Business management courses in Ireland, online.
Business management is the subject most people start with: a QQI Level 5 foundation for anyone without a Leaving Certificate, the QQI Level 6 diploma that supervisors and team leaders take, a top-up degree from Arden University at QQI Level 7 to 8, and a postgraduate diploma at QQI Level 9 that leads into the MBA. All online, from €220 a month, studied from Ireland.
The courses, by level.
Four levels, from a foundation to the MBA. The QQI Level 6 Diploma in Business Management is the one most people take. The leadership, logistics and entrepreneurship diplomas sit beside it at the same level with a different emphasis; two foundations get you in without a Leaving Certificate; the top-up degree, the QQI Level 7–8 diploma in business administration, the postgraduate diplomas and the MBA come after.
- FoundationFoundation Diploma in Business Management€220 a monthQQI 5 · About 10 months
- FoundationFoundation Diploma in Employability and Workplace Skills€220 a monthQQI 5 · About 10 months
- DiplomaDiploma in Business Management€220 a monthQQI 6 · 10 to 15 monthsAlso as a 60-credit diploma, about 6 months →
- DiplomaDiploma in Entrepreneurship and Management€220 a monthQQI 6 · 10 to 15 months
- DiplomaDiploma in Leadership and Teamwork€220 a monthQQI 6 · 10 to 15 monthsAlso as a 60-credit diploma, about 6 months →
- DiplomaDiploma in Logistics and Supply Chain Management€220 a monthQQI 6 · 10 to 15 months
- DegreeBA (Hons) Business Management£458 a monthQQI 7–8 · One year
- DegreeDiploma in Business Administration€220 a monthQQI 8 · About 10 months
- PostgradMaster of Business Administration (MBA) top-up£285 a monthQQI 9 · One year
- PostgradPostgraduate Diploma in Business Strategic Management€220 a monthQQI 9 · 10 to 15 months
What you learn.
The main line, level by level. Each module ends in one written assignment, marked by a tutor with feedback. No exams at any level.
FoundationFoundation Diploma in Business ManagementQQI 5 · About 10 months6 modules
- Introduction to Research and Academic Skills
- Using IT for Business
- Introduction to Economics and Accounting
- Introduction to the Business Environment
- Introduction to Marketing
- Introduction to Customer Service
DiplomaDiploma in Business ManagementQQI 6 · 10 to 15 months12 modules
- Academic Writing and Research Skills
- Business Operations
- Communication in Business
- Finance and Accounting
- Leading and Managing Teams
- Operating in a Global Context
- Principles and Concepts of Strategy
- The Management of Human Resources
- Marketing for Managers
- Business Law for Managers
- Management Accounting and Decision Making
- Business Start-up
DegreeBA (Hons) Business ManagementQQI 7–8 · One year6 modules
- Business Transformation
- Entrepreneurship and Innovation
- Corporate Governance, Law & Ethics
- Independent Study
- Project Management
- International Business Management
PostgradPostgraduate Diploma in Business Strategic ManagementQQI 9 · 10 to 15 months6 modules
- Strategic Management
- Strategic Leadership
- Strategic Human Resource Management
- Advanced Business Research Methods
- Strategic Financial Management
- Strategic Marketing
Beside the QQI Level 6: the leadership diploma is built around managing people, performance, motivation and high-performance teams; the logistics diploma swaps in operations and logistics management; the entrepreneurship diploma adds culture, ethics, communication and change. The MBA top-up is one capstone project after the postgraduate diploma.
Who this is for.
Most people here are already doing the job and want the qualification that goes with it.
- Supervisors, shift leaders and office managers with the experience and no certificate
- People in operations or administration moving up to management
- Owners of small businesses in Ireland who never studied management formally
- People changing direction who want a broad grounding before choosing a specialism
Without a Leaving Certificate, the foundation diploma gets you in: thirty credits, about ten months, and it leads straight into the QQI Level 6.
Where it leads in Ireland.
Recruiters’ guides name the roles each level opens. The two figures are Ireland’s, from Eurostat.
Operations Manager
Role titles from the Broadwing, Morgan McKinley and Excel Recruitment salary guides.
Eurostat, Structure of Earnings Survey 2022 and Labour Force Survey 2024. Averages for people with any tertiary qualification, not a promise about anyone.
The degree is the requirement in most graduate schemes and many public sector grades. The postgraduate diploma and the MBA are for the roles where a master’s or an MBA is listed as essential or desirable.
Entry, in plain terms.
The school confirms your place when you apply; we check it with you on the first call, before you pay anything.
A Junior Certificate, a QQI Level 4 award, or the equivalent, or strong professional work experience in place of them. Age 16 or over.
A Leaving Certificate, a QQI Level 5 award, a QQI Level 5 foundation diploma, or the equivalent, or strong professional work experience in place of them. Age 16 or over.
A QQI Level 6 diploma or an HND in business, or the equivalent, with prior learning consistent with QQI Level 6. English at IELTS 6.0 or evidence that your previous study was in English. Arden University decides, and considers applications without an exact match case by case.
A bachelor’s degree in any subject, or strong professional work experience in place of one. Age 21 or over.
How QQI levels work in Ireland.
Ireland uses the QQI framework, which numbers levels differently from the EQF. A QQI Level 6 is the same level as an EQF Level 5. Irish NFQ and EQF levels compared →
Business management in Ireland: the questions we get.
Which business course should I start with?
With a Leaving Certificate, a QQI Level 5 award or relevant work experience, the QQI Level 6 Diploma in Business Management. Without them, the QQI Level 5 foundation, which leads into it. If you already hold a QQI Level 6 diploma or an HND, the BA (Hons) top-up. Graduates start at the postgraduate diploma.
Is an online business diploma recognised in Ireland?
The diplomas are awarded by OTHM and Qualifi, both regulated by Ofqual in the UK. On Ireland’s framework the level is its QQI equivalent, under QQI’s own referencing of the EQF, and the certificate is recognised across the EU.
Can I go from the diploma to a degree?
Yes. The QQI Level 6 diploma is the entry qualification for the BA (Hons) Business Management top-up at Arden University: the final year of the degree, online, typically one year, £458 a month over twelve months.
What does the whole route cost?
The foundation is €220 a month over twelve payments, €2,640. The QQI Level 6 diploma is €220 a month over eighteen, €3,960. The top-up is £458 a month over twelve months at Arden.
Other subjects in Ireland.
Studying from Malta? The same courses carry EQF levels there. Business management courses in Malta →