Professional Diploma in Leadership & Management
The Leadership & Management course will develop your ability to coordinate and motivate teams through the highs and lows of doing business in Ireland, and internationally. Learn how to attract and retain the right people, coaching, career development strategies, change management and business continuity planning on a management course that will take your leadership skills to the next level.
Learn from your lecturer and peers through interactive online classes and group discussions, and grow your professional network. Take your next step today!
Why UCD Professional Academy?
- Valuable, trusted qualification
- Industry expert lecturers
- Flexible learning options

Hurry! Early Bird 10% off. Enrol before 30th May. Download the brochure now to reveal your discount code.
Course Information for Leadership & Management
Secure your place with a 5% deposit and pay the rest in instalments. Flexible payment options available.
ON DEMAND - 100% Self Paced Learning
Start today
€1,350 €1500 Save €150
- Choose your own schedule
- 36 hours of pre-recorded course material
- Complete in 18 weeks or fewer (avg 6 weeks)
- Attend optional live Q&A sessions
Showing dates for: Jun - Sep 2022
Live Classes - Delivered online or on campus
Starts 13 Jun - Ends 17 Jun 2022
Full-time
LIVE ONLINE lectures with an Industry Expert
1-week bootcamp: Monday to Friday, 9 am - 4 pm
€1,530 €1700 Save €170
Starts 23 Jun - Ends 08 Sep 2022
Part-time
LIVE ONLINE lectures with an Industry Expert
12 weeks: Thursdays, 6.30pm - 9.30pm
€1,530 €1700 Save €170
Starts 11 Jul - Ends 15 Jul 2022
Full-time
LIVE ONLINE lectures with an Industry Expert
1-week bootcamp: Monday to Friday, 9 am - 4 pm
Starts 19 Jul - Ends 04 Oct 2022
Part-time
LIVE ONLINE lectures with an Industry Expert
12 weeks: Tuesdays, 6.30pm - 9.30pm
Starts 08 Aug - Ends 12 Aug 2022
Full-time
LIVE ONLINE lectures with an Industry Expert
1-week bootcamp: Monday to Friday, 9 am - 4 pm
Compare On Demand and Live Online Learning in more detail
What will I learn about Leadership & Management?
Organisations are only as good as their people, which is why great business leaders are in demand. Learn approaches and frameworks that will help you meet this challenging responsibility. This career-transforming management course will help you develop your leadership skills and learn how to encourage others to flourish while driving real business results. There is plenty of opportunity to put the theories you learn into practice with group discussions and exercises. You’ll learn up-to-date skills including how to manage, lead and conduct performance reviews for hybrid and virtual teams, as well as diversity and inclusion practices.
Or browse our wide range of expert-led online courses and grow your career potential today.
Leadership & Management Course Modules:
Choose between live online classroom learning, on campus classes or our on-demand courses, where you set the schedule. Download your brochure form more information.
Secure your place with a 5% deposit today and pay the rest in instalments.
Module 1: Organisations
Look at the characteristics of organisations and stages of organisational development. You will discuss the environmental complexity of organisations. Understand the structure of your organisation and your place within it.
- Why organisations form
- Why they deliver
Module 2: Getting The Right People
Learn about resources for people planning and how to attract the right applicants with proven recruiting methods. Learn to understand competencies and identify the best competencies to fit your company culture.
- What is competence?
- Getting the right person
Module 3: Change
Organisations are constantly changing and evolving. Dive into how change affects an organisation and how to survive it. You will look at reasons to introduce change and the major models of change management to lead your team or organisation through it successfully.
- Why change?
- How to survive change
Module 4: Management & Leadership
Explore the different styles of leaders and managers. Learn about the ‘big three’ leadership attributes as defined by Benjamin Biermeier-Hanson. Learn about emotional intelligence, and how to build strong working relationships to achieve mutual goals.
- What is the difference?
- Why leadership works
Module 5: Coaching & Mentoring As Managers
Discover the eight competencies of coaching and the GROW model of mentoring. Understand organisational behaviour and positive reinforcement and discover how to make your objectives SMART.
- Models of coaching
- Coaching vs. mentoring
Module 6: Teamwork & The Management Of Teams
Look at the attributes of effective team reinforcement and Hackman’s team coaching model. Uncover causes of dysfunction within teams and how to address them with empathy.
- Teams are not work groups
- Management of teams
Module 7: Getting The Best From Your People
Learn about defining and planning for effective performance, setting realistic expectations, and building in quantitative and qualitative feedback. Discover strategies to build employee capability.
- Managing performance
- Setting goals
- Enhancing performance
Module 8: Networking
Discuss the political skills of social awareness, networking, interpersonal influence, and sincerity. Learn about influencing styles and the characteristics of effective influencers. Work on direct and indirect communication.
- Who is your network?
- Why network?
- How to go about it
Module 9: Developing Others
Learn to recognise and manage the talents of others, including setting up development interventions. Understand how motivation works with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
- Development plans
- HiPo identification
Module 10: Difficult Conversations
Master the art of difficult conversations, defining reality vs. individual viewpoints. Discover how to understand and influence professional attitudes and learn about the DESK model of intervention.
- Why they are stressful
- Rules for having difficult conversations
- Feedback models
Module 11: Business Continuity Planning
Discover the six aspects of planning for business continuity and learn how to step up into a leadership role. Explore behavioural leadership and how to be an authentic leader.
- Succession in family business
- Succession in organisations
- Being part of the plan
Module 12: Career Planning
Discover the ‘five most important questions’ that Drucker suggested managers ask. Learn about SWOT analysis and the skills of self-management and planning for your future.
- 5-year plans
- Choosing a pathway
- Acting on the plan
Why Study With Us?
We deliver all instructor-led courses on UCD campus or online via an easy-to-use online study environment. Engage with your instructor and classmates from your computer. Our friendly Student Services team is on hand to assist with any questions or issues you may have.
96%
of alumni said they would recommend us to friends and family
98%
of our students say they would take another course with us.
10,000
students have enrolled with us

Now includes exclusive access to thousands of journals, articles and papers. Free of charge.
Students taking part in this course will now have access to the EBSCO Online Library, free of charge, for the full duration of the course. Here you can browse thousands of books, relevant journal articles and other reliable academic and commercial texts like the Harvard Business Review, Bloomberg Businessweek and Forbes Magazine, to supplement your learning and assignments.
Looking to Develop Your Team?
With over 40 short courses to choose from, we’ll partner with you to tailor your group training plan. Make your training budget work harder this year.
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Have questions about the Professional Diploma in Leadership & Management?
Find out how this industry-focused course will give you the job-ready skills and knowledge to advance your career.
Is this course right for me?
This course is ideal for ambitious professionals who want to accelerate their career track with proven, practical leadership and management skills.
You may be:
• A business executive
• A manager
• A team leader
• A business owner
• An HR professional
• Going for a promotion to a managerial role
How will this course help with my career?
The course will give you the communication and leadership skills necessary to advance in your career. With this qualification on your CV, you demonstrate that you are ready to effectively lead and manage people to get real business results.
What is the learning experience like?
Many of our courses are now available in a variety of formats. All formats cover the same course content. You now have more choice in how you learn with us:
Live Online
Our online experience is designed to be just as interactive, supportive, and inspiring as the UCD Professional Academy campus experience.
Online courses can be accessed from any computer or laptop with an internet connection.
Live lectures are delivered using Zoom. During these lectures, your teachers will use technology interactively to ensure an engaging learning experience. When appropriate, students will be encouraged to activate their microphones so that they can ask questions and communicate with other students.
On Campus
UCD Professional is delighted to welcome learners back on the UCD Belfield Campus. On Campus courses are delivered in-person with our industry experts in the O'Brien Science building. For further details and information about the safety measure that are in place, click here.
On Demand
On Demand courses enable you to complete your course on your own schedule. Course modules are delivered in the form of one “lesson”. The lesson is broken up into short videos followed by activities designed to put the new information and concepts into practice through exercises, quizzes, forum participation and other activities.
What is the student experience like?
Student care is a high priority at UCD Professional Academy, which is why our Student Services team is on hand to support you throughout your time with us. They will respond to any queries you have, help you with any technical issues, and facilitate your learning experience at every point. All students are given access to our Student Portal, where you can see your timetable, access all your study materials, and manage your account.
How is this course assessed?
If you are studying an online course, your assessment will also be submitted online.
This course is assessed through a written project/paper and reflection log. You will have two weeks following the end of the course to complete and submit the final assignment. The written project is generally around 3,000 words (that’s about 5 pages of a standard Word document).
What are the benefits of a Professional Diploma?
UCD Professional Academy diplomas and awards are designed to give your career an advantage. Developed in conjunction with industry thought leaders and academic specialists our courses teach practical, applied skills to support you to achieve your career and business goals. Professional Diplomas are suitable for career minded learners wishing to advance their professional skills and prospects rather than their academic credentials.
The Professional Academy in an independent wholly owned part of UCD designed to address the need for skills development in the workforce. Courses tend to be short, designed and delivered by industry practitioners, and are not part of nor do they lead to a traditional University award such as a degree or a masters. They are widely accepted by employers and many students are sponsored to study by their organisation.
For full details of UCD Professional Academy’s Awards & Governance please visit https://www.ucd.ie/professionalacademy/governance/
How do I get my Diploma?
Your UCD Professional Academy Diploma will be issued electronically on a secure platform, with a link that you can share with employers and others wishing to verify your credentials. You can also add this qualification to your LinkedIn profile.
What payment options are available?
A place on any of our programmes can be secured with a 10% deposit.
For full-time (boot camp) programmes, the balance must be paid in full before course commencement.
For part-time programmes students will be required to pay 45% of the fees before the start of the course, with the remaining balance due within 30 days of the course commencing.
Please note that standard terms and conditions apply, which you can review here: https://www.ucd.ie/professionalacademy/terms-and-conditions/
Ready to start?
It’s easy - you’re just a few secure clicks away
On Demand
- Choose your own schedule
- 36 hours of pre-recorded course material
- Complete in 18 weeks or fewer (avg 6 weeks)
- Attend optional live Q&A sessions
Live Classes
- Weekly Live Classes, online or on campus
- 36 Hours of Course Material
- Complete in 12 Weeks
- Online classes delivered via Zoom