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MA, PG Dip, PG Cert
MA Higher Education Leadership and Management
Develop your skills and boost your career with our MA Higher Education Leadership and Management course. Designed for professional services colleagues working in higher and further education management, administrative or support roles, this unique programme will help you to achieve your career aspirations.
This programme will broaden your understanding of current issues within the Higher Education sector, develop your reflective practice and build your professional skills in leadership and management.
We have designed this online, part-time course to fit around existing work commitments. You can also choose to study this course as a one-year Postgraduate Certificate or two-year Postgraduate Diploma.
Whilst the course can be studied in your own time, you will have the opportunity to attend weekly, online, interactive two-hour workshops. These will take place during normal office hours and will be recorded for those who cannot attend.
Key Facts
Entry requirements
Undergraduate degree or equivalent (in any discipline) plus a minimum of 6 months of professional experience in undertaking administrative duties, managing a service or leading a project or group of individuals in their daily HE activities.
In addition, you must be in a leadership, management or administrative role in HE whilst enrolled on the programme.
Entry requirementsDuration
Taught route: up to 24 months (part-time online)
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Course Details
Higher Education Leadership and Management
This higher education leadership and management course will help you to enhance your career by gaining a critical understanding of the current issues within the Higher Education sector. This knowledge will help you to develop informed perspectives, evaluate yours and your team's performance and make sound decisions regarding policies and practices in your professional context.
Throughout the course and beyond, you will have the opportunity to truly have an impact on students and the institutions within which you work, contributing to their growth and development as well as that of your own career. As a business professional working within the education sector, you can shape the educational experiences of students, improve educational outcomes, promote diversity and inclusion, develop innovative programmes, and create supportive campus environments.
What skills will you gain?
You will acquire professional skills at three different levels including self, organisation and others:
- Develop your professional capacity as reflective practitioners, enabling you to self-assess your skills and performance within your professional context.
- Develop an understanding of leadership and management within Higher Education, and associated opportunities for career progression.
- Contribute to enhancing the student experience by building your skills and know-how to develop efficient processes to support students in their Higher Education studies.
Benefits of studying with 91Èȱ¬:
- Build your professional network: You will have the opportunity to engage and connect with other faculty members, guest speakers, fellow students, and alumni who are experienced managers and leaders in higher education, opening doors to job opportunities, mentorship, collaboration, and your professional development.
- Flexed to fit around your existing commitments: With two start dates and the convenience of studying online and part-time, you can build your career whilst maintaining your work and personal commitments.
- An excellent learning experience: You’ll have access to engaging and interactive study materials aligned with the Association of Higher Education Professionals (AHEP) Framework.
- Personalised support: You'll have access to one-to-one meetings with the Programme team and tailored feedback on your work.
You’ll also be provided with all learning materials, including guidance for each module and assessment, and a varied reading list including eBooks, articles, podcasts and videos.
If your role involves teaching, we also offer the MA Education which is a Master's degree designed to develop the skills and abilities to enhance your educational practice and effectively support students.
Why Students Choose Us
“The course was exceptionally well-run. What impressed me the most was the flexibility provided to learners.”
Max Harvey, PG Cert Student
Max Harvey, PG Cert Student
“[The course] has exposed me to so much knowledge that I didn't know I needed…increased my confidence and ability to communicate with others.”
Emily Lewis, PG Cert Student
Emily Lewis, PG Cert Student
“It's left me energised and excited for the future and I cannot recommend it highly enough.”
Anthony Glasscoe-Davies, MA Student
Anthony Glasscoe-Davies, MA Student
Course Structure
PG Cert Award
The PGCert Higher Education Leadership and Management is studied part-time online over 8-9 months.
Two compulsory modules:
- Higher Education in Context (30 credits) - covering emerging issues, technology, Quality Assurance and widening participation.
- Professional Practice in Higher Education (30 credits) - covering personal development, teamwork and leadership.
PG Dip Award
The PGDip Higher Education Leadership and Management is studied part-time online over 16-17 months.
Two compulsory modules:
- Levels of Leadership (30 credits) - covering contemporary leadership models, and the development of own leadership and behaviours.
- Change Management (30 credits) - covering drivers, models, barriers and strategies.
MA Award
The MA Higher Education Leadership and Management is studied part-time online over 24 months.
One compulsory module:
- The Change Project (60 credits) - Develop a change project linked to your professional context (under supervision); develop leadership and management skills.
Course Start Dates
October 2026
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MA Higher Education Administration, Management and Leadership
- Part-time: Online
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PGCert Higher Education Administration, Management and Leadership
- Part-time: Online
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PGDip Higher Education Administration, Management and Leadership
- Part-time: Online
February 2027
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MA Higher Education Administration, Management and Leadership
- Part-time: Online
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PGCert Higher Education Administration, Management and Leadership
- Part-time: Online
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PGDip Higher Education Administration, Management and Leadership
- Part-time: Online
eventsUpcoming Dates
May 19th
Beyond the Degree: Career Pathways in Psychology
Postgraduate
17:00 - 18:30
Online
May 20th
Real World Lecture, Can brands really create influence, or is it all luck?
Postgraduate and Undergraduate
16:00 - 17:00
Online
May 21st
Return to Learn
Postgraduate
18:00 - 19:00
Online
next event
2d 15h 50m
Course Information
To get a full picture of how you can fit these part-time, online courses around your existing commitments, take a look at our course dates.
Throughout this programme, a variety of assessments are used.
Taught modules:
- Assessment of taught modules consists of a written submissions of 3,000 words (60% weighting), and oral presentations or poster presentations of 2,000 words equivalent (40% weighting).
For those students completing the full Master's course, assessment methods also include:
- 13,000 word Management Project
- 2,000 oral presentation
- The PG Cert consists of 2 x 30 credit modules.
- The PG Dip contains 2 x additional 30 credit modules.
- The full Master's includes a 60 credit project.
All modules and the final project run sequentially.
Fees and Applying
Applications for this course are now open.
Apply for the MA, PGDip or PGCert Higher Education Leadership and Management directly with the University.
2026/27 Course Fee (for courses starting on or after 1 July 2026)
MA Higher Education Leadership and Management: £13,700
PGDip Higher Education Leadership and Management: £9,150
PGCert Higher Education Leadership and Management: £4,650
All fees above include a deposit amount of £250.
By studying a Master's degree you could be eligible for a Postgraduate Loan.
If you’re one of our alumni, you may be eligible to receive our £1000 General Alumni Discount.
We also have a range of scholarships and bursaries available to help you invest in your future.
We have students from over 126 different countries throughout our campuses, with a dedicated team to help international students.
Events
New events will be added to this page in due course. Please check back soon for updates.
