Senior Leader (Health) Apprenticeship+ Executive MBA
The Senior Leader (Health) Apprenticeship is a nationally recognised qualification in leadership funded by the Apprenticeship Levy and can be studied whilst you work.
This information is intended for eligible candidates interested in the Senior Leader (Health) Apprenticeship. For Non-Apprenticeship study, explore the
Executive Programme Health MBAStart date
September 2025
Duration
24 months part-time
Location
Online
Application deadline
29 August 2025
Take the next step in your career at UCL
Apply nowThe UCL Senior Leader (Health) Apprenticeship+ Executive MBA are part-time online programmes that position busy professionals at the forefront of healthcare leadership. Candidates will gain world-class specialist business education in the health sector while working. This programme integrates the crucial leadership skills, knowledge and behaviours acknowledged by the Senior Leader Apprenticeship (Health)+ Executive MBA Health themes. The Executive MBA Health top-up focuses on enhancing leadership qualities and academic skills.
This part-time programme aligns with the updated Level 7 Senior Leader (Health) Apprenticeship Standard. The Postgraduate Diploma is for early-career professionals, including clinicians, to gain real-world business education in health to apply directly to the workplace. It is also for professionals who are seeking to move into more senior roles or pivot into new areas in the health sector. Eligible organisations can apply their Apprenticeship Levy towards covering the tuition for Part 1 of the programme. Part 2 can be financed either by the employer or the employee.
Who is this programme suitable for?
The UCL Global Business School for Health's Senior Leadership (Health) Apprenticeship+ Executive MBA are designed for senior leaders with mid- to senior-level experience aiming to enhance their skills to lead a department or entire business.
Applicants should have:
- A minimum of five years' post-qualification work experience
- A strong academic degree and/or professional qualification, or demonstrate exceptional career progression or evidence of leadership potential
- English language proficiency: full details are available on our Prospectus page
Please note that an in-depth assessment of your previous experience is mandatory for all Apprenticeship applications. This ensures that eligible candidates qualify for funding through the Apprenticeship Levy and that the apprenticeship is the most suitable training programme for you.
Modules
The focus of this module is to develop your engagement with strategic management and leadership, human resource development and marketing to amplify the vision and aims of an organisation. You explore a range of strategic and operational perspectives through academic research and an examination of work-based issues using case studies
Designed to give you a thorough grasp of the main theories, tools, methods and techniques of financial management, health economics and healthcare analytics, you will develop an understanding of the advantages, limitations and typical applications of each in relation to healthcare settings and practice. You will gain an appreciation of the role of financial information and data analysis within a healthcare organisation.
This is for you and a group of your peers to identify areas of needed health improvement through research and develop a health idea or innovation in response to this. Bringing together your learning from across the programme and through desk-based research, you will produce an original piece of research building on the various strengths of your fellow team members. You will work on the project in the third term on the programme through a number of research in practice sessions to assist you with the project.
This module covers three related themes fundamental to executive leadership – leadership style, navigating power and politics and change/innovation management. Taking a reflective approach, you will explore the literature on these topics and reflect on your own experiences and behaviours. You will be introduced to key theories and approaches to leadership and apply them in a healthcare setting. You will explore and discuss how you navigate power relationships to get what you want and need as well as what leadership at the board level involves in terms of good governance. Issues of ethics and organisational culture and the role of change management particularly in the context of driving innovation will also be examined.
This is the final stage of an apprenticeship to ensure you have met the skills, knowledge and behaviours in the apprenticeship standard.
Fees and funding
The UCL Senior Leader (Health) Apprenticeship+ Executive MBA is a comprehensive on-line programme divided into two main parts:
- Part one aligns with the Level 7 Senior Leadership (Health) apprenticeship standard and is eligible for full funding through the Apprenticeship Levy for both new and current staff who have the right to work in the UK and who are primarily based in England.
- Part two of the programme requires funding from either the employer or the candidate. Tuition fee: £16,000, payable in two equal instalments of £8,000 for the Executive MBA (Health) top-up.
Funding for non-levy payers, smaller NHS organisations such as GP surgeries can access levy funding via Healthcare Apprenticeship Standards Online.