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Business and Management Studies

CIPD Level 3 Foundation Certificate in People Practice

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Overview

This programme provides the perfect platform to start to develop your HR career, upskill and expand your knowledge needed to work towards professional membership of the CIPD.

This course will help you develop your ability to evaluate the effectiveness of different HR models and practices and increase your understanding of the external factors that impact upon HR activities and organisations. Whilst building expertise in key HR subjects, you’ll also develop your planning, analytical and problem-solving skills.

On successful completion of this programme, you will understand the requirements of, and perform as, an effective and efficient, self-managing people professional, a collaborative member of working groups and teams, and an added-value contributor to the organisation.

How you’ll learn

This qualification introduces the learner to a wide range of relevant knowledge and expertise in people practice. It is suited to those learners who:

  • are studying, aspiring to, or embarking on, a career in people practice
  • are working in a people practice support role and wish to develop their knowledge and deliver immediate and short-term value for their organisation
  • wish to develop the specialist knowledge, skills and understanding required to be a people professional.

Occasional changes to modules and course content may take place. Students will be notified when applicable.

Further details about this course are available in the course specification available from the CIPD.

Units

  • 3CO01 – Business, culture and change in context
  • 3CO02 – Principles of analytics
  • 3CO03 – Core behaviours for people professionals
  • 3CO04 – Essentials of people practice

This course includes the following core modules that all students complete:

Entry and progression

What you need and where it leads

  1. Entry requirements
  2. This course Level 3
  3. Further study

This qualification is designed for learners aged 16+ who want to learn about people practice.

Ideally you could be working within a human resource role or would like to start a new career within the HR sector.

To assess suitability to undertake the qualification, applicants will be interviewed by the course team prior to any offer or acceptance onto this course. This is to ensure that learners can meet the requirements of the learning outcomes and can access the appropriate literacy and numeracy needed to complete the course.

The CIPD has a policy for learners where English is not their first language that gives guidance on appropriate English language entry requirements. The policy can be found on the CIPD website: Student Qualification Policies. 

Not sure you meet these? Talk to us and we will help you find the right starting point.

Further study

See all 2 courses

At this campus

At University Campus North Lincolnshire

Careers it can lead to

  • Human Resources and Industrial Relations Officers £28,000 a year
  • Human Resources Administrative Occupations £25,300 a year
  • Business Associate Professionals £25,200 a year
  • Data Analysts £31,200 a year
See all 13 careers
  • Sales Accounts and Business Development Managers £48,900 a year
  • Officers of Non-governmental Organisations £24,600 a year
  • Personal Assistants and Other Secretaries £14.53 an hour

With further study or experience

  • Human Resource Managers and Directors £48,700 a year
  • Business and Financial Project Management Professionals £52,000 a year
  • Management Consultants and Business Analysts £43,100 a year
  • Education Managers £33,400 a year
  • Charitable Organisation Managers and Directors £28,700 a year
  • Business and Related Research Professionals £37,100 a year

Typical pay is the UK median for each job (Lightcast, October 2026).

Fees and funding

£1450.00

a year

Additional costs

Your Tuition fees cover most costs associated with your course including tuition and assessment.

On enrolling for the course, students must apply for Student Membership with the CIPD. The fee for this is to be paid by the student direct to the CIPD. Membership must be maintained throughout the length of study. Details regarding membership can be found here: Student Member | CIPD

There may be some extra costs that you might need to make, or choose to pay, for example:

  • Books (you’ll have access to books from your module reading lists in the HE library, but you may want to buy your own copies)
  • Printing and photocopying
  • Trips and enhancement opportunities

Questions about fees?

Your next step

Apply now, come and see us first, or ask us anything.

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What happens after you apply

1

You apply

Apply direct to us online, and we’ll reply by email.

2

You hear back

You’ll get an unconditional offer, a conditional offer, or an unsuccessful application.

3

You get ready to start

Before you enrol we’ll need photo ID and copies of your certificates. Apply for Student Finance early.

Read our full guide to applying