A Guide To Online Undergraduate Business Degrees
This guide will cover how you learn online, what you will study and how you are assessed. We will also look at career outcomes and further study options to help you understand if studying business management at undergraduate level online is right for you.
Taking an Online Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management is a popular way to establish a career and increase your earning potential if you are already working or have family commitments.
Studying a Business Management Degree Online
Studying online for a business degree is a rewarding learning experience. Modern distance learning is evolving fast. The pedagogy and learning experience has proven valuable. In fact, universities are now incorporating online learning techniques and collaboration into their on-campus degrees to enrich the on-campus experience.
With online study, a typical module consists of a mixture of live tutorials, on-demand lectures, guided project work, and group exercises. It is common for universities to run the live sessions at different points in the day so that students have the flexibility to fit them in around their existing commitments as well as for international students based in different time zones.
Time management is crucial when taking an online degree, and you should plan for around 10 to 15 hours of study time commitment each week.
***The number of hours required does vary between courses and univerties. We strongly recommend you ask about the time commitments when enquiring about courses***
You can use our online study calculator to understand how you could fit the hours into your schedule.
With an online degree, you usually access all the materials, including the digital library, and submit your assignments through the university’s learning management system (LMS). This means you only need a laptop and internet connection to complete the course.
What Do You Learn on a Business Management Degree?
Effective Business managers need to be able to adapt to changing market conditions, navigate uncertainties, and make decisions that promote growth and sustainability for the organisation.
Business management covers every aspect of planning, organising, directing, and controlling the activities and resources of a company or organisation to achieve its goals. It is about understanding all areas of an organisation, from human resources, finance, operations, marketing, and strategy, ensuring that the business runs smoothly while progressing towards the organisation’s goals.
Business management degrees are designed to provide graduates with strong communication skills and a solid understanding of different business functions and cover core competencies.
What Areas Are Covered on a Business Management Degree?
Most business management degrees comprise a number of compulsory modules followed by specialisations or cross-discipline units as the course progresses.
These are the standard core subjects usually covered in the compulsory modules on a business management degree.
- Business Strategy and Planning
- Marketing
- Accounting and Finance
- Human Resource Management
- Information Technology
- Operations Management
- Organisational Psychology
- Introduction to Economics
Online Study Assessments Types
Taking an online business degree, you can expect to be assessed in a variety of ways, ranging from your contribution to online discussion and forums, group work with your fellow students, individual projects, and academic essays. Each module builds up to a larger, more in-depth piece of work that demonstrates the learning covered. These can range from essay-style written work investigating a specific business problem to analysing a data set or creating a business plan.
The exact modules offered and assessment types covered on a business management degree vary between universities. We strongly advise reviewing and comparing the course content and modules when reviewing different online courses.
Projects And Dissertations
The final assessment on a business management degree is a major project. This work can take the form of a report or academic essay. This is a large piece of work, and students should expect to spend around 300 hours researching and working on it.
For online students, it is common to use a real problem affecting the company or industry they work in for their final project. As such, the final assessment can be used as a practical piece of work that can provide value to their employer and lead to career progression working on more rewarding and challenging strategic management projects.
Benefits of Studying Business and Management
Business Management Graduates Can Develop Careers in Any Sector
The skills learnt, and theory covered on business management degrees are transferable and in demand. Unlike some degrees that funnel graduates into specific roles, a higher-level business qualification can open up a wide range of career pathways and opportunities.
High Earning Potential
Business management graduates earn more than the average graduate salary. Online students usually work while studying and can leverage the qualification for internal promotion at their existing company or seek new higher-paid roles on the open job market.
Transferable Skills
Due to the broad nature of the subject, gaining a business and management degree provides many transferable skills that are beneficial across all roles and sectors. Graduating with a business management degree demonstrates the following transferable skills.
- Communication and Presenting
- Team working and Collaboration
- Data Analysis and Critical Thinking
- Problem-solving
- Leadership
Careers with a Business Management Degree?
Because the subject applies to all organisations and businesses, there are no set career pathways. Instead, business management graduates are always in demand across all sectors. Below are a few example roles to give you an idea of the broad range of possible job titles graduates can pursue.
- Project Manager
- Business Analyst
- Production Manager
- Marketing Manager
- Banker
- Risk Manager
- Entrepreneur
- Accountant
- Retail Manager
- HR Manager
Future Study After an Online Business Degree
Undergraduate Business management courses open the doorway to a wide range of postgraduate qualifications from MBAs and Master’s in Leadership to specialist areas covered in the course, for example, Marketing, Economics, Human Resource Management and Psychology.
Graduates can also take Law conversion courses to practice law in the UK.
