New Zealand Diploma in Business

Note: As a subsidiary of Te Pūkenga - New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology, UCOL is committed to providing the best learning outcome for you. As part of this, all programmes are currently being reviewed to make them portable, consistent, and closely aligned with the needs of the industry. When published, this course information is correct, but the courses offered may change over time. If you have any questions call an Enrolment Advisor on 0800 468 265.

This programme consists of 150 Credits.

Your studies will differ according to your chosen area of focus - Accounting or Leadership and Management.

CORE COURSES

Organisations in an Aotearoa New Zealand Context (15 Credits)


Develop the knowledge, skills, and competencies to analyse organisations and engage with stakeholders in an Aotearoa New Zealand context. Courses include:

• Types of business entities in Aotearoa New Zealand, including Māori entities
• Internal and external business stakeholders in Aotearoa New Zealand
• Management theories, including roles and responsibilities of management and leadership in Aotearoa New Zealand organisations
• Bicultural partnership (as embedded in ngā kaupapa o te Tiriti o Waitangi, the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi)
• Multicultural considerations in contemporary business environments
• Developing effective relationships
• Organisational culture
• Business objectives and operational activities
• Professional communication:
• Effective business communication suitable for the Aotearoa New Zealand context including Tikanga
• Personal and interpersonal skills to support communication in formal and informal business situations
• Respect for individuals and diversity, social conventions and institutions
• Environmental, community and sustainability expectations
• Ethical frameworks
• Effective stakeholder relationship management
• Socially and culturally appropriate conduct

Business Environments (15 Credits)
Develop the knowledge, skills, and competencies to analyse and manage the impact of environmental influences on an organisation The course covers:

• Internal environment: SWOT
• Systems:
• Structure
• Resources
• organisational culture
• stakeholder analysis and management
• Business sustainability
• External environment
  
• Micro (customers, competitors, suppliers)
• Macro (PESTEL)
• Sustainability considerations
• Identifying internal and external environmental data
• Validating environmental data
• Defining and assessing risk
• Risk management

Business Functions (15 Credits)
Learn to apply knowledge of core business functions for operational efficiency and effectiveness. The course covers:

• Operations to support business performance, including:
  • Role of operations for organisations
  • Operational management areas
  • Processes and productivity
  • Break even analysis
  • Productivity definition & calculations
• HR to support business performance, including:
  • Role of human resource management for organisations
  • Transactional and transformational HR
  • Recruitment to exit
• Marketing and sales to support business performance, including:
  • Role of marketing and sales for organisations
  • The marketing concept
  • Value proposition
  • The marketing mix
• Accounting concepts and processes to support business performance, including:
  • Role of accounting for organisations
  • Aaccounting Equation
  • Statements of financial position and financial performance, budgets and cashflow forecasts
  • Variance and ratios
  • ESG

Change and Innovation (15 Credits)

Develop the knowledge, skills, and competencies to contribute to organisational change and innovation. The course covers:

• Organisational structures
• Organisational change including:
  • Assessing the need for change
  • Deciding on the change(s) to make
  • Implementing change and evaluating change
• Innovation including sources and nature of innovation, and stimulating organisational innovation
• Models and theories for organisational change
• Frameworks that support innovation
• Stakeholder engagement and relationships in organisational change and innovation, including internal and external stakeholders
• Evaluating business performance
• Impacts of change on business objective
• Impacts of innovation on business objectives
• Personal skills including:
  • attributes
  • abilities
  • technical skills
  • interpersonal skills including:
    • leadership
    • relationship building
    • team building
    • negotiation
    • assertiveness
    • persuasion

Accounting Focus

Introduction to Accounting and Taxation (15 Credits)
Learn to apply accounting concepts and standards to prepare financial statements for a business entity and apply tax rules. The course covers:

Introduction to Accounting and Taxation (15 Credits)
Learn to apply accounting concepts and standards to prepare financial statements for a business entity and apply tax rules. The course covers:

• Accounting concepts including:
  • Accounting entity
  • Accrual accounting
  • Going concern
  • Periodic reporting
  • Historic cost
  • Qualitative characteristics
• The role of accounting standards
• Balance day adjustments including:
  • Prepayments
  • Accrued income
  • Income received in advance
  • Accrued expense
  • Depreciation (NZIAS16)
• Financial statements including:
  • Statement of financial performance
  • Statement of financial position
  • Statement of changes in equity
  • Cash flow statement
• NZIAS1 & NZIAS2 
• Financial reporting requirements for Māori business (Māori Land Act)
• Individuals:
  • Working for Families
  • Student loans
  • Tax credits
  • Individual tax calculations and returns
  • Kiwi Saver scheme
• Small businesses:
  • Common types of taxable income and dedications
  • GST calculations
  • Employer obligations and calculations
  • PAYE
  • Scheduler payments
  • Kiwi Saver scheme
  • Employee and independent contractor
  • Payment and due date of taxes
  • Hobby versus business tests

Applied Accounting (15 Credits)
Develop the knowledge, skills and competencies to record and process a range of financial transactions. Accounting processes include:

• Double entry accounting
• Perpetual and periodic inventory
• Journals
• General ledger
• Subsidiary ledger - including reconciliation - receivables and payables
• Sole trader, partnerships and straight forward corporate/company accounts
• Accounting processes for software include:
  • Chart of Accounts
  • General, cash, sales and purchases journals
  • General ledger
  • Subsidiary systems – receivables, payables, and inventory
  • Trial balance
  • Financial statements – statement of financial performance, statement of financial position
• Tax rules include:
  • GST collected and paid
  • GST reports and adjustments
  • Other relevant tax

Leadership and Management Focus

In addition to the Domestic Entry Requirements, the following applies to international learner applicants.

International applicants must provide evidence that they have the necessary English language proficiency required for the Programme as demonstrated by an IELTS score of 5.5 (academic) with no individual band lower than 5.0 from one test taken in the preceding two years, or an equivalent described in NZQA Rules and on Delivery Site English Language Requirements for International Ākonga Web-page.

This programme is designed for those who want to work in an operational role in a New Zealand business. It is suitable for graduates of New Zealand Certificates in Business.

Recognition of prior learning
Applications for Recognition of Prior Learning, including Cross Credit, Credit Transfer and Assessment of Prior Learning may be made on the Recognition of Prior Learning Form where a student believes all learning outcomes for a course have already been met. Applications will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the UCOL | Te Pūkenga Academic Statute and other relavant policies and procedures.

Application checklist
It will make the process easier if you prepare the following before you apply:

• National Student Number (NSN) (If you don't have a NSN, you may request one from NZQA, or you can supply a verified copy of your birth certificate, passport or Whakapapa statement.)
• Evidence of your highest level of academic achievement (and evidence of prior learning, if applicable)
• Evidence that you meet the entry requirements of the programme
• Check if you're eligible for additional support or a scholarship. If you're 19 years or younger, you may be eligible to enrol in one of our free Youth Transition programmes.

Note that you will need to provide any verified documents in person, via post or email (not via the online application form).