FdA Business and Management
- UCAS code: Non-UCAS
- Mode of study: Part time
- Duration: 3 years
- Entry requirements 2013: Students are expected to be in part-time or full-time, paid or unpaid employment of a kind that will allow access to appropriate work-related learning opportunities. An over-riding criterion will be the academic judgement that the student will benefit from the programme and successfully complete it. Applications are welcome from candidates who may not meet the normal entry requirements but whose work experience will have prepared them to succeed in this degree. Applicants will normally be interviewed for entry to the programme.
- Please see details of the range of other qualifications that will also be considered on the 'Entry Requirements' tab below. Please do contact us for advice on other qualifications that aren't listed here.
Find out more:
Tel: +44 (0)23 9284 8200
Email: bus.admissions@port.ac.uk
Department: Portsmouth Business School
Course overview
This nationally recognised academic qualification is delivered in partnership with you and your employer. Incorporating elements of your work into your learning, it will cause as little disruption as possible to your employment and help you to make a more effective contribution to your organisation, as well as improve your career prospects.
You may be eligible for a tuition fee loan which is not income assessed and which is paid directly to the University. The Foundation degree comprises 80 Higher Education credits studied each year over three years which currently equates to £4,000 per year if you study at the University of Portsmouth (£2,250 per year at our partner colleges). You won't have to start repaying the loan until four years after you start your course when you make repayments at a rate of nine per cent of annual earnings above £21,000.
For further information about studying as a mature student, please visit the government website Directgov.
Through a mix of taught classes, individual tuition and work-based learning, the course will enable you to develop the competences needed in business, including the ability to diagnose problems and implement and evaluate solutions. Collaboration with major employers in developing the curriculum ensures that this course is up-to-date and relevant to the needs of business.
Students on the course range widely in age and represent a broad spectrum of business backgrounds. We welcome applicants whose work experience and current employment prepare them to succeed in this degree.
If you are employed in a supervisory or management role and seek to consolidate your experience and knowledge, or if you aspire to such a role in the near future, this course can provide the first steps to meeting your ambitions.
If you live or work in Hampshire, south west Sussex, or the Isle of Wight, you can study this Foundation degree close to your home or place of work. It is available at:
- Portsmouth Business School
- Chichester College
- Isle of Wight College
- Itchen College
- South Downs College
Employer support
A key feature of the Foundation degree is the support of your employer, especially in the provision of appropriate work-based learning.
Find out more
If you are interested in studying this course, you can meet us at one of our regular part-time open evenings held throughout the year. We are happy to answer any queries that you have and tell you more about ourselves. We look forward to meeting you.
Course content
Year one
Managing People: this is a taught unit covering human resource issues.
Work-Based Learning 1: you will be required to compile an evidence-based portfolio profile of your career to date, your strengths and weaknesses, your role within your organisation and place your organisation in the broader business context.
Managing Information and Financial Resources: this taught unit covers topics including the effective use of information resources and the principles of budgeting.
Business Conference 1: this full-day event, held on a Saturday in November, includes lectures and workshops exploring the role of the manager.
Year two
Marketing: this taught unit considers how organisations use marketing tools and concepts to improve their performance.
Work-Based Learning 2: you will be required to undertake an individual project in which you identify a problem in your workplace, develop a solution to the problem, implement the solution and evaluate the implementation.
The Economic Environment of Business: this taught unit examines how the external environment impacts on the decision-making of the business and how businesses can influence, change or respond to the external environment.
Business Conference 2: this year's conference explores the theme of change management.
Year three
Business Excellence: this taught unit covers the application of benchmarking techniques and excellence models in business organisations.
Project Management: this taught unit introduces practical tools and techniques used to ensure that business projects are delivered on time, to specification and within budget.
Business Conference 3: for the final conference, you will be required to give a presentation on the theme of business excellence, quality and continuous improvement.
Throughout your course you will compile a professional development portfolio; this will be invaluable in helping you to develop reflective practice.
Teaching and assessment
Here at Portsmouth our approach to learning is friendly, supportive and participative. You will benefit from the diversity of students on the course, who come from many different business backgrounds, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to share with each other.
Attendance is a regular three-hour session one evening per week, with some additional tutorials and an annual business conference.
We employ a range of teaching methods including seminars, workshops and work-based learning. You will also be required to spend time reading around the lecture material and undertaking self-directed learning. Learning is assessed by a combination of exams, presentations and coursework assignments.
Career prospects
If you successfully complete the Foundation degree, you will be eligible to progress to the BA (Hons) Leadership, Business and Management through a further 18 months of part-time study at the University of Portsmouth.Facilities and features
We offer a wide range of support, expertise and facilities, aimed at helping you get the most from your time as a student at the University. The University Library is at the centre of academic life. Open from 8am until midnight every day during term-time, it provides an abundance of information to help with study and research.
The Library has also invested heavily in the purchase of electronic resources. There are thousands of electronic journals and ebooks, which can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection.
All students have a network account giving access to a range of course-specific resources.