
Professional Manager (Apprenticeship) CertHE
This apprenticeship is employer led: applications must be submitted by employers on behalf of their staff.
Start Dates
21 September 2026, 17 May 2027
Duration
19 months part-time
Eligibility Criteria
Permanent Employment in relevant field
Overview
Why choose Huddersfield for this course?
- Outstanding Quality - Huddersfield is an Ofsted Outstanding provider, delivering top-tier apprenticeship training.
- Develop leadership and management skills through blended learning and a work-based project.
- Apply theory in your job role with dedicated support and coaching to meet apprenticeship standards.
Accreditation and Professional Links
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This apprenticeship course has been designed for aspiring or newly appointed managers. Operations managers perform leadership and management duties with teams and/ or projects to ensure the successful completion of organisational goals. Typically, they are accountable for developing team members, managing projects, planning and reviewing workloads and resources, delivering operational plans, resolving problems, and building relationships both internally and externally. They are accountable to a more senior manager or business owner.
To develop your skills in these areas you will study three modules which are:
- Managing Organisations
- Managing People
- Managing Operations and Projects
You will also complete a work-related project agreed between you and your line manager which allows you to demonstrate a wide range of knowledge and skills.
In line with the apprenticeship model, the course is designed to support a training in practice approach. You will already be employed by an organisation who will sponsor you throughout the course and enable you to transfer your learning to your job role.
The professional manager apprenticeship is a 19 months L5 course based on a blended model of classroom-based teaching, remote online learning, and work-based task completion.
Throughout the course you will be supported by a dedicated course leader and subject experts with current occupational competence gained in a variety of industries. Your work-based learning coach will support you to link theory to practice and build a portfolio of evidence that demonstrates your competency against the apprenticeship standards.
Why study with the University of Huddersfield?
- The University of Huddersfield has the highest Apprenticeship Qualification Achievement Rate (QAR) among Higher Education Institutions in England.* (*Excludes providers with fewer than 100 apprentices)
- Our 2023/24 QAR was 87.6% and coupled with our Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ rating displays the excellent learning experience for apprentices and their employers at the University of Huddersfield.
Entry Requirements
- If you are aged 19+, there is no compulsory requirement for you to provide evidence of GSCE English language and maths at grade 4 or above, or grade C or above if awarded under the previous GCSE grading scheme or equivalent. It is your employer’s decision whether you require evidence of English and Maths as an occupational requirement for your job. In such circumstances, your employer can opt for you to complete the required English and/or Maths functional skills learning and assessments alongside your apprenticeship.
- The employer must confirm that the learner is in an appropriate role, and working at a sufficient level, to enable them to develop and demonstrate the knowledge, skills and behaviours specified within the standard.
If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum requirements of an English Language qualification. The minimum for IELTS is 6.0 overall with no element lower than 5.5, or equivalent. Read more about the University’s entry requirements for students outside of the UK on our International Entry Requirements page.
Course Details
You'll study the following modules:
Teaching and Assessment
Discover what to expect from your tutor contact time, assessment methods, and feedback process.
Fees and Finance
As an apprentice, there is no tuition fee to pay for the higher or degree apprenticeship. Tuition fees are covered by your employer and the government through the Levy. As you'll be a paid employee, you are not able to take out a student loan.
Are you an employer? You’ll find lots of information about how apprenticeships are funded via the levy on our Degree Apprenticeship webpages.
If you require further information, please contact apprenticeships@hud.ac.uk
Scholarships and Bursaries
Discover what additional help you may be eligible for to support your University studies.
Tuition Fee Loans
Find out more about tuition fee loans available to eligible undergraduate students.
What’s included in your fee?
We want you to understand exactly what your fees will cover and what additional costs you may need to budget for when you decide to become a student with us.
If you have any questions about Fees and Finance, please email the Student Finance Team.
Gallery
Take a look at the Charles Sikes Building, where your lectures and seminars will take place.
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Why Hud
Explore the unique opportunities and resources that make our institution a top choice for students seeking a well-rounded and future-focused education.
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Careers support
We know you’re coming to university to study on your chosen subject, meet new people and broaden your horizons. However, we also help you to focus on life after you have graduated to ensure that your hard work pays off and you achieve your ambition.
Find out more about careers supportStudent support
At the University of Huddersfield, you’ll find support networks and services to help you get ahead in your studies and social life. Whether you study at undergraduate or postgraduate level, you’ll soon discover that you’re never far away from our dedicated staff and resources to help you to navigate through your personal student journey.
See our support servicesTeaching Excellence
Great teaching is engaging and inspiring — it helps you reach your full potential and prepares you for the future. We don’t just teach well — we excel — and we have the awards and recognition to prove it.
Find out moreInspiring Academics
Our researchers carry out world-leading work that makes a real difference to people’s lives. Staff within the Huddersfield Business School may teach you on this course.
Find out more about our staffResearch Excellence
You’ll be taught by staff who want to support your learning and share the latest knowledge and research.
Find out moreAccommodation
Looking for student accommodation? Huddersfield has you covered. HudLets has a variety of accommodation types to choose from, no matter what your preference. HudLets is the University’s approved accommodation service, run by Huddersfield Students’ Union.
Take a look at your optionsFurther Study
If you want to continue your learning beyond your undergraduate degree, there is a range of financial support available for postgraduate study, including discounts for Huddersfield graduates.
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Legal information
When you enrol as an apprentice learner of the University, your study and time with us will be governed by a framework of regulations, policies and procedures, which form the basis of your agreement with us. These include regulations regarding the assessment of your course, academic integrity, your conduct (including attendance) and our disciplinary procedure. It is important that you familiarise yourself with these as you’ll be asked to agree to them when you join us as an apprentice. You’ll find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan, where you’ll also find links to the full text of each of the regulations, policies and procedures referred to.
Although we always try and ensure we deliver our courses as described, sometimes we may have to make changes for the following reasons:
Changes to a course you have applied for but not yet started
If we propose to make a major change to an apprenticeship course that you have applied for, then we will tell you and your employer as soon as possible so that you can decide whether to withdraw your application prior to enrolment.
Although we always try and run all the courses we offer, we may occasionally have to withdraw a course you have applied for or delay your course start date if we consider this reasonably necessary, for example if there are not enough applicants to ensure you have a good learning experience. Where this is the case we will notify you and your employer as soon as reasonably possible. In such instances, we will work with you and your employer to agree a deferred start date, or cancel your application and, if appropriate, provide information regarding other local apprenticeship providers.
Changes to your course after you enrol as an apprentice
We will only make major changes to the core curriculum of a course or to our services if it is necessary for us to do so and provided such changes are reasonable. A major change is a change that materially changes the services available to you, or the outcomes, or a significant part, of your course, such as the nature of the award or a substantial change to module content, teaching days, classes, type of delivery or assessment of the core curriculum.
For example, it may be necessary to make a major change to reflect changes in the law or the requirements of the University’s regulators; to meet the requirements of an updated version of the apprenticeship standard relevant to your course; to meet the latest requirements of a commissioning or accrediting body; to improve the quality of educational provision; in response to student, examiners’ or other course evaluators’ feedback; and/or to reflect academic or professional changes within subject areas. Major changes may also be necessary because of circumstances outside our reasonable control, such as damage or interruption to buildings, facilities or equipment.
In exceptional circumstances, we may, for reasons outside of our control, be forced to discontinue or suspend your course. Where this is the case, a formal exit strategy will be followed and we will notify you and your employer as soon as possible about what your options are, which may include being provided with individual teaching to complete the award for which you were registered or claiming an interim award and exiting the University.
If a major change affects your course, we will notify you and your employer as soon as possible and will carry out suitable consultation with affected apprentices. If you and your employer reasonably believe that the proposed change will cause you detriment we will work with both of you to try to find an appropriate solution. Where one cannot be found we will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring your remaining apprenticeship learning to another training provider if you and your employer wish to do so.
Termination of employment
As your employer is funding your apprenticeship course, you must remain in relevant employment for the duration of the course until you have completed your end point assessment. Under the apprenticeship rules, if you are made redundant and you have completed 75% of the practical period or have less than 6 months left, then you may complete the course. Otherwise, unless you find alternative relevant employment within 12 weeks of the date you are made redundant, then you’ll be withdrawn from the course.
The Office for Students (OfS) is the principal regulator for the University. The ESFA is the principal regulator for your apprenticeship course.













