from www. educationuk. org/bc_img/body/articles/pdfs/stud_live_uk. pdf BUSINESS AND FINANCE 4 6 Where can I find more information? British Council Web site www. educationuk. org and www. educationuk. org/scotland For further information, you can find details of your nearest office at www. britishcouncil. org/homecontact-worldwide. htm which includes links to all our country web pages and a worldwide address book giving contact details for all offices.

Association of MBAs (AMBA) 25 Hosier Lane London EC1A 9LQ Telephone +44 (0) 20 7246 2686 Fax +44 (0) 20 7246 2687 Email info@mbaworld. com Website www. mbaworld. com Institute of Financial Services (the official brand of the Chartered Institute of Bankers) IFS House 4-9 Burgate Lane Canterbury Kent CT1 2XJ Telephone +44 (0) 1227 762 600 Fax +44 (0) 1227 763 788 Email customerservices@ifslearning. com Website www. ifslearning. com Chartered Institute of Bankers in Scotland Drumsheugh House 38b Drumsheugh Gardens Edinburgh EH3

7SW Telephone +44 (0) 131 473 7777 Fax +44 (0) 131 473 7788 Email info@ciobs. org. uk Website www. ciobs. rg. uk Chartered Insurance Institute 42-48 High Road South Woodford London E18 2JP Telephone +44 (0) 20 8989 8464 Fax +44 (0) 20 8530 3052 Email customer. serv@cii. co. uk Website www. cii. co. uk Personal Finance Society 20 Aldermanbury London EC2V 7HY Telephone +44 (0) 20 8530 0852 Email info@SOFA. org Website www. thepfs. org Chartered Management Institute Management House Cottingham Road Corby Northamptonshire NN17 1TT Telephone +44 (0) 1536 204222 Fax +44 (0) 1536 201651 or 3rd floor 2 Savoy Court Strand London WC2R 0EZ Telephone +44 (0) 20 7497 0580 Fax +44 (0) 20 7497 0463 Email enquiries@managers. org. uk Website www. anagers. org. uk Other useful resources Complete Guide to Business Courses 2005 (UCAS/ Trotman, 2004, ISBN 0 8566 0960 9) – over 4,000 detailed course entries grouped into 20 specialised areas of business, and with UCAS course codes. While every effort has been made to ensure that the information given here is correct and up to date, the British Council accepts no legal liability for its accuracy, currency or completeness. September 2005 © British Council 2005 The United Kingdom's international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations We are registered in England as a charity. BUSINESS AND FINANCE 5