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Overview
If you're looking to further your learning and get a postgraduate degree while continuing to work in your current job, this MSc Risk and Safety Leadership degree apprenticeship is a great option.
Risk management expertise is in greater demand than ever, and not just for managers in the risk and safety management sector – today, risk management is a mainstream discipline that's highly sought across the public, private, academic and governmental sectors.
This 2-year degree apprenticeship, which we've developed in partnership with employers and professional organisations, won't cost you anything – the Government or your employer pay your tuition fees.
You'll enhance your risk management skills through analysing complex problems, exploring the uncertainties involved, evaluating possible solutions and planning risk management implementation. You'll get to put the skills you learn to work instantly in your job, contributing to the success of your company.
When you finish this course you'll have a postgraduate qualification in Risk and Safety Leadership, with 2 more years of on-the-job experience.
Accreditation
Accredited by:
The University of Portsmouth has earned business accreditation from the AACSB in recognition of the outstanding quality of its business and management education. Less than six percent of the world's schools offering business degree programs hold AACSB business accreditation.
Contact information
Contact Degree ApprenticeshipsEntry requirements
MSc Risk and Safety Leadership (Degree Apprenticeship) Master's degree entry requirements
Qualifications or experience
- Individual employers will set the selection criteria for their apprentices, liaising with the Faculty of Business and Law. Most applicants will be expected to hold an honours degree, or equivalent professional experience and/or qualifications.
- All applicants will be required to complete a Skills Gap Analysis before completing an application form.
- All applicants will be invited to attend an interview.
- All applicants to the Degree Apprenticeship courses must have an acceptable Level 2 qualification in English and Mathematics. Acceptable qualifications include GCSE with grade C/4 or above and Functional Skills with Pass - please note that we are not able to accept all kinds of Level 2 qualifications, so if you are unsure whether you have a suitable qualification please get in touch. If you do not have an acceptable qualification you may be required to take an additional assessment during the application process.
You and your employer
When you begin studying for your degree apprenticeship:
- You need to be 18 or over
- You should be able to satisfy government requirements on residency:
- you must be a citizen or have the right to live in the UK/EEA
- you must have been a resident in the UK/EEA (not the Channel Islands or Isle of Man) for a minimum of 3 years
- you must not need a Student Route visa, and must not have been on a Student Route visa within the past 3 years
- You need to have the right to work in the UK, and to spend at least 50% of your working hours in England
- Your job should meet the requirements of the apprenticeship standard relevant to this degree – we can advise you and your employer on this
- Your employer needs to have registered an apprentice service account – we can help your employer with this if needed
If you aren't currently working in a relevant field, you can apply for a job and degree apprenticeship simultaneously. Read more about applying for this degree apprenticeship.
Course costs and funding
Tuition fees
Total tuition fees are £19,000 paid over 2 years, and the payment of the course fee is shared between the Government and some employers, so there's no cost to you as the degree apprentice.
For further information, please see our Degree Apprenticeships page or contact us.
Additional course costs
These course-related costs aren’t included in the tuition fees. So you’ll need to budget for them when you plan your spending.
Additional course costs
Our accommodation section shows your accommodation options and highlights how much it costs to live in Portsmouth.
You’ll study up to 6 modules a year. You may have to read several recommended books or textbooks for each module.
You can borrow most of these from the Library. If you buy these, they may cost up to £60 each.
We recommend that you budget £75 a year for photocopying, memory sticks, DVDs and CDs, printing charges, binding and specialist printing.
If your final year includes a major project, there could be cost for transport or accommodation related to your research activities. The amount will depend on the project you choose.
Modules
Each module on this course is worth a certain number of credits.
You'll study 4 modules and develop and Applied Learning Portfolio. Each module is taught over 6 days in blocks of 3 days (Tuesday to Thursday).
What you'll study
Core modules
Applying theory and practitioner-focused frameworks, you’ll recommend integrated, robust responses to disruption from supply chain shocks to natural disasters.
This module provides timely knowledge, skills and mindsets that enable agility, restoration and growth during and post-crisis.
You'll develop an understanding of the strategic risk landscape and risk considerations that influence strategic decisions, culture and stakeholder impact.
Through scenario planning, addressing uncertainty, emerging risks and risk appetite and tolerance exploration, you will support and lead organisational resilience through integrated risk management.
Examine high reliability theory and models of organisational resilience.
Compare your context and pinpoint improvements via safety culture analysis and mindful leadership approaches.
Investigate incidents to hone judgement calls. Ultimately, you'll apply multi-dimensional perspectives to evaluate and strengthen your capacity for fault-free operation.
Core modules
You'll critically reflect on your prior learning to produce a 5,000 word e-portfolio. You'll demonstrate your strategic thinking, intellectual discipline and contextual awareness in an EPA proposal, building coherent arguments from concepts that create organisational impact.
By applying your knowledge, you'll finish this module ready to make an impact as a risk and safety leader.
Build your understanding of risk scenarios from R&D hazards to tech change resistance.
You'll stress test mitigation plans to uphold ethics, quality and outcomes across complex projects, and explore how to apply your learning.
This module prepares you to drive the ideas that matter, both during your degree and as a future research leader.
Changes to course content
We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.
Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry. If a module doesn't run, we'll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.
Learning support
During term time, Faculty Academic Skills Tutors (AST) are available for bookable 1-to-1 sessions, small group sessions and online sessions. These sessions are tailored to your needs.
Support is available for skills including:
- University study
- Getting into the right study mindset
- Note-taking and note-making skills
- Referencing
- Presentation skills
- Time management, planning, and goal setting
- Critical thinking
- Avoiding plagiarism
If you have a disability or need extra support, the Additional Support and Disability Centre (ASDAC) will give you help, support and advice.
Teaching
Teaching methods on this course include:
- lectures
- seminars
- practical sessions
- simulation exercises
How you're assessed
You'll be assessed through:
- coursework, in the form of written assignments and presentations
- a self-directed research project, with support from a supervisor
These assessments are submitted online.
What you'll experience
On this course, you'll:
- Gain a broad understanding of risk management, including current tools and techniques
- Get an understanding of safety management
- Learn from staff with industry experience and guest speakers
- Develop the ability to contribute to managing risk and business effectiveness
- Use our business simulation suite, giving you the opportunity to manage crisis scenarios in real time in a safe environment
- Have access to the University's student support services and community including the Library, study support, sports and recreation facilities, and the Students’ Union
- Build a network of professional peers during your time at university, sharing your ideas and knowledge
- Get practical work experience in your job, giving you an advantage over students who do a traditional degree
- Get a personal tutor from the University and a workplace mentor
You'll typically go to university in 3-day blocks (Tuesday to Thursday) 6 times a year, to attend lectures and workshops. On the weeks you don't go to university, you'll still spend 20% of your time studying or training away from your normal working environment.
Career development
What jobs can you do with a Risk and Safety Leadership (Degree Apprenticeship) degree?
You'll be able to progress your career further using the knowledge and skill that you gain on this course, including going on to work in many risk and management related roles, such as:
- independent risk consultants
- risk officers
- healthcare risk managers
- crisis team managers for petrochemical companies
- risk managers within the military
- auditors
- chief finance officers
- senior managers
- senior project managers
- security managers
- risk and safety management consultants
After you leave the University, you can get help, advice and support for up to 5 years from our Careers and Employability service as you advance in your career.
How to apply
How you apply depends on whether you’re currently employed or not.
How to apply with your current employer
If you’re in full-time employment and would like to do a degree apprenticeship with your current employer, ask them to contact us so we can discuss with them how we can work together.
You might find it useful to share our information for employers page with them.
How to apply with a new employer
If you’re not employed full-time or not working for a company that can fund and support your degree apprenticeship, you'll need to apply for a degree apprenticeship with a company that offers them.
You'll follow their standard recruitment process and we'll assess your academic suitability for the course once you've applied.
We can let you know when there are degree apprenticeship vacancies available with companies we work with – contact us to give us your details.
If you have questions about degree apprenticeships, please get in touch with us.
Admissions terms and conditions
When you accept an offer to study at the University of Portsmouth, you also agree to abide by our Student Contract (which includes the University's relevant policies, rules and regulations). You should read and consider these before you apply.