Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship

About the course

The Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship was designed in close partnership with leading employers and the Chartered Management Institute (CMI). This means you’ll graduate with a BSc in Leadership and Business Management, your apprenticeship certificate and you’ll be eligible to apply for Chartered Status from the CMI. 

Through a combination of work-based learning and study, you will be immersed in your organisation’s culture and be fully prepared for the challenges of your sector. Your degree is specifically designed for apprentices and is directly applicable to a range of careers in business. 

The programme covers a broad spectrum of business functions to give you a high-level understanding of how a successful business operates. You will also have the opportunity to select optional modules to specialise your learning. 

We’ll teach you the theory and key skills and you’ll put them straight into practice whilst you are employed as an apprentice.

You’ll work with one of Aston’s partner apprenticeship providers like Capgemini, Mondelēz and Kaplan and gain experience learning on the job while studying towards a degree in leadership and business management debt-free.

Qualifications

By successfully completing this programme, you'll be awarded with:

• BSc in Leadership and Business Management
• Eligibility to apply for Chartered Status from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI)
• CMI Certificate of Professional Development - Apprenticeship EPA Completion 
• An apprenticeship certificate.

Who is this apprenticeship for?

If you aspire to be a manager in business, this apprenticeship is for you. You will learn about business theory across different functions that can be applied in your day-to-day work and support your career progression. 

Real-world learning 

You’ll spend most of your time doing a full-time job as well as studying for your degree part-time through a combination of online seminars outside of office hours and occasional sessions on campus. Everything is structured to fit around your job and is designed in partnership with your employer. 

Course structure 

This course is taught at undergraduate level through a set of core modules that will give you the theory you need in your day-to-day role. 

The three year route is recommended for more experienced managers who are ready for a faster-paced learning experience. 

Stage one

•     Financial Management 
•     Marketing 
•     Communication Skills for Business Leaders 
•     Developing Managerial Skill. 

Stage two

•     Operations Management 
•     Leadership and Change Management 
•     Excellence in Business Project Management 
•     The Professional Manager. 

Final stage

    Two elective modules 
    Final Project. 

Elective modules change depending on student demand. A typical offering includes: 

•     Advanced Operations 
•     Advanced Project Management 
•     Big Data and Analytics 
•     Digital Marketing 
•     Innovation and New Product Development 
•     Logistics Management 
•     Strategic Human Resource Management 
•     Strategic Sales Management 
•     Strategic Supply Chain Management 
•     Talent Management. 

Entry requirements are set by the hiring business and not Aston University so they vary between organisations. Apprentices are selected based on their applications, an interview and an assessment process which is tailored to your apprenticeship position.

You will need:

• Three A Levels (or equivalent) or a minimum of 3 years work experience
• At least Grade 4 or C GCSE Maths and English.

You will also need to meet the government's eligibility criteria:

• Have been a UK/EU/EAA resident for the past three years or more prior to starting the course 
• Have left full time education when the apprenticeship you are applying for is due to start 
• Be aged at least 16 years old to meet government funding criteria.

Apprenticeships are structured differently to a traditional degree. You'll spend the majority of your time in the workplace doing a real full-time job as well as studying for your degree part-time. Your learning will be made up of a combination of online seminars that take place outside of office hours as well as occasional sessions on campus where you can meet face-to-face with your peers and our academics.

Study time is structured to fit around your job. Your apprenticeship is designed in partnership with your employer, so you don't need to worry about your work and study commitments clashing. They work hand in hand.

Once a term, in the middle of your module, you will attend a two day study session on campus. This will usually include:

• An information session about the upcoming assessments.
• Lectures/seminars for your current module.
• Personal and professional development workshop.
• A one-to-one session with your degree apprenticeship tutor.
• Portfolio contribution workshops.

For your professional and personal development module and portfolio, you will be supported by your degree apprenticeship tutor. You can expect a monthly one-to-one session (either face-to-face, over the phone or Skype) plus a workplace visit every six months.

Assessment

There are no exams for this apprenticeship, instead, you will be assessed throughout by two pieces of coursework per module. The first assignment is due halfway through each module and the second is due at the end of the module. Assessment dates are published at the start of the degree apprenticeship to help you plan your work and personal commitments around studying.

In your final year, you will complete a large work-based project that will require you to use all the theory and skills you have gained throughout the apprenticeship. Throughout the programme, you will also complete a business portfolio that showcases the skills you have learned and how you have actioned them in the workplace.

Your apprenticeship also includes an end point assessment, which consists of a review of your final project and portfolio, followed by an interview with representatives from Aston University, your employer, and an independent assessor. After the interview, based both on your performance and complete portfolio, the assessors consider what grade you should be awarded for your apprenticeship – fail, pass, merit or distinction.

You will not have to pay tuition fees as a degree apprenticeships, as the costs are met by the UK government and your employer*. In addition to your fees being paid, you will also earn a salary while you study, so there is no need to apply for Student Finance.

The funding band for this degree apprenticeship is £22,000. This is the full cost of your apprenticeship which will be paid for using your employer's apprenticeship levy.

*Employers may require students to pay the fees for resits.

Why study a Chartered Management Degree – Level 6 Apprenticeship at Aston?

If you’d like a management career whilst gaining practical experience, this Level 6 apprenticeship could be for you. 

Aston’s fantastic partner apprenticeship providers means we have a great range of employers who work closely with us to tailor your degree programme around your employment. You’ll gain real business experience learning on the job while studying towards a degree in Leadership and Business Management debt-free. 

Why Aston University for an apprenticeship?

Aston University has been ranked 13th in a Top 50 list of the UK’s best apprenticeship training providers (RateMyApprenticeship Awards, 2022). We also have a history of providing our students with skills that help them to excel in their chosen careers, as well as really value our network of employer links which inform and shape our courses and teaching. 

Does accreditation matter for this course?

We’ve worked with the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) to accredit this course. This means you’ll graduate with a BSc in Leadership and Business Management, your apprenticeship certificate and you’ll be eligible to apply for Chartered Status from the CMI. You’ll really help set yourself apart from others in the careers market. 

Why Aston University Business School?

Aston University’s Business School is amongst the top 1 per cent of business schools in the world to have triple accreditation, the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) rates us ‘Gold’ and we are first in the UK for ‘Value Added’, comparing our students’ entry grades with their final degree result, showing the quality of our teaching (Aston University, Guardian University Guide, 2020). All of this means we really value your learning experience and the skills you develop and demonstrate as part of your course.

Aston University is renowned for its excellence in teaching and research and the employability of our graduates. At Aston Business School we are committed to innovative approaches to teaching and education. We are dedicated to providing the students with a competitive advantage in the jobs market by delivering the knowledge students need to pursue the many career tracks available to them with a background in international business. Teaching on the course is informed by our world-class scholars and provides you with a deep understanding and skills for conducting business in a global scale.

At Aston University, we aim to prepare the students for the real world challenges. There are plenty of opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience and apply their knowledge in real-life situations by engaging in live projects and internships.