The highlights
- This is an online PG Cert Strategic Management that’s relevant to people working in all sectors: private, public and third
- It’s a one-year course that provides a good introduction to strategic management and can be a stepping-stone to the full online MSc Strategic Management or online MSc Strategic Sustainability Management· It’s accredited by ILM. This enables you to gain a professional qualification in addition to the PG Cert, for no extra work or cost. It also gives you access to ILM member benefits, including professional events, resources, research and insights
- We’ve won acclaim in the higher education world for our innovative approach to entrepreneurship and ‘intrapreneurship’
- You will be encouraged to think creatively and test out your ideas and strategies by running a virtual business. This is known as business simulation
Start to become a strategic thinker and leader
A robust strategy, implemented well and managed effectively, enables organisations to operate competitively and to thrive in an ever-changing business landscape. The success of a strategy’s execution depends largely on the talent and capability of its leadership - even a great strategy can fail if it’s not well-executed.
On this online PG Cert in Strategic Management, we aim to provide you with the foundations to become a modern strategic thinker and leader, who can bring about change in the organisations you work for. These could be organisations in the private, public or third sectors.
You will gain a fundamental understanding of how to plan, formulate and execute strategy through innovative and entrepreneurial approaches. The programme has three central themes, which are important to all organisations today, wherever they are based in the world:
- Entrepreneurship / Intrapreneurship - We’ve been praised for our innovative approach to entrepreneurship. Although many courses teach entrepreneurship in the context of new start-ups, our MSc focuses on embedding entrepreneurial practices within more established companies (known as ‘intrapreneurship’).
We encourage you to innovate and come up with new ideas, products, services and processes, that can help organisations achieve their targets or objectives. These objectives might be to create growth, find a competitive edge, or respond to specific challenges.
- Sustainability - Any organisation that wants a long-term future, needs to make sustainability integral to its strategy. On this PG Cert, we’re aiming to create strategic leaders who can align business models with sustainable economies and can re-invent products for a more sustainable future.
- Internationalisation - We live in a global economy, accelerated by the rise of e-commerce, which means that internationalisation affects all types of organisation - small, medium and large; public, private and non-profit. But there are many challenges and barriers between countries - institutional, cultural, geographical, environmental - and it’s vital that strategic leaders understand these so they can make good decisions.
Through our core module, International Business Strategies, you will explore this topic in more detail and learn how to prepare organisations for inevitable challenges, such as changing political ideologies, wars and conflicts, supply chain issues and commodity price rises.
ILM accreditation and an extra professional qualification
This PG Cert Strategic Management is accredited by ILM, a prestigious UK leadership and management professional body, which is part of the City & Guilds Group. We offer a dual award, which means you can achieve the ILM Level 7 Certificate in Leadership and Management alongside the PG Cert, for no extra work or cost. This is subject to you passing the following two modules:
- Strategic Execution, Management and Leadership
- Strategy Formulation, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
The ILM L7 Certificate is an internationally recognised professional qualification, valued by employers.
This ILM accreditation also means you will be entitled to one year of ILM student membership for free, which brings a host of benefits, including access to professional events and training, resources, research and insights. Visit ILM’s website to find out more about the benefits of student membership, or watch the following video:
Manage a virtual company - take risks, make mistakes, learn
An exciting feature of this course is the ability to run a virtual company in a simulated business environment and manage all the key aspects of the business such as finance, marketing, strategy and operations. This enables you to practice start-up or scale up business strategy in a risk-free environment.
You can compete against the markets or choose to go head-to-head with other virtual companies. As you practice entrepreneurial leadership, you can play forward and rewind decisions whilst simulating time, money, stress, staff morale and efficiency. It provides more meaningful and deeper learning than more traditional static case studies.
A talk from our academic
Our academic for strategic management programmes, Yukari Iguchi, talks about our online Strategic Management courses.
If you have any further questions you can contact-us.
You can view the study plan for this online course.
The Postgraduate Certificate (PG Cert) in Strategic Management can be obtained by passing three core 20 credit modules, totalling 60 credits. This course is the first part of the MSc Strategic Management and the MSc Strategic Sustainability Management, meaning you will study alongside the rest of the Strategic Management student cohort.
Please note that our modules are subject to change - we review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects.
This PG Cert is delivered entirely online through our user-friendly digital learning environment. You will interact with your tutors and fellow students through a mix of virtual live classrooms, tutorials and guest lectures. You will also have a go at managing a virtual company through our advanced business simulation platform.
You will use forums and community spaces for group discussions, and there are other collaborative tools for group projects and assignments, such as wikis. Digital texts, ebooks, journals, databases and more are available electronically via our library.
You will be taught by expert academics who are practising professionals too. They bring examples from the business world into their teaching, so the content is always current and topical.
There will be 1/2 virtual classrooms over the 10 week trimester and if you are unable to attend you will be able to download the session to view in your own time.
Supporting you to succeed
If you are nervous about studying online or haven’t studied for a long time, don’t worry. Many of our students are the same at the beginning of their course, so we have put in place support to enable everyone to succeed.
Firstly, our IT Service Centre provides technical support 24 hours a day, so whichever time zone you're in, there will be help on hand. Then there’s our team of online learner advisors who can answer your non-academic questions, such as those about study plans, submitting assessments, deadlines, payments, loans or fees.
Finally, if you need support with your study skills, there are lots of resources available, including guides, audio-visual tutorials and webinars. These cover topics like research skills, critical evaluation in an academic context, literature searches, referencing, plagiarism and more.
Pace of study
The academic year is made up of three, ten-week terms, known as trimesters. We recommend doing about 20 hours of study each week to complete one 20-credit module over a trimester.
Assessments
This course is assessed entirely through coursework. There will be ongoing assessment (known as ‘formative assessment’) through things like self-assessment, peer review, or feedback directly from your tutor. Then there will be assessments for each module that count towards your grades (‘summative assessments’), such as:
- computer-aided tests
- research projects
- business reports
- case study analyses
- collaborative group work, and
- reflective reports
These assessments will usually be about applying your learning to your own organisation or a case study organisation, or they may relate to your personal development.
Personal Development Planning (PDP) and employability
Personal development planning (PDP) is embedded throughout this course. During your studies, you will be encouraged to reflect on your personal brand and consider areas for personal or professional development. You will have access to reflective self-assessment and personal diagnostic tools and a wealth of resources to help you reflect on your current competencies. In addition, personal tutoring, coaching and career development workshops, delivered by the University or ILM, will all help you to create your individualised leadership and personal development plan.
To further enhance your employability, we have embedded a support module into the programme, called Transforming Personal Skills. This module is designed to help you develop critical skills for business, including communication, self-management and self-direction.
Student support and guidance
Whilst we encourage our students to become independent, life-long learners, we also recognise that offering the right support and guidance will help you to achieve your goals. There is a wealth of support available to you at the University, from your dedicated Personal Tutor and Online Learner Advisor, through to our:
All these services, and more, are available to you as an online student at the University of Derby.
You should normally have a UK undergraduate degree (at least a 2:2) with honours in any business-related subject discipline, or an equivalent international qualification. Equivalent professional qualifications will also be considered for entry.
If you do not have the above required academic or professional qualifications but do have significant management experience and a substantial record of achievement, then we will also consider your application.
English language qualifications
If English is not your first language or you have not completed your undergraduate degree at a UK University, you will need an English language qualification. For this course you will need at least one of the following:
- IELTS 6.0 (minimum of 5.5 in each module)
- TOEFL 550 (paper based), 213 (computer based) or 80 (internet based)
- Pearson Test of Academic English: 51
- Cambridge Advanced Certificate: Pass
- London Tests of English: we accept level 4 for postgraduate courses
- International GCE O Level English Language: Grade C
- International GCSE English/English as a Second Language: Grade C
- ASE Proficiency: Pass
Find out more about our English language requirements
‡2024/25 for new entrants
Starting between September 2024 and August 2025.
| | Per 20 credits | Modules | Cost |
|---|
| UK/EU/International |
£1,050 |
3 |
£3,150 |
2025/26 for new entrants
Starting between September 2025 and August 2026.
| | Per 20 credits | Modules | Cost |
|---|
| UK/EU/International |
£1,080 |
3 |
£3,240 |
About your fees
This figure would be the total cost of this course based on the fee in the current academic year. However, please note that fees normally increase in line with inflation and the University's strategic approach to fees, which is reviewed on an annual basis. The total fee you pay may therefore increase if your course lasts longer than one year.
If you are required to undertake any associate study or additional study as a condition of your offer for the programme, please be aware that the cost for this may be in addition to the programme cost stated above.
Flexible payment plans available
Choose from two payment plan options:
Apply directly to the University.
Apply now
For support with completing your application, view our guide to the application process.
Documents to support your application
In order for your application to be assessed, you will need to provide the following documents when you apply:
- Official photo identification such as a passport or driving licence
- Current CV
- Written reference supplied on headed paper from either a manager, supervisor, tutor or teacher
- Copies of certificates and transcripts or a letter of testimony for previous qualifications*
*Documents not in English or Welsh must be accompanied by a certified translation by a professional translator/translation company. Each translation must contain:
- Confirmation from the translator that it is an accurate translation of the original document
- The date of the translation
- The full name and signature of the translator, or an authorised official of the company
- The translator’s contact details
A list of approved translators can be found on the UK Government website.
Please note: failure to submit any documentation when requested, may result in your application being withdrawn.
Application deadlines
All of our online courses have set start dates throughout the year. We require time to review your application and get back to you with a response before your course starts. Take a look at information regarding applying for an online course to see full details of deadlines and term dates.
This online PG Cert in Strategic Management will help you develop modern strategic leadership and management skills that will enable you to progress within any size of organisation, within any sector.
You will be able to formulate, manage and execute business strategy in innovative and creative ways, and develop a good understanding of the most important challenges and opportunities facing organisations today: entrepreneurship or intrapreneurship, sustainability, and internationalisation. You will find that your expanded knowledge of these areas, makes you highly employable.
If you are already in work, you will be able to apply your new knowledge directly into your workplace, helping you to make a positive impact quickly. This will be both rewarding for you and valuable to your employer - or to your own business.
If you want to continue studying afterwards, you could progress directly onto Stage Two of the online MSc Strategic Management or the online MSc Strategic Sustainability Management, and gain the full masters within one-two years.
Utilise our Careers and Employment Service
Whilst you are a student at the University of Derby, and for 3 years after you graduate, our Careers and Employment Service can assist you with job search advice, CV creation, workshops and events, as well as one-to-one appointments with employment advisers to help with career planning and interview preparation.
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