Healthcare Leadership

PGCert

  • Entry year 2026 or 2025
  • Duration Part time 1 - 5 years

Overview

Top reasons to study with us

  • Flexible, work-based, online learning ideal for busy professionals

  • Create your leadership path with modules that fit your career goals

  • Join a diverse global community focused on ethical and inclusive leadership

Our Postgraduate Certificate in Healthcare Leadership empowers current and aspiring healthcare professionals to become effective, compassionate leaders.

You will explore key themes such as patient-centred care, change management, inclusive leadership, and quality improvement, while developing strategic thinking and reflective practice. Whether you are a clinician, healthcare manager, or policy professional, the programme will provide you with tools to lead change, improve services, and inspire teams with confidence.

A flexible, work-based learning model

Delivered entirely online and part-time, the programme offers maximum flexibility.

You will be able to apply insights directly to your role through work-based projects and assessments that reflect your organisational context and goals.

The programme offers a high degree of personalisation, with optional modules that let you shape your learning journey based on your interests, career aspirations, and the challenges you face in your workplace.

Learn from experts and peers

You will be supported by a team of experienced tutors, coaches, and mentors who are both academics and practitioners with deep understanding of the healthcare sector.

Learning takes place through interactive content, virtual seminars, and small-group coaching, fostering critical thinking and peer-to-peer learning. The inclusive and collaborative environment encourages you to engage with colleagues from a wide range of professional backgrounds and geographies, enriching your perspective on leadership in diverse contexts.

Aligned with NHS Leadership Frameworks

Our curriculum is fully aligned with the NHS Healthcare Leadership Model and the Medical Leadership Competency Framework, ensuring that your learning reflects current standards and expectations in healthcare leadership. At the same time, the programme focuses on universal themes like patient-centred care, quality improvement, and ethical decision-making, making it relevant to practitioners worldwide.

Join a community with impact

As part of our healthcare leadership community, you will benefit from our strong partnerships with NHS Trusts, healthcare organisations, and international networks. Many of our learners secure promotions or progress into new leadership roles during or shortly after completing the programme.

Purposeful healthcare leadership

With a strong emphasis on ethical, inclusive, and sustainable leadership, this programme is designed to help you make a meaningful impact in your organisation and across the wider health and care system.

By studying with us, you will help shape the future of healthcare, creating safer, more effective, and more compassionate services for patients and communities.

Careers

Graduates of the programme are well-positioned for a wide range of roles, including:

  • Clinical leadership
  • Healthcare management
  • Policy and strategy roles
  • Quality and service improvement
  • Consultancy and advisory roles.

Many students see tangible career benefits during or soon after their studies. A number of our graduates have reported promotions into leadership or management positions while still on the programme. The focus on work-based projects means students are often able to demonstrate real impact in their organisations, helping to strengthen their leadership profile and expand their professional influence.

Our graduates have gone on to work in or with:

  • NHS Trusts across North West England and nationally in the UK
  • International healthcare systems in sub-Saharan Africa, the Indian subcontinent, and beyond
  • Integrated Care Boards and Clinical Commissioning Groups
  • Health Education England and NHS England
  • Private and independent healthcare providers
  • National and local policy organisations
  • Social care and voluntary sector organisations.

As part of Lancaster University Management School, you will benefit from a rich network of healthcare and business professionals, careers guidance, and leadership coaching.

Entry requirements

Academic requirements

An undergraduate degree or equivalent professional qualification.

We will also consider applicants with non-standard qualifications, please contact us for information.

Additional requirements

Applicants usually have at least three years of experience in a role with the scope for them to apply their learning in the workplace.

English language requirements

We require an IELTS (Academic) Test with an overall score of at least 6.5, and a minimum of 6.0 in each element of the test.

We also consider other English language qualifications.

Help from our Admissions team

If you are thinking of applying to Lancaster and you would like to ask us a question, complete our enquiry form and one of the team will get back to you.

We also have more details on our website about:

Pre-master's programmes

Delivered in partnership with INTO Lancaster University, our one-year tailored pre-master's pathways are designed to improve your subject knowledge and English language skills to the level required by a range of Lancaster University master's degrees. Visit INTO Lancaster University for more details and a list of eligible degrees you can progress onto.

Course structure

We continually review and enhance our curriculum to ensure we are delivering the best possible learning experience, and to make sure that the subject knowledge and transferable skills you develop will prepare you for your future. The University will make every reasonable effort to offer programmes and modules as advertised. In some cases, changes may be necessary and may result in new modules or some modules and combinations being unavailable, for example as a result of student feedback, timetabling, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes and new research. Not all optional modules are available every year.

Core

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Optional

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Optional

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Fees and funding

We set our fees on an annual basis and the 2026/27 entry fees have not yet been set.

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Scholarships and bursaries

Details of our scholarships and bursaries for 2026-entry study are not yet available, but you can use our opportunities for 2025-entry applicants as guidance.

Check our current list of scholarships and bursaries.

Important information

The information on this site relates primarily to the stated entry year and every effort has been taken to ensure the information is correct at the time of publication.

The University will use all reasonable effort to deliver the courses as described, but the University reserves the right to make changes to advertised courses. In exceptional circumstances that are beyond the University’s reasonable control (Force Majeure Events), we may need to amend the programmes and provision advertised. In this event, the University will take reasonable steps to minimise the disruption to your studies. If a course is withdrawn or if there are any fundamental changes to your course, we will give you reasonable notice and you will be entitled to request that you are considered for an alternative course or withdraw your application. You are advised to revisit our website for up-to-date course information before you submit your application.

More information on limits to the University’s liability can be found in our legal information.

Our Students’ Charter

We believe in the importance of a strong and productive partnership between our students and staff. In order to ensure your time at Lancaster is a positive experience we have worked with the Students’ Union to articulate this relationship and the standards to which the University and its students aspire. Find out more about our  Charter and student policies.