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Senior Leader Apprenticeship (Public Administration) (Distance Learning) at University of Portsmouth - UCAS

University of Portsmouth

Degree level: Postgraduate

Senior Leader Apprenticeship (Public Administration) (Distance Learning) (Taught)

Course options

2025 - 2026
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Course summary

Take steps towards new levels of leadership in your public sector career with this distance learning PgDip Senior Leader Apprenticeship (Public Administration). By studying online and applying your learning directly to your current role, you'll gain the skills and experience to pursue promotion into public sector strategic leadership and management. What's more, the Government or your employer pay your tuition fees – so it doesn’t cost you anything. Learning from an expert team of practitioners and academics who work in the public sector, you'll learn how to lead and manage in specialised areas of public services, such as policing, healthcare, education, social services and environmental matters. Once you complete the course, you'll have new perspectives to bring to your public sector career, as well as the option to continue your studies and top-up your qualification to a full Master's in Public Administration.

  • Turn your experience, dedication and commitment to public services into skills that enable you to aim for higher levels of management within all aspects of the public sector
  • Explore the latest changes and challenges facing the public sector, including advances of technology in artificial intelligence (AI) and the dark web
  • Take advantage of our wide range of sector-specific contacts and receive mentorship and guidance from leaders in the sector
  • Get a learning manager from the University and a workplace mentor
  • Access our Library resources, including electronic resources which you can accessed from anywhere with a web connection
  • Receive feedback from and take part in online discussions with lecturers and other students
Career development Public sector professionals are facing a new set of challenges, not least from the advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and the dark web. On this course, you'll develop knowledge and skills that will help you protect and enhance life for our citizens through public services, as well as examining the complex issues of technology, funding and exponential service demand. It's essential learning for those seeking a higher level of management or leadership within all aspects of the public sector. After this course, you can also choose to top up your PgDip with a dissertation module to achieve a full MPA in Public Administration. Graduates of this course could go on to work in areas such as:
  • parliamentary advice
  • political lobbying
  • police leadership
  • educational leadership
  • social and caring services leadership
  • social justice
  • third sector and volunteering
  • strategic planning and management
  • health and public safety

Modules

Year 1

  • Public Management and Administration - 30 credits
  • Strategic Public Management and Leading Effective Change - 30 credits
Year 2
  • Comparative Public Policy - 30 credits
  • Partnerships, Problems and Probity: Solving Complex Social Issues - 30 credits
Changes to course content We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies. Therefore, course content is revised and regularly reviewed. This may result in changes being made in order to reflect developments in research, learning from practice and changes in policy at both national and local levels.

Assessment method

You'll be assessed through:

  • narrated presentations
  • simulations
  • essays
  • reports
You'll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark. You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.

Entry requirements

A honours degree or equivalent experience at managerial or leadership level. All applicants will be required to complete a Skills Gap Analysis before completing an application form. All applicants will be invited to attend an interview. All applicants to the Degree Apprenticeship courses must have an acceptable Level 2 qualification in English and Mathematics. Acceptable qualifications include GCSE with grade C/4 or above and Functional Skills with Pass - please note that we are not able to accept all kinds of Level 2 qualifications, so if you are unsure whether you have a suitable qualification please get in touch. If you do not have an acceptable qualification you may be required to take an additional assessment during the application process.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

No fee information has been provided for this course

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

**Postgraduate fees for 2025 entry will be available shortly.** For further fee information please see the corresponding University of Portsmouth course page or visit https://www.port.ac.uk/study/masters-and-postgraduate-taught/fees-and-funding
Senior Leader Apprenticeship (Public Administration) (Distance Learning) at University of Portsmouth - UCAS