- An undergraduate course
in
Business and Management.
Professional communication skills for business studies
- On this page
Personal and corporate success in business relies on effective communication. Professional communication skills for business studies will help you acquire skills to distinguish you from your peers. This practical introductory Level 1 course will empower you to undertake more insightful case-study analysis, write successful essays, and produce influential documents. From proposals to emails, you’ll work with a wide range of texts from business studies courses and the wider business world, deepening your subject knowledge while developing your written communication skills – helping you to succeed in the field of business studies and business in general.
| Course facts | |
|---|---|
| About this course: | |
| Course code | LB160 |
| Credits | 30 |
| OU Level | 1 |
| SCQF level | 7 |
| FHEQ level | 4 |
| Course work includes: | |
| 4 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) | |
| End-of-module assessment | |
| No residential school | |
Register for the course
What you will study
This course is for students of business studies who want to develop specialised reading and writing skills for business study purposes. On the course, you will study a range of business related material that has been especially designed to develop your knowledge and your reading and writing skills. Topics include areas of human resource management; finance and accounting; marketing and a number of business analysis methods. Some of the study materials are authentic texts from the business world, others have been adapted or designed for the course. Different styles of writing from business studies and business are introduced. Through examining successful examples of student writing and work-related documents, and reflecting on what makes these texts successful, you’ll learn to write case studies, essays and reports.
This is a practical skills development course with numerous activities aimed at practising reading and writing for business studies and business. The focus of the course is on written English. Online communication is an important component of the course, enabling you to discuss the materials, contribute writing for comment from other students, and read and comment on fellow students’ work, exchanging ideas and experience. You can submit drafts of your work by email and receive feedback on your writing from your tutor. For each of the three major types of writing, there is an assignment in which to apply the skills and use the knowledge you develop during the course.
The outcome of this course is of a level comparable to C1 as defined by the Council of Europe. See Common European Framework of Reference for Languages for further details.
Entry
This is a key introductory Level 1 course. Level 1 courses provide core subject knowledge and study skills needed for both higher education and distance learning, in preparation for study at Level 2.
Professional communication skills for business studies can be taken alongside, before or after An introduction to business studies (B120). It is also suitable for students who have taken Understanding management (Y179) or Managing in the workplace (B121), or are considering starting a business studies course. It may also be of interest to learners on some more advanced-level business studies course. It is suitable for students from other language backgrounds who have a sound knowledge of everyday English and want to develop business specific language in reading and writing.
If you are new or a less confident learner, start with Understanding management (Y179). This is an Openings course, also at Level 1 but worth 15 credits. Designed with lots of support and no examination, it will give you a gentle introduction to this subject and to OU study. If you successfully complete this Openings course, you’ll be ready to study LB160.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Outside the UK
This course may be particularly relevant if you’re a business studies student living in Europe for whom English is a foreign language.
Preparatory work
If you have already studied on a business studies course, either at The Open University or elsewhere, it would be good preparation to review your assignments and the materials from that course. The clearer you can be about the skills you want to develop, the more effective your participation in Professional communication skills for business studies will be. If you have not previously studied business but are working in a business setting, a review of the reading and writing tasks that you need to do each day will be good preparation. The development of your communication skills will depend on your active involvement in learning and this can begin before the course starts.
Regulations
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the Module Regulations and the Student Regulations which are available on our Essential documents website.
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 study 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 publication Meeting Your Needs.
You can also find information about accessible study materials, 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.
Study materials
Computing requirements
You will need a computer with internet access to study this course which includes online activities. You can only access these using a web browser with Flash and Java.
- If you have purchased a new desktop or laptop computer since 2006 you should have no problems completing the online activities.
- If you’ve got a netbook, tablet or other mobile computing device check our Technical requirements section.
- If you use an Apple Mac you will need OS X 10.5 or later.
You can also visit the Technical requirements section for further computing information including the details of the support we provide.
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You will have a tutor to help you with the study material and mark and comment on your work. You will be able to ask your tutor for advice and guidance and if you are new to The Open University, the tutor will be particularly concerned to help you with study methods. An important element of the course is the feedback you receive from your tutor on the writing that you do as part of the course. Feedback provides the basis for your writing development as you work your way through the material, and you will be able to contact your tutor by email or phone throughout.
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.
Future availability
The details given here are for the course that starts in May 2012 and April 2013. We then expect it to be available once a year, in April.
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
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.
Student Reviews
“This was a fairly good course. However, there was just so much information and repeating itself that at times it ...”
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Distance learning
The Open University is the world’s leading provider of flexible, high quality distance learning. Unlike other universities we are not campus based. You will study in a flexible way that works for you whether you’re at home, at work or on the move. As an OU student you’ll be supported throughout your studies – your tutor will guide and advise you, offer detailed feedback on your assignments, and help with any study issues. Tuition might be in face-to-face groups, via online tutorials, or by phone.
For more information about distance learning at the OU read Study explained.
| Course facts | |
|---|---|
| About this course: | |
| Course code | LB160 |
| Credits | 30 |
| OU Level | 1 |
| SCQF level | 7 |
| FHEQ level | 4 |
| Course work includes: | |
| 4 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) | |
| End-of-module assessment | |
| No residential school | |
Undergraduate
Course satisfaction survey
See the satisfaction survey results for this course.
Study explained
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Your questions
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