University of Portsmouth Open Experience Day
28 Feb 2026, 08:30
Portsmouth

Take steps towards new levels of leadership in your public sector career with this distance learning PgDip Senior Leader Apprenticeship (Public Administration).
By studying online and applying your learning directly to your current role, you'll gain the skills and experience to pursue promotion into public sector strategic leadership and management. What's more, the Government or your employer pay your tuition fees – so it doesn’t cost you anything.
Learning from an expert team of practitioners and academics who work in the public sector, you'll learn how to lead and manage in specialised areas of public services, such as policing, healthcare, education, social services and environmental matters.
Once you complete the course, you'll have new perspectives to bring to your public sector career, as well as the option to continue your studies and top-up your qualification to a full Master's in Public Administration.
Turn your experience, dedication and commitment to public services into skills that enable you to aim for higher levels of management within all aspects of the public sector
Explore the latest changes and challenges facing the public sector, including advances of technology in artificial intelligence (AI) and the dark web
Take advantage of our wide range of sector-specific contacts and receive mentorship and guidance from leaders in the sector
Get a learning manager from the University and a workplace mentor
Access our Library resources, including electronic resources which you can accessed from anywhere with a web connection
Receive feedback from and take part in online discussions with lecturers and other students
Career development
Public sector professionals are facing a new set of challenges, not least from the advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and the dark web.
On this course, you'll develop knowledge and skills that will help you protect and enhance life for our citizens through public services, as well as examining the complex issues of technology, funding and exponential service demand. It's essential learning for those seeking a higher level of management or leadership within all aspects of the public sector.
After this course, you can also choose to top up your PgDip with a dissertation module to achieve a full MPA in Public Administration.
Graduates of this course could go on to work in areas such as:
parliamentary advice
political lobbying
police leadership
educational leadership
social and caring services leadership
social justice
third sector and volunteering
strategic planning and management
health and public safety
Choose a specific option to see funding information.
Course optionsUniversity of Portsmouth
Mercantile House
Hampshire Terrace
Portsmouth
PO1 2EG
Email:degree-apprenticeships@port.ac.uk
Phone:023 9284 5566