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
Whether you’re an aspiring leader or already in a leadership role, our MSc Leadership Practice offers the flexibility, support, and practical focus to help you excel.
Designed for professionals aiming to enhance their leadership skills, the programme focuses on contemporary leadership models and ethical practices. The programme’s curriculum features optional modules, work-based projects, and personalised learning, empowering you to create a significant impact in your organisation while developing your leadership capabilities.
Delivered entirely online, MSc Leadership Practice allows you to study at your own pace and from any location, making it ideal for busy professionals.
The programme offers a range of optional modules, allowing you to specialise in areas that are most relevant to your career, whether it’s digital innovation, business strategy, or ethical leadership.
MSc Leadership Practice is designed to be practical and immediately applicable to your work. The programme includes work-based projects where you apply what you learn to solve real challenges in your organisation.
The programme’s capstone project—a work-based transformation project—allows you to make a significant, tangible impact in your organisation. This hands-on approach helps you demonstrate your leadership skills while driving meaningful change.
Leadership today requires a focus on ethics, sustainability, and inclusion. This programme integrates these themes throughout, helping you develop a leadership style that prioritises responsibility, empathy, and integrity.
With optional modules such as ‘Compassionate and Inclusive Leadership’ and ‘Ethical and Sustainable Leadership,’ you will learn to build inclusive, people-centric workplaces that promote wellbeing and diversity—essential attributes for any modern leader.
You will benefit from academic coaching and peer support as you reflect on and refine your leadership approach. Experienced tutors will guide you in applying theoretical insights to your personal leadership challenges.
The focus on reflective practice throughout the programme encourages continuous self-improvement, helping you to grow as a leader who can adapt to changing circumstances.
Interested in master's-level study with us? Fill in our form and we will keep you up to date with course information, events and open days.
If you have completed a Higher-level (Level 7) Apprenticeship and successfully passed your End Point Assessment (EPA) within the past five years, you can top up to this MSc in one year. You can do this by registering for our top-up programme and taking the 60-credit module: Practitioner Research for Work-based Transformation.
This programme addresses key competencies required in today's workplaces and prepares you for diverse career advancements in domestic and international markets.
Graduates of this programme have successfully moved into senior positions across various sectors, including healthcare, government, corporate, nonprofit, and education. Typical roles pursued include:
An undergraduate degree or equivalent professional qualification.
We will also consider applicants with non-standard qualifications, please contact us for information.
Applicants usually have at least three years of experience in a role with the scope for them to apply their learning in the workplace.
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.
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:
Delivered in partnership with Lancaster International Study Centre, 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 Lancaster University International Study Centre for more details and a list of eligible degrees you can progress onto.
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.
You will take three core modules and four optional modules. Most of our students choose to complete their MSc over three years, taking one module each term, followed by the final 60-credit core module. However, the flexible nature of the course means that you can take up to five years to complete it.
Dive into leadership theories and change management models and learn how to apply these concepts to lead successful change initiatives in your organisation. This module provides a solid foundation for understanding the dynamics of leadership and organisational transformation.
This module will help you unlock the potential for significant workplace improvements. It enables you to tackle real challenges in your organisation by guiding you in identifying, analysing, and recommending impactful changes. You will learn effective stakeholder engagement strategies, risk assessment techniques, and reflective practices to enhance your professional development.
You will critically assess current practices, evaluate potential improvements, and make actionable recommendations tailored to your organisation’s specific context. This module will position you to deliver tangible organisational benefits while advancing your career through applied, reflective learning.
You will be assessed on designing a practical enquiry, delivering detailed project proposals, and reflective analysis of your professional growth. This ensures robust development of your practical and professional skills.
Transform your workplace through in-depth practitioner research with this comprehensive module. Designed as the capstone of your professional learning journey, you will undertake a significant work-based enquiry to address pressing organisational needs.
You will explore action research methodologies, qualitative and quantitative research methods, project planning, implementation, and dissemination techniques. You will be empowered to critically evaluate existing practices, foster sustainable organisational change, and enhance professional development through practical enquiry.
Unique features include personalised coaching, reflective practice, and robust stakeholder engagement, ensuring your research has meaningful impact. Assessments include a detailed research report, reflective evaluations, and practical dissemination activities, fully preparing you to effectively influence organisational transformation.
You will learn to apply coaching and mentoring concepts, tools, and models within your work setting, making reasoned judgments on the value of research-based approaches. The course integrates theoretical frameworks with practical applications, focusing on reflective practice, self-awareness, continuous development, ethical standards, effective communication, and addressing diversity and inclusion to drive personal, professional, and organisational growth.
This module focuses on developing mastery of strategic analysis and innovation management. enabling you to make strategic decisions that drive business success. You'll explore how to develop and implement innovative strategies to stay competitive in today's market. You will also have the opportunity to experience team working on a live project in order to utilise the tools and techniques introduced earlier in the module. It will enable participants to gain valuable experience which will form a basis for some of their subsequent reflections on the challenges and realities of project work in teams.
In this module, you will critically examine the principles and practices of compassionate and inclusive leadership, along with the evidence linking personal wellbeing to improved organisational outcomes. You will use tools and frameworks to develop your self-awareness, self-compassion, listening and empathy skills. You will apply theoretical knowledge to develop practical strategies to lead diverse teams and foster inclusive organisational cultures. Through a blend of reflective practice, case studies, and real-world applications, you will strengthen your ability to lead with compassion and inclusivity, and drive positive results for your organisation.
In this module, you will discover the transformative power of digital technologies in business and learn how digital transformation, technology adoption, and leadership of digital initiatives will help keep your organisation ahead of the curve. This module prepares you to navigate and lead in the rapidly evolving digital landscape, ensuring your organisation remains competitive and innovative.
This module explores the impact of organisational behaviour, culture, and people management on business performance. There is an emphasis on how strategic leadership in diverse workplaces can boost overall effectiveness, developing your understanding of the critical role that people and culture play in achieving organisational goals and enhancing performance. The course emphasises working collaboratively to empower and delegate, valuing diversity, and seeking continuous professional development for yourself and your team.
In this module, you will develop the knowledge and skills necessary for fostering sustainability and ethics in organisational contexts. You will explore organisational structures, business modelling, diversity, and global perspectives, including governance, accountability, and the implications of technological and policy changes. The module delves into ethics and values-based leadership theories and principles, as well as approaches to developing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes. You will learn to challenge strategies and operations for ethical responsibility, sustainability, resource allocation, and risk management. The course covers applying principles related to CSR, governance, and regulatory compliance.
Unlock your unique writing voice and learn to captivate your readers through this dynamic module. This module is ideal for aspiring writers aiming for professional publication and for professionals looking to master impactful workplace writing. It guides you through the intricacies of compelling and persuasive communication.
You will explore acclaimed works across diverse genres, such as fiction, biography, memoir, essay, and case studies, to refine your style and enhance your critical analysis skills. You will develop proficiency in crafting concise, powerful arguments and master the art of clarity and brevity. Stand out in professional and academic settings by communicating your ideas effectively.
By completing this module, you will gain the skills to:
You will be assessed through a combination of practical writing assignments, reflective journals, and peer-reviewed projects, ensuring comprehensive skill development.
We set our fees on an annual basis and the 2027/28 entry fees have not yet been set.
There may be extra costs related to your course for items such as books, stationery, printing, photocopying, binding and general subsistence on trips and visits. Following graduation, you may need to pay a subscription to a professional body for some chosen careers.
Specific additional costs for studying at Lancaster are listed below.
Lancaster is proud to be one of only a handful of UK universities to have a collegiate system. Every student belongs to a college, and all students pay a small College Membership Fee which supports the running of college events and activities. Students on some distance-learning courses are not liable to pay a college fee.
For students starting in 2026, the one-time fee for undergraduates is £40. For postgraduate students, the one-time fee is £15. Students on some distance-learning courses are not liable to pay a college fee.
To support your studies, you will also require access to a computer, along with reliable internet access. You will be able to access a range of software and services from a Windows, Mac, Chromebook or Linux device. For certain degree programmes, you may need a specific device, or we may provide you with a laptop and appropriate software - details of which will be available on relevant programme pages. A dedicated IT support helpdesk is available in the event of any problems.
The University provides limited financial support to assist students who do not have the required IT equipment or broadband support in place.
There is no application fee if you are applying for postgraduate study starting in 2026 or 2027.
For some of our courses you will need to pay a deposit to accept your offer and secure your place. We will let you know in your offer letter if a deposit is required and you will be given a deadline date when this is due to be paid.
The fee that you pay will depend on whether you are considered to be a home or international student. Read more about how we assign your fee status.
If you are studying on a programme of more than one year’s duration, tuition fees are reviewed annually and are not fixed for the duration of your studies. Read more about fees in subsequent years.
Find all fees and funding information for students at Lancaster University.
Details of our scholarships and bursaries for students starting in 2027 are not yet available.
You can use our scholarships for 2026-entry as a guide.
This programme is part of a 3-stage pathway to a Master’s degree.
You can choose which stage you finish at and how long you spend at each stage.
For example, even if you initially plan to earn a Master’s degree, you can later opt for a Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma.
You can also earn either of these qualifications, take a break, and return later to take the modules required for your Master’s degree.
The first stage of Master's education and the shortest award available.
The second stage of Master's education. You’ll take additional modules to the modules you’ve taken at the Postgraduate Certificate stage.
The final stage of Master's education. You'll take 1 module additional to the modules you’ve taken at the Postgraduate Diploma stage. This module is a final work-based research project.
‘Accreditation of prior learning’ is our process for awarding module credits for postgraduate (Level 7) learning you’ve done before enrolling with us.
This opportunity has two main advantages to you:
Learners in this Executive Education programme study remotely, not on the University’s premises. Enrolling in this programme would not enable you to obtain a student visa from UK Visas and Immigration.
Lancaster University Management School offers full-time Master’s programmes where learners study full-time at our Lancaster campus. Go to list of Master’s programmes
Lancaster University is ranked 13th in the UK and 96th globally for Business and Management according to the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026, one of 11 subjects at Lancaster to be featured in the top 100 in these prestigious listings.
QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026The 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.
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.
