Overview
Top reasons to study with us
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Flexible format allows you to choose modules to suit your needs.
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Progression routes to Postgraduate Diploma and Master's Degree are available via the Professional Practice route.
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Apply your new knowledge to real work issues to enhance your understanding.
Our Professional Development Postgraduate Certificate programme enables you to choose optional modules in line with your professional development needs in subjects such as:
- Leadership and management
- Change management
- Learning and development
- Personal effectiveness
You can start with one module and return later to build it into a qualification, or enrol for the qualification at the outset. The ‘step-on, step-off’ nature means you can pace your study to suit your own work/life balance.
You will study the compulsory module shown below and a range of optional modules in line with your own development plan to a total of 60 credits.
Students may also make a claim (Accreditation of Prior Learning) to gain credits for exemption from some modules.
Progression routes to Postgraduate Diploma and Master's Degree are available via the Professional Practice route.
Assessment Methods
The assessment methods vary and may include coursework, project proposals, reports, reflective commentary, and oral presentations.
Course duration
This programme will take 1 - 3 years to complete.
Start Dates
We are recruiting now for start dates in February, April, June, September and November. For more information or to apply, please make an enquiry to the CETAD team.
Entry requirements
Academic Requirements
A first degree or equivalent professional qualification.
We may also consider non-standard applicants, please contact us for information.
You will need to be in work (paid or unpaid) in a role that enables you to meet the requirements of the Postgraduate Certificate.
If you have studied outside of the UK, we would advise you to check our list of international qualifications before submitting your application.
English Language Requirements
We may ask you to provide a recognised English language qualification, dependent upon your nationality and where you have studied previously.
We normally 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.
Course structure
You will study a range of modules as part of your course, some examples of which are listed below.
Information contained on the website with respect to modules is correct at the time of publication, but changes may be necessary, for example as a result of student feedback, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes, and new research. Not all optional modules are available every year.
Core
core modules accordion
This core module is integral to your Postgraduate Certificate programme. You begin the module by taking part in activities that help you become more self-aware of your strengths, areas for improvement, and the skills and knowledge needed for your personal and professional growth. This helps you plan a course of study that aligns with your personal and professional development needs. Throughout the programme, you will receive support from a learning mentor.
After designing and negotiating your programme, this module will support you throughout your learning journey until its completion. The main purpose of the module is to help you learn about learning and develop this important lifelong and work-based skill. This will give you the confidence to critically evaluate and challenge ideas, advocate for your own opinions, and communicate complex ideas to different audiences.
Optional
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Creative thinking is the ability to imagine or invent something new and is a powerful skill in the work context spanning the spectrum of 'brilliant ideas' to 'better ways of doing things'. It can be closely linked to problem-solving. This module will help you develop your abilities and support you to develop a creative, innovative culture in your team.
You will examine concepts and models used to stimulate creative thinking and frameworks for problem-solving and assess their applicability and usefulness to your work. For example, you might look at the work of experts such as Edward de Bono and evaluate ideas such as ‘left and right brain thinking’, ‘six thinking hats’ and a ‘solution focus rather than a problem focus’.
Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to be aware of one's own and other people's emotions, to differentiate between different emotions, and to use emotional information to guide thinking and behaviour. There are various perspectives on EI. For example, Daniel Goleman has linked it to self-awareness, self-management, and the development of approaches for leading and working with others, such as developing insight and empathy.
In this module, you will explore and critique the concept of EI as well as evaluate different models in terms of their validity and effectiveness. You will explore how you can apply emotional intelligence in your workplace, to yourself and in analysing and understanding others, increasing your ability to perceive, understand and manage emotions. We will also critically analyse the applicability of EI to areas such as job performance, leadership, team effectiveness and cultural awareness.
Increasingly, organisations see the benefits of mentoring and coaching as a way to develop individuals in line with organisational objectives. Line managers and trainers can use mentoring and coaching skills as a way to support and develop staff.
This module is suitable for anyone wishing to gain personal knowledge, understanding, and skills in mentoring and coaching and apply these skills to their practice. It is also appropriate for managers and others who wish to consider whether this approach is appropriate for introduction into their organisations.
You will develop your understanding of well-researched approaches, techniques, and frameworks, as well as your mentoring and coaching skills. We will explore key principles and processes such as confidentiality, values, and ethics and support you in considering them in your practice.
In this module, you will:
- Develop your knowledge and understanding of a range of strategies through which work-based change may be achieved
- Enhance your ability to select and apply work-based change models to suit your own organisation context
- Explore factors affecting the adoption of change in organisations, including power, ethics, culture and resourcing implications
- Design and plan a change project.
This module is for anyone grappling with change in a complex environment where systems, relationships, and business boundaries are interdependent. This is becoming more prevalent in healthcare organisations, where acute trusts, community healthcare, public health, and social care work across traditional boundaries to solve problems.
Systems thinking applies to organisations in other sectors. For example, a major US software organisation used systems thinking to analyse poor sales performance by using systems thinking tools to understand cross-divisional processes and relationships. During this module, you will explore complexity science theory and human system dynamics, evaluating tools and techniques to identify creative and efficient solutions to problems.
Fees and funding
Fees for 2024/25 (Per 10 credit module)
Home and International: £500
- MSc/MA = 180 credits
- PGDip = 120 credits
- PGCert = 60 credits
Find more information on course fees and start dates for executive education programmes.
Additional fees and funding information accordion
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.
College fees
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 2025, the fee is £40 for undergraduates and research students and £15 for students on one-year courses.
Computer equipment and internet access
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.
For most taught postgraduate applications there is a non-refundable application fee of £40. We cannot consider applications until this fee has been paid, as advised on our online secure payment system. There is no application fee for postgraduate research applications.
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.
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Management and Business
- Business Administration MBA
- Business Administration (Executive) MBA
- Business Analytics MSc
- Cyber Security Executive MBA MBA
- Digital Business, Innovation and Management MSc
- Human Resource Management MSc
- Human Resources and Consulting MA
- Innovation and Entrepreneurship MSc
- Innovation and Improvement Science MSc
- Innovation and Improvement Science PgCert
- Innovation and Improvement Science PgDip
- International Business and Strategy MSc
- International Masters Program for Managers No Qual (PGT)
- Leadership and Management PgCert
- Leadership and Management (Health Care) PgCert
- Leadership Practice MSc
- Leadership Practice PgDip
- Leadership Practice (Apprenticeship Pathway) PgDip
- Logistics and Supply Chain Management MSc
- Management MSc
- Management (Entrepreneurship and Strategy) PhD
- Management (Organisation, Work and Technology) PhD
- Management Science MRes
- Management Science PhD
- Management Science PhD (Integrated)
- Medical Leadership MSc
- Medical Leadership PgDip
- Medical Leadership PgCert
- Organisation, Work and Technology MRes
- Politics, Philosophy and Management MSc
- Professional Practice MA
- Professional Practice MSc
- Professional Practice PgCert
- Professional Practice PgDip
- Project Management MSc
- Theory and Practice of Management PhD
- Theory and Practice of Management (IDPM) PhD
Important Information
The information on this site relates primarily to 2025/2026 entry to the University 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. View our Charter and other policies.