Sales and Marketing – (Level 4 & 5) course
The undergraduate Level 4 (Diploma in Sales and Marketing) and Level 5 (Diploma in Business Management) are a 240 credit course designed to fast track students to the final year of an associated undergraduate degree in Sales and Marketing which can either be completed at a UK university on campus or via distance learning.
The level 4 modules and assignments of this course are equivalent to the first year of a university degree and the level 5 modules and assignments are equivalent to the second year of a university degree.
This course is made up of 10 level 4 modules (120 credits) and 10 level 5 modules (120 credits). If a student decides to only study at level 4 they will receive 120 credits and can apply for an exemption from the first year of a university degree course.
Each module consists of approximately 40 guided learning hours of material with an additional 30-50 hours of optional learning material. These materials comprise recommended exercises, recommended readings and internet resources.
- Level 4 Diploma in Sales and Marketing
- Qualifi Level 5 Diploma in Business Management
The fee for enrolling onto the level 4 and level 5 courses together is £3000. Alternatively students can enrol onto a single level (level 4 or 5) for £1800 each.
Students can make payment using one of the following methods:
- Credit or debit card
- Bank transfer
- All course material, including online modules and written assignments
- Student support
- Assignment marking and feedback
You can decide to top up to a full undergraduate degree through an accredited UK university:
- University of Gloucestershire
- Anglia Ruskin University
- Northampton University
- University of Derby
- Westcliff University
- University of Hertfordshire
- University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN)
- Edinburgh Napier University
- University of Sunderland – On Campus
- University of Bolton
- University of Cumbria
Our online business management, hotel and hospitality, and computing courses will help you obtain a diploma, which is recognised by employers and awarded by OFQUAL, the UK government higher education regulating body.
These diplomas can then be used as progression onto completion of a full undergraduate or postgraduate degree course, at an accredited UK or overseas university.
- Choose a course.
- Study the course modules.
- Complete online multiple-choice tests and written assignments
- Receive your certificate and university credits.
- Top up your qualifications and earn a BA degree or MBA.
Your degree or MBA will be awarded to you by the university you complete your final year with.
Our awarding body partners have direct links with UK universities, who accept the OFQUAL credits awarded from studying our courses.
Assessment
Assessment at FastTrack is a straightforward process:
- After you have completed an online module, you will have an online assessment to complete. This assessment contains 30 multiple-choice questions. You will have one hour to complete these questions, which are answered in sets of five, so you will have plenty of time to review and edit your answers. After an hour, the test will automatically time out.
- After you have completed the test, your results will be displayed immediately. If you have passed, you will receive a certificate of completion. If you don’t pass, you will receive a notification of a “refer’’ where you will be told how to retake a module assessment. You can complete these modules at your own pace, as there is no deadline to complete the course.
- When the online modules have been successfully completed, you will then be able to take the final written assignments provided by FastTrack that test your knowledge and understanding of the modules. After successful completion of these assignments, you will receive your diploma from the OFQUAL awarding organization.
- You will then be eligible to apply for progression onto a top up course through a recognised UK university on campus or by distance learning.
To enrol onto the level 4 course, you must be at least 18 and have a full secondary education. Before enrolling onto the level 5 course, you must have attained a level 4 or equivalent.
The business environment
What comes to mind when you think of the word ‘environment’? You probably think of surroundings, and the conditions and influences of the surroundings. Similarly, the business environment refers to an organization’s surroundings – its external surroundings, as well as its internal surroundings.
Customers and customer service
This module starts by looking at customers and how they make decisions about their purchases. What factors do they think about when buying a chocolate bar, vegetables, a book, a refrigerator or a house? How do businesses decide which company to use when buying a new computer system? Before you can start to market to people you must have some clear ideas about how they think, and understand the attributes and benefits that they are looking for.
Marketing mix
In marketing, a company is faced with two kinds of variables. First, there are the variables associated with the external environment; the environment surrounding the organization, made up of the macro-environment (the broad environment consisting of political, economic, socio-cultural, technological dimensions) and the micro-environment (the competitive structure of the industry in which the company operates). A company has no direct control of these external variables. The second set of variables contains operational variables; factors over which a company has full control.
Marketing and sales planning
Marketing and sales are fundamental to business, whatever the sector. In the private sector, it is accepted that marketing and sales planning is essential to achieve profitability and market success. In the public sector and in the charitable sector, the focus is not on profit making but on customer(or more broadly, stakeholder) satisfaction. Marketing is increasingly playing a key role in the non-profit sector to build awareness of issues and promote causes, taking the perspective of not just customers (recipients) but also donors.
IT in business
There is clear evidence that Information Technology provides competitive advantage, whatever the business sphere an organisation operates it.
To gain advantage, managers must know how IT can be used in internal and external processes to deliver better value to the end customer.
Managing and using marketing
This module will provide you with a comprehensive introduction to marketing. It is intended to be relevant to the management and operation of organisations in many different areas of the economy, including those which do not operate for profit.
Customers and their needs
The aim of modern marketing is to identify and then satisfy each customer’s needs and wants. This is often done by building relationships with customers and using these relationships to create a two-way communication between the two parties. The customer communicates his or her preferences, and the business communicates information about products that will satisfy the customer’s needs and wishes.
E-marketing communications
The success of the World Wide Web and the proliferation of the Internet and associated technologies have revolutionised the way organisations conduct their business. The most apparent change has been the support provided through technology to a number of traditional operations, such as sales, communications, customer services and marketing.
High performance sales
An organisation’s success depends on a number of factors including its operations, its marketing strategy, its human resource management and its sales. One of the most common criteria used for assessing the organisation’s success is sales growth. This is an indication that the organisation manages to maintain its existing customers but also attract interest followed by sales from new markets.
Marketing strategy
How then do organizations develop strategies in a complex marketing environment? How do they assess opportunities and threats? Which markets and segments do they target and why? Which market positions play to an organization’s strengths? What product portfolio should be maintained for long-term value? These are some of the questions we shall address.
The entrepreneurial manager
What is an Entrepreneur? Examine the skills and qualities of entrepreneurship.
Organisation structures
Why are organisations structured in the way they are? What determines the optimum structure and how does it differ between organisations? In this module, learners will look at the numerous models and theories that make up organisational structure.
Practical accounting analysis
Learners will complete exercises in accounts throughout this module to understand what they are telling us and the actions that analysis can precipitate.
Business planning and goal setting
What is the business trying to achieve? What will it do? How will it do it? This module focuses on the creation of clear goals and clear plans to achieve a clear objective.
Politics and business
Impact of politics on business and how it may help or hinder business. This module will educate learners on economic impact, exports and government support.
Business law
Explore the statutory responsibilities of managers as learners look into the legalities of business and business executives.
Managing in today’s world
Business in the modern world. This module focuses on governance and equality as a means to do right in business.
Performance management
Understanding how your people and your business can continually improve together, learners will review reward structures, CPD, training and development to ensure high performance in business.
Marketing and sales planning
Learners will analyse how markets, customers, competitors and products can come together in a cohesive plan.
Quantitative skills
On successful completion of this module, learners will have knowledge of numeric exercises and will understand their use within the context of the business.
The level 4/5 diploma in sales and marketing has 10 written assignments at level 4 and 6 written assignments at level 5.
The assignment unit titles for the level 4 course are:
- Business environment
- Customer service
- Customers and their needs
- E-marketing communications
- Information technology in business
- Managing marketing
- Marketing and sales function
- Marketing mix
- Marketing strategy
- Selling
The assignment unit titles for the level 5 course are:
- Business development
- Business models and growing organisations
- Customer management
- Responding to the changing business environment
- Risk management and organisations
- Effective decision making
Successful completion of the undergraduate level 4 (Diploma in Sales and Marketing) and level 5 (Diploma in Business Management) and final year of an accredited undergraduate degree programme will give students the right credentials to go on and apply for a job in Marketing, Sales, Human Resources, Management or Business Consultancy.