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The Open University
Course code
B204
Credit points
60
OU Level
2
SCQF level
8
QAA level
5
6 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs)
End-of-course assessment No residential school

Register for the course

This course is available for study in the countries shown.


Start End Fee* Register
Oct 2010 Jun 2011 Not yet available Click to register

Registration closes 09/09/10

This course is expected to run until October 2015.

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Summary

This course focuses on leadership and change practice, and has considerable potential to support employability. Its strong work-based and reflective enquiry component will help you explore how to initiate and carry through improvements and projects in your current work from an early stage. You will also develop skills to enable you to manage your learning in new work contexts. ‘Work’ isn’t just limited to paid jobs. However – for successful completion of this course – it’s very important to be involved in some ongoing project where you can influence others and initiate change.

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Course content

By the end of the course you will be able to:

  • understand processes of leadership, influence and change within the day-day operations of organisations or other work contexts
  • draw upon different, and often conflicting, academic ideas in order to develop your own skills and practice of leading and initiating change within the scope of your potential to do so
  • use robust, practical and scholarly processes of research and reflection so as to evaluate the contribution of new ideas and practices to success within your work context
  • plan, manage and communicate the processes and outcome of practical, work-based projects that require high-quality inquiry.

Vocational relevance

This course is for students who are currently working in either formal or informal settings. Its content is directly relevant to providing you with the skills to develop your ability to initiate and carry through projects and day to day work. Please note that involvement in a workplace and participation in online discussion forums will be important to the successful completion of the assignments. By ‘workplace’ we do not necessarily mean paid employment but a context where you are working with others, over the six- eight months of the course, to achieve some particular goal. This course will prepare you with practical skills that are in line with the QAA benchmark statement expectations for business studies.

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Entry

This is a Level 2 course and if you have no previous experience of studying business studies, it is strongly recommended that you first study An introduction to business studies (B120). Working and learning: developing effective performance at work (BU130) (or an equivalent course of study) is also ideal preparation if you are new to work-based learning.

It is important to note that this course will require you to explore the subject content within a ‘work context’. By ‘work context’, we do not mean that you have to be in paid employment but the work-based nature of the course will require that you have some organisational context within which you can learn. This can include informal social groupings, voluntary, religious or sporting organisations.

If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.

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Qualifications

B204 is a compulsory course in our

B204 is an optional course in our

It can also count towards most of our other degrees at bachelors level, where it is equally appropriate to a BA or BSc. We advise you to refer to the relevant qualification descriptions for information on the circumstances in which this course can count towards these qualifications because from time to time the structure and requirements may change.

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If you have a disability or additional requirement

Written transcripts of any audio components and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) versions of printed material are available. Some Adobe PDF components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader and musical notation and mathematical, scientific, and foreign language materials may be particularly difficult to read in this way. Other alternative formats of the course materials may be available in the future. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.

If you are a new student, or new to courses using a computer or the internet, you will need to inform us of your particular needs as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Details of how to do this and our range of support services are described in our booklet Meeting Your Needs which you can download or request from our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.

You can also find information about accessible course materials, financial support and the Disabled Students' Allowance, equipment and other services, on our Services for disabled students website. It also includes our contact details for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.

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Course materials

What's included

Course books, readers, other printed materials, DVD, online resources and activities.

Computing requirements

This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave.

You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new computer since 2002 it should meet your course computing requirements. Check our Technical Requirements section if your computer is older than this or is otherwise unusual.

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Teaching and assessment

Support from your tutor

You will have a tutor who will help you with the course material and mark and comment on your written work, and whom you can ask for advice and guidance. We may also be able to offer group tutorials or day schools that you are encouraged, but not obliged, to attend. Where tutorials are held depends on the distribution of students taking each course.

Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.

Assessment

The assessment details for this course can be found in the facts box above.

You will be expected to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) online through the eTMA system unless there are some difficulties which prevent you from doing so. In these circumstances, you must negotiate with your tutor to get their agreement to submit your assignment on paper.

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Future availability

The details given here are for the course that starts in October 2010. We expect it to be available once a year.

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How to register

To register a place on this course return to the top of the page and use the Click to register button. For more information and advice about registration see OU Study Explained.

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About this page

An undergraduate course in Business and Management.

Study explained

Course
- a module of study that can count towards a qualification.
Credit points
- show how much study is required to complete a course or qualification. One credit point represents roughly 10 hours of study.
Level
- indicates how difficult a course is. Undergraduate study starts at Level 1.
Financial support
- find out if you qualify for support with your fees with our eligibility checker.
Study explained
- all you need to know about studying with the OU.

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