3.1        Duration of programme and mode of study

4.1        Programme structure

4.2        University Requirements

4.3        Elective courses and core courses

4.3.1        Business Studies-Systems

4.3.2        Business Studies-Economics

4.3.3        Business Studies-Accounting

4.3.4        Business Studies-Marketing

4.4        Graduation Plan Assumptions

4.5        Prerequisites

5.1        General Requirement Courses

5.2        Elective courses        

5.3        Major Courses

5.3.1        Common Core Courses

5.3.2        Major, core courses-for each track

6.1        Tutorials

6.2        Tutor Contact, office hours

6.3        Supporting material

6.4        Study Calendar

6.5        Students assessment

6.6        Course material

6.7        Learning Management System (LMS) facility

6.8        Library facility

6.9        Student Appeals Procedures

6.10        Cheating and Plagiarism

This handbook will guide you through the relevant information for the BA programs offered by the Faculty of Business Studies at the Arab Open University.  Each student of the faculty of Business Studies is encouraged to read this booklet at the beginning of his/her  learning process at the university. Students can use this booklet as a reference to be checked every time they have particular enquiries about the Business programme. Each student is assigned an academic advisor from day one of registering at the University to assist in any queries that may rise throughout their studies.

The Faculty of Business Studies offers its courses in English language, the AOU's textbooks and most educational materials are supplied by the UKOU under a special agreement. Other course requirements such as term assignments and examinations are prepared in English as well.

The BA degree in Business Studies is awarded when the student has successfully completed 128 credit hours, equivalent to 470 at a GPA of at least 2.

  

The faculty of Business Studies at AOU Kuwait is continuously developing its programme to satisfy the labor market and responding to our student's changing demand.  Starting September 2008, the faculty of Business Studies introduced the Accounting and Marketing tracks in addition to the Systems and Economics tracks which existed from 2005.  The following sections will take you through the structure of each of the four specializations as indicated in figure I.

The Credit Distribution for the Business Studies Programme will be discussed in this section. A student to graduate with a BA in Business Studies from AOU Kuwait will need to complete 128 credit hours.  Figure II illustrates the how these credit hours are distributed.

Students need to complete the 18 Credit hours under the University General Requirements.  The University Requirement courses are common for all BA students in Business studies.  This is mandatory for all students regardless of the track followed.  Table 1  lists these courses and their prerequisite courses.

For each track the elective courses may differ slightly from one another.  For the core courses, 64 credit hours are common core courses amongst all tracks.  32 credit hours differentiate one track from the other. In the following section the elective courses, core courses and a graduation plan will be outlined for each track.

This course aims at helping students develop a wide range of effective study techniques and strategies necessary to help them succeed in their university studies. It focuses on note-taking and making use of different study media, writing reports, using study resource materials and references and preparing for examinations.

This is a 12-week course that provides an introduction to computing and the on-line world. Students learn about software applications such as word processing, databases and electronic mail. They take part in on-line discussions, search the web and author simple web pages using HTML. This course is taught entirely on-line. The total teaching and assessment material is published on the course web site, to which only registered students have access. Students work both individually and in groups with fellow students on collaborative projects, supported by a personal tutor.

This course aims at consolidating the students' skills and competence in listening comprehension, reading comprehension and writing Arabic. It also aims at introducing the students to the basics of Arabic syntax and literary appreciation.

This course builds on and extends the knowledge and skills developed in AR111 and introduces the students to different aspects of Arab culture as reflected in the writings of leading figures, both old and new. It also trains the students in research methodology and report writing.

This is a theme-based integrated skills course which aims to upgrade the student's proficiency level to the extent that he/she can communicate with ease and confidence and utilize English in pursuing his/her university education.

This course complements and builds upon English 111. It particularly seeks to develop the reading, writing, listening, and study skills which students need in order to meet the demands of distance learning university education.

This course consists of major two parts. The first part deals with the brief history of establishment of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Then it elaborates its legislative, administrative and judicial systems. Establishment of various governmental organizations along with their goals and functioning systems also has been included.

The Second part of the course deals with the educational systems of the Kingdom starting from the previous educational history. It focuses on the main features and goals of primary, secondary and higher educations in the Kingdom. Different educational methods have been included. The role of private sector and private organizations has been discussed. It also includes all related important features and characteristics of modern education.

This course introduces the Islamic culture, civilization and its history. It deals with the beginning of Islamic civilization and its development. How did the Islamic civilization grow with the time? What is importance of education in Islam? How does Islam stress on thinking and research? How does Islam encourage learning from nature and wandering on the land of Allah and looking into the nature. How does Islam encourage and support academic research and development in all fields of life? What is political system of Islam? What are the fundamental principles to run and manage a state in Islam? How is the concept of religion and religious life in Islam different from other thoughts? What are outstanding features of social life in an Islamic country and Muslim society? What are the economic philosophy and guidelines of Islam? How was Islamic art considered as the best in medieval period?

This course aims at reflecting the current issues of development in the Arab world from a social, cultural, and political perspective. Furthermore, it will reflect on the strategic issues that the Arab society are currently facing that have built constraints on their economic freedom. This course includes formula intended to lead these Arab Nations into development in the current globalization era.  Furthermore, this course emphasizes the necessity of developing the human resources as this is a major ingredient in achieving development of a Nation.   

             

This course aims to study the issues and the problems that face the international world nowadays.  Students will learn to analyze the international and regional systems. 

The major theme of M150 is the transformation of data into information using computers. You will also learn to write simple programs. This will provide you with the basic knowledge required for further study of computing if you wish to continue with the subject. If your interests lie elsewhere, you will find that what you learn will enable you to use a computer to produce better information (whether it will be a website, a document, a piece of music, or a picture) and to combine different types of information successfully

This course will take you on a journey towards understanding information and communication technologies. You will study examples of ICT systems, learn about the underlying concepts, and consider the contexts in which they are used. You will also develop the skills to learn effectively about ICT systems, both in this course and in your further studies.

Networked living is both exciting and unsettling. We are surrounded by rapidly developing technologies that affect us in many different ways. We use information and communication technologies (ICTs) in our everyday lives, and they underpin the services that we rely on. But do we understand how ICT systems work? Can we use them effectively? Can we contribute to the debate about their effect on society?

This introduction to statistics emphasises the practical side of the subject, but the theoretical principles are also included. MINITAB and other software supplied with the course are used to analyse data and develop your understanding of statistical concepts. The course covers exploratory methods for data analysis, models for data, estimation, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, regression and two-variable problems.

The course provides an introduction to statistics for those who want to understand, and perhaps make use of, basic statistical concepts. The main emphasis is on the practice of statistics, although the underlying principles are included. Use of a computer is an essential part of the course, and the software package Student Version of MINITAB for Windows (Minitab Inc.) and other software are supplied. Four computer books give detailed guidance for all the computer activities.

The course begins with a brief discussion of numerical and graphical summaries of data. Fundamental statistical models for variation (such as the binomial distribution and the normal distribution) are covered, and the problem of assessing the quality of the models in a given data context is discussed. There are units on estimation, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, regression and two-variable problems. The last unit reviews the whole course. Four exercise booklets contain extra problems and exercises based on the course material, which you might like to use during the year and as part of a revision programme.

Accounting is the "language of business", so this course focuses on financial accounting, which provides financial information primarily for decision-makers outside the entity. This financial information is provided to external decision-makers primarily by means of general-purpose financial statements of income results, financial position, and cash flows.

The course concentrates on the application of accounting theory, standards, principles, and procedures to accounting problems. Financial reporting is concerned with the form and content of the financial information disclosed by firms to stakeholders, especially external parties (e.g. shareholders, financial analysts).

Financial management is one of the most core elements in business management since the design and implementation of a business strategy will eventually be faced with financial concerns and financial performance measurement as the implication of the business strategy. This course is intended for students who want to increase their familiarity with the practical applications of financial management in today's capital markets, since financing decisions have become challenging.

The objective of this course is to introduce the student to the fundamentals of finance, with special emphasis on corporate financial management and financial markets and institutions. Financial management will include analysis of financial statements, investment and financial project valuation, working capital management, Capital budgeting and cash flow estimation, risk management and cash management.

This introductory course presents an overview of the nature and scope of the marketing function and the environment affecting marketing managers.  Topics covered include product and brand development, channels of distribution, pricing and promotion with consideration of marketplace conditions affecting the implementation and execution of the marketing plan.

Courses weighing 16 credit hours are split into part "a" and "b" each weighing 30 points of 16 credit hours.  Part "a" being a is a prerequisite to part "b".  A student cannot take both "a" and "b" together in one term.

This course will introduce you to the different internal and external elements of a business and help you to understand the context in which a business operates. You will 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 are introduced. The course consists of five study books: What is a business?; An introduction to human resources in business; An introduction to marketing in business; An introduction to accounting and finance in business; Other ways of looking at business, plus a Study Companion to guide you through the course.

Personal and corporate success in business relies on effective communication. Professional communication skills for business studies will help you to acquire the skills that will distinguish you from your peers. The course is practical and the skills you develop will empower you to undertake more insightful case-study analysis, write successful essays, and produce powerful reports. You'll work with a wide range of texts from business studies courses and the wider business world, including analyses, reports, essays, proposals and emails. The course will deepen your knowledge of the business world at the same time as developing your written communication skills, helping you to succeed in both business studies and business generally.

To develop your understanding of the business world, the courses explains how businesses work, is structured, are influenced by their environments and how they try to control competitive market pressures. Understanding their complexities and uncertainties is not easy, so the course discusses different approaches and ways of seeing organisations and markets. It does not merely present information and theories but enables you to evaluate and use them, improving your capacity for rigorous assessment. Finally, the course defines and develops three groups of related business skills: study and presentation, IT and numeracy.

This course develops knowledge and understanding of how organizations work through the contributions and integration of five key business functions: human resources; information management; marketing; operations; and accounting and finance.  Using textbooks, you will  examine the key practices of traditional business functions and the contributions they make to organizations, individually and collectively. 

Case studies and specially written texts show the origins, rationale, limitations and strengths of business functions from the perspectives of various stakeholders.  You'll develop skills in finding and organizing information, preparing simple presentations, and using basic software packages and online workshops and discussions.  Access to a personal computer and the Internet is essential. 

This course will develop your understanding of strategic organisational issues and how organisations respond to changes in their environments. You will look at how organisations make strategic decisions and consider rationality and routines, decision methods and decision processes. You will analyse how organisations develop strategy, including notions of core competence and strategic innovation. And you will study a range of policy and environmental concepts and cases that demonstrate the impact of the macro-environment on organisations, along with the boundaries and relationships between strategy at the level of the firm, the industry, the nation, the region and globally.

This course offers thinking skills - systems thinking - to help you cope with the practical demands of apparently complex or confusing situations. Systems thinking acknowledge the different perceptions, priorities and needs of the different groups and individuals involved in a situation. It addresses complexity by enabling you to view the situation as a whole. It focuses on different aspects of the situation in turn, within a framework which develops your awareness of the interconnections between things and the effects these generate. Systemic approaches are increasingly used in a range of academic disciplines.

During the final (sixth) block, you use the skills that you have developed to analyse a situation of your own choice. Central to the course is a set of diagramming techniques. These help you to explore your perceptions and understanding of a situation and to communicate this understanding to others. Systems thinking entail a new way of looking at the world, a shift in thinking which is hard for many people. It is made much easier by observing the techniques in use, and by exchanging ideas and experiences with other students.

Are you concerned with leadership; managing change; ethical practice; or improving the way you intervene in situations? Want to learn to think differently and creatively about complex issues and find ways to manage them effectively? These topics are covered in this course. You will use the most recent and innovative methods and techniques in systems thinking and practice and apply them to areas including information systems; organisational change and learning; sustainable development and the environment; and professional practice. Working on your own project throughout the course, you will practise and develop your systems thinking and project management skills in an area of your choice.

This course will help students to think differently and creatively about complex issues, and to find ways to manage them more effectively. As humans we are often confronted by situations that seem incomprehensible, random and complex, but then find we have little means of understanding such complexity or addressing the problems it creates. Systems approaches were largely designed and developed to deal with matters such as these.

This introductory course to economics course deals with today's economic issues and problems. It tackles questions such as: Are we living through a new industrial revolution, led by information and communication technology (ICT)? What makes firms competitive and how can economic policy help? What makes an economy successful in the age of globalisation? Do the poor gain from trade in the international economy? What can governments do - do they, for example, really have the will and the capacity to redistribute income? What can be done about unemployment? Is continued economic growth compatible with protection of the environment? Why do economists have such trouble forecasting what will happen in the economy next year?

This course shows you what economics can deliver in explaining the behaviour of people within households, firms and markets. It presents you with alternative economic explanations stemming from different fields and conceptual frameworks, and you will be able to make your own critical judgments of which alternative serves which purpose best. The course also teaches you research methods that are particularly suitable to address and test economic theories. You will conduct your own project, which culminates with research methods and theoretical developments, on a subject you want to know more about. At the end of the course, you should have developed a more critical view of the socio-economic and financial world you live in.

The course examines questions both about the behaviour of such agents and about the relative success of different kinds of economy. Issues are examined theoretically and through practical examples, together with an appreciation of historical change and cross-cultural differences. For example, this approach is applied to why economies differ in their rates of adaptation to new technologies and how they adopt different investment policies.

The course analyses arguments about labour markets, and considers what determines whether an economy follows a high-wage/high-skill path or a low-wage route to competitive success. It also examines differences between economies in their provision for children and the future, crucial to the continuing prosperity of any economy.

Such issues are looked at both 'bottom-up', by building a picture of the economy from its constituent parts, and 'top-down', by seeing how an economy creates the spaces in which households, firms and markets can operate. A pluralist view of economic theory is adopted, enabling you to appreciate the debates between different approaches.

This one-year course provides anyone who needs fundamental accountancy skills in a management or other role. You will gain knowledge and understanding of basic financial, cost and management accounting, computerised accounting, systems and spreadsheets as well as the role of accounting in business organisations. You will also learn how to prepare accounts for audit and how to use accounting information for decision-making.

This course will help you to understand organisations. It will enable you to evaluate and interpret how accounting concepts and applications, particularly those of a strategy-implementation nature - (e.g. organising for performance, using diagnostic and interactive control systems, achieving profit goals and strategies) - figure in organisations. It will encourage independent and inquisitive learning and prepare you for future study and lifelong learning more generally. You will be able to draw on the expertise of accountants, and apply academic research and scholarship concepts.

B321 is an excellent means to improve your ability as an autonomous learner. It can provide you with the confidence in a field of knowledge not only vital to your career but that also contributes to your private persona.

This introduction to statistics emphasises the practical side of the subject, but the theoretical principles are also included. MINITAB and other software supplied with the course are used to analyse data and develop your understanding of statistical concepts. The course covers exploratory methods for data analysis, models for data, estimation, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, regression and two-variable problems.

The course provides an introduction to statistics for those who want to understand, and perhaps make use of, basic statistical concepts. The main emphasis is on the practice of statistics, although the underlying principles are included. Use of a computer is an essential part of the course, and the software package Student Version of MINITAB for Windows (Minitab Inc.) and other software are supplied. Four computer books give detailed guidance for all the computer activities.

The course begins with a brief discussion of numerical and graphical summaries of data. Fundamental statistical models for variation (such as the binomial distribution and the normal distribution) are covered, and the problem of assessing the quality of the models in a given data context is discussed. There are units on estimation, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, regression and two-variable problems. The last unit reviews the whole course. Four exercise booklets contain extra problems and exercises based on the course material, which you might like to use during the year and as part of a revision programme.

This course will take you on a journey towards understanding information and communication technologies. You will study examples of ICT systems, learn about the underlying concepts, and consider the contexts in which they are used. You will also develop the skills to learn effectively about ICT systems, both in this course and in your further studies.

Networked living is both exciting and unsettling. We are surrounded by rapidly developing technologies that affect us in many different ways. We use information and communication technologies (ICTs) in our everyday lives, and they underpin the services that we rely on. But do we understand how ICT systems work? Can we use them effectively? Can we contribute to the debate about their effect on society?

This introduction to statistics emphasises the practical side of the subject, but the theoretical principles are also included. MINITAB and other software supplied with the course are used to analyse data and develop your understanding of statistical concepts. The course covers exploratory methods for data analysis, models for data, estimation, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, regression and two-variable problems.

The course provides an introduction to statistics for those who want to understand, and perhaps make use of, basic statistical concepts. The main emphasis is on the practice of statistics, although the underlying principles are included. Use of a computer is an essential part of the course, and the software package Student Version of MINITAB for Windows (Minitab Inc.) and other software are supplied. Four computer books give detailed guidance for all the computer activities.

The course begins with a brief discussion of numerical and graphical summaries of data. Fundamental statistical models for variation (such as the binomial distribution and the normal distribution) are covered, and the problem of assessing the quality of the models in a given data context is discussed. There are units on estimation, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, regression and two-variable problems. The last unit reviews the whole course. Four exercise booklets contain extra problems and exercises based on the course material, which you might like to use during the year and as part of a revision programme.

Investigating entrepreneurial opportunities addresses the crucial first steps related to developing new business ideas, implementing innovations and launching new ventures. It will develop business-planning capabilities, skills and understanding, including market and competitor research and the use of important financial concepts such as break-even and cash flow. It will lead you through a systematic process of testing your ideas and experience to arrive at a business proposition with ambitious yet attainable objectives. The course will help you to focus on your own capabilities and skills in project planning; business project appraisal; report writing; and environmental and personal analysis.

Investigating entrepreneurial opportunities provides a well structured and clear learning experience for people who are drawn to the idea of starting their own venture. This could be a completely new business, the commercialization of an innovation in a larger organisation, or a new service in the social or voluntary sectors where there is a need to take into account the rigors of competitive pressures. The course will develop not only the necessary analytic skills but also a better understanding of the needs of market-based competition and the confidence to address these needs successfully.

Marketing and society addresses some of the new areas of social marketing and the interrelated areas of corporate social responsibility and marketing ethics. The course examines the impact of established marketing techniques and practices on the promotion of social well-being and behavioural change. It identifies key ethical issues involved in marketing decision-making and the responsibilities of organisations to their stakeholders, including the wider community. Elements of marketing management, (such as communications, research and planning) are examined within this wider framework at both a domestic and international level.

The overall strategy for delivering the programme of Business Studies with business revolves around providing direct support to students with the aim of creating a valuable and useful learning experience.  Thus, a varied combination of methodologies of open and distance learning are offered as means of said support. It should be noted that the AOU practices a hybrid model of conventional and open education.

The tutorial sessions, though scaled to a very reasonable percentage compared to traditional universities, do comprise mandatory requirements of student attendance, thereby creating the forum for face-to-face meetings between tutors and groups of students. However, the mode of operation in theses sessions relies on a combination of lecturing by the tutors and invited discussions by the students. The AOU encourages tutors to run these sessions in a more proactive style.

The model of education followed at AOU is a Blended Model of Open Education with 25% face -to- face Tutorial Meetings. Clauses 43 to 46 of the University Bylaws deal with attendance requirements in Tutorial Meetings. Clause 45 clearly states that attendance of learning meetings is compulsory. As per Clause 46, a student shall deserve a final warning in case his/her percentage of absence exceeds 25% of learning meetings.

Tutors, on the other hand, are instructed to handle the marking of assignments with great care. Clear feedback is to be provided to students on their assignments.  This includes remarks or comments within the student's TMA and a summary on the front page of the assignment known as the PT3 form.

In addition of tutorial sessions, students have the possibility of meeting their tutors in face to face meeting during tutor office hours. Tutors provide support and help to students during these hours and they are ready to respond to any student enquiry related to the corresponding course.  Students who are not able to attend tutor's office hours have the option to connect with tutors through various forums via the Learning Management System (LMS).

All course material for OU-UK based courses has been licensed from the Open University in United Kingdom. This material is provided to students in student package. Additional support material is also provided to students in form of tutorial notes. 

Each course offered within the business studies Programme provides a document called study calendar. The calendar guides you with the breakdown of tutorial sessions over the semester weeks. The students must follow this study calendar so they will not face major problems in covering the course materials in time for their tutorials. Thus, they can perform the required activities and meet the dead lines in a comfortable manner.

The study calendar lists course tutorials and their coverage per session, as well as the dates when the relevant activities e.g. TMAs should be delivered. Also, it states the dates of the period of final exam period.

All courses per term offered at the faculty of Business Studies are either 3 or 8 credit hours.  The student's assessment for each of these categories are based on two main types of written works as follows:

Students have the following resources available to them during the study of the programme:

The Faculty of Business Studies uses effective tools to support the tutoring and learning processes that are fostered by the Business Studies programme. Through the LMS students can actively interact with the tutor via the system and perform the following:

Library and reading rooms are available in each country branch. The university has access to Virtual Libraries whose resources are accessed by the whole university community of learners.

The students at Faculty of Business Studies have the right to appeal as per the University Bylaws. The details about Appeals Procedures is contained in Clauses 98 to 103 of the University Bylaws.

The student can initiate an appeal by submitting a written application to Student's affairs department within one week of announcing the approved results and paying the relevant fees. The BEC shall study the student appeal to ensure no mistakes in calculating the mark obtained by the student or if any uncorrected answers or any unrecorded marks. The student shall be informed of the committee's decision to accept or reject his application within one week as of the date of submitting the application.

The student can appeal against the decision of the BEC to the Faculty Examination Committee (FEC) controlling that course within one week as of the date of issuing the BEC's decision. The student also shall explain the reasons for this appeal. The FEC shall study the student's appeal and give final decision in light of the given reasons and full consultation with the BEC. The student shall be informed through the student's branch within one week as of the date of receiving the appeal.

The result of the student can be amended in any of the subjects by a decision from the Central Examination Committee (CEC) based on a recommendation from the BEC and the FEC controlling that subject.

The University has strict policy on cheating and plagiarism with punishments ranging from warnings to total termination from the University. Clause 80 of the University Bylaws deals with acts of cheating and plagiarism. It states that any student commits any kind of cheating or academic violations defined by the policy of the University Council shall be forwarded to the concerned punishment committee in the branch to take the suitable decision according to the Punishment Bylaws applied in the branch.

Sub-Clause 4 of the Students Conducts & Punishment measures contained in the University Bylaws Clause (13) states in detail the policy and procedures of the University in dealing with acts of cheating. It clearly states the following concerning cheating:

A- Any student who is cheating or trying to cheat in the exams must be forwarded to the university directorate by a minutes prepared by the Examination room director or the exam supervisor and shall face one or all the following punishments:

B- Any student commits any breach as per clause3-A or commits any other violation as stated in clause2 shall be forwarded to the punishment council, and the council shall issue the suitable punishment.

C- The student file shall include all cheating cases and forwarded to the punishment council to handle any further cheating case taking into consideration the gradual steps in applying the punishments.

Students progress through their studies by successfully completing their various levels of study incrementally. Clauses 94 to 97 of University Bylaws deal with Progression of Students. Clause 94 of the University Bylaws clearly state that a student must maintain a grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0 in order to progress through the studies. The student shall deserve Advisory Warning when his semester average is less than 2.0. Clause 96 deals with the case when a student cannot progress successfully in the studies warranting his/her termination from the University.