A programme built for the modern leader
Leadership today demands the ability to navigate complexity, steward organisational change and cultivate cultures that are ethical, resilient and capable of delivering sustainable value for diverse stakeholders.
The MSc Leadership with Innovation programme is designed to develop leaders who can respond thoughtfully and effectively to this dynamic environment. It strengthens your ability to craft and communicate strategy, lead people and shape organisations that are responsible, inclusive and forward-thinking.
You will engage with leadership as a multifaceted practice, drawing on behavioural, psychological, systemic and philosophical perspectives. This approach helps you understand how leadership functions across different organisational settings and societal contexts.
A central focus of the programme is how leaders foster innovation within organisations. You will explore how to create the conditions for creativity, support experimentation and build cultures that encourage learning and collaboration. The programme examines how leaders guide innovation processes, manage uncertainty and translate new ideas into meaningful organisational impact. You will also engage with key debates around balancing innovation with risk, ethics and long-term sustainability, preparing you to lead responsibly while driving progress and change.
Alongside innovation, you will examine broader developments shaping leadership today, including digital transformation, rising expectations for transparency and accountability and evolving priorities around sustainability and responsible business. These themes are explored through critical thinking, reflection and debate, helping you evaluate competing perspectives and apply insights to real-world challenges.
Throughout the programme, you will develop as a reflective and evidence-informed leader, capable of applying theory and research to complex organisational problems.
What makes this programme unique?
A forward-looking leadership perspective
Integrate leadership theory with innovation, strategy, ethics and organisational change to build a future-ready leadership approach.
Designed for ambitious professionals
A structured asynchronous online model that allows you to study alongside work and personal commitments without compromising academic depth.
Innovation and leadership integration
Develop the capability to lead innovation, foster creativity and drive meaningful organisational change.
Responsible leadership focus
Strengthen your ability to lead ethically, navigate power and politics and make decisions that stand up to scrutiny.
Applied and reflective learning
Build practical expertise while deepening self-awareness, judgement and relational leadership capability.
A diverse global cohort
Collaborate with professionals from different sectors and regions, enhancing your ability to lead across cultures and perspectives.
Want to know if this programme is a good fit for your career and goals?
Discover our units
Contemporary Leadership Challenges
Strengthen your disciplinary knowledge by exploring the leadership challenges emerging from global shifts in purpose, governance, technology and workforce expectations. Engage with debates about how organisations can build resilience and identify opportunities for sustainable and responsible growth.
20 Credits
Strategy and Organisation
Acquire a critical understanding of strategic management and how organisations navigate complexity, competition and change. Deepen disciplinary knowledge by learning major strategy concepts and frameworks, while also broadening your perspective by engaging with ideas from fields such as organisational theory and psychology.
20 Credits
Understanding Change Management
Gain essential disciplinary knowledge of the major theories, debates and frameworks that underpin organisational change management. Engage with contrasting approaches to how change is planned and implemented and explore why change efforts can succeed or fail, especially from the human dimensions.
20 Credits
Perspectives on Leadership
Explore the evolving landscape of leadership by reflecting on your own leadership and comparing your own practice with the decades of leadership research. Build foundational understanding of leadership theories and practices.
20 Credits
Critical Issues in Strategy
Deepen your disciplinary knowledge of strategy by examining the major tensions, debates and emerging issues shaping contemporary strategic management. Explore how organisations interpret their environments, make sense of uncertainty and navigate competing priorities that drive strategic choices.
20 Credits
Leading Innovation
Develop the skills to lead innovation in complex organisations, emphasising how leaders create the conditions for creativity, make informed and strategic choices and guide teams through uncertainty. Understand how to cultivate the cultural and structural enablers that support new ideas and to balance strategic vision with implementation.
20 Credits
Leadership Integrated Project
The Integrated Project is the culmination of your learning journey. You will apply frameworks and research methods to a real organisational challenge, producing a substantial 11,000-word project. Options include:
Consultancy project for an existing organisation
Academic thesis
Teaching case development
Demonstrate strategic thinking, applied research capability and advanced professional development.
60 Credits
How it works
This programme is designed to be completed over two years, part time, allowing you to study alongside your professional commitments.
The programme is divided into six terms, with three terms per year. In each term, you will study one 20 credit module, while also progressing your Integrated Project, which runs throughout the duration of the programme.
Each term follows a clear and consistent structure:
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Weeks 1 to 8: Engage with your taught module
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Weeks 9 to 10: Complete and submit your assessment
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Week 11 to 13: Focus on your Integrated Project
This structure supports steady progress while maintaining flexibility.
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You should expect to dedicate approximately 15 to 20 hours per week to your studies. This includes engaging with learning materials, participating in activities and completing assessments.
The programme is delivered fully online and primarily asynchronously, meaning you can access materials and complete your work at times that suit you. You will engage with structured weekly content including video lectures, case studies, readings, and applied activities designed around real-world challenges.
Learning is supported through discussion forums and collaborative tasks, alongside guidance from academic staff. This approach allows you to develop knowledge, apply it in practice and learn alongside a global cohort of professionals.
Assessment is designed to reflect real world professional practice rather than traditional exams. You will complete a range of applied assignments such as case analyses, strategic reports, presentations and reflective work, allowing you to demonstrate how you apply knowledge in context.
Assessments are spread throughout each term, with opportunities for formative feedback to support your development. This approach ensures steady progress while building practical skills that are directly relevant to your career.
While programmes vary, a typical week may involve:
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Reviewing structured learning materials
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Reading academic and applied texts
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Contributing to discussion with your cohort
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Working on applied assignments or group tasks
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Reflecting on how concepts apply to your professional context
Most students balance study alongside full-time work, engaging consistently throughout the week.
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The Integrated Project is a 60 credit applied research project that runs across the full programme. You will develop your project in stages, from initial research framing through to final analysis and submission, with ongoing academic support.
There are multiple entry points throughout the year, typically in September, January and May, allowing you to begin your studies at a time that suits you.
Good leadership is harder than it looks, and most people don't get much help developing it. These programmes exist to change that, giving experienced professionals the time, tools and thinking to lead better, whatever challenges they're facing.
Professor Brian Squire, Dean of the University of Bristol Business School
Who is this programme for?
This programme is designed for professionals who want to strengthen their ability to lead in complex and evolving environments.
You may be:
A manager moving into a leadership role looking to influence organisational change
An emerging leader preparing for greater responsibility
A professional seeking to drive innovation within their organisation
A leader aiming to build more ethical, inclusive and forward-thinking organisations
Wherever you are starting from, the programme is designed to deepen your strategic thinking, enhance your self-awareness and expand your ability to lead effectively in uncertain conditions.
Career outcomes
The MSc Leadership with Innovation equips you with expertise across leadership, strategy, organisational change and innovation. This combination prepares you for roles that require leading change and driving new ideas in complex environments.
Graduates may progress into roles such as:
Innovation Manager
Strategy Manager
Transformation Programme Manager
Change Management Consultant
Leadership Development Manager
Organisation Development Manager
Product or Innovation Lead
Policy and Strategy Advisor
The programme is particularly valuable for:
Managers moving into leadership roles
Professionals responsible for innovation or organisational change
Leaders working to build creative, adaptive and forward-thinking organisations
We're ranked 8th in the UK
Our rankings
8
51
We're ranked 51st in the world (out of 7000+ top institutions)
QS World University Rankings 2026
One of the 6 most targeted by top UK recruiters
6
We're a top 5 UK university for research quality
5
Entry requirements
There are two main entry pathways for this programme:
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An Honours degree at 2:1 level (or international equivalent); or
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A minimum of three years of professional work experience in a relevant field
We encourage applicants who believe they can demonstrate readiness for postgraduate study to apply.
To complete your application, you will be asked to provide:
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Bachelor’s degree certificate or academic transcripts, where applicable
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Personal identification documents such as a passport or official ID
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A personal statement of approximately 300 to 500 words, and/or a short video outlining your motivation for study
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Proof of English language proficiency, where applicable (see below)
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A CV, résumé or LinkedIn profile for applicants applying through the professional experience route
English language requirements
If English is not your first language, you must demonstrate that you meet the University’s English language standards.
English proficiency may be evidenced through:
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Previous education conducted in English
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Professional experience conducted in English
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Recognised English language qualifications, where required
All evidence is assessed in line with institutional standards aligned to CEFR B2–C1. English language screening forms part of the recruitment and enrolment process.
Take the next step
Flexible and competitive tuition fees
Full programme tuition:
£17,990
Tuition fees
The total tuition fee for our online programmes is £17,990.
Fees are paid in six equal instalments of £2,998, scheduled every four months over the two-year duration of the programme.
Alumni discount
University of Bristol students and graduates can benefit from a 25% reduction in tuition fees for postgraduate study. Check your eligibility for an alumni discount.
Flexible payment options
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Students can make payments toward their balance at any time.
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The outstanding balance can be viewed at any point via the student portal.
If you would like to discuss tuition fees or financing in more detail, we invite you to book a call with our team for tailored advice.
How to apply
Applying is easy.
If you have questions about the application process, your career prospects, or studying online with the University of Bristol, fill out the request information form below.
Want to jump right in?
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