Business and Management · Awarded by Qualifi
Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership
Ten units, no options, and a breadth that takes in finance, marketing, HR planning and change alongside strategy itself. The wider of the two strategic management diplomas LSPM delivers.
- LevelRQF Level 7Same level as a master's
- Credits12010 units
- Qualification timeSee specificationGuided hours per specification
- Awarding bodyQualifiRegulated by Ofqual
- Ofqual number601/5335/0Search the Ofqual register
- Duration9 months (standard) or 6 months (fast track)Set by LSPM, confirmed on enquiry
- Study modesonline or blendedLive seminars, evenings and Saturdays
- FeesFrom £999 (9 months, standard) or £1,299 (6 months, fast track)Written quotation on enquiry
- Next intakeRolling intake — course starts when the fee is paidSet by LSPM
- AssessmentAssignmentsNo examinations
Who it is for
Generalists who want the whole management picture at Level 7
Where the OTHM diploma of the same name asks you to choose two specialisms, this Qualifi programme gives you ten fixed units and expects you to cover everything: strategic direction and planning, team performance, information management and decision taking, finance, marketing, organisational change and human resource planning, with a strategic management project and a unit on your own development as a strategic manager tying it together.
That breadth suits people whose remit is genuinely general. Managing directors of small and medium-sized businesses, general managers of sites or regions, and senior public sector officers who own a whole service tend to prefer this structure, because the assignments map onto the range of decisions they make in a normal quarter.
It is a heavier programme in the sense that there are more assignments, though each is proportionately shorter. If you would rather go deep in two areas than broad across ten, the OTHM diploma is the better choice and we will say so.
Structure
Ten units, all mandatory
All ten units are mandatory. Qualifi publishes the diploma's total of 120 credits; the data we hold does not state a per-unit credit value, so the table shows titles only and the specification is the authority.
Mandatory units All ten required
| Unit |
|---|
| Manage Team Performance to Support Strategy |
| Information Management and Strategic Decision Taking |
| Leading a Strategic Management Project |
| Strategic Direction |
| Strategic Planning |
| Development as a Strategic Manager |
| Finance for Managers |
| Strategic Marketing |
| Organisational Change Strategies |
| Human Resource Planning |
Unit titles: Qualifi Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership (Qualifi), official specification, Ofqual 601/5335/0.
How LSPM sequences them
LSPM sequences the ten units in three blocks. The first covers Strategic Direction, Strategic Planning and Information Management and Strategic Decision Taking, so the analytical spine is in place early. The second block is the functional units: Finance for Managers, Strategic Marketing, Human Resource Planning and Organisational Change Strategies. The third block is Manage Team Performance to Support Strategy, Development as a Strategic Manager and, last, Leading a Strategic Management Project, which draws on everything before it. Qualifi does not publish per-unit credit values in the data we hold, so the unit table shows titles only; the specification is the authority.
Entry requirements
Who can enrol
Qualifi sets the entry requirements and London School of Planning and Management, the approved centre, applies them. As published in the specification:
- Level 6 Qualification or;
- First Degree
How LSPM applies this in practice. Qualifi's published entry route is a Level 6 qualification or a first degree. LSPM also considers experienced managers without either, but only after reviewing a CV and speaking with you, because ten Level 7 assignments is a demanding commitment for someone who has not written academically before.
Entry requirements from the official specification. If you are not sure whether your qualification counts as equivalent, send us the details and we will ask LSPM to check with the awarding body.
Assessment
Written assignments, no examinations
Every unit is assessed by a written assignment marked against Qualifi's assessment criteria. The Leading a Strategic Management Project unit is assessed on a project you carry out in a real organisation, with a report and a reflective account. No examinations.
Your tutor at LSPM marks the work and gives written feedback. Qualifi then externally verifies a sample of marked work to confirm the standard is being applied consistently. A unit is passed when all of its criteria are met.
Progression
From diploma to top-up with advanced standing
The 120 credits are recognised by some universities for entry with advanced standing to the final stage of an MBA or a master's in management, typically the dissertation or project stage. Each university assesses the diploma against its own regulations, and neither LSPM nor this site can guarantee admission anywhere.
Because this programme already includes a strategic management project, learners who go on to a top-up often find the dissertation stage familiar. That is an observation learners have reported back to us, not a promise about any university's requirements.
Progression note for employers. If you are sponsoring a manager with a master's as the eventual goal, budget the top-up separately and check the university's terms before you commit. The diploma stage is where LSPM's fees and timetable apply; the top-up stage is the university's. How the pathway works.
Outcomes
What you will be able to do
- Set direction and planProduce a strategic plan for an organisation, with options appraised and a case made for the chosen one.
- Decide with informationSpecify what information a strategic decision needs, judge its quality and use it to take a defensible position.
- Read the financesInterpret financial statements and budgets well enough to challenge a finance director's assumptions.
- Manage a change programmePlan and lead organisational change, anticipating resistance and measuring the result.
- Lead a strategic projectScope, run and report a real strategic project to postgraduate standard.
- Develop as a strategic managerAssess your own capability against the demands of a senior role and plan how to close the gap.
Fit
Likely to suit, and better served elsewhere
Likely to get a lot from it
- Managing directors and general managers of small and medium-sized organisations.
- Senior officers in public bodies who own a whole service and its budget.
- Managers who want a broad management education rather than a functional specialism.
Better served by something else
- People who want to specialise in two areas; the OTHM diploma with optional units suits that better.
- Anyone looking for a shorter programme; ten assignments is the largest count of any diploma on this site.
- Learners whose ambition is a research-led master's; the top-up stage is where research depth comes.
Real learner quotation to be supplied. This slot must not be published until a named graduate has given written consent.
Programme questions
Frequently asked
Why are there no credit values against the units?
Qualifi publishes the diploma's total of 120 credits at Level 7, and the specification sets out the unit structure. Qualifi publishes the unit credit values in the specification document itself rather than in its summary listing, so this page shows the unit titles and sends you to the document for the split.
Ten units sounds like a lot. Is it?
It is more assignments than the six-unit diplomas, though each is proportionately shorter. Most learners find the rhythm of one unit every six to eight weeks manageable alongside work. The advice call is the place to test whether that rhythm fits your year.
How does this compare with the OTHM version?
Same level, same total credits, different awarding body, different units. The OTHM diploma has four mandatory and two optional units of 20 credits; this one has ten fixed units. Choose by structure and breadth, not by awarding body.
Is the strategic management project done in my own organisation?
Usually, yes. If you are between roles or your employer cannot host it, LSPM agrees an alternative organisation with you before the unit starts.
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