Diploma · 29 programmes
120credits
The Level 5 stage on its own. You arrive with a Level 4 qualification already in hand.
- TQT (where published)
- 1,200 hrs
- Mandatory units
- 4–12
- Usual entry
- Level 4
RQF Level 5 · HND-equivalent · 56 regulated programmes
Reach year two of a degree
A Level 5 diploma from OTHM or Qualifi sits at the same point on the qualifications framework as the second year of a bachelor's degree, a foundation degree or an HND. This site puts every Level 5 programme London School of Planning and Management (LSPM) delivers on one screen so you can weigh credits, units and entry points before deciding between a 120-credit Diploma and a 240-credit Extended Diploma.
Extended Diploma · 27 programmes
240credits
Level 4 and Level 5 under one registration. You arrive with a Level 3 qualification.
- TQT (where published)
- 2,400 hrs
- Mandatory units
- 8–19
- Usual entry
- Level 3
Regulated, and checkableEach programme is an OTHM or Qualifi qualification with an Ofqual register number printed beside it. Look any of them up.
Taught and marked by LSPM, not by this siteLondon School of Planning and Management is the approved centre that delivers and assesses the work; the awarding body verifies samples before certificates are released. This site is published by an independent agent that explains the programmes and refers applicants.
Honest about what comes nextA Level 5 diploma leads to Level 6 or to a final-year top-up. Whether a given university admits you is that university's call, and we say so throughout.
56 programmes in 10 sectors
Pick a sector to see its Diplomas and Extended Diplomas side by side, or open the full table to filter by awarding body, type and credits.
IT, Data and Cyber Security
Sixteen programmes across software, networks, web, e-commerce, artificial intelligence and cyber security, at both 120 and 240 credits.
Education and Teaching
Teaching, training management and early-years practice, including the one programme on the site that is a teaching qualification rather than a management one.
Tourism, Hospitality and Aviation
Hospitality operations, tourism management and airline and airport management, from both awarding bodies at both credit values.
Business and Management
Strategy, marketing, HR, law and management accounting: the general management route, and the most direct path to a business top-up.
Accounting and Finance
Financial reporting, planning and control at the level of a second-year accounting student, in 120- and 240-credit forms.
Health and Social Care
Safeguarding, partnership working, team management and research methods for care staff moving into supervision and management.
Law
Company, employment, land, tort and international business law as an academic grounding, not a route to professional qualification.
Psychology
Research methods, cognitive and social psychology and applied practice, as academic study rather than professional training.
Project, Risk and Safety Management
Project planning, quality and operations, plus a Qualifi Extended Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety.
Logistics and Supply Chain
Procurement, operations, inventory and the strategy behind moving goods, in a 120-credit Diploma and a 240-credit Extended Diploma.
Diploma or Extended Diploma?
Both finish at Level 5. What differs is the credit you bring in and the credit you take out.
| Diploma | Extended Diploma | |
|---|---|---|
| Credits awarded | 120 | 240 |
| Stages covered | Level 5 | Level 4, then Level 5 |
| You arrive with | A Level 4 diploma, HNC or first year of a degree | A Level 3 diploma, A levels or an access course |
| Programmes on this site | 29 | 27 |
| Credit position at the end | 240 across Levels 4 and 5 (with your earlier Level 4 award) | 240 across Levels 4 and 5 (in one award) |
9 of the 27 Extended Diploma specifications on this site label each unit with its level; those programme pages group the units into a Level 4 stage and a Level 5 stage. The others list units without a level code, and we do not guess.
Who Level 5 is for
Likely to be a good fit
- You hold a Level 4 diploma or an HNC and want the shortest regulated route to final-year entry.
- You left school or college with A levels or a Level 3 diploma and would rather do one 240-credit enrolment than two separate applications.
- You work full time and need assignment-based assessment with no examination dates to plan around.
- You want to see credits, hours and unit titles before you speak to anyone.
Probably not, if
- You need a bachelor's degree certificate itself, now. Level 5 is the second year, not the finish.
- You need a place at one named university guaranteed in advance. Admissions decisions belong to the university.
- You are looking for a licence to practise in nursing, teaching, law or accountancy. These are academic diplomas and do not confer one.
- You need UCAS Tariff points. Level 5 qualifications sit above the Tariff and do not carry them.
Entry, in one line per route
Each programme page quotes the awarding body's own wording. Across the catalogue the pattern is steady.
Diploma
A relevant Level 4 qualification, or an equivalent LSPM accepts. Most OTHM specifications also admit people over 21 with relevant work experience after a conversation with LSPM.
Extended Diploma
A relevant Level 3 qualification, or two A levels or equivalent. The same mature-learner route applies. Qualifi programmes tend to describe an assessment by the centre (LSPM) rather than a fixed list.
English
If you were not educated in English, expect to show competence at about CEFR B2 (IELTS 6 for some Qualifi programmes). We will tell you which evidence LSPM accepts.
What 240 credits buys you
Whichever route you take, you finish Level 5 holding 240 credits across Levels 4 and 5, which is the position of a student completing the second year of a three-year degree. From there the choices are a Level 6 diploma from the same awarding body, a final-year top-up at a university that recognises the qualification, or a step up at work. The top-up routes page sets out what each asks of you and where the decision sits.
Nothing on this site names a partner university. If LSPM tells us it has signed a written progression agreement, it will appear here with the agreement's date and conditions; until then, the honest answer is "ask the university you have in mind".
Image slot: credit ledger showing 120 + 120 credits across Level 4 and Level 5, Level 6 outlined as the next stage
How the study works
One model for both awarding bodies; the detail is on how LSPM teaches.
- EnquireSend the short form with a programme or a compare shortlist. No certificates needed at this point.
- Eligibility checkWe read what you hold against the awarding body's criteria and tell you which credit value you are likely to qualify for; LSPM makes the admissions decision.
- Apply to LSPMYou apply on LSPM's website; LSPM checks your documents, registers you with OTHM or Qualifi and issues your study plan. We are paid by LSPM at that point, not by you.
- Assignments, not examsOne written assignment per unit, marked by LSPM against the published criteria and sampled by the awarding body before results are confirmed.
Longer reads
Guides written for the questions people ask before they choose a credit value.
Diploma vs Extended Diploma: which to choose
A decision guide for the one question every Level 5 enquiry turns on. Start from your credits, not your ambition, and the answer usually writes itself.
How long a 240-credit Extended Diploma takes
The arithmetic behind total qualification time, guided learning hours and credits, worked through for a 2,400-hour Extended Diploma at different weekly paces.
How top-up degrees work after Level 5
What a top-up year is, why universities want 240 credits rather than 120, how unit mapping works, and what to ask a university before you enrol at Level 5.
Three questions we hear first
More on the FAQ page.
Is "Level 5" the same as a second year at university?
On the Regulated Qualifications Framework, yes: Level 5 is the level at which second-year undergraduate modules, HNDs and foundation degrees sit. It is a statement about difficulty and depth, not a claim that the two experiences are identical. The diploma is assessed by assignment and taught by a college, not a university.
Does the Extended Diploma award a Level 4 certificate on the way?
No. It is a single 240-credit award, and you receive one certificate at the end listing every unit. If a stand-alone Level 4 certificate matters to you, say so at the advice call and we will set the two-step route beside it.
Why do some rows show a dash instead of a credit value?
Because the awarding body's website does not state the figure, and we would rather show a gap than a guess. The programme page links the specification PDF where the value is printed, and the field is flagged for correction.
Not sure which credit value you need?
Tell us your highest qualification and we will say which of the 120-credit Diploma and the 240-credit Extended Diploma LSPM's entry criteria open to you, and how to start the application.