Build your business and leadership skills
Want to become a more effective business performer and global citizen? On this course, you’ll hone the strategic, financial and marketing skills that are essential to modern business, make connections as part of a powerful learning network, and discover how to put your new skills into action.
Ready to advance your business and management know-how? Apply and enrol by 31 May 2026 to save £150 on your course fee (terms and conditions apply).
Why choose this course with us?
- Learn at Cambridge, whatever your experience: this is an open-entry course
- Access Cambridge teaching in a flexible format: part-time and online
- Gain a credited, Cambridge award: boost your learning and career opportunities
- Join our peer-learning and Cambridge alumni communities: connection and support, for life
Course Dates
Course details
Tutors
Course overview
Course information
Course highlights
During this part-time online certificate course, you will:
- find out the real reasons businesses flourish or fail
- study a comprehensive course designed in collaboration with the Judge Business School
- develop key study and writing skills
Whether you’re starting on a new path or taking your career to the next stage, this course offers plenty of transferable skills. We’ll consider strategic decision-making and the language of the boardroom; we’ll dig into the realities of accountancy and financial reporting; and we’ll share the marketing and communications skills that elevate your business and enhance your career.
As part of our learning community, you will:
- learn how to think strategically and consider issues from a whole-enterprise perspective
- practise using the language of the boardroom to get your ideas heard and your specialist expertise valued
- learn how to access and manage financial resources effectively, whatever the nature and scale of the business you work in
- explore fundamental accounting concepts and learn how to use the tools of finance and financial reporting
- consider key marketing concepts.
Course breakdown
This course will run from 9 October 2026 to Wednesday 9 June 2027
Each of the 3 units explores a number of topics through asynchronous (pre-recorded) lectures and 4 day schools on Fridays from 1.00 pm to 5.30 pm on:
- 09 October 2026
- 23 October 2026
- 06 November 2026
- 20 November 2026
- 08 January 2027
- 22 January 2027
- 05 February 2027
- 19 February 2027
- 02 April 2027
- 16 April 2027
- 30 April 2027
- 14 May 2027
Exact teaching dates and times will be confirmed in the course guide upon enrolment.
Michaelmas term: Strategic Management
- Unit 1 start date: 9 October 2026
- Unit 1 end date: 6 January 2027
As a new or future manager, you will need to think strategically, to evaluate and analyse issues from the perspective of the total enterprise, rather than from a narrow functional perspective. In this unit, you will explore a range of topics including: strategy management processes and the environment; the foundations of competitive strategy; corporate strategy and leadership; strategic implementation and control; and governance issues. The content seeks to equip you as a new or aspiring manager with the skills necessary to strategically evaluate and address issues that affect the entire enterprise, adapting to the rapidly changing business landscape, and effectively communicate your insights in the corporate boardroom.
Lent term: Accounting and Finance
- Unit 2 start date: week commencing 4 January 2027
- Unit 2 end date: 24 March 2027
This unit is designed to inform non-expert potential decision-makers about key concepts in the accounting and finance fields. This will include understanding the financial health of corporate entities and learning how to properly act on financial data. Topics to be covered will include: fundamental accounting concepts; how to construct and interpret company accounts, a critical source of information to outside investors; the capital budgeting decisions of how the company should invest; the financing decisions of how the company should raise investment capital; and the payout decisions of how the company should compensate its shareholders. The unit will empower you to effectively interpret and make informed decisions based on financial data, fostering your ability to take appropriate actions in response to financial information.
Easter term: Marketing
- Unit 3 start date: week commencing 29 March 2027
- Unit 3 end date: 9 June 2027
Marketing is important to all organisations today, as it is critical to ensuring that marketing activities are focused on creating the right interactions with customers and consumers so that they can achieve the organisation’s objectives. Topics to be covered in this unit include: the nature and role of marketing - the marketing concept, market orientation, the marketing mix and marketing evolution; customer decision-making: segmentation, targeting and positioning; competitor analysis and positioning; product value and brand management; pricing decisions; consumer behaviour; marketing communication; and marketing ethics. The unit will enable you to understand how organisations can use marketing strategies to configure their offer to the market’s needs and create awareness for its products or services.
After the course
The Certificate in Strategic Business and Management is a good preparation for a variety of entry-level and mid-level positions in business and management. Recent completers have reported that the certificate has helped them to:
- accelerate their careers with their current employers
- secure new positions at other companies
- earn valuable continuing professional development (CPD) credits.
You may also choose to continue your education by pursuing a bachelor’s degree in business administration or a related field.
Entry requirements
There are no formal academic entry requirements for this course. It’s open to all learners who are interested in the subject.
English Language Requirements
Our courses are taught in English and require a good level of fluency. If English is not your first language, you’ll need to meet the requirements of one of the language proficiency tests below. You’ll need to complete your test and submit the results to our admissions team by 15 September 2026.
IELTS (Academic), IELTS for UKVI Academic, IELTS One Skill Retake
Overall score of 6.5, with not less than 6.0 in any component.
TOEFL iBT or TOEFL Home Edition
https://www.ets.org/toefl.html
Overall score of 92, with no element below 20.
(Please note that changes to TOEFL Internet Based Test and Home Edition mean that it will no longer be suitable for entry to Cambridge at Undergraduate level from 21 January 2026. Tests taken after this date will not be accepted.)
Cambridge English C2 Proficiency
https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams-and-tests/proficiency/
Overall score of 176, with no element lower than 169.
As part of our open and inclusive learning environment, you can enjoy the world-class resources and expertise of the University of Cambridge wherever you are on your academic journey.
Our video-based teaching platforms offer a flexible way to access lectures, while our Virtual Learning Environment makes it easy to study and learn online and interact with your tutor and fellow students.
Our teaching methods include lectures and seminars, presentations by guest speakers and facilitators, and interactive and experiential learning activities. We will also give you reading and assignments to complete outside of classroom sessions.
You will demonstrate your learning using a range of assignments submitted during and at the end of each unit. There are more details about how this course is assessed in the course guide we will send you once you have enrolled.
Qualifications
This course is equivalent to half of the first year of a full-time undergraduate degree. It offers 60 CATS credits, which are recognised by higher education institutions and employers.
Hours of study
The award of academic credit is a means of quantifying and recognising learning and within the UK, one credit notionally represents 10 hours of learning. This course attracts 60 credits, so students should expect to need to study for approximately 600 hours in total to complete all units successfully. However, it is recognised that students study at different paces and use a variety of approaches, so this is a recommendation, rather than a hard-and-fast calculation.
SEEC Credit Level Descriptors for Higher Education (2021) here.
Fees
The total fee for this course is shown above in 'Course details'.
To help you manage your finances more comfortably, you can pay the fee in instalments. For more information on payment options, and how to secure your place, see how to pay.
Funding
We're dedicated to reducing and removing financial barriers to learning. Visit financial support before applying to find out what options may be available to help you in your studies. You can explore external funding and stay up to date on our concessions and bursaries.
Undergraduate early enrolment offer
Want to learn for less? Apply and enrol by 31 May 2026 and you'll save £150 on your course fee. Terms and conditions apply.
We're committed to supporting you in your learning journey, and we offer a variety of support opportunities to meet individual needs. Visit student support to find out more about how we can help.
