Level 6 Diploma in Business Management
Six units at the level of a degree's final year, taken part-time by people who already manage. For those who want the standing to top up to a bachelor's, or simply to have their practice examined properly.
Particulars
| Awarding body | OTHM Qualifications, an Ofqual-recognised awarding organisation |
|---|---|
| Level | 6 on the RQF; the level of an honours degree1 |
| Qualification type | Diploma. Not a degree. |
| Credits | 120, in six mandatory units of 20 |
| Total Qualification Time | 1,200 hours, of which 480 are Guided Learning Hours 2 |
| Ofqual number | 603/2179/93 |
| Duration | 9 months (standard) or 6 months (fast track) part-time; to be confirmed by LSPM |
| Study modes | Online, Blended, Evening classes (availability per intake to be confirmed) |
| Fees | From £999 (9 months, standard) or £1,299 (6 months, fast track) · how fees work |
| Next intake | Rolling intake — course starts when the fee is paid |
| Assessment | Written assignment per unit; no examinations |
The programmeWhat this diploma is
This is a general management award set at Level 6, the top level of undergraduate study. It is designed for people who are already responsible for staff, budgets or operations and who want that responsibility examined against current theory, evidenced in writing and certified by a regulated awarding body. It is not a degree, and OTHM does not describe it as one; it is the credit and the level from which a bachelor's top-up can follow.
The six units are all mandatory, so every learner covers the same ground: leading people, running operations, making financial decisions, managing the human-resource function strategically, building sustainability into how a business behaves, and conducting a piece of research. That last unit is where the diploma feels most like a degree, and where most learners find the stretch.
Nothing here is taught as abstract theory for its own sake. Each assignment asks you to take a real organisation, usually your own, and analyse it, so the diploma tends to leave a trail of useful documents behind it: an operations review, a financing recommendation, a people strategy, a research report.
StructureUnits and credits
Six mandatory units; no optional units. Titles and credit values as published by OTHM.2
| Unit | Credits |
|---|---|
| 01Leadership and People Management | 20 |
| 02Business Research Project | 20 |
| 03Operations Management | 20 |
| 04Financial Decision Making | 20 |
| 05Sustainable Business Practices | 20 |
| 06Strategic Human Resource Management | 20 |
| Total | 120 |
The order of study is set by LSPM and may vary by intake; confirm it before you enrol. A defensible sequence, and the one the unit content suggests, is to begin with Leadership and People Management, pair Operations Management with Financial Decision Making, follow with Strategic Human Resource Management and Sustainable Business Practices, and place the Business Research Project late, so that the analytical habits of the other units are formed before it starts.
AdmissionEntry requirements
OTHM sets the entry criteria; LSPM applies them. As published:2
- A relevant NQF/QCF/RQF Level 5 Diploma qualification.
- Mature learners (over 21) with relevant management experience (learners must check with the delivery centre regarding this experience prior to registering for the programme)
- English requirements: If a learner is not from a majority English-speaking country, they must provide evidence of English language competency. For more information visit the English Language Expectations page on the OTHM website.
In LSPM's admissions practice the phrase 'relevant management experience' is judged in a short conversation, not on a form. What they look for is sustained responsibility for people, money or delivery, and evidence that you can write analytically at length. Have a CV ready and, if you have one, a report you wrote at work; a Level 5 award in any business subject is admitted on the certificate.
If you are unsure which route applies to you, enquire and say so; working that out is what the advice call is for.
MethodHow you are assessed
Assignments in this diploma are typically a report or analysis of between three and five thousand words, grounded in a real organisation: an operations review with recommendations, a financing decision appraised and justified, a people strategy for a defined problem. The Business Research Project is longer and follows the conventions of a small-scale research study, with a question, a method, findings and a discussion of limits. Results are recorded as pass or refer; the diploma is not graded.
The general arrangements for marking, moderation, feedback and resubmission are described on the how LSPM teaches page.
Time, honestly estimated
The published figure is 1,200 hours, 480 of them guided and 720 your own. Spread across the period you choose:
| If you finish in | Hours per week |
|---|---|
| Twelve months | about 23 |
| Eighteen months | about 15 |
| Twenty-four months | about 12 |
AfterwardsProgression
Holders of this diploma may apply to universities that admit to the final year of a business-related honours degree with advanced standing. The university reviews your transcript, maps the six units against its own final-year programme, and decides whether to admit you directly, admit you with bridging study, or decline. No university is bound to accept the award, and acceptance at one is not evidence of acceptance at another.
The top-up year is usually one year full-time or two part-time and will normally include a dissertation. The degree that results is the university's own, classified on the university's marks. Business management is the subject in which this route is best established, and general business degrees are the usual destination.
The mechanics of advanced standing, and the questions admissions tutors ask, are on the top-up degrees page.4 Slot: universities holding a current progression agreement for this award, verified before publication.
Not everyone wants the bachelor's. The other direction from here is a Level 7 diploma, at master's level, described on the companion site for Level 7 diplomas.
FitWho it suits, and who it does not
A good fit if you
- run a team, a site, a function or a small business and want your judgement tested against the literature;
- hold a Level 5 award in business or a related field and want the next level without leaving work;
- intend to apply for a top-up degree within the next few years and need the credit to do so.
A poor fit if you
- need a degree certificate for a specific purpose now; this will not serve;
- want a specialist award (accounting, HR, marketing) rather than a general management one; other Level 6 diplomas may suit better;
- have no management experience and no Level 5 award; a Level 4 or 5 programme is the appropriate start.
QuestionsAsked about this programme
Is the Level 6 Diploma in Business Management equal to a BA in Business?
It is at the same RQF level and carries 120 of the 360 credits an honours degree holds. It is not the same award, does not carry the title, and is not conferred by a university. Same level, smaller volume, different award.
Which universities accept it for a top-up?
This page lists no universities, because a progression agreement is LSPM's to hold and to publish, and lists change. Ask LSPM's admissions team which agreements are current. Beyond those, any university that admits with advanced standing may consider the award; you apply to them and they decide.
Can I use my own employer for the assignments?
Yes, and in our experience learners who do so get more from the diploma, subject to their employer's confidentiality. Where that is not possible, LSPM's tutors help the learner choose a public organisation with enough published information to analyse.
What happens if I fail an assignment?
You receive written feedback identifying which criteria were not met and are given a resubmission opportunity under OTHM's rules. A referral is common on a first research-methods submission and is not recorded as a failure on the final certificate.
Is there a group intake or can I start at any time?
Intake pattern to be confirmed by LSPM. The particulars table above will show the next start date once LSPM has set it.
Documents and application
Applications are made on London School of Planning and Management's own website, not this site; this site is LSPM's independent recruitment agent. Most people enquire first; the apply link is for those who have already had that conversation.
Brochure slot. The programme brochure (PDF) belongs to LSPM, is to be supplied by LSPM, and will replace this anchor.
Notes and sources
- GOV.UK, list of qualification levels (Level 6 includes honours degrees). ↩
- OTHM, OTHM Level 6 Diploma in Business Management : qualification specification (PDF) consulted 30 September 2026; qualification page at othm.org.uk. Source for units, credits, hours and entry wording. ↩
- Ofqual, Register of Regulated Qualifications, qualification number 603/2179/9. ↩
- QAA, Higher Education Credit Framework for England (credit volumes; advanced standing). ↩