Diploma in Business Management Course

A diploma in business management is a course that will equip trainees with skills to perform administrative duties as middle-level managers. The course is concerned with the application of management principles in human resource and business performance evaluation and implementing procedures and processes related to business management.

You can train in business management courses in Kenya either in universities or TVET institutions. Most of the TVET institutions offer the course. Some of the universities that have business management-related Bachelor are Moi University, KCA University, TUK, and KEMU among others.   

However, TVET institutions use a common syllabus produced by KICD and examined by KNEC. In this article, we concentrate on a Diploma in business management for the KNEC syllabus.

The objective of the business management course

By the end of this Diploma in business management, the trainee is expected to be able to do the following.

1. Use tools of analysis in decision-making in an organization.
2. Communicate effectively in day to day running of a business enterprise.
3. Recognize the role played by different departments in an organization.
4. Apply legal aspects in the management of an organization.

Requirements for Diploma in Business Management

Being a Diploma course those who wish to join the course in any TVET institution will require a minimum KCSE grade of C-. 

Those who have done a Craft certificate in business management and passed can proceed to a diploma level. Depending on your performance at the craft level you can request KNEC to exempt you from some units. When exempted you will be admitted to module 2 of the diploma instead of module 1.

KNEC Diploma in Business Management Units

For the diploma KNEC program, the course is divided into 3 modules which are supposed to take 3 years. The student does the units in each module and sits for the KNEC exam for those specific units before proceeding to the next level.

If you fail 3 units among all your units per module, KNEC considers it as FAIL and you have to repeat all units in that module. When you fail 1 or 2 units you are allowed to proceed to the next level but you must repeat the failed unit and pass before you are Certified by KNEC.

For the Diploma in Business Management course, the following are the units that you are required to cover to be certified.

Diploma in Business Management Module 1 units

1. Communication skills.
2. Entrepreneurship.
3. Life skills
4. Information Communication Technology
5. Financial Accounting
6. Economics
7. Business Law
8. Business Calculations and Statistics

After modules 1 and 2 students are expected to go for an industrial attachment which is a requirement of the course. Students can be attached to any organization since most businesses practice business management skills. The organizations can be banks, schools, supermarkets, and wholesale shops among other business enterprises where students can gain field experience.

Diploma in business management module 2 units

1. Cost Accounting
2. Principles and Practices of Management
3. Supply and Transport Management
4. Quantitive Techniques
5. Commercial and Administrative Law
6. Office Administration and Management
7. Marketing Management
8. Business Plan

Diploma in business management module 3 units

1. Managerial Accounting
2. Organization Theory and Behaviour
3. Human Resource Management
4. Financial Management
5. Labour and Industrial Relations
6. Research Methods
7. Research Project

Career progression in business management

After you have done the course you will have enough knowledge to work as a middle-level manager in any business enterprise.

With a Diploma in business management, you can progress to a Bachelor’s degree related to business management such as

1. Bachelor of Business Management
2. Bachelor of Business Administrative
3. Bachelor of Entrepreneurship and Small Business
4. Bachelor of Business Management and Information Technology
5. Bachelor of International Business Management

Business management employment opportunities

With a Diploma in business management, you can be employed as an administrative officer or a middle-level manager. Other job opportunities in business management include. 

1. Sales and marketing manager
2. Finance manager
3. Bank teller
4. Business development manager
5. Business analyst
6. Project manager

With this diploma, you can start a consulting company to become a management consultant or business development consultant or you can start your own small business to apply the skills.

For job employment, you can enter the private or government sector. Some of the organizations and businesses to seek employment are banks, supermarkets, schools, Sacco, logistics companies, and any other business that is big enough to require a middle-level manager.