This programme carries dual accreditation from UWE Bristol and the ILM.

About

At Bristol Business School, our portfolio of Open Programmes offers you and your business a flexible learning solution.  We have a range of programmes covering a wide range of topics, including Finance, Strategy, Marketing, Leadership, Coaching and Mentoring, Innovation, and Design Thinking, among many others.  Our programmes are delivered by experienced academics and practitioners, who combine cutting-edge thinking with a practical, real-world focus, ensuring our programmes meet professional and industry needs.

This Level 7 vocational qualification is designed for senior managers and leaders seeking to develop themselves as professionals, who recognise they must satisfy various stakeholders and who want to invest in their own personal approach.

Several of the programmes in our Open Programme portfolio can also be taken as part of a full programme qualification.  For example, successful completion of the Strategic Leaders Programme (ILM Level 7), enables you to achieve 30 credits towards the attainment of a PG Certificate in Leadership and Management. 

To obtain the full PG Certificate in Leadership and Management, you will also need to attend and complete the assessment for Leading Change Programme (15 credits) and the Professional Practice in Self Leadership (15 credits).  The latter also provides you with an ILM Level 7 qualification.

Extra information

Content

The programme consists of an introduction to ILM as an organisation and to the ILM level 7 Leadership and Management qualification and academic study, followed by a series of one day or half day workshops held on approximately every three weeks, on the following principles:

• Enquiry-based approach, shift from 'knowing' to knowing how to find out'
• The learner adopts an evidence based approach, knows about data
• 'Robust, evidence based investigation' which can be defined as 'rigorous and action centred enquiry'
• 'The Level 7 thinking' must be put into practice
• The context, the current work situation, of the learning determines the nature of the learning, what is and how it is found out, how it is applied, and how both the finding out and the impact are evidenced

For further details about each of the sessions and the assignments please see our programme brochure.

On successful completion of your assignment, you will be awarded the ILM Level 7 Certificate in Leadership and Management and our 30 credits postgraduate module Evidencing Work-Based Learning in Leadership and Change module. 

Learning and Teaching

How is the programme delivered?

This programme is delivered both in-person at UWE's Frenchay Campus and online.

To be able to fully participate in our programme, you will need to be comfortable with using the Internet and searching for information online as well as be able to attend the face-to-face sessions on the dates specified below.

Session materials are presented through a number of sources including Microsoft Word, Power Point, pdf and online tools and workbooks to aid self-reflection and peer discussion, designed to support you further through your programme learning. You will also have full access to our online library resources, study skills support sessions, and librarian chat function.

This open programme has practical development days designed to give you an opportunity to look, analyse and discuss with our tutors and your peers the subject area and explore possible approaches and tools and techniques available to use.

Alongside the dates listed above, you will also attend monthly two hour online action learning sets in small groups between October 2026 and March 2027.

IT requirements

This programme is delivered on-campus, face-to-face however to ensure you can access any online programme materials, please see the following required computer specifications:

• Operating system: Windows 7+, Mac OS 10.9
• Web browser: Google Chrome is the optimal browser. However other browsers such as Firefox, safari and Microsoft Edge are also compatible.
• Required Plugins: Adobe Flash Player

Additional requirements:

• 256 MB RAM
• 20 MB free disk space
• Internet Access - 28.8 kbps speed or above (Broadband connection highly recommended). Slower internet connections may cause issues with audio and video.
• Soundcard with microphone and headphones (A headset with microphone/headphones is highly recommended)
• Webcam

Assessment

This qualification is accredited by UWE Bristol and the ILM.

Presentations will be due in April and the essay deadline will be in May.

For further information

Email: Please contact us through the online enquiry form.

Telephone: +44 (0)117 32 81654