Advanced Professional Practice (with Specialism)

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  • Entry year 2025
  • Duration Part time 1 - 3 years
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Overview

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Introduction

The Advanced Professional Practice Postgraduate Certificate offers you a flexible, bespoke work-based route to a postgraduate qualification. Designed to align with your professional needs and aspirations, this programme allows you to customise your learning journey while delivering valuable outcomes for your organisation. You will benefit from a highly relevant and customised programme that integrates your professional practice with academic learning.

Enrolling in this programme offers numerous benefits designed to enhance your professional and personal development. Here’s what you can expect:

  • Flexible learning: The programme is designed to fit around your busy lifestyle, allowing you to complete your studies over one to three years. This flexibility means you can balance your education with work, family, and other commitments.
  • Customised learning pathway: You can tailor your learning journey to match your specific interests and career goals. With a wide range of optional modules, you can focus on areas most relevant to your professional development.
  • Practical application: The programme emphasises practical, work-based learning. You will apply what you learn directly to your workplace, ensuring that your studies are immediately relevant and beneficial to your professional role.
  • Personalised support: You will receive guidance from specialist module tutors and a dedicated learning coach. This support network ensures you have the resources and advice you need to succeed.
  • Networking opportunities: If you can visit our Lancaster campus, you can engage in additional activities, such as masterclasses and networking events, which provide opportunities to connect with peers and industry professionals.

Programme outcomes

If you’re considering taking your learning further, this programme can lead to a Postgraduate Diploma and Master's (MSc) in Advanced Professional Practice, with specialism in your chosen area of study, for example, sustainability, innovation and improvement, and organisation development. The master's itself lays a solid foundation for doctoral studies, preparing you for sharing your insights through publications and conferences and helping you to gain recognition in your field.

Programme delivery

The programme is structured with maximum flexibility and choice, perfect for fitting into your busy life. The course is delivered through distance learning, allowing you to study from anywhere at your own pace over one to three years. This means you can seamlessly balance your studies with work, family, or other commitments.

Although the course is primarily online, students who can visit the campus have the opportunity to engage in additional face-to-face events.

You'll benefit from the support of module tutors who are specialists in their fields, ensuring you receive expert guidance and insights. Additionally, each student is assigned a learning coach to provide personalised support and advice throughout the course. This combination of specialist tutors and dedicated learning coaches ensures that you have the resources and support you need to succeed in your studies and apply your learning effectively in your workplace.

Assessment

The Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Professional Practice is assessed through various coursework methods that relate directly to your workplace and role, ensuring that your learning is practical and applicable. There are no exams or theoretical case studies. Instead, you will create your own key projects and areas of focus tailored to your professional context and goals.

Assessments include reports and presentations, posters, plans, and projects. You will engage in both individual and collaborative assignments, allowing you to apply your knowledge and skills in real-world scenarios. This approach ensures that all your work is directly relevant to your career, providing immediate benefits to both you and your organisation.

We look forward to supporting you on your journey through this postgraduate diploma. The programme will equip you with the tools and knowledge to become an effective leader and drive positive change within your organisation.

Programme duration

This programme will take one to three years to complete

This programme has provided me with an enhanced ability to critically think, and given me confidence to articulate myself at a strategic level. Using the research and evidence from the modules, I now have my opinions and recommendations taken on board in a rank structured organisation.

A quote from Natasha Moseley, Police Sergeant Lancashire Police

Entry requirements

Academic requirements

A first degree or equivalent professional qualification.

We will also consider applicants with non-standard qualifications, please contact us for information.

Applicants will usually have at least three years of experience in a role which allows for the scope for you to apply your learning in the workplace.

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.

Pre-master’s programmes

Delivered in partnership with INTO Lancaster University, 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 the INTO Lancaster University website for more details and a list of eligible degrees you can progress onto.

Course structure

Detailed module information for this postgraduate programme will follow shortly. However, if you have any questions please contact the department.

Fees and funding

The total fee for the course is £3,120, with the option to pay per module

£1040 per 20-credit module (UK and international)

General fees and funding information

Additional fees and funding information accordion

Scholarships and bursaries

You may be eligible for the following funding opportunities, depending on your fee status and course. You will be automatically considered for our main scholarships and bursaries when you apply, so there's nothing extra that you need to do.

Unfortunately no scholarships and bursaries match your selection, but there are more listed on scholarships and bursaries page.

If you're considering postgraduate research you should look at our funded PhD opportunities.

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We also have other, more specialised scholarships and bursaries - such as those for students from specific countries.

Browse Lancaster University's scholarships and bursaries.

I had not carried out any formal study for a number of years so this was quite a challenge for me. However, I was given the support to enable me to grow in confidence as a learner, and to gain a tremendous amount of satisfaction from my learning and the impact this has had on my setting.

A quote from Janet Lomax, Nursery Owner Croft House Nursery, Horwich

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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.

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