Leadership and Management MA/PGDip/PGCert

Study level: Postgraduate
Two men wearing suits having a serious conversation.

This part-time course has been designed for those who wish to pursue career and research interests in leadership and management. The course aims to appeal to those who wish to become a professional leader and assessments generally focus on strategic workplace issues.

Year of entry

2024-25

Location

Coventry University (Coventry)

Study mode

Part-time

Duration

1 year part-time
2 years part-time (with professional experience)

Course code

FBLT067
FBLT068

Start date

September 2024
January 2025


Course overview

The course aims to develop both the intellectual frameworks and practical skills managers and leaders need in order to operate in dynamic and complex work environments.

  • This course aims to build your understanding of the nature of organisations and the external context within which leaders and managers operate.
  • Course modules cover topics such as the theory behind leadership and management, how to lead and manage strategically, and the personal skills required to become an effective and dynamic leader.
Hand selecting a user icon in a coloured circle.

Joint Top Modern University for Career Prospects

Guardian University Guide 2021 and 2022

Five stars in a speech bubble.

5 QS Stars for Teaching and Facilities

QS Stars University Ratings

City buildings next to a tree.

Top 5 UK Student City in England (Coventry)

QS Best Student Cities Index 2024

Why you should study this course

This course seeks to attract and support individual managers and leaders at all career stages, from entry-level management to those in senior leadership positions.

  • This course’s theoretical framework aims to help you understand and address the challenges you face within your professional environment, with considerable emphasis placed on the application of learning to work settings, for instance through group discussions and assessments.
  • As a part-time course, it will allow you greater freedom to fit it around your job.
  • Coventry University is currently a Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) accredited1 study centre which provides the opportunity, upon successful completion of this course, to top up your master’s to obtain the CIM Professional Diploma in Marketing qualification. Criteria, application and fees apply.
  • The opportunity to apply for a ‘professional experience’ opportunity2, designed to further develop your skills and knowledge with the aim of maximising your employability prospects (see modules for more information).

Accreditation and professional recognition

This course is accredited1 and recognised by the following bodies:

Chartered Management Institute

Chartered Management Institute (CMI)

As part of this course, you will undertake a professional development module which is currently accredited by the Chartered Management Institute for the 2024-25 intake. Upon successful completion of this module, you will gain the CMI Level 7 Certificate in Strategic Management and Leadership Practice at no additional cost.

Coventry University’s accreditation with CMI is currently ongoing for the relevant modules and is regularly reviewed and monitored by the CMI through their quality systems.


Memberships

European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD)

Coventry Business School is currently an active member of the European Foundation for Management Development, a global membership organisation dedicated to management development, covering over 900 members across 91 countries.

Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS)

Coventry Business School is currently an active member of the Chartered Association of Business Schools, which has a membership of over 120 business schools and higher education providers, and supports its members in maintaining world-class standards of teaching and research.


What you'll study

The course offers you the opportunity to develop your understanding of seminal and contemporary leadership and management theories and ideas, and explore how to understand and develop your effectiveness as a leader further. You will also explore why leadership and management are so critical to organisational effectiveness.

Upon completion of the first two modules (Leadership and Management Theory and Personal Leadership and Management Skills) you will be eligible for the Leadership and Management PGCert.

Upon completion of the first four modules ((Leadership and Management Theory, Personal Leadership and Management Skills, Strategic Leadership and Management, and Leadership and Management of Communication, Culture and Change) you will be eligible for the Leadership and Management PGDip.

On completion of all modules you will be eligible for the Leadership and Management MA.

Modules

  • This module will provide you with knowledge, critical awareness and understanding of seminal and contemporary theories of leadership and management in modern organisations.

    Compulsory

  • This module will encourage the development of professional leadership and management skills through self-reflection, personal development planning, analytical thinking and awareness of personal effectiveness.

    Compulsory

  • The aim of this module is to give you the skills needed to analyse the key leadership and management issues that impact organisations at a strategic level, and appreciate the conflicting pressures from stakeholders and the external environment.

    Compulsory

  • The aim of this module is to encourage you to appreciate key strategic organisational issues and the impact that leaders and managers can have.

    Compulsory

  • The research project is designed to develop your ability to investigate strategies, gather and analyse evidence, and make sound conclusions and recommendations within a leadership and management context.

    Compulsory

  • This module aims to provide you with a framework of knowledge and understanding of how to effectively lead and develop people in a strategically diverse and inclusive way. You will explore, for example, the influence and impact of leadership theories, culture, wellbeing, and approaches to developing better equality, diversity and inclusion strategies and practices that can be used creatively within a leadership role in different types of organisational scenarios.

    Compulsory

With professional experience option

The professional experience opportunity2 enables you the opportunity to apply for optional professional experience in semester 1, which, upon successfully securing an opportunity, will extend the duration of your master’s to either 16, 20 or 24 months. The professional experience provides an opportunity for you to develop expertise and experience in your chosen field with the aim of enhancing your employability.

Please note that the optional professional experience modules incur an additional tuition fee3, for which 1 semester of professional experience is £1,333.33, for 2 semesters of professional experience is £2666.67, and for 3 semesters of professional experience is £4,000.

Professional experience may also be subject to additional costs, visa requirements being met, subject to availability and/or competitive application. Professional experience opportunities are not guaranteed but you will benefit from the support of our Talent Team in trying to find and secure an opportunity. Find out more about the professional experience option.

We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.


How you'll learn

Teaching methods include:

  • Lectures
  • Seminars
  • Tutorials
  • Presentations
  • Group projects
  • Workshops

Teaching contact hours

Throughout the course, teaching is typically conducted across five Fridays throughout each semester. Each day of teaching usually runs from 9.00 until 15.00.

Additionally, you will be expected to undertake around 12 hours of self-directed study, depending on the demands of individual modules.

The contact hours may be made up of a combination of face-to-face teaching, individual and group tutorials, and online classes and tutorials.

As an innovative and enterprising institution, the university may seek to utilise emerging technologies within the student experience. For all courses (whether on-campus, blended, or distance learning), the university may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via online technologies and methods.

Since COVID-19, we have delivered our courses in a variety of forms, in line with public authority guidance, decisions, or orders and we will continue to adapt our delivery as appropriate. Whether on campus or online, our key priority is staff and student safety.


Assessment

This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which will vary depending upon the module. Focus is placed on the practical application of ideas within the workplace, thereby helping you develop learning which can immediately impact on your day-to-day performance.

Assessment methods include:

  • Essays
  • Group work
  • Presentations
  • Reports
  • Projects
  • Coursework
  • Individual assignments

The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.


Entry requirements

Typical offer for 2024/25 entry.

Applicants should hold an honours degree 2:2 or above in a relevant academic discipline. Applications from candidates with relevant experience will be considered on an individual basis.

We recognise a breadth of qualifications, speak to one of our advisers today to find out how we can help you.

Chat with us

Select your region to find detailed information about entry requirements:

You can view our full list of country specific entry requirements on our Entry requirements page.

Alternatively, visit our International hub for further advice and guidance on finding in-country agents and representatives, joining our in-country events and how to apply.

Typical entry requirements

Applicants should hold an honours degree 2:2 or above in a relevant academic discipline. Applications from candidates with relevant experience will be considered on an individual basis.

English language requirements

  • IELTS: 6.5 overall, with no component lower than 5.5

If you don't meet the English language requirements, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course. 

For more information on our approved English language tests visit our English language requirements page.

Chat with us


Fees and funding

2024/25 tuition fees.

Student Full-time Part-time
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man Not available £15,400 | £19,400 (with prof. experience)  
International Not available £20,050 | £24,050 (with prof. experience)  

For advice and guidance on tuition fees3and student loans visit our Postgraduate Finance page and see the university's Tuition Fee and Refund Terms and Conditions.

We offer a range of International scholarships to students all over the world. For more information, visit our International Scholarships page.

Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessments, facilities and support services. There may be additional costs not covered by this fee such as accommodation and living costs, recommended reading books, stationery, printing and re-assessments should you need them.

This course may incur additional costs associated with any professional experience (up to £4,000 for 3 semesters)2, which could include (but is not limited to) travel, accommodation, activities and visas.

*Irish student fees

The rights of Irish residents to study in the UK are preserved under the Common Travel Area arrangement. If you are an Irish student and meet the residency criteria, you can study in England, pay the same level of tuition fees as English students and utilise the Tuition Fee Loan.

**EU support bursary

Following the UK's exit from the European Union, we are offering financial support to all eligible EU students who wish to study an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree with us full-time. This bursary will be used to offset the cost of your tuition fees to bring them in line with that of UK students. Students studying a degree with a foundation year with us are not eligible for the bursary.

  • We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Your fee status determines your tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available to you. The rules about who pays UK (home) or international (overseas) fees for higher education courses in England are set by the government's Department for Education. The regulations identify all the different categories of student who can insist on paying the home rate. The regulations can be difficult to understand, so the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) has provided fee status guidance to help you identify whether you are eligible to pay the home or overseas rate.

    If you meet all the criteria required by any one category, including any residence requirements, your institution must charge you the home rate. You only need to find one category that you fit into.


Facilities

As part of the Coventry Business School, this course will take place primarily in the College of Business and Law building where you will have access to several innovative learning spaces4.

Female student using pen to point at screen with financial data on.

Business Simulation Suite

You can use the Business Simulation Suite on specific courses. It aims to provide you with some of the hands-on skills needed to succeed and stand out in business.
 

Male and female sat on sofa, looking at a model of a drone.

The Enterprise Hub

Part of Coventry University Social Enterprise, the Enterprise Hub is an incubation, collaboration and knowledge base in the heart of Coventry. It can advise and support you with new business ideas or entrepreneurial ventures.

Lecturer sat with student talking in EEC building.

The Talent Team

With employability at the forefront of all of our courses, you will have access to our dedicated employability service, the Talent Team, from day one.
 


Careers and opportunities

On successful completion of the Postgraduate Certificate in Leadership and Management you will be able to:

  • Demonstrate a critical awareness and systematic understanding of seminal and contemporary theories of leadership and management.
  • Communicate a critical awareness of the complex nature of leadership and management theories within a wider organisational and contextual framework.
  • Formulate and appraise personal leadership and management skills through self-reflection, personal development planning, analytical thinking and awareness of personal effectiveness.
  • Communicate effective academic scholarship skills by judging and systematically presenting arguments from credible sources of information, both orally and in writing, using a range of media.

On successful completion of the Postgraduate Diploma in Leadership and Management you will, in addition to the above, be able to:

  • Identify and critically analyse the key leadership and management issues that impact organisations at a strategic level and appreciate the conflicting pressures from the external environment.
  • Critically assess and creatively apply contemporary theories of leadership and management to real-life organisations and industries with a specific focus on key areas which affect relationships between business functions and teams.
  • Evaluate the credibility and rigour of published research and assess its relevance to modern organisations and industries of today.

On successful completion of the Master’s in Leadership and Management you will, in addition to all of the above, be able to:

  • Critically evaluate research methodologies and propose a research pathway that demonstrates reliability, validity and coherence through autonomous planning.
  • Select a relevant leadership and management issue and demonstrate a critical awareness of seminal and contemporary theories through originality in the application of knowledge.
  • Acquire and analyse primary and/or secondary data demonstrating an understanding of ethical approaches to gathering data for research purposes.
  • Synthesise academic theory with independently gathered research data and construct an argument to form recommendations and conclusions for the industry or organisation of choice.
  • Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the principles of coaching and mentoring and the theories and practices of strategic leadership.

Where our graduates work

Past graduates from the MA have gone on to work in a wide variety of public, private and third sector organisations.  


How to apply

  • Coventry University together with Coventry University London, Coventry University Wrocław, CU Coventry, CU London, CU Scarborough, and Coventry University Online come together to form part of the Coventry University Group (the University) with all degrees awarded by Coventry University.

    1Accreditations

    The majority of our courses have been formally recognised by professional bodies, which means the courses have been reviewed and tested to ensure they reach a set standard. In some instances, studying on an accredited course can give you additional benefits such as exemptions from professional exams (subject to availability, fees may apply). Accreditations, partnerships, exemptions and memberships shall be renewed in accordance with the relevant bodies’ standard review process and subject to the university maintaining the same high standards of course delivery.

    2UK and international opportunities

    Please note that we are unable to guarantee any UK or international opportunities (whether required or optional) such as internships, work experience, field trips, conferences, placements or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be unpaid and/or subject to additional costs (which could include, but is not limited to, equipment, materials, bench fees, studio or facilities hire, travel, accommodation and visas), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable travel, public authority guidance, decisions or orders and visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand any visa requirements, please contact the International Office.

    3Tuition fees

    The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated in the above table for the first Academic Year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, the University may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation.

    For international students, we may increase fees each year, but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation. If you defer your course start date or have to extend your studies beyond the normal duration of the course (e.g. to repeat a year or resit examinations) the University reserves the right to charge you fees at a higher rate and/or in accordance with any legislative changes during the additional period of study.

    4Facilities

    Facilities are subject to availability. Access to some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) may vary from those advertised and/or may have reduced availability or restrictions where the university is following public authority guidance, decisions or orders.

    Student Contract

    By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the university. A copy of the current 2023/2024 contract is available on the website for information purposes however the 2024/25 Contract is currently being updated so please revisit this page before submitting your application. The Contract details your rights and the obligations you will be bound by during your time as a student and contains the obligations that the university will owe to you. You should read the Contract before you accept an offer of a place and before you enrol at the university.