Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration at The Open University

Programme overview

A diploma designed to develop interdisciplinary skills applicable in the workplace, giving a solid foundation in core management disciplines including human resource management and organisational behaviour, valuable for practising managers aspiring to higher positions.

Duration: 2 years part-time (120 credits) | Intake: November 2026 | Study mode: part-time distance learning | Location: Milton Keynes, England, United Kingdom

What you will study

A 120-credit programme with a flexible curriculum; compulsory modules B870 and B872 are also compulsory in the MBA (F61) and Postgraduate Certificate in Business Administration (C66), so the certificate, diploma and MBA can be claimed in turn.

Career pathways

Employers value postgraduate business qualifications as an indication of high-level business and management skills.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Academic requirement can be met in three ways: a bachelors degree with honours from a UK university or equivalent; a bachelors degree without honours plus one of the discontinued OU module Managing 1: organisations and people (B628), three undergraduate-level Business Management microcredentials, or a GMAT result of 640 or higher; or, with no bachelors degree, the discontinued OU Professional Certificate in Management (S01) or six undergraduate-level Business Management microcredentials. Applicants need a minimum of three years' experience in a managerial, technical or professional role. English language: a minimum IELTS score of 6.5 is recommended for applicants whose first language is not English.

Domestic applicants: GBP 14,490 for the whole programme (2026/27). Fee shown is the total for the qualification at current prices for students in England; fees are paid module by module. Source

Intake: November 2026

Duration: 2 years part-time (120 credits)

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