Course overview

Effective leadership and management makes the difference in organisations today by inspiring people to perform and by improving results. Good leaders are sought and valued by all organisations.

This course has been designed for current and future leaders who will be able to benefit from our flexible design, delivery and assessment. This staged, work-based learning qualification has been developed for participants on management development programmes sponsored by their employers.

Course participants are provided with an opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills to 'live' situations through work-based assignments or 'projects'.

Learning will be self-directed, flexible and supported by University tutors and employers. This approach to learning and development brings real and, often immediate benefits to the learner and their employer.

As a 'staged' programme, participants can exit with a Postgraduate Certificate and Diploma on successful completion of Stage 1 and Stage 2 respectively, or continue to complete a Masters. This ensures the programme caters for managers at different stages in their learning and career development.

The course design is based on the National Occupational Management and Leadership Standards which specify six standards: Managing Self and Personal Skills; Providing Direction; Facilitating Change; Working with People; Using Resources and Achieving Results. For further information about these standards, see www.managementstandards.org

The first and second stages of this course will include six work-based learning units based on these Standards. In the third year, students are offered the opportunity to conduct a significant piece of research to gain a Masters qualification.

Although a first degree is desirable, entry will be flexible to allow applicants with suitable experience and knowledge to claim Accredited Prior Experience and Learning (APEL) to join the course.

Applicants who present one of the following: the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) Executive Diploma in Management or Executive Diploma in Strategic Management or a CIPD accredited Pg Diploma in HRM (or equivalent) along with significant management experience will be considered for direct entry to the Diploma stage of the programme.

Please see also MSc Leadership and Management.

Armed Forces

There are direct entry routes for officers of the Armed Forces based on rank and experience, which we would be happy to tell you about. The University of Portsmouth is an ELC approved supplier. Please click on the 'Armed Forces' link for further information.

Find out more

For further information, please contact our Admissions Team (details above). We also hold regular postgraduate and part-time open evenings at which you can see our facilities, enjoy a guest lecture and meet the academics and current students over drinks and canapés. Applicants will be interested to know that each year Portsmouth Business School offers a number of scholarships for self-funding students.

Course content

Course concept and design

This Masters course is structured around the National Occupational Management and Leadership Standards, 2004 ('The Standards' – see diagram 1), which many organisations recognise as a valuable framework for developing competencies and designing development programmes.

(For further information about these standards, see www.managementstandards.org)

It is a 'staged' programme, offering the flexibility to study for a Postgraduate Certificate qualification by completing Stage 1 or a Postgraduate Diploma by completing Stages 1 and 2. You could then go on to complete a Masters qualification at Stage 3 or return at a later stage to a 'top up' Masters qualification.

Unit descriptions

Stages 1 and 2 (PgCert and PgDip)

In Stages 1 and 2 you will complete six Work-Based Learning units on the Standards:

• Managing Self and Personal Skills (15 credits): development of skills and use of resources to achieve personal learning and professional development aims.
• Providing Direction (15 credits): consideration of the complex business environment and the use of strategic planning to achieve organisational goals.
• Facilitating Change (15 credits) : approaches to leading and managing change, including the use of information as a basis for sound decision-making.
• Working with People (15 credits) : strategic development of the organisation's 'human assets' through workforce planning, recruitment and selection, and retention of employees.
• Using Resources (15 credits) : systematic approaches to managing finance and risk by generating, analysing and evaluating relevant information.
• Achieving Results (15 credits) : managing and improving organisational performance based on a 'customer focused' approach.

For the PgC, students will study four of the above six Work-Based Learning units.

Stage 2

For the PgD, students will study two of the above six Work-Based Learning units plus the two following units:

• Management Report (15 credits) : builds and develops knowledge, learning and application of the six units based on the Standards, in the production of a report that covers at least three areas of the Standards.
• Continuous Professional Development (CPD) (15 credits) : this unit covers both Stages 1 and 2 in providing a framework for planning learning, defining learning objectives for the work-based learning units, recording and reflecting on progress.

Stage 3 (Masters)

This stage prepares and supports participants in planning, implementing and reporting a substantial piece of investigative work, based on primary and secondary research. There are two units to complete for this stage:

• Research Methods (15 credits) : this unit prepares participants to carry out research by introducing them to investigative methods based on primary and secondary research.
• Investigative Project (45 credits) : a substantial piece of investigative work based on primary and secondary research. The topic can be from any area of leadership and management which is of academic and practice-based interest.

Participants will be allocated a project supervisor from within the Business School who has expertise in the particular area chosen.

This innovative approach combines a professional 'practice' approach to developing people with the theoretical underpinning that the University of Portsmouth brings in awarding this qualification.

Teaching and Assessment

Learning is self-directed, supported by University tutors and employers. This approach to learning and development brings real and immediate benefits to the individual leaner and their employer.

No matter where you are, you will have easy access to the University's comprehensive online resources - just as if you were on campus. Our online resources include several hundred ebooks (electronic versions of key textbooks) and access to databases containing academic and business journals. There are also study skills resources (e.g. academic writing, referencing, etc) available online.

Your tutors are based in the Business School, which is located in the modern Richmond Building on the main campus. You will also be supported by a work-based mentor who will provide additional support and guidance.

Career prospects

Facilities and features

Entry requirements

The entry requirements for PgCert Leadership and Management are shown above, for more detailed information please contact:

Department: Portsmouth Business School
Tel: +44 (0)23 9284 8200
Email: pbs.postgradadmissions@port.ac.uk