Business

Course summary

Why study the subject With a focus on helping you to become a good decision maker, you will learn essential managerial skills, alongside techniques to help you become an analytical problem solver. These skills are all highly sought after and valued in a wide range of careers. Course Structure Year 12 An introduction to key business areas: Management, marketing, operations, finance and human resources. This includes a special focus on decision making – particularly how decisions made in one area can affect the rest of the business. Year 13 An investigation of the strategic decisions that all businesses must make, including the global aspect. Unit content Year 12 Topic 1: What is business? Topic 2: Managers, leadership and decision making Topic 3: Marketing management Topic 4: Operations management Topic 5: Financial management Topic 6: Human resource management Year 13 Topic 7: Analysing the strategic position of a business Topic 8: Choosing the strategic direction Topic 9: Strategic methods: how to pursue strategies Topic 10: Managing strategic change Skills Acquired • Practical application of business concepts • Active rather than passive understanding of the subject • Understanding of key business concepts including entrepreneurship, customer service, emerging markets, globalisation and migration Students suited to the course Students with an enterprising mind, a keen interest in how businesses operate, and an interest in the way the economy works should all consider studying Business. What other subjects it combines well with Business is very broad and can be combined with many subjects. Students looking to continue the subject at university should think about combining it with facilitating subjects especially Mathematics, English, French and Spanish. Students committed to the arts or sciences should also consider Business in this cost-centred world. Career or HE the course leads to If you would like to study business, finance or management at university, A-Level Business provides an excellent foundation. The skills you learn are also transferable across a broad range of subjects and careers. Whatever you choose to do in the future, you will find that the things you learn in this course will help. For example, you’ll probably end up working with lots of different people, so knowledge of motivational theory will help you to work well with others and help them achieve their potential; an understanding of the effect interest rates, exchange rates and international trade is also an essential in this ever-shrinking world. You might have ambitious plans to start your own business. If that is the case, you will find the marketing and finance topics particularly useful. Co-curricular Trip and visits, Young Enterprise, IFS Student Investor Challenge.