CIPD Level 7Advanced Diploma in Strategic People Management

The CIPD Level 7 Advanced Diploma in Strategic People Management is the most senior qualification that you'll be able to study with CIPD. Equivalent in difficulty to post-graduate study, it's ideal if you're at an advanced stage in your career and you're looking to progress to a senior position that involves strategic awareness, exceptional expertise and a high level of HR experience and people management skills. It will enable you to take your career to the most developed levels, letting you apply for most senior HR and people management roles. 

The CIPD Level 7 is a professional qualification that's based on the CIPD Profession Map, which sets the international benchmark for the people profession and provides a strong base on which to give those working in people management the confidence and capabilities to guide their decision-making, actions and behaviours.

Once you've completed this course, and gained the relevant work experience, you'll be able to apply for revered 'Chartered' status: a prestigious industry accolade that's widely respected by employers and other professionals working in the people management field. 

Ultimately, the CIPD Level 7 Advanced Diploma in Strategic People Management is a qualification that represents the professional culmination of your HR learning journey: and of your progression to senior management-equivalent roles. 

As the CIPD Level 7 Advanced Diploma in Strategic People Management is equivalent to post-graduate study, it's the most challenging HR qualification that we offer. But it is also potentially one of the most fulfilling. 

Aimed at experienced HR professionals who have several years of experience and detailed professional knowledge, the qualification is designed to improve your strategic awareness, insight and planning. These are essential traits for leadership and senior management positions in the field. By studying the CIPD Level 7, you'll be refining and honing your skillset so that you can successfully gain roles at the very highest levels of the profession.

It also differs in the fact that, once you've successfully completed it and gained the relevant work experience requirements, you'll be able to apply for Chartered status too.

In the CIPD Level 7, you'll study four core modules, three specialist modules and choose one elective module to study, based on your professional interests. 

Core modules

• Work and Working Lives in a Changing Business Environment 
• People Management and Development Strategies for Performance 
• Personal Effectiveness, Ethics and Business Acumen
• Business Research in People Practice 

Specialist modules

• Resourcing and Talent Management to Sustain Success
• Strategic Reward Management 
• Strategic Employment Relations 

Elective modules (choose one)

• Advanced Employment Law in Practice 
• Learning and Development Practice 
• Managing People in an International Context
• Advanced Diversity and Inclusion
• Wellbeing at Work
• Technology-Enhanced Learning 
• Organisational Design and Development

Here's what you can expect to cover in the core modules:

In Work and Working Lives in a Changing Business Environment, you'll explore the interaction between the commercial business environment and potential future developments in the world of work, employment and the management of people. You'll examine the range of people management practices that are growing in influence and importance, including those relating to ethics and sustainability, employee well-being, equality, diversity and inclusion.

In People Management and Development Strategies for Performance, you'll examine how evidence-based, outcomes-driven and principles-led practice supports the core purpose of HR and people management. Over the module, you'll explore how HR professionals create value and deliver outcomes for organisations and employees, and how contributing to the achievement of business objectives improves performance and enhances the employee experience.

In Personal Effectiveness, Ethics and Business Acumen, you'll explore how ethical and effective behaviours can be used to champion better work and develop business acumen, as well as the crucial theories that underpin inclusiveness and influencing others through fair behaviours. This module will help you to develop your perception, critical thinking, communication and teamwork and will enhance your understanding of how actions and inclusive behaviour impact on ethics and the organisation.

In Business Research in People Practice, you'll explore how to take a systematic approach to define, design and undertake a business research project in people management. Over the course of the module, you'll develop your ability to produce an integrated report based on evidence and to include own recommendations and critical reflection.

In Resourcing and Talent Management to Sustain Success, you'll examine the day-to-day practicalities and the long-term strategic issues associated with resourcing organisations. You'll look at how to ethically and fairly, maximise the performance of staff and the organisation. 

In Strategic Reward Management, you'll look at the role of strategic rewards in attracting, motivating and retaining people at work and in achieving organisational goals. This module will provide you with the skills to design, introduce, manage and evaluate effective and fair reward strategies along with the knowledge of how these policies and practices link and impact other people management and human resources practices.

In Strategic Employment Relations, you'll develop your strategic knowledge of UK employment law and how this impacts both employers and employees. You'll cover relevant employment legislation in detail so that you can support employees and employers to abide by the law. 

The CIPD Level 7 Advanced Diploma in Strategic People Management is one of the highest-level HR qualifications that you'll be able to study with the CIPD. It's widely-renowned by employers and commands a great deal of respect in the industry. It's equivalent to a post-graduate degree in difficulty. 

You'll usually need one of the following to be eligible to study the qualification:

• Considerable experience working in an HR role
• Senior managerial experience that involved a broad range of HR elements
• An HR degree or relevant qualification - like the CIPD Level 5 Associate Diploma in People Management.

As well as having one of the above to be able to study the Level 7, you'll need to be able to demonstrate that you can speak and write in English to a high level. 

If English is your second language, we recommend that you have an IELTS 6.0/TOEFL 79/Cambridge Grade C or equivalent. We're happy to review your case on an individual basis if you're unsure though. 

If you're unsure about whether or not you're eligible to study the course, just contact one of our friendly course advisors who will be able to talk through whether your skills, experience and qualifications meet those required for study on this course.