Advanced Diploma in Strategic People Management

Are you ready to deepen your expertise in strategic HR? This qualification will help you learn how to manage employment relations, recruit and nurture talent to sustain success – and reward and motivate the superstars in your workforce.

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Is this qualification right for me?

This qualification is perfect for you if you want to develop your personal effectiveness and business acumen. You’ll learn how to design and manage your own strategy, enhance people management skills – and learn how best to lead.

An Advanced Diploma typically takes between 16-24 months to complete, depending on how and where you choose to study.

What will I learn?

You’ll study 4 core units + 3 specialist units + the choice of 1 optional unit:

Core units:

  • Work and working lives in a changing business environment
  • People management and development strategies for performance
  • Personal effectiveness, ethics and business acumen
  • Business research in people practice

Specialist units:

  • Strategic employment relations
  • Resourcing and talent management to sustain success
  • Strategic reward management

Optional units:

  • Organisational design and development
  • Advanced employment law in practice
  • Learning and development practice
  • Technology enhanced learning
  • Advanced diversity and inclusion
  • Managing people in an international context
  • Well-being at work

What level of CIPD membership will I gain?

Once you've registered for a qualification, you'll join the CIPD as a Student Member and you will need to remain in membership for the duration of your studies.

Through membership, we will support and encourage you throughout your studies. You'll gain access to our lowest membership rate (fees are 40% reduced for Student Members) as well as extensive study resources and the opportunity to build your network through our local branches, online communities and student conferences.

When you complete your qualification, you’ll be awarded CIPD Associate Membership, and the designation “Assoc CIPD” after your name. You may also be able to apply for Chartered Member or Chartered Fellow, depending on your experience. This would recognise your ability to work strategically, handle complexity and influence business practices.

What are my study options?

With a CIPD qualification, you can choose from online, face to face, and blended study modes, with the option to study part-time (2-20 hours per week) or full-time (21+hours per week). This flexibility lets you fit your study around your other commitments.

Online

All tuition, content and resources are delivered online. This can either be live, where tuition is delivered at set times with classroom interaction and online resources, or on-demand, with self serve course content and resources.

Online communities

Face to face

All tuition, content and resources are taught and provided to you in person, often in a classroom style setting.

Employment law

Blended

Blended study is a mix of face to face tuition, with additional online interactions, content and resources.

Local branch network

Tailored programmes

Designed only for experienced people professionals. It combines evidence of your own relevant workplace practice, with tailored learning and assessment content, to gain your qualification. To be considered for a tailored programme, you need to demonstrate you have sufficient workplace experience to cover at least 50% of what is taught in your chosen qualification syllabus.

Level

The Advanced Diploma in Strategic People Management is comparable to Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) Level 7 in England and Northern Ireland. Credit and Qualifications Framework (CQFW) Level 7 in Wales. Comparable to Level 9 in Ireland, Level 11 in Scotland, Level 7 European Qualifications Framework (EQF). Find out more.

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