Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship

Course overview

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

Through a combination of work-based learning and study, you'll be immersed in your organisation’s culture and be prepared for the challenges of your sector.

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

Testimonial

"Before my apprenticeship, I rarely took on active team roles or leadership positions due to the lack of confidence and the misconceptions I had about being a leader. Having been an apprentice for two years and counting, I've stepped outside my comfort zone and took on positions that challenge me. My apprenticeship has allowed me take on leadership roles in various scenarious, ranging from y career initiatives to leading technical client projects. I've had the opportunity to work closely with managers and observe various leadership positions. This exposure has provided me with valuable insights into what it takes to be an effective leader."

Iman Bhatti

Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship

Programme Manager

Why choose Aston University?

Gold standard teaching

Aston University was awarded Triple Gold - the highest possible rating for the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF, 2023)

Earn a salary while you study

Gain workplace experience as a full-time employee, as you study for your degree

Obtain the status of a Chartered Manager

Upon completing the apprenticeship, graduates attain the Chartered Manager status accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI)

Course description

Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship BSc

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

What we will provide
You'll recieve mentorship and guidance from experienced professionals, enhancing their practical knowledge.

By successfully completing this programme, we will award you 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.

What will you provide
As an apprentice, you will be required to balance academic work, full-time employment, and on-the-job training. You will be expected to engage with teaching materials, online lectures, and in-person sessions. You will need to submit coursework and other assessments in a timely manner.

What skills will we teach
Throughout the apprenticeship, you’ll learn a diverse range of management skills including strategic planning, operational execution, resource management, data-driven decision-making, effective communication, leadership, team building, budgeting, customer service enhancement, innovation, problem-solving, critical analysis, time management, and ethical decision-making. The course also fosters adaptability, stress management, self-awareness, and a strong sense of organisational values and purpose.

Career prospects
Whether you're aspiring to become a manager or seeking to enhance your existing managerial skills, this apprenticeship is for you. It offers insights into business theory across various functions, directly applicable to your daily responsibilities, thus aiding your career advancement. With the Chartered Management Degree Apprenticeship, you'll be well-prepared for a wide range of managerial roles, such as delivery manager, operations manager, project manager, or department head.

How you will learn

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
Practical experiential activities putting your learning into practice
Portfolio contribution workshops.

For your professional and personal development module and portfolio, you will be supported by your skills coach. You can expect a one to one virtual session with your Skills Coach every month plus a virtual Tripartite meeting between yourself, Skills Coach and Line Manager on average every 10 weeks to discuss your progress and support required to progress your online portfolio.

What you will learn

You'll gain a broad knowledge of management, covering topics such as marketing, project management, and leadership. You will also develop skills in communication as well as management.

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 during your final year.

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

Facilities

At Aston University, apprentices enjoy full access to all the facilities available to regular students. This inclusive approach ensures that apprentices can take advantage of the university's library, labs, study spaces, cafes and more. By providing equal access to these facilities, Aston University supports apprentices in their educational journey, enabling them to thrive in both academic and practical aspects of their chosen fields.

Course objectives

Make use of theoretically underpinned management techniques to bring about sound analysis, design, and delivery of management solutions.
Apply your skills in critical self-reflection, analysis of problems, and personal development.
Develop the personal and intercultural awareness needed to work and communicate effectively in business.
Work effectively as independent self-managed learners as well as parts of a team; demonstrate graduate-level transferable skills.
Gain a broad perspective on business and management, including social responsibility and ethical practice in professional contexts.

Modules and learning outcomes

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.

Stage 1 modules

Module title	Credits
Financial management	30
Marketing	30
Communication skills for business leaders	30
Developing managerial skills	30
Total	120

Stage 1 outcomes

Recognise and interpret a range of information from and organisation's financial and management accounts.
Analyse the financial performance and position of an organisation using financial ratios.
Apply a range of basic management accounting tools to assist with management decision making, budgeting and performance evaluation.
Discuss the limitations of accounting information and explain the implications of these limitations in understanding an organisation's financial performance and position.
Analyse your reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills for business leadership.
Develop your communication skills for the purposes of persuasion, negotiation, and discussion in business contexts.
Deliver a presentation based on vision, mission, and values and produce a report analysing the strategy of the current workplace.
Explain how the marketing function can support organisational objectives including broader marketing issues.
Discuss the marketing environment using appropriate tools and techniques, including how marketing interacts with the organisational environment.
Understand the regulation of marketing, in its various formats, and how this regulation influences the development of marketing strategy and tactics.
Demonstrate cooperative working in a small group to present findings
Implement self-development plans, be able to assess and modify your collaborative behaviour, and explain the importance of business ethics.

Stage 2 modules

Module title	Credits
Operations management	30
Leadership and change management	30
Excellence in business project management	30
The professional manager	30
Total	120

Stage 2 outcomes

Apply key operations management concepts and tools to solve operational problems.
Discuss the importance of operations management and international operations within the wider context of the business and its strategy.
Discuss the social and environmental issues relating to organisations choices in globalising their operations .
Apply the principles of quality management to current business challenges and interpret appropriate theoretical concepts, tools and skills that are used to manage organisational change effectively.
To critically evaluate the validity and usefulness of leadership approaches and employ the knowledge and practical skills which work most effectively in organisations when leading, influencing, delegating, coaching, and resolving conflict.
Evaluate strategic choices in the context of change management; demonstrate an awareness of the leadership principles that inform organisational values.
Experiment and work effectively as part of a team to apply problem-solving tools and techniques to simulated business problems.
Make a case in which you identify a business situation and distinguish why the operations were/ were not excellent.
Analyse a problem situation, select and apply the appropriate course topics to the given problem situation.
Plan how the application of the selected course topics will deliver improved performance to the given problem situation.
Consider the challenges proposed by project implementation Recognise the value of continuous improvement in project design, implementation, and evaluation.
Evaluate others to inform their professional development and apply a range of concepts, techniques, and approaches to developing the practice of others.
Discuss a wide range of issues related to the ethics and social responsibilities of professional development.

Stage 3

Includes two elective modules and a final project.

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

Module title	Credits
Advanced operations	30
Advanced project management	30
Big data and analytics	30
Digital marketing	30
Innovation and new product development	30
Logistics management	30
Strategic human resource management	30
Strategic sales management	30
Strategic supply chain management	30
Talent management	30

Entry requirements

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.

Indicative entry requirements are given below, but please note that each employer may set their own criteria.

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.

Course fees

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.

Assessment

You will be assessed by coursework for each module and be required to sit some tests for some modules. 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.

End point assessment

Your apprenticeship also includes an end point assessment, which consists of a review of your final project and portfolio, followed by an interview with 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.

Career prospects

Whether you're aspiring to become a manager or seeking to enhance your existing managerial skills, this apprenticeship is for you. It offers insights into business theory across various functions, directly applicable to your daily responsibilities, thus aiding your career advancement. With the Chartered Management Degree Apprenticeship, you'll be well-prepared for a wide range of managerial roles, such as delivery manager, operations manager, project manager, or department head.

Frequently asked questions

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

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

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.

Contact us

If you have any questions, please email apprenticeships@aston.ac.uk. Be sure to include your name, your employer, and the programme you are inquiring about.