Ofqual-regulated Level 7 diplomas for working managers
The level of a master's. Two thirds of the credits. A route, not a shortcut.
A Level 7 diploma sits at the same level of the Regulated Qualifications Framework as a master's degree. It carries 120 credits where a master's typically carries 180. That gap is exactly what an MBA or MSc top-up fills.
- Regulated awarding bodies Every diploma here is awarded by OTHM or Qualifi and listed on the Ofqual Register of Regulated Qualifications under its own number.
- Delivered by an approved centre London School of Planning and Management (LSPM) is approved by each awarding body to deliver and assess these programmes. This site is published by LearnLoom Consultants, an independent agent for LSPM; the disclosure is in the footer.
- Progression explained plainly This site tells you how the top-up works, what it depends on, and where a university, not LSPM and not this site, makes the decision.
Three plain statements
What a Level 7 diploma is, and what it is not
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It is master's level.
Level 7 on the RQF is the level at which master's degrees, postgraduate diplomas and postgraduate certificates sit. The academic demand of the units is set for that level.
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It is not a master's degree.
A master's is usually 180 credits and is awarded by a university. This diploma is 120 credits and is awarded by OTHM or Qualifi. Describe it as a Level 7 diploma, never as a master's.
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It is a recognised route to one.
Universities that accept the diploma admit holders to the final stage of an MBA or MSc with advanced standing, normally the 60-credit dissertation or project. Admission is always the university's decision.
A candid fit check
Who this suits, and who should look elsewhere
This is for you if
- You hold a degree or Level 6 qualification, or you have several years of management responsibility and want that experience assessed at postgraduate level.
- You need a structured, regulated qualification that fits around a senior role, without a year out and without examinations.
- You want the option of a master's later, but you want to spread the cost and the commitment across two stages.
- You are an employer building leadership capacity in a team and need one programme several managers can take together.
This is not for you if
- You need the words "Master of Business Administration" on your certificate at the end of this programme. You will need the top-up stage for that.
- You are under 21 or have no degree and no management experience. The entry requirements exclude this.
- You want a research-led programme with a supervised thesis. That is the top-up stage, or Level 8.
- You are looking for the cheapest possible certificate. A regulated Level 7 diploma is assessed to a standard and takes around 1,200 hours of work.
Forty-five diplomas, thirteen sectors
Level 7 diplomas by sector
Each title below is a regulated qualification with its own Ofqual number. Most carry 120 credits; two carry 60 and are marked. Scroll sideways, use the arrows, or move through the list with the Tab key.
Accounting and Finance
4 diplomasBusiness and Management
6 diplomas- Qualifi Level 7 Diploma in Business Strategy
- Qualifi Level 7 Diploma in Ethical Leadership
- Qualifi Level 7 Diploma in Executive Management
- Qualifi Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Management and Innovation
- OTHM Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership
- Qualifi Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership
Education and Teaching
2 diplomasEngineering and Sustainability
1 diplomaHR, Marketing and Coaching
5 diplomasHealth and Social Care
3 diplomasIT, Data and Cyber Security
6 diplomasLaw
3 diplomasLogistics and Supply Chain
2 diplomasProject, Risk and Safety Management
8 diplomas- OTHM Level 7 Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety Management
- Qualifi Level 7 Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety Management
- OTHM Level 7 Diploma in Project Management
- Qualifi Level 7 Diploma in Project Management
- OTHM Level 7 Diploma in Risk Management
- Qualifi Level 7 Diploma in Risk Management
- Qualifi Level 7 International Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety Management
- Qualifi Level 7 International Diploma in Process Safety Management
Psychology
2 diplomasPublic Administration
1 diplomaTourism, Hospitality and Aviation
2 diplomasProgrammes we have written up in full are marked as such in the link text; the rest show the awarding body's facts and an enquiry panel while the fuller account is written. See the whole catalogue as a table.
Three stages, two decisions
The route to a master's award
The diploma is stage one. The top-up is stage two and belongs to a university. Here is how the credits add up, and where the caveats sit.
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Level 7 diploma
Units at Level 7, assessed by written assignments, delivered and marked by LSPM, the approved centre, and verified by the awarding body.
120 credits -
Top-up with advanced standing
A university that recognises the diploma admits you directly to the final stage of its MBA or MSc, usually the dissertation or consultancy project.
Typically 60 credits -
Master's award
The degree is conferred by the university, under its regulations and its name. The diploma remains a separate qualification on your record.
180 credits in total
What can and cannot be promised. It is a fact that the diploma is regulated and that its credits are genuine. Nobody, not LSPM and certainly not this site, can promise any particular university will admit you: each sets its own entry criteria, fees and timetable, and may ask for additional evidence such as English language results or an interview.
Universities will be named here only once LSPM holds a progression agreement we have seen. Until then, we will discuss realistic options with you during your advice call, from what learners we have advised have reported back. Read the pathway in full.
If your ambition runs beyond a master's, the Level 8 diploma covers the doctoral level; a companion site explains how Level 8 compares with a PhD or DBA.
Cost and time
Diploma plus top-up, or a master's outright?
Nobody can answer that for you without figures, and this site will not invent them. The comparison tool takes the fees and durations you have actually been quoted, adds the diploma's published qualification time, and shows the two routes side by side in cost, elapsed months and study hours.
What the tool checks
- Total cost of the two-stage route against the single-stage one, stated with the direction made explicit.
- Elapsed time, and the fact that the diploma is a complete qualification at the halfway point.
- Whether the diploma duration you are planning is realistic at the hours a week you can actually give.
- Nothing else. It does not model inflation, instalment charges or lost earnings, and it says so.
For employers
Funding a manager, or a whole cohort
Level 7 study is a sensible use of a development budget when it is tied to a real role. We help HR and learning teams shortlist and put their requirements to LSPM once, so that buying and reporting stay simple.
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Funding staff
LSPM invoices per learner or per cohort, with a purchase order reference on request, and offers instalment schedules confirmed in writing before enrolment.
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Cohort delivery
From 6 learners LSPM will consider a closed cohort with a shared start date, assignments framed around your organisation, and a named tutor as your point of contact.
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Reporting
Attendance, submission and result summaries for your sponsor, shared with each learner's consent, at the points in the year you choose.
Which units suit a sponsored learner
In the Strategic Management and Leadership diploma, the two optional units can be chosen to match the sponsor's priorities: Strategic Financial Management and Strategic Change Management for a manager moving into a general management role, for example, or Supply Chain and Operations Management for an operations lead. See the unit list.
Enquire for your organisation How sponsorship works
Real quotation from a sponsoring employer to be supplied. Do not publish this slot without a named, consenting source.
Time, honestly stated
Studying alongside a senior role
The awarding body sets a total qualification time of 1,200 hours for the Strategic Management and Leadership diploma, of which 600 are guided learning hours and 600 are independent study and assignment work. Spread over a year, that is a serious commitment; spread over two, it is a manageable one. Neither figure includes the top-up stage.
Guided hours at LSPM are a mix of live online sessions, recordings and tutorials, timed to fit around a working week; LSPM confirms the days and times for each intake.
| If you take | Hours a week | Guided | Independent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 months | 23.1 | 11.5 | 11.5 |
| 18 months | 15.4 | 7.7 | 7.7 |
| 24 months | 11.5 | 5.8 | 5.8 |
| Calculated from the awarding body's TQT of 1,200 hours and GLH of 600 hours, over 52, 78 and 104 weeks. Your own pace will depend on how familiar the material is. | |||
The facts behind the diploma
Four numbers worth knowing
- 7
The RQF level. The same as master's degrees, postgraduate diplomas and certificates.
- 120credits
The size of the diploma. A master's is typically 180, which is why a top-up exists.
- 1,200hours
Total qualification time set by the awarding body, including 600 guided learning hours.
- 0exams
Every unit is assessed by written assignment against published criteria, marked by LSPM and verified by the awarding body.
Figures for the OTHM Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership (OTHM), Ofqual number 603/2181/7, from the official specification.
Longer reads
Insights for people weighing this up
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5 min read
Choosing between strategic management and a specialist Level 7
The catalogue has general management diplomas and specialist ones in finance, HR, marketing, projects, risk, data and more. How to decide which serves your next role.
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5 min read
Making the case to your employer
How to ask for sponsorship of a Level 7 diploma in terms a budget holder recognises: role, return, risk, time and what you will give back.
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5 min read
How advanced standing into an MBA works
What a university does with a Level 7 diploma when it admits you to the final stage of a master's, what it checks, what it may still require, and where the promises stop.
Questions asked most
Frequently asked
Is a Level 7 diploma a master's degree?
No. It is at the same level as a master's on the Regulated Qualifications Framework, but it carries 120 credits rather than the usual 180, and it is awarded by an awarding organisation rather than a university. It is a postgraduate-level diploma and should be described as such.
How should it be described on a CV or LinkedIn?
Use the full title and awarding body, for example "OTHM Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership (RQF Level 7, 120 credits)". You may say it is at master's level. Do not call it a master's, an MBA or "MBA-equivalent".
How does the top-up to an MBA or MSc work?
Some universities recognise the diploma's 120 credits and admit holders straight to the final stage of a master's, usually a 60-credit dissertation or project. Each university decides its own entry criteria, fees and start dates. Partner names will appear on this site only where LSPM holds an agreement; until then we talk you through realistic options during your advice call.
Is a degree needed to start?
The standard route is an honours degree or Level 6 qualification. Mature learners with management experience can also be considered, but LSPM, as the approved centre, must review that experience before it registers you. Everyone must be 21 or over at the start, and applicants from outside majority English-speaking countries need evidence of English language competence.
How can the qualification be checked as genuine?
Search the Ofqual Register of Regulated Qualifications for the qualification number shown on each programme page; for Strategic Management and Leadership it is 603/2181/7. The register entry shows the awarding organisation, level, credit value and current status. You can also verify LSPM's approved-centre status on the OTHM and Qualifi websites; the awarding bodies page explains how.
Next step
Ask a direct question. Get a direct answer.
Tell us where you are in your career and what you want the qualification to do. We reply within two working days with a straight view on fit, timing and likely cost, and we pass you to LSPM only when you ask us to.
- EnquireTwo-minute form or a call. Programme preselected if you came from a programme page.
- Advice callThirty minutes with an independent adviser, not a salesperson. Fit, prior learning, unit choice and funding.
- ApplyFrom the programme page you chose: use Apply on the LSPM website there (LSPM's portal opens that course only). Browse programmes. Documents, English evidence where needed, and sponsor details.
- EnrolLSPM registers you with the awarding body, runs induction and releases your first unit on the intake date.