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HNC in Management & Leadership

The HNC in Management & Leadership is ideal for existing managers looking to gain a formal qualification in their field or for aspiring managers starting out in the industry.

  • Tuition fees: £1,205 - £8,100
  • Programme level: SCQF Level 7
  • UCAS code: ALM3
  • Start date: September or January
  • Study mode: Full-time, Part-time
  • Duration: 1 year

What will I study?

The HNC in Management & Leadership is the first year of a 2-year programme, comprised of study at HNC level during the first year with progression to Diploma in the second. Whether you are already a leader or manager with responsibility for a significant area of work or are aspiring to such a role of responsibility, you will develop your management principles such as leadership and managing people as well as business, economics and marketing to give you a grounding in all aspects of management and leadership.

During the HNC, you will cover topics such as self-development, management and leadership skills, managing and working with others, planning and implementing change, managing operational resources and customer care.

All teaching for this programme will be delivered in person, on campus. Classes will not be delivered online. 

Download the programme handbook

What will I learn?

  • Develop the skills required of a manager and to build and develop the practical knowledge and skills that allow you to face the day to day challenges of the modern workplace
  • Develop your knowledge and skills required for employment in a management environment
  • Build the key skills of personal resilience, confidence and empathy
  • Establish a working knowledge of the key functional areas that shape leadership roles and build a set of practical skills that you can take to the workplace
  • Develop the skills required of a manager to connect with co-workers, peers, customers and other stakeholders
  • Enable you to contribute within an organisation and undertake leadership responsibility for a given area/project or idea

Programme information


The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) jointly certificates the HNC and Diploma in Management and Leadership with the SQA. On achievement of the HNC or Diploma in Management and Leadership, you are eligible for Associate (ACMI) membership of the CMI.

You are also entitled to 12 months free studying membership of CMI when registered on the HNC or Diploma in Management and Leadership.

Entry requirements

  • 2 Highers or equivalent and National 5 Maths or equivalent
  • Relevant National Qualifications or National Qualification Group Awards at SCQF level 5 or 6

Applicants with no formal qualifications are encouraged to apply and may be asked to attend an interview. 

This programme may be suitable if you are:

  • A school leaver
  • An adult returner to education
  • Have relevant work experience, but no formal qualifications

English Language requirements 

Teaching takes place solely in English and you must demonstrate that their English language proficiency is at a level that will allow you to follow your intended programme successfully.

If English is not your first language you must hold a qualification as evidence of your English language skills. Full details of the qualifications we accept, can be found here.

Student Visa requirements for study in the UK

The UK Government approves certain English language qualifications as being Secure English Language Tests (SELT). These meet the government’s requirements for visa applications.

Al-Maktoum College will accept the following:

  • IELTS – 6.0 (Minimum of 5.5 in each component and 6.0 in writing) or equivalent
  • LanguageCert – B2 or equivalent

Full entry requirement information can be found here

Successful completion of year 1 (HNC) will allow you to progress onto the Diploma (year 2).

You may also choose to apply to university to continue your studies at degree level. The College has an agreement in place with Abertay University which allows entry into Year 2 of selected degree programmes. View the full University articulation routes here.   

The HNC and Diploma in Management and Leadership are designed to provide learners with the skills and knowledge required to enter a range of roles across all sectors. Positions may or may not include the term ‘leader or manager’ but may still require employees/crew/team to take leadership responsibility.

The following list provides an indication of the types of post:

  • Team/crew member or leader
  • Project leader
  • Senior administrator
  • Customer service executive/manager
  • Manager
  • Senior engineer/trainer/practitioner
  • Facilities manager

Teaching

  • You will have 12 hours of class time per week with an additional 12 hours of independent study expected
  • Classes take place on a Monday and Tuesday.
  • Classes will be in the form of lectures and small group tutorials
  • All teaching for this programme will be delivered in person, on campus. Classes will not be delivered online.

Assessment

Assessment will be through reports, essays, and case studies as well as presentations, group assessments, exams and projects.

The HNC includes a Graded Unit, which is a project in the form of a practical assignment. It is designed to assess your ability to retain and integrate the knowledge and skills gained in the award and to also grade your achievement.

There are three grades:

A — if you achieve 70% or over

B — if you achieve between 60% and 69%

C — if you achieve between 50% and 59%.

University Pathways

The College’s articulation agreement with Abertay University means that with successful completion of the HNC in Management & Leadership (year 1), you can progress your studies to degree level at university. The following programmes guarantee entry into either year 2 or year 3:

  • BA (Hons) Accounting & Finance
  • BA (Hons) Accounting & Finance with People Management
  • BA (Hons) Accounting & Finance with Business Analytics
  • BA (Hons) Business Management
  • BA (Hons) Business Management with People Management
  • BA (Hons) Business Management with Law
  • BA (Hons) Business Management with Events Management
  • BA (Hons) Business Management with Analytics
  • BA (Hons) Marketing & Business Management
  • BA (Hons) Digital Marketing & Business Management
  • BA (Hons) Digital Marketing with Events Management

Unit information

Economic Issues: An Introduction

This unit will introduce you to fundamental issues in economics with a particular emphasis on the business environment. You will consider the basic economic problem, how consumers and other economic agents address this problem, and how markets can be used to allocate resources. It will introduce the operation of markets and actions that can be taken to help avoid market failure. The unit also introduces the theory of National Income and the circular flow of Income model.

Business Law: An Introduction

This unit is designed to introduce you to several aspects of law that you may encounter in a commercial environment. It introduces Scottish law and differentiates the powers of Holyrood and Westminster. It explores the different legal entities of business, contract law, and key features of the laws surrounding employment and the consumer. The unit is useful if you require a general awareness of legal matters in a business context.

Managing People and Organisations

This unit is designed to enable you to gain an understanding of different approaches to managing an organisation in today’s dynamic and complex business environment. It will introduce anyone, whether intending to or working in an administrative, commercial or management role, to current management theories and practice to enable you to use these to evaluate organisational effectiveness.

Management: Developing Self Management Skills

The purpose of this unit is to enable you to recognise the importance of personal development and to develop skills which will enable you to continuously develop as you progress through your career. It enables you to become more self-aware in terms of your personal and career goals and how these may be influenced by factors such as work-life balance and their ethical approach. The unit also enables you to apply the lessons from this enhanced self-awareness to preparing, implementing and evaluating a personal development plan for yourself. The Unit highlights that continuous professional development is a key tool in embarking upon and maintaining a successful managerial career. The unit is aimed at candidates who have current experience of working in a position with management responsibilities or who are returning to management after a break. However, it is also suitable for those who do not presently have current management experience but have realistic aspirations of taking up a management role in the future.

Management: Leadership at Work

The purpose of this unit is to enable you to analyse approaches to leadership and apply them to leading a team within a functional area or department of an organisation. It emphasises the need to ensure that the leadership approach can motivate, support and direct people to achieve the vision and objectives for a team in a given work area. The unit is aimed at candidates who have current experience of working in a position with management responsibilities or who are returning to management after a break. It is also suitable for those who do not presently have current management experience but have realistic aspirations of taking up a management role in the future.

Manage Operational Resources

This unit is designed to develop the skills required to analyse the management of operational resources in an organisation. It enables you to recognise the key role of the transformation process and how all aspects of operational management are built around it. The unit focuses on key areas of operations management within service and product organisations alike: quality; ethics and environmental considerations; the impact of technology; health and safety; and budgetary control. It is aimed at learners who have current experience of working in a position with management responsibilities or who are returning to management after a break. It is also suitable for those who do not presently have current management experience but have aspirations of taking up a management role in the future.

Managing People

This unit is designed to develop the knowledge and skills you will need to manage people effectively in the workplace across private, public or voluntary sector regardless of functional area. It considers and focuses on the role of the manager in managing people at each stage of the employment cycle ie, from recruitment through to exiting. It is aimed at learners who have current experience of working in a position with management responsibilities or who are returning to management post after a break. It is also suitable for those who do not presently have current management experience but have aspirations of taking up a management role in the future.

Marketing: An Introduction

This introductory unit is designed to provide a knowledge and understanding of marketing and its importance in organisations. The unit is also designed to develop your understanding of the marketing mix in the context of both products and services.

Management & Leadership Graded Unit 1

This unit is a closed-book examination to assess a range of knowledge and skills achieved through study of the mandatory units.

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