Two years, twenty-three units, awarded directly by Qualifications Scotland — and accepted for direct entry into the third year of most UK business degrees.
This is the qualification with the shortest explanation and the longest reach. It is awarded by Qualifications Scotland, Scotland's national awarding body, under group award code GT32 48, and it is taught at colleges and universities in a growing number of countries. ADVEX is an approved centre delivering it in Bangkok.
Two years, twenty-three units, 240 SCQF credit points. Year one builds the foundations — accounting, law, economics, marketing, people, IT. Year two moves to strategy, project management, the world economy, financial forecasting and a substantial graded project that pulls the whole programme together.
The reason people choose it is what happens afterwards: the Advanced Diploma allows direct entry to most third-year university programmes in business or a related discipline. Two years here, one year of a UK top-up, and you hold a British honours degree.
In exceptional cases ADVEX may admit an applicant who does not hold the stated entry qualifications, where we judge that they can complete the programme successfully.
Direct entry to the third year of most UK business degrees, including the Arden University top-up programmes delivered at ADVEX. It also supports progression to CMI and CIMA professional qualifications, to SVQ in Business and Administration at SCQF Level 8, or directly into supervisory and management roles.
This diploma is the standard entry route to the final year of an Arden University bachelor’s degree, taught at ADVEX in Bangkok. Entry is assessed individually.
All Arden University programmes →
| Award title | SQA Advanced Diploma in Business — Group Award Code GT32 48 |
| Awarded by | Qualifications Scotland (formerly SQA) |
| Group award code | GT32 48 |
| Delivered and assessed by | ADVEX Management School, an approved centre |
| SCQF level | Level 7–8 |
| SCQF credit points | 240 (30 SQA credits) |
| Duration | Two years full-time |
| Equivalent Ofqual RQF level | Level 4–5 |
| Equivalent EQF level | Level 5 |
| Units | 23 — 12 in year one, 11 in year two |
| Unit | Year | SCQF |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting for Business: An Introduction | 1 | 7 |
| Business Law: An Introduction | 1 | 7 |
| Communication: Business Communication | 1 | 7 |
| Creating a Culture of Customer Care | 1 | 7 |
| Economic Issues: An Introduction | 1 | 7 |
| Human Resource Management: Introduction | 1 | 7 |
| Business Fundamentals with Emerging Technologies | 1 | 7 |
| IT in Business: Spreadsheets | 1 | 7 |
| Managing People and Organisations | 1 | 7 |
| Marketing: An Introduction | 1 | 7 |
| Personal Development Planning | 1 | 7 |
| Business: Graded Unit 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Economics: Micro and Macro Theory and Application | 2 | 8 |
| Business Contractual Relationships | 2 | 7 |
| Managing Business Culture and Strategy | 2 | 8 |
| Economics: The World Economy | 2 | 8 |
| Project Management: Strategy, Decision Making and Risk | 2 | 8 |
| International Marketing: An Introduction | 2 | 7 |
| Preparing Financial Forecasts | 2 | 8 |
| Presentation Skills | 2 | 8 |
| Statistics for Business | 2 | 7 |
| Continuous Workforce Development | 2 | 7 |
| Business: Graded Unit 2 | 2 | 8 |
This page is a summary. The awarding body's published specification is the definitive document and takes precedence in the event of any difference.
Tell us what you already hold — a diploma, a degree, or years of work that never got certificated — and we will tell you which level you enter at and how long the route takes.