Business Studies

Course summary

Business is a major part of everyone’s life and those that understand how business works are at an advantage in the future. Business Studies is a readily accessible subject for students of all abilities. The BTEC National uses a combination of assessment styles to give students the confidence that they can apply their knowledge to succeed in the workplace. They provide progression to higher education and ultimately to employment in the business sector. Business Studies combines very well with many other subjects; e.g. Geography, Mathematics, Languages, PE and Science. It offers you the opportunity to broaden your learning and open up many career prospects. Its close connection to the everyday business world makes this a highly topical and relevant subject. Students will study four topic areas across the two years, which is equivalent to one A Level. In Year 12, you will study 2 units. The first unit is Exploring Business. You will gain an overview of the key ingredients for business success, how businesses are organised, how they communicate, the characteristics of the environment in which they operate and how this shapes them and their activities. You will also look at the importance of innovation and enterprise to the success of businesses, with the associated risks and benefits. The second unit covers Personal and Business Finance. Personal finance involves the understanding of why money is important and how managing your money can help prevent future financial difficulties. Business finance will introduce you to accounting terminology, the purpose and importance of business accounts and the different sources of finance available to businesses.