Level 4 Higher National Certificate in Business

The BTEC Level 4 HNC is a broad business qualification which is intended for students who are seeking an alternative to a Foundation Degree or Degree and who wish to combine study and part-time work.

The course will be taught by lecturers who have relevant business experience. The team will be complemented by guest speakers who are working within the related industries.

The BTEC Level 4 HNC course is a full time course taught over 2 days each week, where you will explore, challenge and develop your:

• key knowledge, understanding and practical skills required in your chosen business sector.

• understanding of specialist areas e.g. the business environment, business ethics, managing financial resources, organisational behaviour, marketing principles, human resource management, advertising and promotion in business management, costing and budgeting

• independent enquiry and study

• individual research to inform your own professional business practice and career choice

• vocational opportunities within the business sectors

• knowledge of wider self-employment skills e.g. intellectual property, tax, law, national insurance, accountancy, networking, advertising

• English, Maths and IT skills through the vocational assignments

• employability skills e.g. team building, leadership, advocacy, self-management, organisation, presentation, peer support as well as adaptability and problem-solving. You will study a range of core and optional units. For example:

• Business and the Business Environment

• Accounting Principles

• Human Resource Management

• Marketing Processes and Planning

• Leadership and Management

• Managing a Business Project

• Business Law

• Entrepreneurial Ventures


On successful completion of the first year of this course, you will gain a BTEC Level 4 HNC and you can achieve a BTEC Level 5 HND by studying a further year on. Home students are eligible to apply for a full-time loan from Student Finance England.

For international fees please contact

This qualification helps you to progress onto

• Employment e.g. trainee manager role for retail outlet, department leader, insurance, finance, sales and marketing

• BTEC Level 5 HND in Business at Cambridge Regional College

• Relevant degree courses at year 1 or 2 - this depends on the provider and your work presented at interview.

To progress from the BTEC Level 4 HNC to the BTEC Level 5 HND you will need to successfully complete your BTEC Level 4 HNC. Progression to the BTEC Level 5 HND Diploma is conditional on group sizes being educationally and/or economically viable.

To join the BTEC Level 4 HNC Diploma course you will need to show evidence that you have achieved the below:

48 UCAS points (DD or PPP)

Relevant level 3 qualification eg BTEC, UAL, Access to HE Diploma or 2 A levels

GCSE English and maths at grade 4/C or above or demonstrated competency at L2 or above

Mature students may have commensurate work/industry related experience that may be considered

Coursework is continually assessed by a range of methods which may include projects, assignments, case studies, course work, self-assessment and presentations. Grades from Pass, Merit, Distinction are awarded to course work.

How to Apply for a Higher Education Course at CRC

There are 3 ways you can apply for your chosen course:

1) Apply online direct from this course page.
Click on the Apply Now button at the top of this page by the course information. By clicking this button, you will be taken to our online application system. This system will ask you to create a new account if you have not created one previously. Once you have created an account you can apply for the course.

2) Apply through UCAS
When you have found your chosen course on the UCAS website, you can apply directly from UCAS. You will need to have created a UCAS account if you do not have one already to apply.

3) Editable HE application form
If you are unable to use the above ways to apply, you can also apply by filling in our downloadable HE Application form. This can be downloaded by visiting this page.

All forms will need to be returned to our admissions team at, The Admissions Office, Cambridge Regional College, Kings Hedges Road, Cambridge CB4 2QT.

For international fees please contact

For further assistance please contact our Admissions Team at