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CIPS Graduate Diploma - Level 6

Study your CIPS Graduate Diploma in London

If you are interested in this programme, you might want to:

CIPS open evening - Wednesday 25th Jan, 7-9pm. Click here for more information

The CIPS Graduate Diploma, Level 6 is intended for people who have previously worked in the supply chain in a largely front-line managerial or specialist role and have the Advanced Diploma or its equivalent. Delegates with previous academic and professional experience are advised to consult CIPS with regard to possible exemptions.

The CIPS Graduate Diploma has five units, three compulsory core units and two optional units. Successful completion of the Graduate Diploma leads to full membership of CIPS and use of the designation letters MCIPS. Click on the modules tab above to see the course modules in more detail.

LEADING AND INFLUENCING IN PURCHASING

(Compulsory Core Unit)

This unit is designed to develop students’ leadership skills to enable them to lead, influence and provide direction to stakeholders within the supply chain.

Students should be able to operate at a strategic level. They should be able to lead in their defined area or part of the organisation and will be expected to motivate and support supply chain members and stakeholders in achieving objectives and success.

Students will be expected to lead in a variety of situations and to ensure that they maintain the balance of power required to achieve success. They should be able to demonstrate effective leadership in a variety of contexts, including change, adversity, conflict and success, in order to maximise the potential of the organisation.

STRATEGIC SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

(Compulsory Core Unit)

The supply chain manager is responsible for specific activities and processes which can contribute to achieving corporate strategic goals. This unit is designed to provide students with an understanding of strategic aspects of supply chain management. Students will analyse the supply chain to identify where value is added within it, identifying where and how strategic competitive advantage can be achieved.

Students will be expected to propose a range of innovative proposals which will allow supply chain stakeholders to effectively interact and contribute towards developing and exploiting opportunities to grow and expand the business, through new product and service development, offering innovative ideas, diversification and differentiation strategies.

SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT IN PRACTICE

(Integrative Unit) - Work-based Project

Please note that Supply Chain Management in Practice has two separate briefs, one for the case study option and one for the work-based project.

This unit is designed to enable students to gain a deeper understanding of supply chain theory and practice by examining how particular theories relate to real-world situations or how particular theories offer advantages over others. As the unit is project-based and requires the submission of a report, the student will also develop investigative, analytical and communication skills.

Where students are likely to undertake a workbased project this can take two alternative forms: either (i) it will seek to test the explanatory power of an existing body of theoretical knowledge against a case example; or (ii) it will seek to test the explanatory power of an existing body of theoretical knowledge to make predictions about the likely outcome of an impending test case.

If it is not possible to undertake a work-based project, then students can opt for a deskbased version. Again, there are two alternative formats: either (i) it will critique an existing theory in order to develop a better explanation of a set of phenomena; or (ii) it will critique a set of competing theories in order to say which has the greater explanatory power.

It is important to remember that the project is driven by theory. Students must identify a theory or set of theories by referring to the learning outcomes of the other two Level 6 units: Leading and Influencing in Purchasing and Strategic Supply Chain Management.

SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT IN PRACTICE

(Integrative Unit) - Case Study Option

Please note that Supply Chain Management in Practice has two separate briefs, one for the case study option and one for the work-based project.

This unit is designed to give candidates an examination based alternative to the workbased project unit. The case study approach facilitates hands-on experience of complex supply chain issues by replicating real-life situations in a controlled environment. It will enable candidates to gain a wider understanding of supply chain issues by examining how a range of concepts and principles can be applied to real-world problems and situations in order to improve best practice.

The unit consists of a substantive case study which corresponds as closely as possible to one which might be met in real life. It is designed to test the ability of the candidate to analyse supply chain situations and to write clearly and effectively on them. The case study is circulated prior to the examination, which enables candidates to analyse the case study situation, conduct supplementary investigations and prepare appropriate solutions in advance. Assessment is by means of a three-hour, open-book examination with unseen questions.

LEGAL ASPECTS IN PURCHASING AND SUPPLY

(Optional Unit)

This unit seeks to familiarise students with the law that regulates the purchasing function.

The P&SM needs to understand where legal issues may impact on the organisation and when to take action to avoid risk. They should also be able to recognise situations when the appropriate action would be to seek legal expertise.

The content provides an essential overview of different legal issues with particular emphasis on contractual issues and sale of goods legislation. Other areas covered include the legal aspects of outsourcing, competition law, intellectual property law, electronic trading and international trade. It is designed to assist professionals who work in either the public or private sector.

ADVANCED PROJECT MANAGEMENT

(Optional Unit)

Projects can range from construction to refurbishment of premises, introduction of new information technology systems to outsourcing/off shoring of work previously tackled in-house, and re-design or reengineering of products, services and processes. At the same time projects should align and contribute to the overall strategic objectives of the organisation.

This unit will help students to develop knowledge of the principles, practices and techniques vital to the leadership and commercial management of projects, with a particular emphasis on the role of the purchasing and supply chain professional.

Supply chain specialists in both the private and public sectors should have a pivotal role in the initiation, planning and control of projects, and in the development and ongoing management of resulting contracts, serving suppliers and customers alike.

Project management is concerned with achieving objectives relating to quality, cost and time. Supply chain specialists have a high degree of involvement in developing the procurement strategy for contracts with suppliers, and with the operational activities of monitoring and administering supplier performance.

Students need to understand the architecture of project orientated organisations. The focus is subsequently directed towards roles such as project leader, project-team members, projectcoordinator/ coach and project-mentor, from the project management point of view.

FINANCE FOR PURCHASERS

(Optional Unit)

Purchasing managers are responsible for specific activities and processes, which can contribute to achieving corporate strategic goals. This unit is designed to provide students with an understanding of strategic aspects of finance in relation to the decision-making process and detailed analysis necessary to deliver effective procurement.

Students will understand how to navigate around the world of finance in an effective and efficient manner so they can identify the where, when, how, and what a professional purchaser needs, in order to use and interpret the key financial models and tools required to deliver robust and sustainable procurement solutions.

Students will be expected to propose a range of tried and tested models, as well as innovative tools and techniques, which will allow key business stakeholders to interact and contribute towards developing and exploiting opportunities to grow and expand a business, through new supply arrangements, channels to market, diversification, outsourcing and differentiation strategies.

It will help students to develop an understanding of the terminology and different sectors within the financial and accounting profession which allows an engagement and exchange that will guide and benefit the decision-making process in an efficient manner.

 

A Message from the CIPS Programmes Director

May I take this opportunity in thanking you for your interest in our CIPS programmes. The purchasing function is now seen in both public and private sector organisations as a key provider of bottom line profitability. Its profile has risen considerably over the past twenty years, underpinned by the increased take up of qualifications in the area, notably the Graduate Diploma in Purchasing Supply issued by the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply.

The CIPS Graduate Diploma is the lead qualification for people in the fields of purchasing, logistics, transportation, stores and supply chain management. In itself, the qualification is an essential tool in obtaining senior management jobs in supply chain management as well as the opportunity to progress to our postgraduate programmes. Those who successfully obtain the CIPS Diploma may be offered direct admission to the University of Plymouth MSc in Strategic Procurement Management (Level 7) delivered at Greenwich School of Management.

Greenwich School of Management runs all three levels of the CIPS Graduate Diploma: Level 4, Level 5 and Level 6. The programme is delivered on a part-time basis at the weekend. Students can join in February or September. Successful completion of the programme leads to corporate membership of the CIPS Institute and the use of the designatory letters MCIPS.

Tamara Solomun
CIPS Programmes Director

A Message from the CIPS Programmes Director

May I take this opportunity in thanking you for your interest in our CIPS programmes. The purchasing function is now seen in both public and private sector organisations as a key provider of bottom line profitability. Its profile has risen considerably over the past twenty years, underpinned by the increased take up of qualifications in the area, notably the Graduate Diploma in Purchasing Supply issued by the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply.

The CIPS Graduate Diploma is the lead qualification for people in the fields of purchasing, logistics, transportation, stores and supply chain management. In itself, the qualification is an essential tool in obtaining senior management jobs in supply chain management as well as the opportunity to progress to our postgraduate programmes. Those who successfully obtain the CIPS Diploma may be offered direct admission to the University of Plymouth MSc in Strategic Procurement Management (Level 7) delivered at Greenwich School of Management.

Greenwich School of Management runs all three levels of the CIPS Graduate Diploma: Level 4, Level 5 and Level 6. The programme is delivered on a part-time basis at the weekend. Students can join in February or September. Successful completion of the programme leads to corporate membership of the CIPS Institute and the use of the designatory letters MCIPS.

Tamara Solomun
CIPS Programmes Director

Teaching and Administrative Personnel


Sheldon Dyer MCIPS
Sheldon has more than 20 years of experience in purchasing/supply chain, working for several major international organisations.

Sheldon qualified through Rubicon Training here at Greenwich School of Management and now passes his extensive experience on to the current students by relating the training back to personal experiences. Sheldon has taught levels 4, 5 & 6 of the CIPS graduate diploma.

Wayne Herring MCIPS Wayne Herring MSc, MCIPS, has over twenty years teaching experience at Southall, Watford, Harlow and Writtle colleges and was an examiner with Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply for five years. Wayne is the Director of Rubicon Training, one of the largest CIPS trainers in the UK. He has many years industrial experience in purchasing and has worked for TI Raleigh in Nottingham, Providence Capitol in Birmingham and Astron On Line in Huntingdon. He is Training Consultant to many organisations including the Office of Government Commerce and Arrow Electronics.

Steve Langford MCIPS
Steve Langford, MCIPS, has over twenty years experience in the purchasing/supply chain function and has been teaching CIPS graduate diploma for five years at Writtle College, Manchester and Greenwich School of Management in London. Steve’s background has been in the electronics industry, working for companies such as BT, Farnell, Arrow Electronics, Raytheon Systems and latterly America II Electronics.

David Chidley MCIPS
David has an extensive purchasing history in defence, aerospace, military and medical applications. Now a Purchasing Manager with Ironmongery Direct, a major supplier to the building industry market achieving enormous growth year on year since 2007.

Dave has extensive lecturing experience ensuring syllabus studies are taught to support all individual needs. Dave is currently teaching at Level 4, Level 5 and Level 6 at Greenwich School of Management and Writtle College. Dave has qualified through Rubicon Training.

Graeme Ellison, MCIPS
Graeme has been in the buying environment for over six years. Having worked in a variety of industries from large mutli-nationals to independent manufacturing companies in the private sector, in engineering, military to the furniture industry. Dealing with unique one off purchases of military spec items to mass production multi site deliveries of JIT items. Dealing with both UK to Eastern European and Far Eastern companies. He qualified through Rubicon Training at the Peterborough site, building on the many different lecturers he has experienced both at university and through Rubicon to deliver a hands on approach which tries to relate back to real life experiences in purchasing. He has taught at levels 4,5 & 6 in the CIPS programme, both at Greenwich School of Management and Peterborough.

Vincent Milsom
Vincent is a Procurement and Corporate Real Estate professional with broad commercial experience of strategic sourcing and supplier relationship management, best practice procurement tools and techniques and corporate real estate management gained within leading blue chip services organisations.

Katie Jarvis MCIPS
Katie Jarvis has worked in purchasing for over 10 years in which time she has undertaken buying for various industries ranging from catering to electronics to the current role within agriculture. Katie buys a wide variety of products in her present role including animal feed, building supplies, vehicles and telecommunication products and services.

Purchasing takes many forms in this role from spot buying through to very detailed volume planning for call off orders over a long period of time.

Katie also has her own purchasing business whereby she assists companies in their buying and sourcing requirements. This is a new venture that is slowly gaining momentum.

Outside work Katie's two main hobbies to relax are motorsport and walking her two black Labradors.

Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Graduate Diploma Fees

Foundation Diploma (Level 4)
£3000

Advanced Diploma (Level 5)
£3000

Graduate Diploma (Level 6)
£3000

(includes 5 modules and study books)

Examination Fees are payable directly to CIPS Institute.

Annual CIPS Membership payable directly to CIPS Institute.

Tuition fees are payable to Greenwich School of Management.

Entry Dates

The Course members can commence the programme in February, June or September. Each module will be delivered over two weekends (Saturday and Sunday). In addition, there is a revision day (inclusive within the course fee) prior to the examination.

CIPS Membership

Course members should apply directly to CIPS for membership of the Institute. The Course Director will advise course members on application procedure. The School tuition fees do not include CIPS membership fees.

Examinations

The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) examinations are held in January, March, May, July and November each year. It is the course members’ responsibility to register for these examinations directly with CIPS.

CIPS programmes at Level 4, 5 and 6:

An applicant must normally have obtained 2 'A levels' or an equivalent qualification;

Delegates with previous experience (academic or professional) are advised to consult CIPS with regard to possible exemptions.

This degree-level course is designed for those already working in purchasing & supply industry.

Applicants without any prior qualifications must be at least 21 years of age with at least two years experience in a business environment.

To make an application

Please submit your completed application form together with your CV to Tamara Solomun, CIPS Programmes Director either by email: cips@greenwich-college.ac.uk or by post directly to Greenwich School of Management.

For more information please call +44 (0) 208 516 7800.

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