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CIPD People Practice - Level 3

Summary

The CIPD Certificate in People Practice replaces the CIPD Certificate in Human Resource (HR) Practice, with a renewed focus on people management and HR. The qualification focuses on the knowledge and behaviours required to create value and make an impact in the changing world of work. The qualification sets the standard for people professionals.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has over 150,000 members worldwide and is seen as the leading professional body in the field of HR, people management and development. CIPD membership and qualifications are highly valued and widely acknowledged to enhance career development and job prospects.

They are recognised as a benchmark for professionalism and are a requirement for many personnel - line managers, team leaders, HR, people management and learning and development roles. The CIPD Certificate in People Practice qualification introduces candidates to a wide range of relevant knowledge and expertise in people practice.

It is suited to those learners who are: aspiring to, or embarking on, a career in people practice, working in a people practice / management role and wish to develop their knowledge to deliver immediate and short-term value for their organisation wish to develop the specialist knowledge, skills and understanding required to be a people professional.

Next course dates

Start date Location Duration
10 Sep 2025
University Centre
1 Year

Where can this subject lead?

Career progression

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) is regarded as the leading professional body in this field, with CIPD membership and qualifications widely acknowledged to enhance career development, both within the HR function and within management generally.

Key information

Entry Requirements

This qualification is designed for learners aged 16+ who want to learn about people practice. Although there are no formal entry requirements, it is expected that diagnostics are conducted to ensure this qualification is appropriate for the candidate and where possible that candidates can meet the requirements of the learning outcomes and can access the appropriate literacy and numeracy needed to complete the CIPD Level 3 Foundation Certificate in People Practice.

The CIPD has a policy for students where English is not their first language that gives guidance on appropriate English language. The policy can be found on the CIPD website.

Qualification obtained

Foundation Certificate in People Practice

Fees and funding

Read our tuition fees guide.

Extra costs and equipment

It is an essential requirement of the course that you become a member of the CIPD professional body within the first 4 weeks of study. There is a one-off administration fee to be paid direct to the CIPD along with an annual membership.

The current membership fees are accessible via the CIPD website.

Regulation and Accreditation

Accrediting Institution: N/A

Awarding Body: CIPD

Regulatory Body: Office for Students (OfS)

Terms and conditions

Read our full terms and conditions for more information.

What will I learn?

What will I learn?

Modules on this course include:

  • Unit: 3CO04 Essentials of People Practice
  • Unit: 3CO02 Principles of Analytics
  • Unit: 3CO03 Behaviours for People Professionals
  • Unit: 3CO01 Business, Culture & Change in Context

Industry placement, field trips and guest speakers

There are no industry placements and no field trips on this course.

How will I learn?

Blended learning and teaching strategies are designed to be informal and comprise interactive lectures, seminar sessions, and individual and group workshops.

Our virtual learning environment, Canvas provides many resources including lecture notes, supplementary videos, audio and text materials.  The CIPD has extensive resources on its website and such are utilised throughout this course.

A variety of assessment methods ensure all aspects of learning are assessed to accommodate individual learning preferences. You will need to demonstrate study skills and use these to analyse information from a variety of sources.

You will spend 4.5 hours a week in class and you will be expected to devote the same amount of time each week to independent study.

Expert tutors

All staff involved in the delivery of higher education courses within the College are approved to teach the subjects and modules they deliver.

The approval process ensures that staff delivering a given programme are appropriately qualified and, where appropriate, possess relevant technical and industrial experience and professional practice.