Project, Risk and Safety Management · Awarded by OTHM
Level 7 Diploma in Project Management
Five units, two of them worth 30 credits, for project and programme managers who lead large, contracted, logistically complex work and want the qualification to match.
- LevelRQF Level 7Same level as a master's
- Credits120five units
- Qualification time1,200 hours480 guided learning hours
- Awarding bodyOTHMRegulated by Ofqual
- Ofqual number603/5638/8Search 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
Project and programme managers running work that matters
This is the only diploma on the site with two 30-credit units. Planning, Controlling and Leading a Project and Procurement Risk and Contract Management carry the extra weight, and together with Advanced Project and Logistics Management, Operations and Information Management for Project Managers and Advanced Research Methods they make up the 120 credits.
It suits project managers running capital, infrastructure, IT or transformation projects with significant procurement, programme managers who coordinate several such projects, and PMO leads who set the standards others follow. People who hold a practitioner certification and want a postgraduate-level academic qualification alongside it are frequent learners.
It is not a methodology certification and does not replace one. It sits above the method: why a contract strategy is chosen, how procurement risk is priced, how logistics and information shape delivery. If your employer requires a specific practitioner badge, this does not substitute for it.
Structure
Five units, all mandatory
All five units are mandatory and are taken in a sequence LSPM sets. Unit titles and credit values are from the awarding body's specification.
Mandatory units All five required
| Unit | Credits |
|---|---|
| Planning, Controlling and Leading a Project | 30 |
| Procurement Risk and Contract Management | 30 |
| Advanced Project and Logistics Management | 20 |
| Operations and Information Management for Project Managers | 20 |
| Advanced Research Methods | 20 |
| 120 credits from mandatory units. | |
Unit titles and credit values: OTHM Level 7 Diploma in Project Management (OTHM), official specification, Ofqual 603/5638/8.
How LSPM sequences them
Planning, Controlling and Leading a Project runs first and longest, reflecting its 30 credits. Procurement Risk and Contract Management follows and is also 30 credits, so the first half of the programme is the heavy half. Advanced Project and Logistics Management and Operations and Information Management for Project Managers are 20 credits each and run in the second half. Advanced Research Methods, also 20 credits, is delivered alongside them so that the final assignment has a method behind it. The guided learning hours for this diploma are 480, lower than most on the site, which means more of the 1,200 hours is your own directed study.
Entry requirements
Who can enrol
OTHM sets the entry requirements and London School of Planning and Management, the approved centre, applies them. As published in the specification:
- An honours degree in related subject or UK level 6 diploma or an equivalent overseas qualification
- Mature learners with management experience (learners must check with the delivery centre regarding this experience prior to registering for the programme)
- Learners must be 21 years or older at the beginning of the course
- English requirements: If a learner is not from a majority English-speaking country must provide evidence of English language competency. For more information visit English Language Expectations page in this website.
How LSPM applies this in practice. Most project managers who apply hold a degree or a Level 6 qualification, often in a technical or built environment discipline. Those without one are assessed on the projects they have led and the budgets they have held, followed by a conversation with an LSPM tutor. A practitioner certification helps but is not required.
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
Assignments are project documents at postgraduate standard: an integrated project plan with control approach, a procurement and contract strategy with risk analysis, a logistics and operations case, and a research-informed report. No examinations.
Your tutor at LSPM marks the work and gives written feedback. OTHM 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
Universities may admit holders with advanced standing to the final stage of an MSc in Project Management or a related master's, subject to their own assessment. Neither LSPM nor this site guarantees admission.
In practice the diploma is used to support moves from project to programme or portfolio management, and by people seeking senior roles where a postgraduate qualification is expected alongside practitioner certification.
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
- Plan, control and leadProduce an integrated plan for a substantial project and lead its delivery against it.
- Manage procurement riskDesign a procurement and contract strategy and price the risks it carries.
- Integrate logisticsPlan the movement of people, materials and equipment as part of the project, not an afterthought.
- Use information to run operationsSpecify the operational and information systems a project needs and judge their adequacy.
- Research the delivery questionInvestigate a project management problem with a defensible method.
- Progress with creditHold 120 Level 7 credits a university may count towards an MSc.
Fit
Likely to suit, and better served elsewhere
Likely to get a lot from it
- Project managers on capital, infrastructure, IT or transformation projects with significant procurement.
- Programme managers and PMO leads who set standards for others.
- Certified practitioners who want a postgraduate academic qualification alongside their badge.
Better served by something else
- Anyone who needs a specific methodology certification; this does not substitute for one.
- Project coordinators early in their careers; a Level 5 or 6 qualification first.
- Learners who want a general management programme; project management is the whole focus here.
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 two units worth 30 credits?
The awarding body has weighted Planning, Controlling and Leading a Project and Procurement Risk and Contract Management at 30 credits each, reflecting their scope. The other three units are 20 credits each, making 120 in total.
Why are the guided learning hours only 480?
OTHM sets 480 guided learning hours and 1,200 total qualification time for this diploma. The difference is your own study and assignment work. In practice it means LSPM schedules slightly fewer seminars and expects more independent reading.
Does it cover a particular methodology?
It draws on several and asks you to judge between them. It does not certify you in any one, and if your employer requires a specific practitioner badge you will still need it.
OTHM or Qualifi for project management?
Both are 120-credit Level 7 diplomas. The OTHM programme's unit weighting puts extra emphasis on planning and procurement. Compare the two unit tables and tell us the kind of projects you run.
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