Level 6 Diploma in Business Management, Leadership and Innovation
A management diploma written for the decade ahead rather than the one behind: leadership in change, sustainable strategy, finance for decision-makers, multicultural contexts, enterprise and risk. Six units, 120 credits at Level 6, awarded by Qualifi.
Particulars
| Awarding body | Qualifi Ltd, an Ofqual-recognised awarding organisation |
|---|---|
| Level | 6 on the RQF; the level of an honours degree1 |
| Qualification type | Diploma. Not a degree. |
| Credits | 120 |
| Total Qualification Time | See specification 2 |
| Ofqual number | 603/7473/13 |
| 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
Most management qualifications describe the organisation as it is. This one is built around the organisation as it is becoming, and its six unit titles say so: Leadership in a Changing World, Introduction to Contemporary Business Strategy with a focus on sustainable growth, Finance for Strategic Decision-makers, Leadership in Multicultural Contexts, Creating Futures through sustainable enterprise and innovation, and Sustainable Risk Management. Qualifi awards it at RQF Level 6 under Ofqual regulation; the certificate says diploma, and so does this page.
It attracts a particular kind of learner: the manager in a growing or changing organisation, often working across borders or cultures, who is being asked to lead through uncertainty and wants a framework for doing so. The assignments push towards proposals and plans rather than reviews of the status quo, and learners frequently produce work that becomes part of their organisation's actual strategy.
Qualifi's specification for this award publishes the credit total but not TQT or GLH figures, so those rows in the particulars table say 'See specification'. Entry is stated simply as a Level 5 qualification; the entry section below explains how LSPM treats applicants without one.
StructureUnits and credits
Six mandatory units; no optional units. Titles as published by Qualifi.2 Qualifi's specification gives the credit for each unit; the published total is shown in the particulars.
| Unit | Credits |
|---|---|
| 01Leadership in a Changing World | See spec. |
| 02Introduction to Contemporary Business Strategy: Sustainable Business Growth | See spec. |
| 03Finance for Strategic Decision-makers | See spec. |
| 04Leadership in Multicultural Contexts | See spec. |
| 05Creating Futures: Sustainable Enterprise and Innovation | See spec. |
| 06Sustainable Risk Management | See spec. |
| Total | 120 |
Leadership in a Changing World is the natural opener and sets the tone. The strategy and finance units belong together, because a sustainable growth strategy without a financial case is a wish. Leadership in Multicultural Contexts draws on the international experience most applicants to this award bring. Creating Futures and Sustainable Risk Management close as a pair: one asks what the organisation could become, the other what could stop it. The delivered order is LSPM's to set; confirm it with them.
AdmissionEntry requirements
Qualifi sets the entry criteria; LSPM applies them. As published:2
- Level 5 Qualification
Qualifi's published requirement for this award is a Level 5 qualification. Where an applicant does not hold one but has substantial leadership experience, LSPM may assess suitability under Qualifi's general recognition-of-prior-learning provisions and, if appropriate, seek the awarding body's agreement before registration. We should be candid that this is a longer process than for the OTHM awards and cannot be assumed; applicants relying on experience should enquire early and expect LSPM to ask for evidence of leadership responsibility and of recent extended writing.
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
Assessment is by assignment against Qualifi's criteria. The briefs in this diploma are forward-looking: a leadership development case for a changing organisation, a sustainable growth strategy with its financial justification, an analysis of leadership across cultures drawn from the learner's own setting, an innovation or enterprise proposal, and a risk management framework for a real business. Learners are expected to argue for a course of action, not merely to describe alternatives.
The general arrangements for marking, moderation, feedback and resubmission are described on the how LSPM teaches page.
Time, honestly estimated
Qualifi does not publish a Total Qualification Time for this award; the figures below use the 120-credit convention of ten hours per credit as a planning guide, not a promise.
| If you finish in | Hours per week |
|---|---|
| Twelve months | about 23 |
| Eighteen months | about 15 |
| Twenty-four months | about 12 |
AfterwardsProgression
Universities offering business or management top-ups with a leadership, strategy or innovation emphasis are the natural destination, and the unit titles map readily onto such programmes. Sustainability-focused business degrees, which have multiplied in recent years, are a good match for the strategy and enterprise units. As always, the university decides on the transcript and its own recognition policy.
The diploma is also a coherent preparation for a Level 7 award in strategic management or leadership, for which its emphasis on strategy and risk provides a head start.
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
- lead in an organisation that is growing, restructuring or internationalising and want a framework for leading through change;
- hold a Level 5 award in business, management or a related field and want a forward-looking rather than functional Level 6;
- are drawn to sustainability, innovation and enterprise as the substance of management rather than as add-ons.
A poor fit if you
- want functional depth in operations, HR or marketing; the other business diplomas on this site cover those more directly;
- do not hold a Level 5 award and cannot wait for a recognition-of-prior-learning assessment; the OTHM awards admit on experience more straightforwardly;
- prefer to analyse what exists rather than to propose what should; the assignments here ask for proposals.
QuestionsAsked about this programme
What does 'sustainable' mean in these unit titles?
Broadly: strategy, enterprise and risk management that can be maintained over time in environmental, social and financial terms together. It is not an environmental studies programme, though environmental questions arise throughout.
I do not hold a Level 5 qualification. Can I still apply?
Possibly. Qualifi states a Level 5 qualification as the entry requirement, so admission on experience alone requires an assessment by LSPM under Qualifi's prior-learning provisions and may need the awarding body's agreement. Enquire early; We will tell you honestly, from cases we have seen, whether yours is likely to succeed before you approach LSPM.
How international is the content?
Deliberately so. Leadership in Multicultural Contexts is a full unit, and the strategy and risk units treat organisations as operating across borders. Learners based outside the UK or working in multinational settings find their own experience is the raw material.
Is the finance unit suitable for a non-financial manager?
Yes; that is its audience. Finance for Strategic Decision-makers teaches a leader to read, question and use financial information in strategic choices. It is not an accounting unit and assumes no accounting background.
Which is the better preparation for a top-up: this or the Business Administration diploma?
Neither is better in the abstract; both are 120 credits at Level 6 from the same awarding body. Match the units to the degree you have in mind. Strategy, leadership and sustainability programmes favour this award; marketing and general business programmes suit either.
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). ↩
- Qualifi, Qualifi Level 6 Diploma in Business Management, Leadership and Innovation : qualification specification (PDF) consulted 30 September 2026; qualification page at qualifi.net. Source for units, credits, hours and entry wording. ↩
- Ofqual, Register of Regulated Qualifications, qualification number 603/7473/1. ↩
- QAA, Higher Education Credit Framework for England (credit volumes; advanced standing). ↩