The new IBAM Certificate & Diploma in Business Practice offer a solid foundation in the principles and practice of contemporary business management.

Both programmes provide:

Knowledge, skills and expertise in modern business practices

Self-standing globally recognised qualifications

A platform to progress to IBAM and to other higher level qualifications

The IBAM Certificate and Diploma are designed for those seeking well-rounded, practical, professional business qualifications that will benefit them throughout their working lives. They are suitable for those employed (or seeking employment) in a wide range of business organisations - companies (including SMEs), public sector bodies and voluntary organisations.

The IBAM Certificate and Diploma are each made up of four modules and can be studied full-time, part-time, by distance learning or self-study.

1. Business Environment

The Business Environment module is the cornerstone of the IBAM Certificate. It provides the context and background students need to understand the different types of business organisations, legal and organisational concepts, key functions within organisations and the environments in which organisations operate - political, economic, social, technological, legal and competitive. The module also examines changes to the business environment resulting from the development of information technology and the impact of e-business as well as the notion of corporate social responsibility and environmental change.

2. Business Communications

The Business Communications module provides students with the toolkit and knowledge required to communicate effectively in a business context. The module examines a range of communication methods from theory through to practical application. It provides understanding of how to communicate within organisations and with the external world, how to make the most of presentational skills, negotiating skills, briefing skills, and how to use different business documents from minutes to business plans and spreadsheets. It also explores the effects, benefits and challenges of information technology on workplace communications.

3. Accounting for Business

The Accounting for Business module lays down the basics of accounting that students need to enable them to understand and use basic finanical information. It provides an accessible introduction to all financial aspects of managing and measuring business performance and provides essential knowledge of the regulatory frameworks within which all business organisations must work. It also looks at how profit and loss accounts, cash flow statements, balance sheets and budgets are constructed using both simple manual and computerised systems and what these tell use about the financial health of organisations.

4. Business Management

The Business Management module looks at organisations from a management and human resources perspective. It focuses on management structures, organisational cultures, decision-making, leadership and key areas of human resource management such as job design and recruitment, managing conflictm and disciplinary and grievance procedures. The effects of change, and in particular developments in IT, on the workforce and the workplace are also examined. Throughout, there is a strong emphasis on self management and personal development

1. Business Law in Practice

The Malaysian Business Law in Practice module develops the legal principles outlined on the IBAM Certificate module in the Business Environment and prepares students to communicate legal information effectively in the context of business transactions, statutory requirements and company compliance with statutory requirements. The module also identifies the legal relationships between an organisation's stakeholders (directors, shareholders, employees, customers), and concludes with an examination of assessing and managing risk, insurance and internal control.

2. Marketing

The Marketing module provides students with a sound knowledge and understanding of key marketing principles, concepts, problems and solutions. Students will appreciate the importance of marketing and marketing planning for all business organisations and environments and their importance in achieving business and organisational objectives. The module also explores in detail the marketing process in practice: market segmentation and marketing intelligence, the marketing mix, marketing tools and marketing communications.

3. Business Finance

The Business Finance module builds upon the knowledge and techniques of the IBAM Certificate Accounting for Business module and develops these to a higher level. Students learn how to prepare financial statements for a limited company and about simple financial decision-making such as costing and pricing decisions and measuring economy, efficiency and effectiveness of a company. They will also learn how organisations are financed and the principles of working capital management. The Business Finance module explains what students need to know about financing organisations at an intermediate level.

4. Business Strategy and Planning

The Business Strategy and Planning module develops themes from a number of IBAM Certificate modules and extends students' knowledge of strategic analysis tools such as PESTLE and SWOT. Business strategy concerns the overall pattern that integrates an organisation's purpose, major goals and objectives, and its actions into a cohesive whole. This module looks at how various types of organisation set objectives, introduces a range of strategy models and the key principles behind them, and external environment on strategy and planning within an organisation. It also covers issues relating to strategic choice and the methods different organisations use to evaluate success, the essential principles behind putting strategy into action, preparing a business plan, and how strategic change is implemented and managed effectively.