Courses

About The Course

This course aims to equip students with the necessary skills required for entry-level jobs in the sector or alternatively to progress into Year 2 of the course on-campus in Aberdeen or Edinburgh. 

Rural business involves enterprise, innovation and management in sectors as diverse as food production, distribution and marketing, leisure and tourism, animal welfare and equine pursuits. Study is designed to develop your understanding, knowledge and skills in the areas of business management, economics, human resources, finance, IT and the environment.

Interest in land based and rural matters has never been greater with wide ranging debate over the safety of the food chain, sustainable land use, economic viability of businesses, rural depopulation and diversification of land use.

Awards Available

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Rural Business Management by Flexible Learning

Course Content

Further information is available in SAC's undergraduate prospectus and in our course leaflet, which can be downloaded from this page. Please contact us for further information.

Students take a range of core subjects, covering management, marketing, record keeping, human resources, customer care, environmental awareness and land use, as well as transferable skills such as IT and Web Design. During the popular "Web Design" module, for example, students will design a simple website for a rural business. Meetings with industry representatives have stressed the need for students with good IT skills.

One of the modules is called ‘Developing Skills for Personal Effectiveness’ and encourages learners to assess their personal strengths and weaknesses and then to take action to overcome their weaknesses and build on their strengths. For some students this will mean working on their presentation skills, or perhaps their report-writing or time management – all useful transferable skills.

Career Opportunities

A wide variety of careers are possible on completion of a Rural Business Management qualification. Not only are you eligible for jobs requiring Business Management qualifications, but you will also have specific expertise in the Rural sector. Some students have started their own businesses, others return home to help run the family business and many gain employment with a range of organisations in the rural, food, equine, leisure/tourism or agricultural sectors.

Past students have gone on to a range of career destinations, including:

• Working in the food and drinks sector
• Working in an auction market
• Progression to HND Rural Business Management
  

Course Contacts

Aberdeen Course Contact

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Aberdeen Campus General Contact

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Ayr Course Contact

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Ayr Campus General Contact

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Edinburgh Course Contact

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Edinburgh Campus General Contact

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Student Experiences

Student quotes about the Rural Business Management course:

“I believe SAC do the best they can in helping students gain experience by making them do work experience modules over summer, along with organising case studies on real business and similarly doing many presentations and interview type scenarios throughout the course. With relation to my new job as Commercial Co-ordinator at Young’s Seafood Ltd - I feel as if I finally got my ‘Big Break’.  I am particularly enjoying the fact that no two days are ever the same and also the fact I am getting the opportunity to get out of the office to meet new people and build contacts.”  Nicola Barron

"My time at SAC was life-changing. The experiences, skills and knowledge I have gained have helped me significantly in building my career. I found the course beneficial as it gave me a chance to cover a wide range of topics from agriculture to marketing. This helped me a great deal when working for SEERAD (now SGRPID) and SAC and I now use my knowledge on a daily basis in my current job with Donald Russell, a meat supply company." Lisa Johnston

“I've never come across a college where all the staff are so enthusiastic about what they do and it shows.” Jan Ritchie

...And from those who studied the course by Flexible Learning:

“I have thoroughly enjoyed the course, the layout and the modules that were given to us. All the modules were assessed slightly differently and this was great because it included everybody’s individual method of study. As I had hoped, all the modules related to our business in some way and I could learn a new skill and apply it in a practical manner. All the module material was available in a variety of formats and ALL Staff were available if there were any problems.
 
The assignments seemed realistic and manageable (as most people have other commitments) and the study weekends were very well organised and well balanced.

I think that you have delivered an excellent programme which has exceeded our needs and expectations. The pace, content and the support were all of a very high standard.” Morven Sivewright