BA (Hons) Leadership and Professional Development

Key information

Why choose this course?

  • Develop your leadership skills to advance your career
  • Flexible schedule, allowing you to complete an honours degree within 12 months

Are you looking to enhance your leadership and management capabilities? 

This 12-month course offers you a high value, flexible degree-based provision that will provide you with the tools to enhance your career prospects. Designed especially for students who are typically already in employment within a management or leadership role, you will benefit from an innovative approach to learning and teaching that fits around your busy life. 

The programme covers key topics related to leadership and professional development, which you will be able to apply to the specific professional contexts within which you operate. In immersing yourself in topics ranging from project management to active listening, you will continuously develop and enhance your business and management skills and gain a greater insight into your own leadership strengths. 

You will be taught by our expert team of academics who have gained a wealth of experience as industry practitioners across multiple fields and are up to date with modern industry standards and practices. In addition, having been mature learners themselves who have years of experience in the academic world, you will gain the added value of learning from staff who can provide you with adequate support to enhance your learning experience. 

Upon completion of the course, you will graduate with a unique set of skills gained through practical application throughout the programme. You will be a greater asset to your employer, having learned from other industry experts that make up your cohort and being challenged to examine and act on real-world challenges in novel and innovative ways. 

What's the course about?

The programme is aimed at mature entrants normally without prior academic experience yet substantial work experience which can equate to the first two years of a degree. The programme also caters for graduates who, for example, may have undertaken a specialist first degree, and are working in a management position without any relevant formal development or qualifications.  

Over the course of 12 months, you will delve deep into the theoretical and practical aspects of a wide range of developmental topics. You will make use of multiple learning styles that allow you to apply your knowledge and skills to real world situations even before you graduate. There is a large focus on understanding and strengthening your own leadership competencies, as you reflect on and build upon critical skills such as self-awareness, emotional intelligence and relationship management. You will also gain a greater insight into how you can effectively connect with others to inspire, overcome barriers and drive positive change. 

Your main campus is de Havilland  

You’ll share this campus with students from business, law, sport, education, and humanities subjects. The student housing is close to our Sports Village which includes a gym, swimming pool and climbing wall. You can get breakfast, lunch, or dinner in our on-campus restaurant or bar (in the newly built Enterprise Hub) on days you don’t feel like cooking. You can also use the common room to play pool, video games or just to hang out with friends.  Our Learning Resources Centres are open 24/7, which means you can study whenever suits you best. Want to pop over to the other campus? You can take the free shuttle bus or walk there in just 15 minutes.   

What will I study?

This course is delivered over 18 Saturday workshops throughout the year, which will usually run between 10.00 and 16.30. You will have a blend of classroom-based, online and work-related learning to ensure you get a well-rounded understanding of key concepts. You will also typically need to carry out approximately six hours per week of private study. You will be assessed via coursework, which includes assignments, reports, presentations and two projects. 

The four modules you will take are divided across three semesters over an extended academic year. Typically, you will have workshop style classes that combine a balance of lecture, group work on case studies, application to own work role and some experiential learning. As the programme caters for mature learners, the focus is work based learning. You will be encouraged to share and develop based on your own prior learning and experiences as well as the unique experiences from your peers. 

You will research and analyse work-related issues and build your problem solving skills. You will develop solutions, lead on the implementation strategy, anticipate challenges, and evaluate the impact/outcomes. You will also explore different styles of leadership, examining and reflecting upon their professional and personal development and work to identify future learning needs. 

Outside of your usual workshops, you will also gain from guest lectures from industry experts who will provide you with insight on particular topics. In addition, between each session there is a series of activities and suggested readings that will help solidify your learnings as you progress through the course.   

Upon completion of the programme, you will have gained a deeper understanding of how to be an effective manager who continuously self-reflects to keep improving and sustain positive results. You will be better able to provide practical solutions, putting you in a better position to take your career to the next level.