PgDip Senior Leader: Health and Social Care
Course Overview
This course is designed to help health and social care professionals develop leadership and managerial capabilities. Whatever sector you currently work in, this enriching leadership programme will help you understand the problems and challenges facing enterprises and organisations in the health and social care setting and develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours to identify potential solutions.We aim to stretch your leadership competencies into new areas of potential responsibility. The syllabus incorporates vital skills applicable in almost any business, such as building a thorough knowledge of an organisation and its leadership, developing creative and systematic approaches to underlying business issues, and understanding how you can improve business and management practices.
This two-year part-time programme is designed to be compatible with the demands of a full-time job. The course runs one day a week. Learning is supported via interactive in-class and online sessions and independent study. Course materials are available online, so you can prepare work at home, ensuring that in-class learning is highly interactive.
Highlights
- This course offers you the chance to join a well-established postgraduate community and study alongside fellow professionals aiming for a career in executive management.
- Teaching and supervision are delivered by a dedicated team of experienced and well-qualified staff.
- The University's excellent libraries, 24/7 IT facilities, Wi-Fi and learning areas are freely available for your use.
- You'll have access to a research methods module that will assist in your studies.
- When you successfully complete this PgDip, you'll have the option to continue your studies to obtain an MBA (by undertaking the optional additional dissertation module) or progress to study a Professional Doctorate focussed on a practice area of your choice.
Key Features
- We'll support you in developing your knowledge and understanding of strategic management issues in health and social care.
- You'll have the chance to expand your research and analysis skills.
- Teaching is conducted by a highly dedicated team with specialist knowledge in a wide range of subject areas and close links to health and social care.
Entry Requirements
- You should have both of the following: significant relevant work experience in a business or management capacity; and a UK honours degree/postgraduate degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject.
- We'll consider your application if you don't possess the above qualifications but have substantial relevant managerial experience.
- We'll consider applications where appropriate work experience can be demonstrated in lieu of, or in addition to, the published academic qualifications in line with the University’s Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning (RPEL) procedures.
- You may be required to attend an interview and/or provide a portfolio of work.
- When applying you must include a reference from your current employer. The reference should clearly state how long you have been employed by them and give a breakdown of your job content and roles and responsibilities.
- Your application form must be accompanied by a reflective overview of the managerial responsibilities you have undertaken to date.
- This course involves working unsupervised with children and/or vulnerable young people and adults and you must gain an Enhanced Disclosure certificate from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) before starting your studies. Charges are payable to cover the cost of the DBS Enhanced Disclosure application and annual registration with the online Update Service.
- If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need IELTS 7.0 with normally no less than 6.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.
Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.
Career Opportunities
No matter what section of health and social care you work in, the University of Bolton's PgDip Senior Leader: Health and Social Care will assist you in gaining a critical understanding of the problems and challenges facing enterprises and organisations. As a graduate of this course, you'll possess the analytical and critical faculties to identify potential solutions.
What can I do with this qualification?
On successfully completing the programme, you'll be well placed to move from middle management to a more senior management role. You'll also have the option to top-up to a full Master in Business Administration (MBA) qualification or undertake a Professional Doctorate focussed on a practice area of your choice
Alternative career options
Postgraduate diploma holders can also use the qualification as a stepping-stone into a range of other careers. Some of these roles may require relevant experience and/or postgraduate study. Potential careers include:
- Hotel and leisure management
- Public relations
- Financial management
- Health policy and information
- Teaching and education
- Project management
- Consultancy
- Third sector organisations
Professional Recognition
This course is accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI). Successful completion of the PgDip Senior Leader: Health and Social Care will support you if you wish to pursue Chartered Manager status with the CMI.
Fees & Funding
Home/EU Fees
No fee information is currently available, please contact the University of Bolton’s Academic Fees team by emailing AcademicFees@bolton.ac.uk for more information.
International Fees
No fee information is currently available, please contact the University of Bolton’s Academic Fees team by emailing AcademicFees@bolton.ac.uk for more information.
Bursaries
Click here for more information on our Master's Bursaries.
Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2025-26 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.
The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.
How to apply
Home Applicants
Course application details are unavailable at present
International Applicants
Course application details are unavailable at present
Partner Organisation Applicants
Course application details are unavailable at present
Teaching & Assessment
We use various teaching and learning strategies to help you acquire and develop appropriate concepts, knowledge and skills. These include lectures, seminars, tutorials and workshops. You'll also need to spend significant time in guided independent study, such as general background reading, preparing for seminar activities and working on assignments. We adopt a blended learning and teaching style, including online delivery and engagement where appropriate.
The types of assessment you'll be required to complete fall into two general categories, formative and summative. Formative assessments do not contribute to your overall module grade, but they are an integral part of the learning strategy for a module, and you are required to complete them. Your formative assessments will be marked, and you'll receive feedback on your level of achievement.
Summative assessments will contribute to your overall module grade. You'll also receive feedback on them so that you know where you've done well and where you can improve.
You can expect several kinds of formative and summative assessments, including coursework, reports, case studies, presentations and business proposals.
Modules
The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.
- Developing Critical Analytical Skills for Leading Health and Social Care
- Leading People
- Governance in Health and Social Care
- Strategic Planning and Service Improvement
- Developing Strategic Business Proposals
Assessment methods
| Level | Assessment method |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Coursework 100% |
Learning Activities
| Level | Activity |
|---|---|
| Level |
The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.
