This course is awarded by:
The Pearson HND in Sustainable Business Management is a higher technical qualification that helps you develop as a professional, self-reflecting individual, able to meet the demands of employers in the business sector and adapt to a constantly changing world.
You can find out more about higher technical qualifications here:
The programme provides you with the opportunity to gain knowledge, skills and behaviours aligned to the Occupational Standard (OS) for Operations or Departmental Manager. The units will prepare you to enter employment or progress your career with the qualities and abilities necessary for roles that require personal responsibility and decision-making.
The subjects covered will also prepare you to progress to Level 6 higher education study, including higher apprenticeships and professional body qualifications. You will be able to develop and apply your own ideas to your studies, to deal with uncertainty and complexity, to explore solutions, demonstrate critical evaluation and use both theory and practice in a wide range of business and organisation situations. By the end of the programme, you will have a sound understanding of the principles of sustainability and will know how to apply those more widely in the business world.
The HND in Sustainable Business Management is a modular programme delivered entirely online by our teachers through our Virtual Learning Environment. When you study with Activate Learning, you will belong to a group of students studying and have regular one-to-ones, group interactions and taught sessions with a team of highly qualified and experienced teachers with business experience.
We understand the unique needs of students studying online; we appreciate that you may be juggling work, family, and other commitments, and at Activate Learning we are experienced in supporting people in those situations. We have a dedicated team of Higher Education Study Support Tutors who are on hand if you need additional help.
The HND qualification offers a solid foundation in business aimed at students who would like a broad knowledge of all management concepts. This is ideal for students interested in a leadership and management position with entrepreneurial, employment or academic aspirations.
Tuition fees:
Fees for September 2025 entry are £6,500 per year for UK students.
Please note: Tuition fees are published for the first year of entry only and may increase in subsequent years for new students in line with an inflationary amount determined by the Office for Students.
There are a variety of funding options available to help finance your studies. If you are a UK (Home) student, you don’t have to pay your tuition fees upfront. The government provides loans to cover your full tuition fee. You may also be eligible for a maintenance loan to help cover living costs. Alternatively, your fees may be paid by your employer, or we could arrange a payment schedule if you are paying your own fees.
What you'll learn
Course content:
You will study eight units in Year 1 and a further eight units in Year 2 of the course.
In Year 1 you will study:
- Principles of Sustainability – you will be introduced to the essential principles of sustainability in business that organisations are increasingly making a priority and adhering to. You will be encouraged to consider the impact of sustainable business on communities, and the steps necessary to develop sustainability strategies within organisations. You will also have the opportunity to investigate in more detail the role of sustainability practitioners, who are responsible for leading projects and working closely with various stakeholders and partners.
- The Contemporary Business Environment – will develop the background knowledge and understanding of business, the functions of an organisation and the wider business environments in which organisations operate. You will examine the different types of organisations (including for-profit and not-for-profit), their size and scope (for example, micro, small and medium-sized enterprise, transnational and global) and how they operate. You will also explore the relationships that organisations have with their various stakeholders and how the wider external environments influence and shape business decision-making.
- Sustainable Business Practice – will provide you with the background 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. You will also cover 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.
- Corporate Governance & Ethics – you will explore corporate governance and ethics and their relationship to organisational operations. You will examine conceptual ideas of ethics to establish the impact of corporate behaviour and corporate governance on competitive advantage. Using management techniques and conceptual frameworks, you will explore the application of corporate governance and ethics through continuous improvement and benchmarking.
- Sustainable Leadership & Management – you will develop an understanding of the difference between the function of a manager and the role of a leader. You will consider the characteristics, behaviours and traits that support effective management and sustainable leadership. You will learn about the theories that have shaped the understanding of leadership and management and how these provide a guide to action for managers and leaders who want to secure success for their businesses. Students will look at leadership styles, the concept of sustainable leadership and how and why these are used and the extent to which they are effective.
- Project Management – you will be introduced to the elements that constitute a project, the tools available to help achieve the specified outcome and the role of the project team and the project manager in the process. You will examine the criteria for the success or failure of a project, evaluate project management systems and consider the reflective and analytical processes involved in the appraisal of the finished project.
- Research Data & Techniques – in this unit you will be introduced to the knowledge and skills needed to be able to support the collection, storage and interrogation of data for business decision-making. You will explore methods of collecting data, both manually and online, and the techniques needed to interpret this quantitative and graphical data to produce information to assist business decision-making.
In Year 2 you will study:
- Organisation Behaviour Management – will assist you in developing knowledge and understanding of how organisational behaviour concepts, theories and techniques can be applied in work and management settings to enhance individual, team and organisational performance. You will be able to apply this knowledge in a variety of business situations. You will appreciate how effective application of organisational behaviour principles can be used to explain why people behave and act in particular ways and to predict how employees will respond to certain demands. The unit will also develop your understanding of the influence of culture and of the operation of power and politics in organisations, and how these variables influence the actions and behaviour of people in an organisational context.
- Principles of Change Management – you will develop through this unit understanding of the different types and scope of change that may occur in an organisation. The unit aims to illustrate the drivers and triggers for change and how they vary and affect organisations in different ways, including the degree of impact and management’s response to change. You will gain an appreciation of how the depth of change can influence organisational behaviour, both during and after the change.
- Environmental, Social and Governance Planning – you will be able to apply your strategic knowledge to different working environments. This will include the use of strategic models to assess the capability and competence of the organisation to meet its sustainable planning objectives. You will be able to establish a range of views of both external and internal factors to enable strategic and sustainable choices and set actions to meet sustainable aims. This knowledge will apply to local and international standards, reflecting the global relevance of sustainability to supply and operations. This will give you insights that can be used for decision-making and formulating operational plans.
- CSR Event Management – will provide you the background knowledge and understanding of event management. You will explore factors that contribute to successful events and consider in detail approaches to researching, planning and communicating to ensure events meet sustainability business objectives. You will also have the opportunity to plan your own CSR event and reflect on future opportunities to develop ways to use monitoring and evaluation approaches to improve their practice.
- Budget Management – it is important that managers making decisions understand the role of budget planning and control and are able to use these to inform decision-making processes. Budgets can be used to monitor and evaluate business operations and will act as an early warning system when future plans may need to be revised. Information from budgets and costs will provide managers with the information to make informed decisions about production levels, pricing strategies, competitive strategies and any future investments. This unit will enable you to develop an understanding of the importance of budgeting and the impact on the decision-making process in organisations, within the context of supporting a sustainable business strategy.
- Developing Individuals, Teams and Organisations – will provide you with the knowledge of the different factors involved in diagnosing the skills, training and development requirements for their future employees and for your career goals. You will be introduced to the concept of high-performance workplaces and the strategic benefits this can bring to an organisation. You will recognise that your own professional development is just one route to improving the performance of the teams and organisations in which they work.
- Research Project – This unit will provide with the opportunity to engage in sustained research in a specific field of study. Through this you will be able to demonstrate the capacity and ability to identify a research theme, to develop a research aim and objectives, and to present the outcomes of such research in both written and verbal formats. You will be encouraged to reflect on your engagement in the research process, during which recommendations for future personal development are key learning point
The HND will also help you to develop your academic writing and research skills providing you with the opportunity to develop transferable skills such as communication, teamwork and problem solving.
How you'll learn and be assessed
Teaching and assessment:
This course is delivered online and will consist of ‘live’ (synchronous) workshops and seminars along with learning materials which you will be guided through and able to complete at a time that is convenient to you. 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 will 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
Progression
On successful completion of this course, you can progress to a BA (Hons) degree (subject to meeting entry requirements) or a professional qualification in a related subject.
Career opportunities could include becoming a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Officer, Environmental Social Governance Officer or responsible business officer, to name a few.
Entry requirements
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.
A full breakdown of the entry requirements, including academic qualifications, can be found below:
You’ll need to have a GCSE grade 4 or above in Maths and English. Other L2 qualifications (such as Functional Skills) in English and Maths may be accepted.
In addition, you will have either:
- An A Level at grade D, or
- Relevant Access to Higher Education Diploma, or
- Level 3 Extended Diploma in Business or related subject, at a Merit overall, or
- T Level at Pass in a related subject
However: if you are considering returning to education but do not possess all the formal entry qualifications, your application may be considered through our Recognition of Prior 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)
Additional information
Additional costs?
Students are advised that they will need access to a laptop or PC. We recommend that you budget c£100 a year additional costs such as for stationary to undertake your studies. You can borrow textbooks and access journals from the recommended reading lists from our Learning Resource Centres either on campus or online. If you choose to purchase textbooks, they may cost up to c£60 each.
How to apply
Apply through UCAS.
Course Code: 5BDMGIAP4R
Institution code: O25
Campus name: Online
Campus Code: 025
