The ICSA Certificate in Business Practice
The Certificate is designed to develop your knowledge and skills so that you can work effectively in business organisations and understand the world in which they operate. When you have completed the Certificate, you will be able to use the designatory letters "Cert. ICSA (business practice)" after your name. The Certificate is roughly the same level as the first year of a degree programme and is made up of four modules, as follows.
Business Environment (Course 301)
Business Environment looks at the organisation, its ownership and its structure, and how these features depend on the factors affecting it in its "environment": politics, the economy, society, technology, the law, and other organisations who may be trying to serve the same customers as yours. It also pays special attention to the growing roles of information technology, e-business, and corporate social responsibility in the organisation’s activities.
Business Communications (Course 302)
Business Communications looks at how to communicate business matters effectively and clearly, as an individual and as a representative of your organisation, and at the full range of methods by which you might communicate, including negotiations, presentations, meetings, documents, and statistics. As part of this, it examines the role of information technology as a tool in preparing and communicating facts and ideas.
Accounting for Business (Course 303)
Accounting for Business provides a foundation that allows you to understand and use everyday accounting information. It looks at how accounting records such as profit and loss accounts, cash flow statements, balance sheets and budgets are put together, and how they can be used to help manage an organisation. It also discusses the financial health of organisations, measuring business performance, and the regulatory frameworks acting on organisations.
Business Management (Course 304)
Business Management looks at the people in organisations and how best to bring them together in working towards the organisation’s aims. It covers topics such as organisation structure, culture, leadership, decision-making, motivation, recruitment, discipline, change, developing people’s abilities – all of the traditional concerns of the manager, but in a modern setting.
Programme details
Anyone can study the Certificate; it is likely to take between eight and twelve months to study. You may study the modules one at a time, all together, or in any combination, whatever suits you best. Each module has its own two-hour exam. Part of the question paper will be on a real life business situation (a "case study") which you will be told about before the exam so that you can prepare for it.
Click for details of the ICSA Diploma.
Study plus
The ICSA Certificate is a professional qualification, so we provide more support for your study. You will be able to participate in the student discussion group used by our CIM, CIPS, and IoE students, and will also receive our Learning Skills and Study Skills guides for extra help and advice.
