Kick off your career in business with this one-year management qualification
The Business Management Certificate of Higher Education is your first step towards a BA (Hons) Business Management degree awarded by Lancaster University.
While you’ll study at Blackpool and The Fylde College, you’ll graduate with a qualification from a top 15 UK university, recognised both nationally and internationally.
This Level 4 qualification also stands on its own, giving you a solid foundation in business if you choose to progress to employment or continue onto the full degree.
Build the skills employers are looking for
During your first year, you’ll study six core modules designed around real employer expectations. You’ll develop knowledge and skills across four key areas:
- Human Resource Management
- Marketing
- Finance
- Leadership
These modules focus on building the practical understanding and professional behaviours needed for a successful career in business.
Combine your studies with a unique football experience
Alongside your studies, you’ll have the opportunity to take part in a professional football experience with Fleetwood Town Football Club. Based at the £15 million Poolfoot Farm training complex, this unique partnership allows you to:
- Train in a professional football environment
- Play competitive matches
- Experience a setting that combines education and elite sport
Fleetwood Town’s rapid rise through the English Football League makes this a truly inspiring environment to develop both academically and personally.
Before applying, please check whether you meet the entry requirements under 'Key Information' for this course. Don't hesitate to call us on 01253 504343 if you need assistance.
Entry Requirements
80 UCAS points (excluding Functional Skills) from an appropriate discipline or equivalent international qualification
Where can this subject lead?
Career progression
Good leadership skills are a genuine asset to any business so a programme that promises to develop them is ideal for anyone wanting to develop a career in business management.
What's more, because the leadership element of this degree is embedded in broader business concerns, students are able to utilise what they learn in a real-world context.
Next steps at B&FC
The next step at B&FC is to progress onto the second year of the Foundation Degree in Business Management.
Employment Opportunities
This programme offers progression opportunities into junior management roles across a variety of departments in businesses both large and small in both the public and private sectors.
It also supports individuals who are looking to develop their own business ventures, leveraging their entrepreneurial ideas in tandem with the management skills they have acquired on the course.
Key information
Qualification obtained
CertHE Business ManagementFees and funding
Visit our Tuition Fees page and Financial Support for Degrees page for more information about fees and funding, including additional financial support for those on low incomes, with dependent children or adults, or with disabilities.
Extra costs and equipment
You will not be required to purchase any additional equipment to undertake this programme as the college has resources available to students. However, there may be some opportunities that will not be a requirement of the programme but will be available to students at an additional cost.
Regulation and Accreditation
Accrediting Institution: N/A
Awarding Body: Lancaster University
Regulatory Body: Office for Students (OfS)
Terms and conditions
Please visit our Student Terms and Conditions page for more information.
What will I learn?
- Managing People
Develops understanding of how to motivate, lead and support employees. You will explore recruitment, teamwork, communication, performance management and workplace culture, gaining skills to manage people effectively in diverse organisational settings. - Operational Leadership
Introduces principles of effective leadership in day-to-day operations.You will learn how to coordinate resources, improve processes, make decisions and lead teams to achieve organisational goals while maintaining quality and efficiency. - Finance for Business
Provides foundational financial knowledge for managers. You will learn how to interpret financial statements, manage budgets, and analyse costs as well as supporting decision-making using key financial tools and concepts relevant to business operations. - Marketing
Covers core marketing principles, including customer behaviour, market research, segmentation, branding and promotional strategies. You will learn how organisations create value and build customer relationships through effective marketing planning. - Dynamic Business Environment
Examines external factors shaping business activity, such as economic conditions, technology, globalisation, ethics and regulation. You will learn how these forces affect organisations and how businesses adapt to change. - Professional and Academic Skills (Humanities)
Develops essential skills for academic success and professional growth. You will strengthen research, writing, critical thinking, communication and digital literacy, preparing you for higher-level study and effective workplace performance.
Industry placement, field trips and guest speakers
There are no business industry placements but the unique experience of living and breathing a League 1 Professional Football Club will be yours throughout.
How will I learn?
Scheduled Learning
Scheduled time relates to the time you spend in directed study with the guidance and support of our academic tutors.
Scheduled learning can take a variety of forms and will vary from one course to the next, but may include lectures, seminars, tutorials, project supervision, demonstrations, studio or workshop time, fieldwork and external visits.
Independent Study
Higher education courses rely on students undertaking work outside of formal, scheduled sessions and this is generally categorised as independent study.
Independent study might include preparation for scheduled sessions, follow-up work, wider reading or practice, completion of assessment tasks and revision.
Expert tutors
All tutors involved in the delivery of higher education courses within the College are approved to teach the subjects and modules they deliver.
The approval process ensures that staff delivering a given programme are appropriately qualified and, where appropriate, possess relevant technical and industrial experience and professional practice.
Learning Methods
| Learning Method | Level 4 | Level 5 | Level 6 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled | 288 | 0 | 0 |
| Independent | 912 | 0 | 0 |
| Placement | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 1200 | 0 | 0 |
How will I be assessed?
Coursework
Most courses are assessed via a combination of coursework and exams. Coursework might range from written tasks and assignments to the collation of a portfolio of evidence based around key topics areas and could be tailored to your specific interests.
Exams
Exams are formal, timed written assessments, carried out in a controlled environment and overseen by one or more invigilators. They assess your grasp of the theory and underpinning knowledge related to your chosen career area. The opposite of practicals, they require you to set out your practical understanding within an academic context.
Practical/ Presentations
Practical assessments identify your technical ability to apply theory to hands-on tasks in your chosen career area. They can be timed or non-timed and involve observation of your practical skills and competencies, either in a work-based environment or a dedicated College setting that closely resembles the workplace. Practical work-based assessments are supported and carried out by a trained assessor.
| Assessment Method | Level 4 | Level 5 | Level 6 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coursework | 64% | 0% | 0% |
| Exam | 30% | 0% | 0% |
| Practical | 0% | 0% | 0% |