Fast-track your career in just one year.
The Professional Business Diploma is an intensive one-year course in Oxford, designed for ambitious young people who want a real alternative to university.
Instead of large lectures, limited contact time and theory knowledge, you’ll gain practical, employment-ready business skills by studying five employment relevant modules, face-to-face teaching, small classes and hands-on learning.
By the end of the course you’ll be confident, work-ready and prepared to step straight into a professional business role.
Why choose the Professional Business Diploma?
This course is built around one simple goal: to prepare you for the real world of work.
Our students graduate with:
- Advanced, up-to-date workplace skills
- Real business experience
- Strong professional communication skills and confidence
- A clear career direction
In recent years, 95% of our graduates were in employment within three months of finishing the course.
What you’ll gain
By the end of the year, you will graduate with:
Practical Business Skills
You’ll develop the skills employers actually look for, including:
- High-level proficiency in Microsoft Office 365 (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, Google Workspace)
- An understanding of the ethical use of AI tools employers are looking for knowledge of
- Professional communication and presentation skills
- Time management, organisation and problem-solving skills
- An understanding of how businesses operate day-to-day
- The basics of investing and financial decision-making
- Relevant digital marketing and event management skills
Career Support
You’ll receive:
- One-to-one support with your CV and job applications
- Interview preparation and practice
- Ongoing career guidance throughout the year
- A week’s work experience in a business sector that interests you
- Guidance through Myers Briggs Personality Profiling, to support you in understanding the right career paths for your personality
- The knowledge of how to professionally use LinkedIn for your career and job search
- An insight into a variety of business careers through our termly speaker’s day programme, attended by experienced industry professionals and alumni.
- Networking opportunities with career speakers that visit the business school
How you’ll learn
One of the reasons students choose us is our face-to-face teaching model.
Unlike most universities, where students may only receive a few hours of contact time per week, our course is built around:
- In-person classes
- Small group teaching
- Direct access to tutors
- Continuous feedback and support
- Continuous assessment throughout the year
You’ll be learning in a professional environment, with tutors who know you by name and are invested in your success. This approach helps students:
- Learn faster
- Build confidence
- Stay motivated
- Develop strong professional workplace skills
Who is the course for?
The Professional Business Diploma is ideal if you:
- Are aged 18 upwards
- Want a practical alternative to university, or have found that university life is not for you
- Prefer learning by doing, not just listening
- Want to start your career sooner
- Are motivated to succeed in business
- Have graduated from a university but want to gain practical employment skills
You don’t need to know exactly what role you want yet – the course is designed to give you a broad, flexible skillset that opens doors across multiple industries.
Graduate Destinations
Our graduates go on to roles such as:
- Marketing Executive
- Sales Support Executive
- Executive Assistant
- HR Assistant
- Sales Operations & Negotiators
- Finance Assistants
- Recruitment Consultants
