Option for Placement Year
Option for Study Abroad
Senior People Professionals are the in-house experts in people, work and organisations. They champion the people agenda to create working environments and cultures that help get the best out of people and, as a result, build resilient and sustainable high performing workplaces.
Apprentices joining the programme will learn about the strategic management of people, including how to develop strategies and practices to enable performance in employees as well as the development of their own business acumen. Our programme while offers a range of challenging, reflexive self-development opportunities within the context of the Senior People Professional Higher Apprenticeship standard, and is designed around three pathways which are chosen by the apprentice to enable you to specialise in an area that is aligned to the needs of your organisation and your development the most. Senior People Professionals may specialise in either Human Resources (HR), Learning and Development (L&D) or Organisation Development (OD). This Apprenticeship takes a core and options approach. All apprentices will complete the core modules and are required to select the most appropriate specialism to their role from HR, L&D and OD. This programme is also designed to enable an optional pathway to the MA Human Resource Management, upon completion of the apprenticeship (subject to validation, and fee).
The Senior People Professional Higher Apprenticeship provides a route to CIPD Chartered Member status. Upon completion, and passing the apprenticeship, you may choose the CIPD as your End Point Assessment Organisation (EPAO), or any other appropriate EPAO at that time. The EPAO is selected by you as the employer, with our support, and is independent and will not have been involved in delivering the apprenticeship programme of learning.
Potential apprentices will need to be employed within Human Resource Management and Development (HRM/D) at an appropriate level, either in a new role or in progressing their career path, and will bring their own experiences from the workplace to underpin the learning experience and to inform future personal and professional practice. Through a structured learning strategy, apprentices will embark on a learning journey that values applied learning and a critically reflective approach to developing leadership and management skills and behaviours. Through Northumbria’s curriculum design and assessment strategy apprentices will have opportunities to reflect on their own performance and behaviours. Apprentices will emerge from the Senior People Professional Higher Apprenticeship as critical thinkers and reflexive practitioners who are self-aware; who can deal with complexity and ambiguity; and who are primed and ready to undertake the final stages of the MA (which you may choose to select).
Apprenticeship programmes at Northumbria University are designed to support apprentices in acquiring the appropriate knowledge, skills and behaviour and retain the integrity of the apprenticeship standard as defined by IFATE. For further details please consult the IFATE Apprenticeship standards / Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education webpage here.
Level of Study
Postgraduate
Mode of Study
30 months Part Time
Department
Newcastle Business School
Location
City Campus, Northumbria University
City
Newcastle
Start
September 2025 or January 2026
Fees
Fee Information
Modules
Module Information
Explore our full range of Higher and Degree Apprenticeships within the following sectors:
Explore our full range of Higher and Degree Apprenticeships within the following sectors:
Applicants should normally have:
A minimum of a 2:2 honours degree, or at least three years of relevant work experience within Human Resource Management and Development (HRM/D) with responsibility for HRM/D delivery.
Other subject qualifications, including lower level professional qualifications such as the CIPD level 5 Certificate, or other related work experience such as Business Partner, will be considered on an individual basis.
Applicants without formal qualifications but with substantial senior-level HRM/D experience are encouraged to apply and will be considered on an individual basis.
International qualifications:
If you have studied a non UK qualification, you can see how your qualifications compare to the standard entry criteria, by selecting the country that you received the qualification in, from our country pages. Visit http://www.northumbria.ac.uk/yourcountry
English Language requirements
International applicants are required to have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.5 with 5.5 in each component (or approved equivalent*).
*The university accepts a large number of UK and International Qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades you will need in our English Language section. Visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/englishqualifications
* At Northumbria we are strongly committed to protecting the privacy of personal data. To view the University’s Privacy Notice please click here
Module information is indicative and is reviewed annually therefore may be subject to change. Applicants will be informed if there are any changes.
HA7018 -
Commencing the SPP Apprenticeship Journey (Core,20 Credits)
This module is the first of five designed to enhance your development and in so doing ensure your progress towards the End Point Assessment (EPA) that is the culmination of your Senior People Professional Higher Apprenticeship.
Your learning will be designed around the 12 core duties that underpin the HA standard but will be tailored by you to reflect how knowledge, skills and behaviours are constructed and enacted within the context of your employment.
Your performance on this module (and hence the award of academic credits) will depend upon your engagement with the HA standards and your ability to demonstrate the progress of your learning and development towards the fulfillment of these standards. Completion of this module and progress to the next stage of your studies will depend upon:
• The production of a reflective log demonstrates your continuing commitment to your own continuing professional development and your engagement with programme learning materials.
• Satisfactory performance in the regular tripartite reviews convened between you, your coach and your workplace mentor.
• Satisfactory progress in the development of your portfolio of learning as evidenced by the production of a minimum number of draft portfolio evidence components as agreed during your tripartite reviews.
There will be curated technology enabled learning (TEL) to support remaining 20% off the job learning including Zoom/Teams/Blackboard collaborate in addition to the following to support your learning:
• Practice and Academic reading lists
• Video lecture content
• Professional memberships
HA7019 -
Developing the SPP Apprenticeship Journey (Core,20 Credits)
This module is the second of five designed to enhance your development and in so doing to ensure your progress towards the End Point Assessment (EPA) that is the culmination of your SPP Higher Apprenticeship.
Your learning will be designed around the 12 core duties that underpin the SPP HA standard but will be tailored by you to reflect how knowledge, skills and behaviours are constructed and enacted within the context of your employment.
Your performance on this module (and hence the award of academic credits) will depend upon your engagement with the HA standards and your ability to demonstrate the progress of your learning and development towards the fulfillment of these standards. Completion of this module and progress to the next stage of your studies will depend upon:
• The production of a reflective log demonstrates your continuing commitment to your own continuing professional development and your engagement with programme learning materials.
• Satisfactory performance in the regular tripartite reviews convened between you, your coach and your workplace mentor.
• Satisfactory progress in the development of your portfolio of learning as evidenced by the production of a minimum number of draft portfolio evidence components as agreed during your tripartite reviews.
There will be curated technology enabled learning (TEL) to support remaining 20% off the job learning including Zoom/Teams/Blackboard collaborate in addition to the following to support your learning:
• Practice and Academic reading lists
• Video lecture content
• Professional memberships.
HA7020 -
Focusing on the SPP Apprenticeship Journey (Core,20 Credits)
This module is the third of five designed to enhance your development and in so doing to ensure your progress towards the End Point Assessment (EPA) that is the culmination of your Higher Apprenticeship.
Your learning will be designed around the 12 core duties that underpin the HA standard but will be tailored by you to reflect how knowledge, skills and behaviours are constructed and enacted within the context of your employment, via your specialist route.
Your performance on this module (and hence the award of academic credits) will depend upon your engagement with the HA standards and your ability to demonstrate the progress of your learning and development towards the fulfillment of these standards. Completion of this module and progress to the next stage of your studies will depend upon:
• The production of a reflective log demonstrates your continuing commitment to your own continuing professional development and your engagement with programme learning materials.
• Satisfactory performance in the regular tripartite reviews convened between you, your coach and your workplace mentor.
• Satisfactory progress in the development of your portfolio of learning as evidenced by the production of a minimum number of draft portfolio evidence components as agreed during your tripartite reviews.
There will be curated technology enabled learning (TEL) to support remaining 20% off the job learning including Zoom/Teams/Blackboard collaborate in addition to the following to support your learning:
• Practice and Academic reading lists
• Video lecture content
• Professional memberships.
HA7021 -
Completing the SPP Apprenticeship Journey (Core,20 Credits)
This module is the fourth of five designed to enhance your development and in so doing ensure your progress towards the End Point Assessment (EPA) that is the culmination of your Senior People Professional Higher Apprenticeship.
Your learning will be designed around the 12 core and your choice of 6 specialist duties that underpin the SPP HA standard but will be tailored by you to reflect how knowledge, skills and behaviours are constructed and enacted within the context of your employment, via your specialist route.
Your performance on this module (and hence the award of academic credits) will depend upon your engagement with the HA standards and your ability to demonstrate the progress of your learning and development towards the fulfillment of these standards. Completion of this module and progress to the next stage of your studies will depend upon:
• The production of a reflective log demonstrates your continuing commitment to your own continuing professional development and your engagement with programme learning materials.
• Satisfactory performance in the regular tripartite reviews convened between you, your workplace coach and your workplace mentor.
• Satisfactory progress in the development of your portfolio of learning as evidenced by the production of a minimum number of draft portfolio evidence components as agreed during your tripartite reviews.
There will be curated technology enabled learning (TEL) to support remaining 20% off the job learning including Zoom/Teams/Blackboard collaborate in addition to the following to support your learning:
• Practice and Academic reading lists
• Video lecture content
• Professional memberships.
HA7022 -
SPP Apprenticeship End Point (Core,40 Credits)
This module is the final of five designed to support your progress towards the End Point Assessment (EPA) that is the culmination of your Senior People Professional Higher Apprenticeship.
Your learning will support demonstration of some of the core duties that underpin the SPP standard and will be tailored by you to reflect how knowledge, skills and behaviours are constructed and enacted within the context of your employment. It will focus on Duty 1 - Lead the design, creation, implementation and review of people policies and practices aligned to the needs of the organisation
Your performance on this module (and hence the award of academic credits) will depend upon your engagement with the HA standards and completion of the end point project. Completion of this module and progress to the next stage of your studies will depend upon:
• Successful completion of professional discussion during the End Point Assessment process.
• Successful submission of a 7000-word project proposal to satisfy the requirements of End Point Assessment.
• Successful completion of presentation and questioning during the End Point Assessment process.
At Northumbria University, our higher and degree apprenticeships are more than a learning programme; they are a partnership. We work with organisations to create courses that meet the demands of businesses.
Our Continual Professional Development (CPD) courses are designed to open up exciting new possibilities for individuals and organisations. By increasing skills and knowledge and introducing new ways of thinking and working we create impact in performance at all levels.
The world is changing faster than ever before. The future is there to be won by organisations who find ways to turn today’s possibilities into tomorrow’s competitive edge.
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