Sustainability in Business: Corporate Governance and Ethics (Higher Education Short Course) Online

Course content

Through the course, you will explore corporate governance and ethics and their relationship to organisational operations. You will examine conceptual ideas of ethics to establish the impact of corporate behaviour and corporate governance on competitive advantage. Using management techniques and conceptual frameworks, you will explore the application of corporate governance and ethics through continuous improvement and benchmarking. 

The course will also help you develop your academic writing and research skills, providing you with the opportunity to acquire transferable skills such as communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving. 

Teaching and assessment 

This course is delivered online and will consist of ‘live’ (synchronous) workshops and seminars (approximately 2 hours each week) along with learning materials which you will be guided through and able to complete at a time convenient to you. This is likely to take you between 8 and 10 hours to complete each week.

You will learn through research, independent study, directed study and workplace scenarios. By participating in vocational activities, you will develop key behaviours and transferable skills such as communication, teamwork, research, and analysis. Plus, you’ll be taught by a friendly, committed, and qualified team of lecturers who have both professional and teaching experience.

You will be assessed through a combination of written assignments, group assessments, peer assessments, portfolio assessments, and practice-related coursework. You will also be supported with a wide range of learning resources made available via Activate Learning’s Online Learning Environment (ALO), including access to textbooks, articles, and multimedia content.

Support

You will have a range of support made available to you, including academic and pastoral support, learning support and access to additional support funds (if eligible). Please see our Support Pages for further information.

Additional study support

Whether you have a recognised disability, specific learning difficulty, or not, you will be eligible to access additional learning support in all the following areas:

• assistive software training

• IT upskilling

• essay planning and structure

• proofreading and editing written work

• bibliographies and referencing

• time management and personal organisation

• revision and exam tips

• presentation techniques

The normal eligibility criteria for this course:
4 GCSE/O Levels at grade C/4 or above to include English and maths
along with either: 

• BTEC/Edexcel Advanced GNVQ 
• An A Level
• National Certificate Diploma in a related discipline 
• Relevant Access to HE Diploma course 
• Other qualifications which are considered to be equivalent to the above. 

At Activate Learning, however, we value relevant industry experience just as highly as academic qualifications. So, if you don’t have an academic background, don’t worry – your industry experience is considered on merit, and we encourage you to apply. 

If you are thinking of returning to education but do not possess all the formal entry qualifications, your application may be considered through our Recognition of Prior Experience/Learning procedure. You will need GCSE English and maths or equivalent. In addition, you should be able to demonstrate experience and achievement in a range of business-related activities. We would also look for evidence of continuous professional development and learning. You should provide details of your experience and any courses you have completed, along with your reasons for wanting to pursue this course of study in the Personal Statement section of the application. 

If you would like to learn more about our recognition of prior learning procedure or have any questions about the course, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Applicants whose first language is not English must also demonstrate that their level of English is acceptable by achieving a score in a recognised test such as: 

• Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) level B 
• PTE Academic 51, or 
• IELTS 5.5 (reading and writing must be at 5.5) 

On successful completion of this course, you can progress to our HNC in Sustainable Business Management (top-up) and complete an additional 7 units. We offer excellent progression, so once you have achieved your HND you can continue your studies and ‘Top Up’ to a BA (Hons) degree (subject to meeting entry requirements). 

Career opportunities may include becoming a Corporate Social Responsibility Officer, an Environmental Social Governance Officer, or a responsible business officer, among others.? 

Please apply directly via the Activate Learning website. 

Tuition Fees? 

 Fees in the academic year 2025/6 are £425.? 

Additional costs? 

You will need access to a laptop or PC along with a reliable internet connection.

You can borrow ebooks and access journals from the recommended reading lists from our Learning Resource Centres, either physically on campus, or in the majority of cases online. If you choose to purchase textbooks, they may cost up to c£60 each.?