This is an approved pathway to the Senior Leaders Apprenticeship, so you may be able to fund your programme through the Apprenticeship Levy.
You may be eligible for module exemptions with our Recognition and Accreditation of Prior Learning.
Discover our flexible pathways so that you can tailor your programme timescales, target award and award title.
Our Professional Practice Postgraduate MA programme provides a flexible, bespoke work-based route to a postgraduate qualification. You can progress to this programme from several of our postgraduate certificates including:
The main focus is a work-based project supported by your own personal learning and development. You will benefit from a highly relevant, customised course which also delivers outcomes for your organisation.
At this stage of your programme, there is increased emphasis on bespoke learning related to the delivery of your work-based projects. You will study the core modules shown below and choose from a range of optional modules in line with your specific needs including a 60-credit work-based project. You will need modules to the value of 180 credits.
The assessment methods vary and may include coursework, project proposals, reports, reflective commentary, and oral presentations.
Students may also make a claim (Accreditation of Prior Learning) to gain credits for exemption from some modules.
This programme will take 3 - 5 years to complete.
We are recruiting now for January and June 2025 start. For more information or to apply please make an enquiry.
A first degree or equivalent professional qualification.
We may also consider non-standard applicants, please contact us for information.
Applicants will usually have at least three years of experience in a role which allows for the scope to undertake postgraduate work-based projects. All applicants require employer or stakeholder support.
If you have studied outside of the UK, we would advise you to check our list of international qualifications before submitting your application.
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.
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.
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.
A key feature of a work-based learning programme is the requirement to learn from and for your work context. Work-based projects are purposeful work activities focusing on the real demands of your job. Engaging in a substantial work-based project provides opportunities for you to investigate, plan, develop, implement, review and learn from experience.
The final stage of a master's qualification requires you to engage in a substantial work-based, investigative project, which typically takes around six to nine months to complete.
This 60-credit project will be of sufficient complexity and timescale to allow you to:
Before embarking on a 60-credit project, you will complete a project proposal and ethics statement. Your mentor will provide you with formative feedback on your proposal before you submit your final version to the University Project Approval Committee.
This module is a key part of how we support you in customising your postgraduate programme.
As part of this, you will:
You will also negotiate timescales, target award and award title to construct an achievable programme that meets your career aspirations and the requirements for success at postgraduate level.
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.
The project syllabus will be largely determined by the focus and nature of your project and will be agreed between you and your mentor-facilitator. You will be guided, supported and encouraged to take a proactive role in designing your own learning. It is likely this learning will be located in the following areas:
The total fee for the course is £9,000, with the option to pay per module
£500 per 10-credit module (UK and international)
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.
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.
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.
"The work based nature of the course made it very relevant and the learning was useful on a daily basis" Lee Bladon, Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Learners in this Executive Education programme study remotely, not on the University’s premises. Enrolling in this programme would not enable you to obtain a student visa from UK Visas and Immigration.
Lancaster University Management School offers full-time Master’s programmes where learners study full-time at our Lancaster campus. Go to list of Master’s programmes
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.
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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