International Business Degrees Online

This course is designed for mature students who wish to prepare for entry onto a degree or HND course in business accounting, business banking, human resource management, economics, finance, management, marketing or leisure and tourism. Successful completion of the course guarantees a place on a range of business-related HND or degree courses starting in September or February each year. We aim to provide you with the skills and confidence necessary to benefit from higher education.

Course structure

The course comprises two taught modules:
Communication and Study Skills- this develops your writing and research skills. You will have the opportunity to sit in on appropriate degree classes
and sample different types of assessment.
Numeracy and IT- this enables you to refresh your mathematical skills and
provides you with an introduction to the use of IT.

Teaching, learning and assessment

Lectures will be used to provide you with information, often using case studies and examples, which are explored further through seminars. In seminars you take part in discussions, teamwork and problem-solving exercises. You will also be given opportunity for wider reading and individual research. Assessment is based on in-course and time-constrained assignments, including a mini-project and a skills portfolio. Various types of assessment will be used, including individual, group and oral presentations.

Career opportunities

Most of our graduates go on to take an HND or a degree course in the business area.

Course summary

Subject area: Business Information Systems
Locations of study: Cambridge, Chelmsford
Length of study: 3 years
UCAS code: G500
Entry requirements: 160 tariff points at A Level or equivalent. 160 points at GCE/VCE A Level or equivalent. Applications from mature students and those offering qualifications other than GCE/VCE A Levels are welcomed and considered on an individual basis. Applicants for whom English is not a first language will be expected to demonstrate a certified level of proficiency of at least IELTS 6 or equivalent.

Course overview
All areas of business and commerce are becoming increasingly reliant on effective information systems - information is the resource that now drives business. This course will introduce and develop your knowledge of information processing and information systems, and specifically how these concepts are applied within commercial organisations.

Within this context, the main aims of this degree are:
to provide you with core knowledge and skills relevant to the development of information systems
to give you a particular focus on the application of IT within a business environment.
You will gain a background in theory and methodology in lectures and seminars but it’s in the practical classes that you will have the chance to put this theory to creative use. A wide range of module options will allow you to prepare for a favoured career or to delve deeper into areas of special interest.

When you graduate you will be able to:
demonstrate your understanding of the principles, theory and practice of the development of information systems and computer applications
design applications to meet specific commercial requirements
specify, design and construct small-scale database systems
implement web-based applications to meet specified requirements.
The focus of this course is very much upon giving you a range of skills relevant to today’s IT industry, and specifically to business information systems. It’s also about allowing you to develop a creative and flexible approach to problem solving, and the ability to deliver practical solutions to a range of challenges - all skills highly valued by potential employers across the industry.
Module guide
Year one core modules:
Fundamentals of Design
Managing People, Finance and Marketing
Understanding the Work Sector
Design for the Internet
Year two core modules:
Group Design Project
E-Business
Database Design and Implementation
Year three core modules:
Undergraduate Major Project
Strategic Management of Information Systems
Associated careers

This degree will prepare you for a number of areas within IT, including data administration and network administration.
Assessment

Assessment is via a mix of examination, case studies, reports, class and laboratory tests, group assessment, presentations, software demonstrations, log books and undergraduate major project.

UCAS Code/Course code:L250
Mode of study: Full time
Duration: 3 YEARS
Entry Requirements: 240-300 points to include 3 A Levels and/or Double Award A Levels.

Why did the US invade Iraq? What is terrorism and where did it come from? Why is it that some people in the world do not have enough to eat? Why are some countries politically stable and others not so? What do the ideas of democracy, freedom and equality mean to different people and where do these ideas come from? How have they informed the development of political ideologies and movements?

If you’re interested in these questions, then the BA (Hons) International Relations and Politics is the course for you.

This degree adopts a contemporary and global approach, providing you with the opportunity to examine international affairs and the inter-relationship of national and world politics.

Central to our degree are the following key issues:
the origins of war
the changing character of international order
international economic relations
conflict resolution
governance and governability
the role of international institutions
globalisation
political ideas, concepts and ideologies, and their historical roots and development
exploring different political systems and their interrelationships

You can choose to ‘major’ in either half of your degree by choosing your options and dissertation from either politics or international relations.

We welcome applicants with many different sorts of qualifications who can demonstrate evidence of competence to succeed on our programmes. We particularly welcome applications from mature students over the age of 21 and/or applicants who have an Access qualification or equivalent.
Why study at Portsmouth?

In the most recent external review of our teaching, this degree scored 23 out of 24 putting us in the ‘premier league’ of politics and international relations degrees in the country.

Both subject areas contributed strongly to the Centre for European and International Studies Research which received the top grade of five in the most recent review of University research.

Our course is also noteworthy for its contemporary, global and broad curriculum and for a tradition of providing a high standard of guidance whilst encouraging you to develop as an independent learner through the later stages of your degree.
Study abroad

There are various opportunities to study abroad. You can spend your second year studying at Moorhead State University in the USA. Semester exchanges are also currently established with universities in France, Germany, Italy, Holland, Denmark and the Czech Republic.
Facilities and resources

Over the last four years, the University has invested substantially in its teaching facilities. Our teaching rooms at Milldam are equipped with multimedia and audiovisual facilities. In addition, we provide quiet rooms and a dedicated IT teaching room and facilities.

The School has a large archive of documentary films in its multimedia resources area and the University library has undergone significant investment and expansion to further enhance the range of resources available to you.
How do I apply?

All undergraduate applicants should apply through UCAS by 15 January each year. Late applicants should contact the Admissions Centre first for advice.

For further information and advice, please contact our Admissions Centre (details below). As the support base for all our students, the Admissions Centre is happy to help you with your enquiry, through to completion of application forms and offer.

UCAS Code/Course code:LV21
Mode of study: Full time
Duration: 3 YEARS
Entry Requirements: 240-300 points to include 3 A Levels and/or Double Award A Levels.

If these questions interest you, then combining the study of international relations and history is the right course for you.

The history you will study in this degree is cultural and social history – the history of societies as opposed, for example, to political or military history. This will provide you with a deep cultural context in which to place the international relations and politics that you will also study.

The international relations component is contemporary and global in nature, focusing on conflict, international institutions, foreign policy-making and the changing character of, and issues in, world politics arising from globalisation.

You can choose to ‘major’ in either half of your degree by choosing your options and dissertation from either politics or international relations.

We welcome applicants with many different sorts of qualifications who can demonstrate evidence of competence to succeed on our programmes. We particularly welcome applications from mature students over the age of 21 and/or applicants who have an Access qualification or equivalent.

We have one bursary of £1,000 available to mature students by competitive application. Ask for the leaflet on the Dorothea Davis Scholarship for further information.
Study abroad

You can spend your second year studying at Moorhead State University in the USA. Semester exchanges are also currently established with universities in France, Germany, Italy, Holland, Denmark and the Czech Republic.
Facilities and resources

Over the last four years, the University has invested substantially in teaching its facilities. Our teaching rooms at Milldam are equipped with multimedia and audiovisual facilities. In addition, we provide quiet rooms and a dedicated IT teaching room and facilities.

The School has a large archive of documentary films in its multimedia resources area and the University library is currently undergoing significant investment and expansion to further enhance the range of resources available to you.
How do I apply?

All undergraduate applicants should apply through UCAS by 15 January each year. Late applicants should contact the Admissions Centre first for advice.

For further information and advice, please contact our Admissions Centre (details below). As the support base for all our students, the Admissions Centre is happy to help you with your enquiry, through to completion of application forms and offer.

Aim of the programme

The programme aims to meet the commercial postgraduate needs of the international logistics industry. It provides you with an opportunity to study in Plymouth and at one of the leading logistics education centres in the Netherlands. All study is in English.

Programme highlights

Global recognition of excellence by industry
Industry focused, interdisciplinary study
Opportunity to study in the Netherlands
Opportunity to study over successive years

Our postgraduate programmes in shipping and logistics are professionally recognised by the Institute of Logistics and Transport, the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers, the Chartered Insurance Institute and the Nautical Institute.

View the International Logistics brochure. (PDF Format 460 KB)
Download a Postgraduate Application Form. (PDF Format 259 KB)
What our students say

See what Gurmeet, Simas and Tod think of our International Logistics programme.
Entry requirements

A degree or equivalent in a relevant subject. For mature students, an alternative qualification with additional experience may be acceptable. Overseas students must be proficient in English to British Council standards.
Duration

1 year full time
(Part-time options may be available)

The Marketing and Admissions Office
Faculty of Social Science and Business
University of Plymouth
Drake Circus
Plymouth PL4 8AA
United Kingdom

General programme structure

Plymouth has offered a Master”s programme in International Shipping since 1978. The MSc in International Logistics was introduced in the 1990s, and an MSc in International Logisitcs and Supply Chain Management has now been added.

The programme is divided into three phases. In phase one, you have the opportunity to study your modules in Plymouth or the Netherlands at the Fontys University, Venlo. Phase two consists of three modules studied in Plymouth. You then proceed to phase three - research at a location of your choice, which requires the submission of a dissertation. As an alternative to studying for one academic year, the three periods may be taken in successive years.

This programme is relevant to any graduate wishing to develop an understanding of international logistics in the areas of finance; business modelling; research skills; management; organisation; and marketing. It will equip you with skills to design, develop, implement and present a research project at postgraduate level. The programme focuses on the commercial aspects of international logistics and corporate decision making in supply chain management. We encourage practical, hands-on research and application, to develop the skills required to gain employment in industry, academia or agency work. Recent graduates have found employment in all areas of the international logistics industry worldwide.
Detailed programme structure

Research skills and economics for international supply chains
Maritime finance and business modelling
Either supply chains and production control systems in Venlo or international logistics and maritime commerce in Plymouth
Logistics, supply chains, systems and methods
International logistics and management
Dissertation based on an international logistics or supply chain management topic