Open University program

The Digital Economy

Develop the business, management and marketing skills to thrive in the digital economy with The Open University Business School.

  • Overview 4 courses + 1 assessment
  • Duration 29 weeks
  • Learn Free

Thrive in the digital economy with this flexible program of online courses

Whether you work in a micro business, a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) or a large firm, it’s vital to get to grips with new technologies and understand the impact they could have on your operations, sales and long-term success.

With The Digital Economy program from The Open University Business School, you can do just that. You’ll discover how four key business areas are changing in today’s digital economy.

Accessible on desktop, tablet or mobile and delivered in bite-sized chunks, the four online courses in this program provide a flexible way to enhance your business, management and marketing skills, and demonstrate your continuing professional development (CPD).

Academic credit

Until July 2020 this program offered the option to obtain academic credit from the Open University. Please note that the final assessment date has now passed and while many of the courses are still available to enrol on, there is no option to gain credit.

Courses and assessment

4 courses and 1 final assessment

How does our pricing work?

Start Learning Free
$336 USD - Course Upgrades
£540 GBP - Final Assessment

Can I learn for free?

Programs are made up of short courses, most of which you can join for free.

However, if you want to take the final assessment and unlock the award or accreditation for the program, you must upgrade each individual course or buy Unlimited to gain a Certificate of Achievement for all the courses in the program.

How do course upgrades work?

If you want to spend more time on course material and better demonstrate what you've learned, you may choose to upgrade each course. You can upgrade your courses at any point after you enrol.

When you upgrade a course, you get ongoing access to the course material for as long as the course exists on FutureLearn. This means you can return to the subject whenever you like.

You will also be given access to any course tests, and the ability to qualify for a downloadable and printed Certificate of Achievement to show what you’ve achieved.

How does Unlimited work?

If you have Unlimited, you will get access to all of the short courses in this program, plus thousands of other short courses and tests.

You have the ability to learn at your own pace throughout your subscription time and gain digital Certificates of Achievement on all your courses.

If you gain a certificate on a course, you will keep access to the course’s content beyond your Unlimited subscription time so you can revise the content whenever you need.

Unlimited costs $39.99/month. Find out more about Unlimited.

What is the final assessment?

The final assessment is designed to rigorously test your understanding of the subject. This test is marked by experts and enables you to demonstrate your learning to yourself and to employers.

The assessment is summative and may include a multiple-choice test, or tutor-marked assignment.

Passing the final assessment unlocks the academic or professional recognition associated with completing an entire FutureLearn program, plus a FutureLearn Award.

To be eligible for the final assessment, you must upgrade on each individual course or buy Unlimited and attain a Certificate of Achievement for all of the courses in the program. The final assessment must be purchased separately.

Are these the final prices?

Yes. There are no additional fees. The price you see here includes everything - such as test fees, tuition and any additional accreditation provided by the course.

Delivered by expert academics

The Digital Economy program has been developed by The Open University Business School – a pioneering institution triple-accredited by AMBA, EQUIS and AACSB.

  • The Open University

Learning outcomes

Designed for business professionals with 3+ years experience, who are seeking to step up to senior management roles and considering MBA-level study to advance their careers, this program will enable you to:

  • recognise opportunities to reduce costs and create value through better supply chain management;
  • use market segmentation to improve your organisation’s performance;
  • improve sales from your interactions with customers, existing and new;
  • evaluate funding opportunities for business growth and development;
  • improve your critical, analytical, planning and prioritising skills;
  • and develop your ethical awareness as a manager.