The B.A. in Business Studies is an undergraduate learning program under the supervision of the Faculty of Business Studies at the Arab Open University.

The Faculty of Business Studies assumes the responsibility of preparing, organizing, supervising and monitoring the Business Studies Program. It is also responsible for the changing, adapting and modernizing of the program and its courses, and for recruiting professors, staff tutors and tutors for program implementation purposes.

The Business Studies Program aims at preparing professionals to be more effective in the demanding world of modern business. The candidates -- students and managerial employees -- will receive education and training in management and in decision-making. Business professionals will be prepared to improve their use of tools needed to make them more efficient and to make their corporations and businesses more productive and competitive domestically and internationally.

Components of the Academic Program |

The Business Studies Program offers two options of study:
     - The B.A. in Business Studies with emphasis on Economics
     - The B.A. in Business Studies with emphasis on Systems

E111ach of the two options of this program requires the successful completion of at least 128 credit hours (480 UKOU points). In order to acquire the B.A. Degree, a student must successfully complete a set of courses described later.

B.A. in Business with emphasis on Economics

This program will help students understand social change, business behavior in general, business functions and business behavior in a changing world. It develops the analysis of economics and changing economies as well. It goes further into describing, evaluating and understanding economic behavior of households, firms and markets. This option will equip students to make sound decisions as managers. Students will become fully aware of the characteristics and effects of the economy, which is the most important factor of business environment.

B.A. in Business with emphasis on Systems

Students will benefit from the same basic understanding of business behavior in general, business functions and business behavior in a changing world. Students will specialize in Managing Systems by studying the technology for a sustainable future, and by analyzing systems thinking from theoretical and practical points of view. Students' knowledge of systems is complemented by the systems approach to solve and manage complexity. The aim is to improve the decision-making process by creating new systems and by using or adapting exiting systems in accordance with management's needs. In addition, alternative learning is offered where the concentration lies in studying the engineering of the future.

A General Outline of the Program

General University Requirement: (32 credit hours). Please refer to General University Requirements and Course Description for course number, title, and description.

Suggested first year program in Business Administration with emphasis on Economics

Suggested first year program in Business Studies with emphasis on Systems.

Core Business Studies (Economics) Program (96 credit hours)

The following are the courses of the core programs

Core Business Studies Program with emphasis on Systems (96 credit hours)

The following are mandatory courses of the core program

Course Description |

Course Description of University General Requirements:

GR101- Independent Study Skills - 10 points / 3 credit hours
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.

TU170 - Learning On-line: Computing with Confidence – 10 points / 3 credit hours
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.

AR111 - Arabic Communication Skills I - 10 points / 3 credit hours
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.

AR112 - Arabic Communication Skills II - 10 points / 3 credit hours
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.

EL111 - English Communication Skills I - 10 points /3 credit hours
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.

EL112 - English Communication Skills II - 10 points /3 credit hours
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.

GR111 - Arab Islamic Civilization - 10 points / 3 credit hours
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?

MU120 - Open Mathematics - 30 points / 8 credit hours
This course builds students' confidence and helps them to incorporate mathematical thinking into their everyday life. It looks mathematically at matters of general interest including prices, earnings, health, music, art, maps, motion and rainbows. It develops the key skills of communication as well as students' own learning and performance. Students will cover statistical, graphical, algebraic and numerical concepts and techniques. In addition, they will be introduced to iteration and mathematical modeling, as well as being able to interpret slopes of graphs. Students will also learn how to use a graphing calculator. Formal calculus is not included.

MST121- Using Mathematics - 30 points / 8 credit hours
It covers a broad introduction to the nature of mathematics and its uses in the modern world. This course shows how mathematics can be used to investigate and answer questions from science, technology and everyday life using a range of fundamental techniques, in particular, discrete mathematics (including matrices), calculus and statistics. Use of computer software (MathCAD) is an essential part of the course. The skills of communicating results and defining problems are also developed. This course will give students a complete foundation for higher-level mathematics and physics.

T172 - Working with Our Environment: Technology for a Sustainable Future - 30 points / 8 credit hours
This course is an introduction to environmental issues and the role of technology in today's fast paced computer world. It will suit the needs of students whether they intend to study technology or if they have a general interest in learning how to shape a sustainable future. It takes students progressively from environmental impacts of their lifestyle to the global issues of technological and economic development. They will also learn general skills such as basic numeracy, critical reading, report and essay writing. This course introduces more specific skills and knowledge required for higher-level environment or technology courses. The themes are: You and the Environment, Travelling Light, Food Chains, and Thinking Globally; supported by files on Energy, Resources, and Human and Ecosystem Health. The course also includes computer-based activities.

T173 - Engineering the Future - 30 points / 8 credit hours
From design concepts to the manufacturing of products, this course examines the range of human activity that is 'engineering'. It introduces the context of how engineers operate, including issues such as risk assessment and patented law. It looks at current engineering practice and at some of the developments in engineering methods and applications that will shape the future. It offers a general introduction both for those who simply have an interest in what engineering is and how it is practiced in modern society, and for those who are considering engineering at higher level of study.

GR131 - General Branch Requirement - 10 points / 3 credit hours
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.

DD121 - An Introduction to the Social Sciences (Part I) - 30 points / 8 credit hours
This course is about people and how they act individually and collectively. It deals with three major topics: questioning identity, interaction between the worlds of the natural and the social, and the ordering of lives.

Description of Core Program Courses :

T171 - You, Your Computer and the Net - 30 points / 8 credit hours
How did the PC and the Internet arrive at their present state? What are the implications of the computer revolution? How does the Internet affect business? This course answers these questions and helps students develop an understanding of the computer industry, the Internet and e-business. It will help them use the computer for effective information searching and analysis. Students need to be familiar with the Windows environment and have some experience of navigating the web. The teaching and assessment for T171 are entirely on-line.

B200 - Understanding Business Behavior - 60 points / 16 credit hours
This course explains how businesses are structured, how they work, how their environments influence them, and how they try to control competitive market pressures. Understanding the complexities and uncertainties of all this is not easy, so the course discusses different approaches and ways of seeing organizations and markets. It enables students to evaluate and use information and theories, thus improving their capacity for rigorous assessment. Finally, the course defines and develops three groups of related business skills: study and presentation, IT, and numeracy. Much use is made of computer conferencing for learning and debate between students and dedicated conferencing tutors. Course tutors are expected to participate.

B202 - Understanding Business Functions - 60 points / 16 credit hours
This course develops an understanding of how organizations work through the contributions 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 the 'traditional' business functions and the contributions they make to organizations, individually and collectively. Case studies and specially written texts enable you to see the origins, rationale, limitations and strengths of business functions from the perspectives of various stakeholders. You will develop skills in finding and organizing information, preparing simple presentations, and using basic software packages and computer conferencing.

The student will need a personal computer and 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 their environments. The course has three main teaching modules: decision-making, strategy and policy. Students look at how organizations make strategic decisions and consider rationality and routines, decision methods and decision processes. They analyze how organizations develop strategy, notions of core competence and strategic innovation. A range of policy and environmental concepts and cases that demonstrate the impact of the macro-environment on organizations are studied. Students are made aware of the boundaries of strategy in terms of relationships between strategy at the level of the firm, the industry, the nation, the region and globally.

Three groups of related business skills are developed: study and presentation skills, IT and numeracy skills, and computer conferencing for learning and debate. Course tutors are expected to participate.

DD202 - Economics and Changing Economies - 60 points / 16 credit hours
This introduction to economics examines important economic issues of our time and how economists tackle them. It teaches both economic theory and an understanding of changing economies. The course recognizes the increasing integration of the world economy and draws on examples from the UK and other countries. Topics include market competition and cooperation; market structures and firms' decision-making; the state's role in the economy; money and financial markets; European integration; booms and slumps; unemployment and inflation; managements of the national economy; poverty, wealth and redistribution; ecological constraints on growth. The course teaches basic techniques of economic analysis and data analysis.

D319 - Understanding Economic Behavior: Households, Firms and Markets – 60 points / 16 credit hours
This course is designed to be taken after D216 Economics and changing economies. Households, firms, and markets are three of the most important types of institution making up the economy. This course develops a critical understanding of fundamental economic issues relating to these three institutions by using mainstream economic theory and less orthodox interdisciplinary approaches. The course examines the behavior of economic agents by investigating the outcomes of their decisions and introduces ways of trying to model the processes of decision-making as well as the outcomes.

T205 - Systems Thinking : Principles and Practice - 30 points / 8 credit hours
T205 helps students make headway with complex situations they meet at work or in the community: 'How could we explore this opportunity?' 'How can I make sense of this 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, the environment, risk management and social support.
The course includes Web teaching and FirstClass e-mail and conferencing.

T306 - Managing Complexity: A Systems Approach - 30 points / 8 credit hours
This course is for anyone who wants to learn how to think differently and creatively about complex issues, and to manage them in ways that lead to improvement. We are confronted constantly by images of world as unknowable, random and complex, but are given no means of understanding the complexity or revolving the problems it creates. The systems approach was designed to deal with this. Building on the discontinued course T301 Complexity, management and change, this course applies the most recent and innovative developments in systems thinking to areas such as information systems, organizational change and learning, sustainable development and the environment, and professional practice.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Students will need a computer and modem that meet the specification set out in the leaflet Personal Computing for OU Study 2001/2002.