Sustainability in Business: Sustainable Business Practice (Higher Education Short Course) Online)

Through the course, you will have the opportunity to develop your knowledge and understanding of sustainable business practice and its operational impacts. You will explore developments in guidance and how this has contributed to the structure of organisations. The course also explores the influence of roles and responsibilities to ensure the effective delivery of sustainable business practice and the factors that deliver benefits and minimise operational risk. This knowledge will enable you to comprehend the scope of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability within organisations and explore how these impact the meeting objectives for sustainable business practice. The same knowledge is relevant to both those directly responsible for CSR and sustainability and those whose relationships are interrelated in shaping decision-making, including operations, supply chain, human resources and communications.

You will be equipped with the knowledge and skills required to progress into roles in the sector and/or higher levels of study. Please see the ‘Progression’ section.

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 mixture of written assignments, group assessment, peer assessment, portfolio assessment 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 standard eligibility criteria for this course are 4 GCSE/O Levels at grade C/4 or above to include English and maths, along with either of the following: 

• BTEC/Edexcel Advanced GNVQ 
• an A Level
• National Certificate Diploma in a related discipline 
• relevant Access to HE Diploma course 
• Or 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 want to find out more about our recognition of prior learning procedure or have any questions about the course, please do talk to 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 another 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 could include becoming a Corporate Social Responsibility Officer, Environmental Social Governance Officer or responsible business officer, to name a few.

Please apply 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.