Business Studies S5/S6
Business Management Advanced Higher
Business Management Intermediate 2
European Computer Driving Licence
Core Skill Information Technology Higher (1 Unit) i.e. 1 Credit at Higher
Business Management Advanced Higher
Entry Requirements
Higher Business Management at level A or B.
Course Description
At Advanced Higher the course consists of three units.
Unit 1: Managing Organisations - The External Environment (40 hours)
Topics covered - Multinational companies, European Union, Business Issues
Unit 2: Managing Organisations - The Internal Environment (40 hours)
Topics covered – Role of Management, Management thought, Motivation to work, Teams, Leadership, Personal effectiveness of managers
Change – Factors causing change, Stages of change, Approaches to managing change
Unit 3: Researching a Business (40 hours)
The ‘Researching a Business’ Investigation is a 2500-3000 word report on a business chosen by yourself. The completed report is marked externally by the SQA and accounts for a third of your overall final course grade.
It looks at the following key areas:
- Business Details
- Stakeholders
- Decision Making
but also requires you to develop a strategy for the future development of the business, looking at what resources will be required to implement your strategy, what information you will need to implement your strategy, how your strategy will impact upon the future performance of the business, sources of assistance available various bodies, and asks you to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your strategy.
Assessment
To gain a course award, students must pass the internal assessments for units 1 and 2 of the course, as well as the externally assessed Business Report and final SQA exam:
|
Time allocation |
Mark allocation |
Question Paper |
2 hours 45 minutes |
100 |
Business Report |
Completed during Course |
50 |
External assessment will provide the basis for grading attainment in the course award.
Business Management Higher
Entry Requirements
Estimated Grades:
- 1 or 2 in Standard Grade Business Management
- Intermediate 2 Business Management at A or B
- or 1 or 2 in Standard Grade English
- or A, B or C in Higher English
Students will be expected to maintain an interest in current business news to provide valuable background material to essays, projects and other classroom activities.
Course Description
The course covers a variety of areas contained in the following 40 hour units:
Unit 1: Business Enterprise
Unit 2: Business Decision Areas: Marketing and Operations
Unit 3: Business Decision Areas: Finance and Human Resource Management
Business Enterprise: Includes the business cycle; sectors of activity; types of business organisations; methods of obtaining finance; objectives; the role of the entrepreneur; stakeholders; changes in the business environment; types, uses and users of ICT; costs and benefits of hardware and software; types of decisions; decision making process.
Business Decision Areas - Marketing & Operations: The marketing concept; the marketing mix; market research; methods of production within businesses; stock-control; quality control.
Business Decision Areas – Finance & Human Resource Management: Role of the finance department within businesses; interpretation of financial information; role of elements of human resource management; recruitment & selection; training & development; employee relations; legislation.
Assessment
To gain a course award, students must pass the internal assessment for all 3 units of the course, as well as the SQA final exam.
Business Management Intermediate 2
Entry Requirements
Estimated Grades 3 or 4 in Standard Grade Business Management
or 3 or 4 in Standard Grade English
Course Description
The course comprises of 3 units each of 40 hours
Unit 1: Business Enterprise
Unit 2: Business Decision Areas: Marketing and Operations
Unit 3: Business Decision Areas: Finance and Human Resource Management
Business Enterprise: Includes the business cycle; sectors of activity; types of business organisations; methods of obtaining finance; objectives; the role of the entrepreneur; stakeholders; changes in the business environment; types, uses and users of ICT; costs and benefits of hardware and software; types of decisions; decision making process.
Business Decision Areas - Marketing & Operations: The marketing concept; the marketing mix; market research; methods of production within businesses; stock-control; quality control.
Business Decision Areas – Finance & Human Resource Management: Role of the finance department within businesses; interpretation of financial information; role of elements of human resource management; recruitment & selection; training & development; employee relations; legislation.
Assessment
To gain a course award, students must pass the internal assessment for all 3 units of the course, as well as the SQA final exam.
European Computer Driving Licence
Entry Requirements
There are no formal academic requirements for entrance to the ECDL course, and no prior knowledge of IT or computer skills are needed. Entrance to the course is via an interview with the Principal Teacher.
Course Description
The European Computer Driving Licence® (ECDL) is the internationally recognised qualification which enables people to demonstrate their competence in computer skills. The record breaking ECDL is the fastest growing IT user qualification in over 125 countries.
ECDL is designed specifically for those who wish to gain a benchmark qualification in computing to enable them to develop their IT skills and enhance their career prospects.
Assessment (How ECDL Works)
The ECDL syllabus is designed to cover the key concepts of computing, its practical applications and their use in the workplace and society. It is broken down into seven modules.
After studying each module, you will sit a practical exam that will test your competence of that particular unit. When you pass a module, your result is recorded in your ‘logbook’ and you progress to the next module of the course. Once all 7 modules have been passed, the ECDL certificate is awarded.
The seven modules that make up the ECDL are :
- Module 1: Basic concepts of IT
- Module 2: Using the computer and managing files
- Module 3: Word processing
- Module 4: Spreadsheets
- Module 5: Database
- Module 6: Presentation
- Module 7: Information and Communication
There are no Core Skills for this course. This situation may change during the course of the year, but at present, any student wishing to gain the core skill in Information Technology at Higher level must complete a series of three additional short assessments at the end of their ECDL course.
Core Skill Information Technology Higher (1 Unit) i.e. 1 Credit at Higher
Entry Requirements
This course is designed for students who wish to develop basic IT skills. This course is geared towards students who have minimal IT skills and require a Core Skill in IT
The desired entry requirements would be a reasonable ability in English.
Course Description
This course is suitable for all students who wish to gain a basic knowledge of the main ICT applications – word processing, spreadsheet, database, Email and Internet. Emphasis will be placed on a number of areas – all relating to an administrative scenario but relevant skills can be transferred to a range of situations.
The course will be of benefit to any student who intends to use Information Technology – either in the world of work or in Further Education. It will provide a basis for further skill development in employment or in Higher Education, where the use of IT is increasingly becoming the norm.
Assessment
Three assessments to be completed.
Core Skill
The attainment of this unit will lead to the automatic award of a Core Skill in IT at Higher level.
