Business Studies Program

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Bachelor of Arts (BA)in Business Studies

Arab Open University, KSA - Riyadh

BUSINESS STUDIES PROGRAM

This is a broad-based business program which aims to provide students with:

an introduction to the world of business, including an understanding ofmarkets and market economies;

an understanding of the structures, cultures and functioning of businessorganisations and the complex nature of key business functions andprocesses;

a recognition of the processes and outcomes of organisational decision-making, how organisational strategies both develop and diversify, and thenature and role of policies which impact on business;

a range of important business graduate skills both quantitative andqualitative, which you can bring to your employment in businesses ororganisations;

an understanding of the recording of financial transactions and financialinformation needed to support business decisions;

professional skills in accountancy practice; support and guidance to develop as independent learners.

Program Mission:

The mission of the program of Business Studies aims at qualifying the student ofthis program of study to be capable of professional engagement in various fieldsof practice in areas of Business Administration. This is achieved via the study of aset of integrated courses in accordance with a dynamically-evolving plan of studyand associated learning mechanisms. In turn, the program seeks to equip thegraduate with a number of necessary skills for a career in a dynamically changing business market. Furthermore, program design and delivery shall be guided bycertain adopted measures and standards of quality assurance.

Program Goals:

1. The program contributes to firm development of basic components inunderstanding business behavior and business functions, characteristic ofmodern business practices. In addition, other aspects such as thosedealing with building strategies of firms and managing required humanresources constitute other important elements of the program.

2. Furthermore, the program offers students opportunities of creatingspecific areas of concentration as they choose to follow one of five available


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tracks: systems, economics, accounting, marketing and Business Studies;thereby offering added opportunities for more in-depth qualifications incertain areas of business studies.

3. Through suitable learning methodologies and resources, and verified byappropriate student assessment strategies, it is hoped to achieve the set

learning outcomes intended for this program of study.

Program Objectives

The program attempts to prepare graduates for a breadth of careers in todaysmarkets. It develops up-to-date certain cognitive skills such as critical thinking,and methodical analysis and evaluation methodologies. In addition, thedevelopment of communication and ICT skills are also targeted.

In turn, it is hoped that the graduate can find a job opportunity in a wide range ofmarket needs such as business, finance, marketing, management, and humanresources. The design and delivery of this program of study seek to mold alearner, always seeking to learn.

STUDY PLAN

Different Tracks of Business Program

Business Studies at AOU offers one academic program at under graduate level i.e.Bachelor of Arts in Business Studies (BABS) with five tracks as following:

1-

BA in Business Studies with Systems Practice2- BA in Business Studies with Economics3- BA in Business Studies with Accounting4- BA in Business Studies with Marketing5- BA in Business Studies

All the tracks have common courses. Students on all the tracks will benefit fromthese common courses by gaining basic understanding of business behavior ingeneral, business functions and business behavior in a changing world.

The track-specific courses, however, provide students with the opportunity to

concentrate on specific courses and learn specialized skills. The program isclosely linked to the business studies program of the Open University, UK. Thestructure of the program and the learning materials are the same. However, the AOU tutors are encouraged to add value to the courses by promoting businessconcepts related to all five tracks in relation to local market and businessconditions.


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Degree Requirements

The BA degree in Business Studies [B.A.] has been developed and is delivered byAOU. It has been validated through a process of external peer review by UKOU as

being of an appropriate standard and quality to lead to the Open Universityvalidated award of: B.A. (Hons) BS (OUVA).

The degree comprises a 128 - 135 credit hours which can be completed over afour-year period of full-time study. The breakdown of credit hours, coursesneeded to complete the program, as well as the graduation plan for BusinessStudies are presented below.

No CategoryCreditHours

1 Mandatory General University Requirements 182 Faculty Requirements and University Electives 14 - 28

3 Core Progamme Courses (Common Core Courses) 64

4 Core Track (Specialized) Courses 32

Total 128 - 135

(1) Mandatory General University Requirements (18 credit hours)

The following six courses comprise the Mandatory General UniversityRequirements (18 credit hours)

CourseNumber

Course Title Credithours

Prerequisites

GR101 Independent Study Skills 3

AR111 Arabic Communication Skills (I) 3

AR112 Arabic Communication Skills (II) 3 AR111

EL111 English Communication Skills (I) 3EL112 English Communication Skills (II) 3 EL111

TU170 Learning On-Line 3

Total 18
http://www.arabou.org/course_descriptionfls.htm#AR111http://www.arabou.org/course_descriptionfls.htm#AR112http://www.arabou.org/course_descriptionfls.htm#EL111http://www.arabou.org/course_descriptionfls.htm#EL112http://www.arabou.org/course_descriptionfls.htm#TU170http://www.arabou.org/course_descriptionfls.htm#TU170http://www.arabou.org/course_descriptionfls.htm#EL112http://www.arabou.org/course_descriptionfls.htm#EL111http://www.arabou.org/course_descriptionfls.htm#AR112http://www.arabou.org/course_descriptionfls.htm#AR111


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(2) Faculty Requirements & University Electives (14 credit hours)

A minimum of 14 and a maximum of 21 credits are to be selected from thefollowing list. The list includes optional courses from which the student can

choose the courses that support his/her area of specialization or the requirementsof the Ministry of Higher Education. Some courses are local, and others are UK-based courses.

CourseNumber

Course

Title

CreditHours

Pre-requisites Remarks

GR 131 Branch Requirement 3 Not more than two GRsshould be taken aselectives

GR 111 Arab Islamic Civilization 3

GR112 Issues of Development in the

Arab world

3

BE 200 Marketing Management 3 Obligatory FacultyRequirement for theMarketing Track

BE 201 Consumer Behavior 3

BE 300 Marketing Research 3 BE 200

BE 210 Financial Accounting 3 Obligatory FacultyRequirement for the

Accounting TrackBE211 Managerial Accounting 3 BE 210

BE 310 Cost Accounting 3 BE 210

BE 220 Money & Banking 3 Faculty Requirementfor the tracks ofSystems, Economicsand Business Studies.Students of these

tracks can choose anyelective of Marketingand Accounting too.

BE 230 Financial Institutions 3

BE 231 Financial Management 3

BE 320 Islamic Finance 3

BE 322 Small Business Management 3Bu130* Managing in the Workplace 8M150 A* Data computing & information 4 Offered by IT &

ComputingDepartment.

M150 B* Data computing & information 4 M150 A* UK based electives.

Notes:

1- Obligatory courses in a certain track can be taken as elective courses in other tracks.

2- BE stands for "Business Essentials".

(3) Core Program (Specialized) Courses (64 credit hours):

The following list includes 8 courses (8 Credits/30 points each). All courses arecompulsory for all business students regardless of their track or area ofspecialization.


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CourseNumber

Course TitleCreditHours

Prerequisite

LB160 Business English Communication 8 EL112B120 An Introduction to Business Studies 8 EL112

B200A Understanding Business Behavior: BusinessEnvironments and Markets (I)

8 B120

B200B Understanding Business Behavior: BusinessProcesses and Organizations (II)

8 B200A

B202A Understanding Business Functions (I) 8 B120

B202B Understanding Business Functions (II) 8 B202A

B300A Business Behavior in a Changing World (I) 8 B120

B300B Business Behavior in a Changing World (II) 8 B300A

Total 64

Note:The two courses B200 and B202 will be replaced by B201 and B203 respectively in future.

(4) Core Track (specialized) Courses (32 Credits / 120 points)

4.1 - BA in Business Studies withSystems Practice

CourseNumber

Course Title CreditHours

Prerequisite

T 205* A Systems Thinking: Theory and Practice 8 Passing B120

T 205* B Systems Thinking: Theory& Practice 8 StudyingT205 A /or T214 A

T 306 A Managing Complexity: A systemsApproach 8 Passing B120

T 306 B Managing Complexity: A systemsApproach

8 Studying T306 A

Total 32

Note: T205* will be replaced by T214 when available.


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4.2 - BA in Business Studies withEconomics

CourseNumber


Prerequisite

DD 202 A Economics and Economic Change:Microeconomics 8 Passing B120

DD202 B Economics and Economic Change:Macroeconomics

8 Studying DD202 A

D 319 A Understanding Economic Behaviour 8 Passing B120

D 319 B Understanding Economic Behaviour 8 Studying D319 A

Total 32

4.3 - BA in Business Studies withAccounting

CourseNumber


Prerequisite

B680 A Certificate in Accounting (FinancialAccounting and Reporting 8 Passing B120

B680 B Certificate in Accounting (Cost andManagement Accounting)

8 Studying B680 A

B321 Accounting Information for Strategy Implementation 8 Passing B120

M248 Data Analysis 8Total 32

4.4 - BA in Business Studies withMarketing

CourseNumber


Prerequisite

B 322 Investigating Entrepreneurial

Opportunities

8 Passing B120

B324 Marketing and Society 8 Passing B120

T175 Exploring Information andCommunication Technology

8

M248 Data Analysis 8

Total 32


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4.5 - BA in Business Studies

CourseNumber


Prerequisite

T175 Exploring Information andCommunication Technology

8

M248 Data Analysis 8

B321 Accounting information for StrategyImplementation

8 Passing B120

B 322 Investigating EntrepreneurialOpportunities

8 Passing B120

Total 32


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COURSE DESCRIPTIONfor Core Business Courses

LB160: Professional Communication Skills for Business Studies30 points / 8 credit hours

This course has been specifically designed for students who want to developspecialized reading andwriting skills primarily for business study purposes. Thecourse can also benefit those who are starting out in their business career byhighlighting how business studies communication skills can be transferred to theworkplace.It is a level one course and counts as 8 AOU credit hours or 30 OU points. The focusis on written English and topics include areas of human resource management,finance and accounting, marketing and a number of business analysis methods.Online communication with tutor and other students is also an important element ofthe course. Different styles of writing are introduced and student will learn how toanalyze case studies more effectively and to produce successful essays and powerfulreports.LB160 is a practical course with a wide range of activities designed to develop andpractice skills in reading and writing for business studies and business. It puts whatstudents have learned and in a highly competitive market, aims to help studentsacquire the skills that will distinguish them from their peers. The course deepens theknowledge of the business world at the same time as developing writtencommunication skills, helping students succeed in both business studies and

business generally.Professional communication skills for business studies is relevant to a wide range ofstudents who need help in understanding how to communicate effectively, or theymay feel that their previous education has not provided them with the skills to writeconfidently.

B120-An introduction to Business Studies 30 points / 8 credit hours

This course will introduce you to the different internal and external elements of abusiness and help you to understand the context in which a business operates. Youwill explore the common aims and characteristics of business and what makes them

different. Business structures, cultures and functions are identified and the political,social, economic, technological and ethical considerations affecting business areintroduced. The course consists of five study books: What is a business?; Anintroduction to human resources in business; An introduction to marketing in business; An introduction to accounting and finance in business; Other ways oflooking at business, plus a Study Companion to guide you through the course.

B200 - Understanding Business Behavior 60 points / 16 credit hours


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This course explains how businesses are structured, how they work, how theirenvironments influence them, and how they try to control competitive marketpressures. Understanding the complexities and uncertainties of all this is not easy, sothe course discusses different approaches and ways of seeing organizations andmarkets. It enables students to evaluate and use information and theories, thus

improving their capacity for rigorous assessment. Finally, the course defines anddevelops three groups of related business skills: study and presentation, IT, andnumeracy. Much use is made of computer conferencing for learning and debate between students and dedicated conferencing tutors. Course tutors are expected toparticipate.

B202 Understanding Business Functions 60 points / 16 credit hours

This course develops an understanding of how organizations work through thecontributions of five key business functions human resources, information,marketing, operations, accounting and finance and how those are integrated. Working with a selection of textbooks, you will look at the key practices of thetraditional business functions and the contributions they make to organizations,individually and collectively. Case studies and specially written texts enable you tosee the origins, rationale, limitations and strengths of business functions from theperspectives of various stakeholders. You will develop skills in finding andorganizing information, preparing simple presentations, and using basic softwarepackages and computer conferencing. The student will need a personal computerand access to the internet.

B300 Business Behavior in a Changing World 60 points / 16 credit hours

This course is designed to develop an understanding and knowledge of strategic

organizational issues and how organizations respond to change in theirenvironments. The course has three main teaching modules: decision-making,strategy and policy. Students look at how organizations make strategic decisions andconsider rationality and routines, decision methods and decision processes. Theyanalyze how organizations develop strategy, notions of core competence andstrategic innovation. A range of policy and environmental concepts and cases thatdemonstrate the impact of the macro-environment on organizations are studied.Students are made aware of the boundaries of strategy in terms of relationshipsbetween strategies at the level of the firm, the industry, the nation, the region andglobally. Three groups of related business skills are developed: study andpresentation skills, IT and numeracy skills, and computer conferencing for learning

and debate. Course tutors are expected to participate.

DD202 Economics and Changing Economies60 points / 16 credit hours

This introduction to economics examines important economic issues of our time andhow economists tackle them. It teaches both economic theory and an understandingof changing economies. The course recognizes the increasing integration of the worldeconomy and draws on examples from the UK and other countries. Topics include


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market competition and cooperation; market structures and firms decision-making;the states role in the economy; money and financial markets; European integration; booms and slumps; unemployment and inflation; managements of the nationaleconomy; poverty, wealth and redistribution; ecological constraints on growth. Thecourse teaches basic techniques of economic analysis and data analysis.

D319 Understanding Economic Behaviour:

Households, Firms and Markets- 60 points / 16 credit hours

This course is designed to be taken after DD202 Economics and changingeconomies. Households, firms, and markets are three of the most important types ofinstitution making up the economy. This course develops a critical understanding offundamental economic issues relating to these three institutions by usingmainstream economic theory and less orthodox interdisciplinary approaches. Thecourse examines the behaviour of economic agents by investigating the outcomes oftheir decisions and introduces ways of trying to model the processes of decision-making as well as the outcomes.

T205 Systems Thinking: Principles and Practice 60 points / 16 credithours

T205 helps students make headway with complex situations they meet at work or inthe community: How could we explore this opportunity? How can I make sense ofthis situation? How could I improve things? Students learn to explore issues,identify components, analyze interrelationships, develop an overall understanding,and consider intervention possibilities. Cases include topical environmental,organizational and information technology issues to do with e-commerce, theenvironment, risk management and social support. The course includes Webteaching and First-Class e-mail and conferencing.

T306 Managing Complexity: A Systems Approach 60 points / 16 credithours

This course is for anyone who wants to learn how to think differently and creativelyabout complex issues, and to manage them in ways that lead to improvement. We areconfronted constantly by images of world as unknowable, random and complex, butare given no means of understanding the complexity or revolving the problems itcreates. The systems approach was designed to deal with this. Building on the

discontinued course T301 Complexity, management and change, this course appliesthe most recent and innovative developments in systems thinking to areas such asinformation systems, organizational change and learning, sustainable developmentand the environment, and professional practice.

B680 Certificate in Accounting - 60 points / 16 credit hours


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This is a Level 3 course and the skills taught will be specific to the requirementsof accounting. This course caters for the students who want a route into theaccounting profession, and who need fundamental accountancy skills. Students will investigate the role of accounting in businesses organizations, developingknowledge and understanding of basic financial, cost and management

accounting, computerized accounting, systems and spreadsheets. Students willalso learn how to prepare accounts for audit and use accounting information fordecision-making.

Course contents include: knowledge and understanding of the processes ofrecording transactions; maintaining accounting records; basic financial, cost andmanagement accounting; computerized accounting, including accountingsystems and spreadsheets; role of accounting in business organizations;accounting information for decision making; accounting statements for planningand control; periodic accounting reports; accounting information for planningand control; audit process; legal and regulatory environment; understanding ofthe business and economic framework; organizational consequences ofaccounting information; principles of office management; and human resourcemanagement.

The course comprises sixteen books, each with accompanying CD-ROM material.The books are arranged in three blocks: Financial Accounting, Management Accounting and Managing Organizations. This course uses an integrated mix oftext and CD material and cannot be studied without the CDs. Seventy per cent ofthe course is accounting and thirty per cent is management.

Business Studies Program

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Transcript of Business Studies Program