The online BSc Business Management: Built around real life

For many people, studying for a degree has to fit around work, family and the life they already have. That’s why the online BSc Business Management from Edinburgh Business School at Heriot-Watt University has been designed with different circumstances and starting points in mind.

In our new video, Dr Katriona Myhill, Programme Chair, explains the thinking behind the programme and why flexibility, support and different routes into higher education matter.

A programme shaped by experience

Dr Myhill knows from experience what it means to return to higher education later in life.

She said: “I myself returned to higher education at a much later stage in life and if someone had asked me when I came back if I would be an academic designing an online programme right now, I would have laughed.”

Her own path is reflected in the people the programme was built for:

“The BSc in Business Management was built for people whose lives didn’t follow a straight line.”

For some, that might mean studying alongside work. For others, it might mean returning to education after time away or fitting study around family and other commitments.

Designed for different starting points

The programme recognises that learners do not all begin from the same place or study in the same circumstances.

Katriona said: “It’s flexible, supportive and it’s designed to meet learners where they are and not where we assume they should be.”

The programme also uses performance-based admissions, putting the emphasis on what learners can demonstrate through their work.

As Katriona explains: “Our performance-based admissions mean you can prove to yourself that you can do it through the work, not through what’s on paper.”

Recognising our learners' experiences

Katriona also speaks to people whose experience, effort and potential may not always be reflected in traditional academic routes.

“The people who choose this programme are not the people who had an easy ride,” she said. “They’re the ones who worked harder, took on more, and never quite got the recognition they deserved for it.”

That idea of recognition carries through to what learners can take from the programme:

“What you’ll leave with is not just a qualification, it’s the confidence, the skills, and the credibility to go further in whatever direction that means for you.”

Taking the first step

Starting or returning to university can be a big decision, especially when your studies have to fit around the rest of your life. For anyone considering that step, Katriona puts the emphasis on starting:

“It’s not about being naturally academic, it’s about being brave enough to take that first step.”

Watch the video to hear more from Katriona about the thinking behind the programme, then explore the online BSc Business Management at Heriot-Watt.

According to Kationa, “The BSc in Business Management at Heriot-Watt Online is built around real life and built around you.” See how the programme could fit around your life. Explore the online BSc Business Management, including what you’ll study, how online learning works and how to apply.

Explore the online BSc Business Management.

Got questions? Watch Dr Katriona Myhill’s introductory webinar.