Professional Studies

Designed with mature students in mind, Professional Studies is for you if you are wanting to study a wide range of topics relevant to your life experiences and gain a University degree grounded in the skills that employers value in professional roles today. You’ll gain the exciting opportunity to personalise your studies, based on your own experience and interests, by choosing a third of the degree topics from our specialised pathways, or from a wide range of discovery modules.

This unique and interdisciplinary course, taught by the University's Lifelong Learning Centre (LLC), is particularly relevant if you can bring prior work and life experience to your studies. There'll be opportunities for you to gain further experience, learning from and undertaking research for local organisations and employers, as well as investigating areas of your own interest.

The course explores key contemporary issues relevant to all of our lives and to a wide range of professional roles such as globalisation, diversity, health, creativity, leadership and technology. It also offers a set of modules to help develop your own professional identity, learn about the world of work, and research areas of your own interest. And then for a third of the degree you will choose from an exciting range of subjects offered from within the Lifelong Learning Centre and the rest of the university.

The course content is continually updated and developed to help you further your adaptability and effectiveness in the fast-changing world of work so that you can develop your professional profile for a wide range of graduate jobs. It encompasses professional and project strands which focus on skills relevant to a wide range of careers.

The course provides a breadth of experience and can be studied either part-time or full-time.

Lifelong Learning Centre support
The course allows you to fit study alongside your work and family commitments. You’ll be taught by friendly and supportive staff, experienced in working with adult learners and with substantial professional experience. You’ll also become a part of the Lifelong Learning Centre (LLC) community.

We know that many mature and part-time students face unique challenges, including balancing academic study with family and employment commitments. Whatever your concerns or questions, the Lifelong Learning Centre offers free specialist guidance, advice and support to mature and part-time students, from pre-application through to graduation and beyond.

Specialist facilities
As well as having access to the four specialist research and student libraries on campus, you'll be able to undertake work and meet with fellow students in the Lifelong Learning Centre's Learning Resource Area. As an LLC student, you’ll have access to dedicated study and social spaces that are designed to be welcoming and accessible. The areas in Beech Grove House and the Marjorie and Arnold Ziff Building (pictured below) offer computer access, reference books and the space to socialise and work with your peers.

You can also undertake research in the University Archive and Special Collections, as well as the M&S Company Archive, which includes documents, film, advertising and merchandise from throughout Marks and Spencer’s history. This offers a unique insight into the history of advertising, branding and the social history associated with the famous Leeds institution.