Jobs, Roddick, Gates, Kroc, Constantine, Sugar and Dyson. What
do those names mean to you? If I said Apple, Bodyshop, Microsoft,
McDonald’s, Lush Cosmetics, The Apprentice and well. Dyson; that
might give you an idea where I am coming from. ‘The Apprentice’ and
‘Dragons Den’ may have popularised business but after you have
studied A Level Business Studies you will never see them in the same
light again!
Business Studies AS/A Level
It’s all about the money, right? Well,
that’s a part of it of course, but what
about:
• The ethics of business?
• The human relations side of
business?
• The creative marketing side of
business?
Read on and find out!
The course involves studying in some
detail how today’s businesses carry
out their various functions, including
marketing, finance, operations
management (production) and human
resources (people). The course also
looks at how outside activities affect
business and, in turn, how businesses
react to these; for example, the effect
of changes in government policy,
elements of competition, changes in
demand and the ethics of business.
Why study Business Studies?
You do not need to have studied Business Studies before.
AS and A2 Business Studies tell the story of a business from its
beginning in Unit 1 (Planning a business) to investigating the global
world of multinational trading in Unit 4 (The Business Environment).
The course, in effect, studies business and how it operates.
So, Business Studies does exactly what it says on the tin! We study
all aspects of business life – you may be asked to consider the ethics
of producing in developing countries, or the way that Blackberry can
restore profitability.
Business Studies at AS or A Level will be of interest to those going
onto further study at higher education and well as for those going
directly into employment or training. You will learn how to manage
your finances, run a meeting, communicate more effectively, analyse
a situation, make evaluative statements and cope with a variety of
situations.
For those students hoping for careers in business, management,
administration, banking, accountancy and retailing, Business Studies
offers a strong platform from which to build.
Finally, if you are unsure about anything just ask - you never know,
you might enjoy it!
Qualifications and Qualities needed
Business Studies Course Details
• An interest in the world around you
• Able to communicate effectively and
construct an argument
• An interest in developing the skills of
evaluation
• Basic numeracy skills
• Reasonably good ICT skills
Syllabus: AQA
AS Level:Unit 1 Planning a business (40% AS, 20% A Level weighting)
Unit 2 Managing a business (60% AS, 30% A Level weighting)
A Level: Unit 4 Strategies for success (25% A Level weighting)
Unit 5 The Business Environment (25% A Level weighting)
Course Content
The course is divided into 2 years, each year consisting of 2 units.
‘AS’ Level
The first half of the course consists of Units 1 and 3.
Unit 1 ‘AS’ BUSS1: Planning and Finanacing a Business (1hr 15m examination)
This is your introduction to the world of entrepreneurship. Are you a dragon out
of the den? Are you Sir Alan Sugar in disguise? Learn about business and how it
works. But don’t worry - if you get the wrong answer you won’t hear the words:
“You’re Fired!”
Unit 2 ‘AS’ BUSS2: Managing a Business (1hr 30m examination)
Now you are a manager of a business! But how will you recruit the right staff? And
when you’ve employed them, how will you motivate them? Do they need training?
What about the finance? How will you know if you’ve made a decent profit? (Don’t
forget you have to deliver an efficient product or service, plus market it as well).
Where will you advertise? What price will you charge? The life of a manager is not
an easy one, but it’s definitely interesting.
‘A’ Level
The full ‘A’ Level qualification is made up of the AS units above plus Units 3 and 4.
Unit 3 A2 BUSS3: Strategies for Success (1hr 45m examination)
Now you are a business strategist! You will have to analyse accounts, make
strategic investment decisions, analyse markets and develop market plans,
implement lean production and develop workforce plans. And that’s just for
starters!
Unit 4 A2 BUSS4: The Business Environment (1hr 45m examination)
Well, finally you are a good business woman, it’s just the rest of them you can’t
trust! So, you need to know about stakeholders, ethics, business culture and the
economic environment. Now you’re really the business!!
Examinations
The examinations in this course take a variety of forms. For Unit 1, the examination consists of a series
of short answer questions and extended responses based on a mini case study. For Unit 2, there are
compulsory multi-part data response questions. For the A2 units, Unit 3 involves questions from an
unseen case study, drawing upon the knowledge acquired from the AS units, while Unit 4 has a series of
pre-release tasks leading to a case study exam and essays.
Methods of Teaching & Learning
You will experience a variety of teaching methods from traditional note taking to discussing topics,
from report writing to real life business investigations. These varied approaches will develop a range of
business skills from having a strong knowledge base of business issues, to being able to evaluate the
merits of a particular strategy. You will learn the art of decision making and evaluation. This means that
while we won’t always make the right decision, we will be able to explain why we got it wrong!