Higher Diploma in Innovation Management
Course Overview
The Higher Diploma in Innovation Management at the London School of International Business and Management (LSIBM) sits at the near-degree tier for senior innovation leaders designing UK corporate portfolios, venturing programmes and open-innovation ecosystems. Placed in the Entrepreneurship & Executive Studies faculty at Level 5, the diploma spans 15 to 18 months on-campus in central London, fully online, or by distance learning, and closes with confirmed credit transfer into a UK Bachelor's final year.
The programme is designed around IOEE senior, CMI Level 5 innovation-leadership and Innovation Leaders Forum competencies. Graduates step into head-of-innovation appointments or top up into an LSIBM BSc in Innovation Management with confirmed credit. The sections below detail modules, audience and progression.
Key Features
- Curriculum designed around IOEE senior, CMI Level 5 and Innovation Leaders Forum competencies.
- Three study modes — central London campus, fully online or by distance learning.
- Fortnightly senior clinic with UK heads of innovation and corporate venturing partners.
- Substantial capstone: a corporate innovation-function design defended in front of a working practitioner.
- Confirmed credit transfer into an LSIBM BSc final year on graduation.
- Assessment blend of a function-design case, a venture memo and a defended capstone.
What You Will Learn
Innovation at near-degree level is taught as the strategic design of a corporate innovation function — portfolio, venturing, ecosystem, scaling — with real UK plc case material.
- Corporate innovation-function design and governance.
- Portfolio strategy across horizons and the investment logic behind it.
- Internal venturing, spin-out design and post-spin-out relationships.
- Corporate venture capital models and UK venture ecosystem mapping.
- Open-innovation and university partnerships across the UK ecosystem.
- Scaling a validated venture through the corporate operating model.
- Intellectual property strategy at portfolio level.
- Leading an innovation function through change and rebrand.
- Board and CFO conversations about innovation ROI.
Who This Course Is For
- Senior innovation managers targeting head-of-innovation appointments.
- Corporate venturing partners scaling their programme.
- R&D directors moving into cross-functional innovation leadership.
- Innovation operators planning a UK BSc top-up.
- Career changers from senior consulting into corporate innovation.
Career Pathways
Graduates typically move into head-of-innovation, corporate venturing partner and innovation portfolio-director roles across UK corporates and scale-ups. Typical destinations include:
- Head of Innovation
- Corporate Venturing Partner
- Innovation Portfolio Director
- R&D Programme Director
- Open Innovation Lead
- Chief Innovation Officer (small business)
The diploma articulates directly into the LSIBM BSc in Innovation Management final year with confirmed credit transfer at enrolment.
Entry Requirements
- A relevant Advanced Diploma (Level 5), HND, HNC, or three years of substantive professional experience in innovation, R&D or product.
- GCSE English Language at grade 5/C and Mathematics at grade 4/C (or equivalent).
- IELTS 6.0 overall (no band below 5.5) for non-native English speakers.
- A short statement of intent and two references (one academic or professional-body, one workplace) — applicants presenting a professional-body membership route (IOEE, CMI Level 5) are particularly welcome.
Why Study at LSIBM
The London School of International Business and Management (LSIBM) is a specialist business-education provider based in central London and part of Harold International College. Higher Diploma cohorts sit at the near-degree tier — small groups, tutor visibility every week, curriculum reviewed against ACCA, CIMA, CIM, CIPD, CMI and IOE&IT competencies so graduates walk into a UK Bachelor's top-up with confirmed credit transfer.
London puts the City, Canary Wharf, Whitehall, Companies House, the FCA, the Bank of England and the West End within a short tube ride of every classroom. Higher Diploma students attend at least one working practitioner clinic per fortnight and complete a substantial capstone project defended in front of a working professional.
Apply for the Higher Diploma in Innovation Management
Move onto the top-up track with the Higher Diploma in Innovation Management. Click Enrol Now and our admissions team will respond within one working day with intake dates, credit-transfer guidance for UK Bachelor's top-up routes, and the current fee schedule. Higher Diploma graduates articulate into LSIBM's Bachelor's final year with confirmed credit transfer at enrolment.
