Higher Apprenticeship in Faith-Based Leadership

Entry requirements

You should ordinarily have a 2:1 Honours degree, plus three years’ experience in a leadership role (this doesn’t have to be a senior role).

However, we are able to take your professional experience into account and it is not absolutely essential for you to have a first degree. Please contact us to discuss your personal circumstances. You’ll also need to be employed or currently volunteering extensively in some sort of leadership capacity.

Months of entry

September

Course content

Become an informed faith leader ready to lead your organisation and make a positive impact in society. On our apprenticeship route you can gain a Faith-Based Leadership qualification funded by the employer apprenticeship levy.

This course is ideal for anyone in a senior position in a faith setting, or someone looking to progress to a senior position. You might be working for a faith-based organisation or work for an organisation that deals with faith-based issues. Our course brings together professionals from a variety of faiths.

The course runs over 30 months part-time. Most of the content is delivered online with a 48-hour residential at Birmingham for each module.

You’ll study one module at a time. You'll usually take three modules across each calendar year.

Course highlights

At Birmingham, we recognise faith leaders already have expert theological and pastoral skills, but often need to manage sophisticated organisations, projects and initiatives.

On this course you'll develop leadership and management skills, ready to maximise the social impact of your faith community or organisation. What's more, our Faith Based Leadership Level 7 Apprenticeship means you can learn on the job, with the support of your employer.

• Apprenticeship route is aligned to the Senior Leader Apprenticeship Standard, preparing you for inclusive and strategic leadership positions.
• Interdisciplinary course combining organisational leadership, professional development and theological reflection.
• Focus on continuing professional development: apply your learning in your leadership context from day one.
• Collaborative online learning. You can also attend in-person residentials with special practitioner masterclasses.

Course delivery

At Birmingham, research and teaching go hand-in-hand. Lecturers and professors continue to research in their field, offering valuable expertise in Faith Based Leadership.

The programme doesn’t follow the traditional University teaching year cycle. This course begins in early September and continues for a total of 45 weeks of the year. Each of the six taught modules runs over 15 weeks.

Some of the course is delivered via distance learning using the University's Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) through live discussion groups at a set time each week.

• Taught modules - each module represents a total of 200 hours of study time, including preparatory reading, homework and assignment preparation.
• Weekly online live discussion activities and individual and group tutorial meetings
• 48 hour residential stays at Birmingham to network with your peers and visit local case study sites

Fees and funding

To take advantage of the funding available for Higher Apprenticeships, your organisation must be based in England and the applicant employed predominantly in England. The organisation must either pay the degree apprenticeship levy, or be prepared to apply for UK government funding for apprenticeships directly. Apprenticeship funding covers between 95-100% of the programme fees.