About this course
This Senior Leader Apprenticeship supports career progression for managers or those with ambitions to take up a management role.
- Delivered in blocks for extra flexibility and to fit studies around existing commitments.
- Specialist routes in Leadership or Organisational Development to focus on areas of interest
- Assignments investigate real issues in your own workplace to ensure they are relevant.
- Opportunity to self-fund a top-up to the MSc qualification of the same title upon completion of this programme.
- Ideal for strategic leaders or middle managers looking to improve results or advance in their career
The Senior Leader Apprenticeship programme is designed to transform participants into confident and strategic leaders. It focuses on the practice of leadership and management, has a real-world focus and is delivered by academic staff who are respected experts, researchers, consultants and business practitioners.
Our collaborative approach develops leaders and managers using the knowledge, skills and behaviours of the revised Level 7 Senior Leader Apprenticeship standard. We layer on to this evidence-based theories and models. The result is innovative ideas generation to support identified organisation needs.
Flexibility and transferability are at the heart of what we do so we offer two specialist pathways for the fourth Semester, each with a progression pathway onto the MSc Leadership and Management qualification. Participants choose to specialise and apply their new skills in one of the following areas:
- Leadership
- Organisational Development
Fees and funding
Employability
Further your career prospects
LJMU has an excellent employability record with 96% (HESA 2018) of our postgraduates in work or further study six months after graduation. Our applied learning techniques and strong industry connections ensure our students are fully prepared for the workplace on graduation and understand how to apply their knowledge in a real world context.
On graduation from this programme you will see a marked improvement on employee day-to-day performance, confidence and learning in the workplace, as well as improvements in your ability to demonstrate new skills learned during the course.
The student experience
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Discover the building blocks of your programme
Your programme is made up of a number of core modules which are part of the course framework. Some programmes also have optional modules that can be selected to enhance your learning in certain areas.
We offer two sector specific pathways so that you can tailor the course to your specific professional learning requirements. The pathways offered are Leadership and Organisational Development. Please note that the specific optional modules relating to each pathway are detailed in the optional modules list below.
Please note:
This course is currently undergoing its scheduled programme review, which may impact the advertised modules. Programme review is a standard part of the University’s approach to quality assurance and enhancement, enabling us to ensure that our courses remain up to date and maintain their high standard and relevancy.
Once the review is completed, this course website page will be updated to reflect any approved changes to the advertised course. These approved changes will also be communicated to those who apply for the course to ensure they wish to proceed with their application.
Leadership and Leader Development
20 credits
By
applying theory to your practice, this module will aim to equip you with the
knowledge and understanding of the complex dynamics of leadership to help you
in your own development and that of leading teams effectively. In combination
with the programme you will explore your strengths and weaknesses as a leader,
learn how to articulate effectively your own personal leadership style and those
within your organisation and identify effective and ineffective leadership in
your context.
Behaviour in Organisations
10 credits
You will explore how organisations behave, critically
evaluate theoretical perspectives and consider how to enhance performance
within your own settings. You will look at real life case studies in addition
to considering theories and models. You will critically reflect on your own
organisation and consider how you can blend theory and practice in order to
benefit your setting.
Leading the Business
20 credits
You will gain knowledge of how key business functions support organisational effectiveness. You will learn about marketing, operations and finance and will develop an understanding of how they inter-relate.
Strategy and Change
20 credits
This
module introduces you to theories of strategy formulation, implementation and
change. The module will equip students to practically apply external and
internal analysis, use methods, tools and models to identify needs for change, and
initiate it within organisations to maintain competitive advantage.
Leading Innovation
10 credits
Building on innovation theory and best practice, this module aims to develop your ability to think and act innovatively in a range of organisational contexts. You will evaluate opportunities to exploit digital technologies and consider strategies to support and promote innovative practices in your organisation.
Applied Business Research
10 credits
You will develop a conceptual framework from which
research philosophies, strategies and methods associated with leadership
business and management can be critically reviewed and focused into a coherent
strategic leadership/business consultancy project.
Learning and Leadership - Leadership pathway
10 credits
After completion of this module you will be able to distinguish and design learning systems to improve the performance and capability of organisational situations. You will build on theories of learning, critical thinking, knowledge management and systems thinking.
Integrated leadership strategies - Leadership pathway
20 credits
The aim of the module is to consolidate prior learning and integrate knowledge and skills acquired in other modules.
OD theories and practices - Organisational Development pathway
10 credits
This module focuses on current theory and practice in Organisational Development, with particular focus on the theoretical routes of organisational development; models, frameworks and approaches and the use of 'self' as an instrument.
Diagnosing and intervention design - Organisational Development pathway
10 credits
The module focuses on Investigating and exploring the application of researched informed diagnostic and intervention design models, frameworks and approaches in order to enhance organisation effectiveness.
Implementing and evaluating interventions - Organisational Development pathway
10 credits
This module aims to explore and apply change implementation methodologies and evaluation processes of various organisational interventions.
Teaching
An insight into teaching on your course
Study hours
Learners will attend a 2-day residential at the start of their programme and modules will normally be delivered in block release format.
Teaching methods
Our flexible delivery approach involves face-to-face teaching and facilitation, blending online support activity, with the facility to introduce live online sessions and individual and group tutorials. Action learning provides a forum to bring ideas, thoughts, issues and actionable remedies to the fore. It is also a supportive and collaborative environment for working with peers, facilitators and colleagues.
The ability to analyse organisational issues and apply recommendations supported by a theoretical framework is fundamental and is assessed in all elements of the programme. The university’s Virtual Learning Environment (Canvas) gives you access to the teaching and materials wherever you study and provides a means for you to maintain contact and submit assignments.
Applied learning
We work closely with learners to support your work on real-world projects as you gather evidence for your portfolio. This includes using assignments, work-based project examples and witness testimony to demonstrate your strategic development journey. A strong emphasis is placed on the workplace as a place to learn. You will integrate key concepts and theories, assessing the impact of these on your own working environment.
Assessment
How learning is monitored on your programme
To cater for the wide-ranging content of our courses and the varied learning preferences of our students, we offer a range of assessment methods on each programme.
Course tutors
Joanne Vincett
Programme Manager
Joanne Vincett
Programme Manager
Jo is a coach and lecturer in Executive Education at LJMU. She teaches in the areas of coaching skills and scholarly business practice. Prior to working in academia, Jo worked in the commercial sector for five years before changing her focus to the voluntary/non-profit sector. She has worked with the United States Peace Corps in the Eastern Caribbean as a small business development advisor and trainer for a rural agricultural development NGO; she was elected the Lead Volunteer for a group of 19 Peace Corps Volunteers in Antigua and Barbuda.
School facilities
What you can expect from your School
The School is based in 4-6 Rodney Street, in the heart of the bustling Mount Pleasant Campus and Liverpool’s growing Knowledge Quarter. The building is home to high quality lecture theatres and seminar rooms, social spaces, and a café. It is only a short walk from LJMU’s Aldham Robarts Library, which contains all the resources you will require for your studies, and is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Liverpool Business School also has a dedicated Management Development Suite, based in a listed building in the historic Georgian Quarter of Liverpool and a short walk from the Redmonds Building. The building has recently undergone £1.2 million investment to provide a professional learning space.
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Entry requirements
You will need:
You will need GCSE Mathematics and English Language (grade A*-C / 9-4) or equivalent. Alternatively, you can complete Level 2 Functional Skills qualifications alongside the apprenticeship.
Mature entry
The course team has a strong commitment to widening participation and positively welcomes non-standard applicants. Candidates with some management experience or those who are about to enter a managerial role and have a demonstrated aptitude for study can be accepted without previous experience of higher education.
Overseas qualifications
Where English is not your first language, or your first degree was not taught and assessed wholly in
English, an IELTS score of 6.5 must be achieved, with no individual score of less than 5.5. The programme
complies fully with the requirements of the Equality Act 2010.
Please note: All international qualifications are subject to a qualification equivalency check via NARIC.
View country specific entry requirements
Contact LJMU's International Admissions Team for guidance on visa information. Further information is also available from our international web pages.
Application and selection
Securing your place at LJMU
Admission will normally be by interview, after formal application, in order to assess your aptitude for study.
The University reserves the right to withdraw or make alterations to a course and facilities if necessary; this may be because such changes are deemed to be beneficial to students, are minor in nature and unlikely to impact negatively upon students or become necessary due to circumstances beyond the control of the University. Where this does happen, the University operates a policy of consultation, advice and support to all enrolled students affected by the proposed change to their course or module.