All of our courses are free and you can start them when you want, studying at your own pace.
Business leadership and management
Managing and managing people
This free course, Managing and managing people, will introduce you to the world of management. We will be looking at a range of topics, including what managers do, what skills they require, and how you can develop as a manager.
Learn more ❯Managing and managing people
Understanding operations management
Operations management is one of the central functions of all organisations. This free course, Understanding operations management, will provide you with a basic framework for understanding this function, whether producing goods or services or in the private, public or voluntary sectors. In addition, this OpenLearn course discusses the role of operations managers and the importance of focusing on suppliers and customers.
Learn more ❯Understanding operations management
Strategic view of performance
Strategic management and planning are no longer the preserve of senior executives. This free course, Strategic view of performance, looks at three different approaches to strategy before analysing the direction that strategic management may take now that it has become an accumulation of small tactical decisions rather than a top-down process. If you are interested in how a business 'ticks', this course could provide some of the answers.
Learn more ❯Strategic view of performance
Managing projects through people
The importance of managing people for the success of a project cannot be underestimated. This free course, Managing projects through people, identifies the groups and individuals whose appropriate involvement in a project is important for its success, and considers the ways in which their contribution might be maximised.
Learn more ❯Managing projects through people
Management: perspective and practice
What does it mean to be a manager? Being a manager is a complex and challenging activity. This free course, Management: perspective and practice, introduces you to the role of the manager. In this OpenLearn course you’ll look at an array of activities including leadership, human resources, finance, project management, change management, operations management and stakeholder management.
Learn more ❯Management: perspective and practice
Managing local practices in global contexts
It is hard to think of a part of the world that has not been touched by globalisation. From 'Big Macs' in Moscow to Blockbuster video in Beijing, the world seems less distant, and 24-hour-a-day news makes foreign places more familiar. This free course, Managing local practices in global contexts, examines the dimensions of globalisation and the processes that connect people together.
Learn more ❯Managing local practices in global contexts
Introduction to operations management
This free course, Introduction to operations management, will introduce you to the role of operations management in organisations, and gives you the opportunity to understand what an operations manager does. It looks at how the role might influence the short- and long-term success of the organisation. It is important to develop a clear understanding of the impact of good and bad operations management practice on the performance of an organisation as a whole.
Learn more ❯Introduction to operations management
Developing career resilience
This free course, Developing career resilience, will help you to understand the factors that influence career resilience and offer examples and tactics for you to develop your own resilience further.
Learn more ❯Developing career resilience
Integrated safety, health and environmental management: An introduction
Life is full of risk. In this free course, Integrated safety, health and environmental management: An introduction, 'risk' describes the probability and consequences of harm or, at worst, disaster. Risk management involves many stakeholders and integrated management systems help to ensure that safety, quality, environmental and business risks are all managed correctly. The course also looks at emergency preparedness, that is, the management of emergencies and disasters.
Learn more ❯Integrated safety, health and environmental management: An introduction
Business leadership and management
Making decisions
Do you hate making decisions? Does the ability of others to make snap decisions really frustrate you? This free course will help you understand some of the processes involved in decision making. Attention to the psychology of decision making and the social context in which decisions are made can improve your understanding of others and yourself.
Learn more ❯Making decisions
Introducing a framework for strategy
If you are currently engaged in strategic decision-making, or will be in the future, this free course, Introducing a framework for strategy, will stimulate your imagination and inform your judgement. An understanding of the frameworks of strategy and an ability to use them imaginatively will help your organisation survive in the longer-term and perform its role more effectively.
Learn more ❯Introducing a framework for strategy
Commercial awareness
This short course encourages you to look across your organisation, at your place within it and the value you create. It considers how getting different perspectives and widening existing ones within your organisation can enhance commercial awareness.
Learn more ❯Commercial awareness
Digital thinking tools for better decision making
Ever since the very beginning of humanity, tools have played a pivotal role in who we are and what we do. Tools for recording, processing and communicating information have a time-honoured history – from the clay tokens used in Mesopotamia to mechanical calculating machines. The invention of the digital computer has boosted the scale, speed and reach with which thinking tools extend our natural capabilities. This free course, Digital thinking tools for better decision making, starts by placing thinking tools in their historical context and concludes with an examination of their future. During the course, you’re introduced to a wide variety of digital thinking tools. You will apply these tools in many practical activities and case studies, solving problems that involve finding and evaluating information, performing calculations and drawing reasoned conclusions.
Learn more ❯Digital thinking tools for better decision making
Working in diverse teams
This free badged course, Working in diverse teams, will help you consider your experience of working in teams and the different roles you play in them. It will increase your confidence in marketing this key skill to employers as well improve your ability to perform well in teams you are currently part of.
Learn more ❯Working in diverse teams
Business challenges and risks
Leadership challenges in turbulent times
Welcome to Leadership challenges in turbulent times, a free course offered by the Open University. We are excited to join you on your journey to explore leadership in the turbulent times that we live in. In this short course you will have the opportunity to understand and explain how leadership changes in accordance to the needs of the turbulent environments that we experience. You will also explore the leadership challenges that can affect leadership effectiveness and will seek ways to successfully face these challenges. We really hope that you will enjoy studying this Open Learn course.
Learn more ❯Leadership challenges in turbulent times
Understanding and managing risk
This free course, Understanding and managing risk, provides an introduction to financial risk management. The processes of risk identification, risk measurement and risk management are explored. The course then goes on to examine reputational risk and operational risk. It concludes with an examination of the subject of behavioural finance and what this can contribute to our understanding of risk taking and risk management.
Learn more ❯Understanding and managing risk
Risk management
Recent decades have seen an array of news stories where risk management failings have undermined an organisation and dented the credibility of its management. These failings have led to the demise of some companies – for example Lehman Brothers, World-Com and Enron. Worse than this, in many instances the failings have resulted in deaths and injuries – as with the Piper Alpha oil platform disaster in the North Sea in 1988 or the BP Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill in 2010.Successful organisations embed a culture of risk management in all areas of their activities. To achieve this requires effective and practical risk management education. The course particularly benefits all those engaged as risk managers, those seeking to develop their risk management capabilities and those, like board members, who have ultimate responsibility for risks within their organisations. Additionally all those with, or seeking, a career in management in any organisation will benefit from the understanding of risks and how to manage them.
Learn more ❯Risk management
Investment risk
Risk, in a financial context, is a synonym for uncertainty. This free course will allow those with some background knowledge of the area to explore investment risk. You will examine how and why investors are risk-averse and look at the risk factors involved in making a decision to invest.
Learn more ❯Investment risk
Difference and challenge in teams
This free course looks at how teams ‘travel’ together on a journey of development. Those journeys are hardly ever smooth. The course encourages you to recognise difference and challenge amongst individuals in the team who are pulling in different directions. It will help you identify where such challenges can be embraced for the benefit of your team and your organisation.
Learn more ❯Difference and challenge in teams
Can you manage a supply chain?
Test your skills of running a supply chain. Can you complete the ordering process, without ending up with too much stock? Your profits and reputation are at stake!
Take part now ❯Can you manage a supply chain?
Business marketing and communications
Business communication: writing a SWOT analysis
This free course, Business communication: writing a SWOT analysis, is designed to develop your writing skills for business. You will be taken step by step through the process of writing a SWOT analysis, with clear advice on selecting key information from a case study text, making concise notes, choosing an appropriate structure and using language effectively. You will learn how to write a formal report including recommendations, based on a case study analysis of the British company, Brompton Bicycle.
Learn more ❯Business communication: writing a SWOT analysis
Effective communication in the workplace
This free course, Effective communication in the workplace, explores the importance of communication as a skill in the workplace. It aims to increase your understanding of communication skills and to help you to consider how your communication could be perceived by others. You'll cover areas such as verbal and non-verbal communication, written communication and using your communication skills to overcome challenging situations.
Learn more ❯Effective communication in the workplace
Marketing communications as a strategic function
Marketing communications help to define an organisation's relationship with its customers. This free course, Marketing communications as a strategic function, emphasises the strategic importance of such communication and its long-term effect on consumers. Communication models can act as a predictive guide, but in the end it is important to recognise the autonomy and unpredictability of consumers.
Learn more ❯Marketing communications as a strategic function
Marketing in the 21st Century
This free course, Marketing in the 21st century, offers a managerial perspective on how to deliver more effective marketing in an organisation, regardless of whether it is based in the private, public or non-profit sector. This is achieved through a variety of learning techniques, including case studies, videos, activities and group discussions. Supporting this learning, students are encouraged to become critical thinkers about both how they undertake their own decisions, as well as how marketing influences our society.
Learn more ❯Marketing in the 21st Century
Personal branding for career success
This free course, Personal branding for career success, considers what a personal brand is and whether you currently have one. You’ll look in detail at theories and examples of personal branding, and relevant marketing processes and practices. You’ll identify the values, skills, knowledge and expertise that you want to promote to employers, and consider different ways to build and present your own brand.
Learn more ❯Personal branding for career success
Products, services and branding
In this free course, Products, services and branding, you will find out about how organisations manage their products and services. This will include learning about how new products are developed and how the existing portfolio of offerings is managed. The particular characteristics of service products will be explained so that you can understand the impact that these features have on how services are managed.
Learn more ❯Products, services and branding
Business accounting
Fundamentals of accounting
Learn about the essential numerical and double-entry skills required for accounting. This free course, Fundamentals of accounting, will explain the fundamental purpose and role of accounting as well as the double-entry rules that are the foundation of all financial records and reports in any modern business.
Learn more ❯Fundamentals of accounting
Financial accounting and reporting
This free course, Financial accounting and reporting, discusses how accountants act as processors and purveyors of information for decision making and the needs of those who use accounting information. It also looks at the role performed by accountants and notes the need to be aware of relevant regulatory and conceptual frameworks.
Learn more ❯Financial accounting and reporting
Introduction to bookkeeping and accounting
Learn about the essential numerical skills required for accounting and bookkeeping. This free course, Introduction to bookkeeping and accounting, explains the fundamental rules of double-entry bookkeeping and how they are used to produce the balance sheet and the profit and loss account.
Learn more ❯Introduction to bookkeeping and accounting
Managing my financial journey
This free course, Managing my financial journey, explores the history of the financial services industry in the UK and its transformation following the global financial crisis. The institutional landscape following the crisis, recent developments to financial products and the regulation of the industry are examined.
Learn more ❯Managing my financial journey
Challenges in advanced management accounting
This free course, Challenges in advanced management accounting, focuses on strategic management accounting and selected concepts and techniques. It will help you to successfully navigate mid- to long-term challenges to creating sustainable organisations. This OpenLearn course requires a prior understanding of basic management accounting approaches.
Learn more ❯Challenges in advanced management accounting
Introducing corporate finance
This free course, Introducing corporate finance, introduces you to the importance of finance and the role it plays in organisations. It explains the different functions of money and the ways in which finance is linked to organisational strategies. The course also explores the ways in which finance is linked to the governance of organisations, how organisations fund their activities, and the role of the finance and accounting functions.
Learn more ❯Introducing corporate finance
Business innovation and diversification
First steps in innovation and entrepreneurship
This free course provides you with a short introduction to innovation and entrepreneurship, clarifying some key themes and terminology and helping you to examine your own views about these important subjects.
Learn more ❯First steps in innovation and entrepreneurship
The concept of innovation
Just what is innovation? This free course examines the issues surrounding the concept of innovation. What is the difference between innovation and invention? How are organisations affected by innovation: are all of the outcomes positive? You will learn how to analyse this concept and its impact on resources, capabilities and competencies.
Learn more ❯The concept of innovation
Making creativity and innovation happen
Creativity and innovation address ways of doing things better and differently. This free course, Making creativity and innovation happen, focuses both on individual creativity – where it comes from and how it can be developed – as well as creativity and the related concept of innovation at an organisational level. It considers how organisations can more effectively tackle the challenges posed by creativity and innovation in order to be more successful.The trailer below explores one aspect that will be covered in the course: the paradox of choice.
Learn more ❯Making creativity and innovation happen
Sustainable innovations in enterprises
This free online course, Sustainable innovations in enterprises, introduces you to the importance of sustainable innovations, the role it plays in commercial and social enterprises and the importance to society. It explores cases of sustainable innovations in specialist areas – arts and humanities; science, technology and engineering; health & social care. The course also evaluates three methods for measuring the societal impacts of sustainable innovations. Learners are encouraged to reflect on their own experiences of cases where sustainable innovations drive success or failures in enterprises and how the positive impacts on society can be evaluated and sustained.
Learn more ❯Sustainable innovations in enterprises
Entrepreneurial behaviour
Have you ever wanted to start your own business? This free course, Entrepreneurial behaviour, will give you the opportunity to consider and reflect on the personal aspects involved in transforming an innovative idea into an entrepreneurial product. You will also learn how to identify the requirements for building an appropriate entrepreneurial team.
Learn more ❯Entrepreneurial behaviour
Entrepreneurship – from ideas to reality
This free course, Entrepreneurship: from ideas to reality, is about starting and running your own business. Using case studies it will take you through the decisions from generating initial ideas through to deciding what you will do and how to establish your business and grow it. It will guide you through business models, funding options, business types and the influence of location and importantly assessment of your own skills, values and attitudes to risk. It is focused on practical advice from real entrepreneurs, and will signpost learners to where they can find additional support and how they can further develop their own capabilities.
Learn more ❯Entrepreneurship – from ideas to reality
Working in the voluntary sector
Introducing the voluntary sector
This free course, Introducing the voluntary sector, will guide you through some of the distinctive features and values of the voluntary sector, how organisations are funded and involve volunteers and other ‘stakeholders’ in their work. It will also provide you with knowledge and skills you can apply to your own work or volunteering as well as your everyday life.
Learn more ❯Introducing the voluntary sector
Working in the voluntary sector
This free online course, Working in the voluntary sector, will introduce you to some of the main activities carried out by volunteers and staff, will give you some background on how different organisations work and will provide you with knowledge and skills you can apply to your own work or volunteering, as well as to your every day life.
Learn more ❯Working in the voluntary sector
Collaborative leadership in voluntary organisations
This free course, Collaborative leadership in voluntary organisations, will help you to reflect on and develop collaborative leadership practices that will make a difference. The course is aimed at people who work within voluntary organisations as paid staff or as volunteers or for people who work regularly with voluntary organisations, such as public sector staff or politicians.
Learn more ❯Collaborative leadership in voluntary organisations
Some of our courses are badged, helping you to improve your employability skills. These courses offer you the chance to gain a digital badge, allowing you to share evidence of your achievement.
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Gain a badge and further your career
Did you know that The Open University offers a range of free badged courses on OpenLearn all geared towards helping you with employability and your career?
Read nowGain a badge and further your careerLevel: 1 Introductory
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Business Bursts: Failure
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Business Bursts: Marketing
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Business Bursts: Supply chain
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Resilience in small businesses – a new style of crisis management
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