A new programme initiative, due to be launched tomorrow, September 8, 2014, will allow anyone, anywhere in the world to get a better understanding of how to run a business, thanks to a collaboration between global accountancy body ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants), the University of Exeter Business School and online learning platform FutureLearn.

Together, they are launching a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) — Discovering Business in Society, which is free to study and open to anyone in the world with access to the Internet.

The aim of the eight-week course is to give anyone the opportunity to learn the principles of business, including prospective undergraduate students, working professionals without a background in business, people looking to return to work after an absence, or anyone seeking to further educate themselves. And, for those interested in entering the finance profession and seeking a route to ACCA membership, the MOOC can be a starting point.

Clare Minchington, ACCA executive director, said: “The whole point of this MOOC is that it is all encompassing. Yes, it can be a way for someone looking to begin their journey into the finance profession with ACCA, but equally it could be useful to someone seeking to start a business to get a better understanding of what’s involved, or a parent looking to return to work with a new set of skills. It’s not unusual today for those people already in work to look to change career, and this gives them a taste of what it might be like in a business environment. It’s open to anyone, anywhere, of any age, who wants to do it.

The Discovering Business in Society MOOC will cover a range of topics, including purpose and types of business organisations, the changing world of business, environmental and regulatory factors, economic factors, and internal organisation and governance.

First steps to accountancy

For those who complete the course and choose to take the optional assessment at the end of the course, which does have a fee attached, it could be the first step on the ladder to becoming a qualified ACCA accountant.

Those who are successful in completing the optional examinations can claim exemption from the ACCA F1 paper, Accountant in Business.

Minchington said: “The option is there to get that first part of the ACCA qualification under your belt should you decide a career in accountancy is for you. However, we didn’t launch the MOOC just to give people the opportunity to study our globally recognised qualification. Those who study it are under no obligation to take the examination at the end. When we say it is open to all, we don’t just mean those looking to become ACCA accountants. Our ethos has always been open access and this MOOC is testament to that thinking.”