Level 6 Diploma in Information Technology
For the technologist who learned on the job and can build anything except a case for their own seniority. Six 20-credit units at bachelor's level, from advanced networks to the law of computing, ending in a substantial project.
Particulars
| Awarding body | OTHM Qualifications, an Ofqual-recognised awarding organisation |
|---|---|
| Level | 6 on the RQF; the level of an honours degree1 |
| Qualification type | Diploma. Not a degree. |
| Credits | 120, in six mandatory units of 20 |
| Total Qualification Time | 1,200 hours, of which 480 are Guided Learning Hours 2 |
| Ofqual number | 603/3789/83 |
| Duration | 9 months (standard) or 6 months (fast track) part-time; to be confirmed by LSPM |
| Study modes | Online, Blended, Evening classes (availability per intake to be confirmed) |
| Fees | From £999 (9 months, standard) or £1,299 (6 months, fast track) · how fees work |
| Next intake | Rolling intake — course starts when the fee is paid |
| Assessment | Written assignment per unit; no examinations |
The programmeWhat this diploma is
Information technology is full of able people whose qualifications stopped years before their competence did. This OTHM diploma is for them. Its six units assume a practitioner: Advanced Computer Networks, Advanced Data Analytics and Advanced Database Management Systems take existing familiarity and push it towards design, evaluation and justification; Management Information Systems and Computers, Society and Law deal with what a senior technologist is answerable for; and Computing Projects demands one substantial piece of work, planned, built, documented and defended. Ofqual regulates it at Level 6; it is a diploma, not a computing degree.
The learners who do well on it are systems administrators, network engineers, database administrators, analysts and support leads who have been asked, or expect to be asked, to take responsibility for systems and people together. The assignments make them write: about why a network is designed as it is, what a dataset actually shows, how a database should be structured for a purpose, what an information system is for and whether it delivers, and what the law requires of those who hold other people's data.
It is less well suited to complete beginners. The 'advanced' in three of the unit titles is meant, and OTHM's entry wording for this award, unusually among its Level 6 diplomas, does not include a mature-learner route on experience alone. The entry section below explains what LSPM can and cannot do for applicants without a Level 5 award.
StructureUnits and credits
Six mandatory units; no optional units. Titles and credit values as published by OTHM.2
| Unit | Credits |
|---|---|
| 01Advanced Computer Networks | 20 |
| 02Advanced Data Analytics | 20 |
| 03Advanced Database Management Systems | 20 |
| 04Management Information Systems | 20 |
| 05Computers, Society and Law | 20 |
| 06Computing Projects | 20 |
| Total | 120 |
Management Information Systems is the natural opener: it frames technology in terms of what organisations need from it and gives every later unit a purpose. The three advanced technical units follow logically in the order networks, databases, analytics, since data analysis depends on knowing where data lives and how it moves. Computers, Society and Law makes most sense fifth, when a learner has enough technical material to see the legal questions concretely, and Computing Projects closes, typically absorbing a quarter of the total study time. LSPM sets the delivered order; confirm it with them.
AdmissionEntry requirements
OTHM sets the entry criteria; LSPM applies them. As published:2
- Relevant NQF/QCF/RQF Level 5 diploma or equivalent recognised qualification
- Learner must be 18 years or older at the beginning of the course
- English requirements: If a learner is not from a majority English-speaking country must provide evidence of English language competency. For more information visit English Language Expectations page in this website
OTHM's published entry requirements for this diploma are a relevant Level 5 qualification, a minimum age of eighteen, and evidence of English for applicants from countries where it is not the majority language. There is no published mature-learner route on experience for this award. Where an applicant holds substantial technical experience but no Level 5 qualification, LSPM can consider whether a recognised vendor certification at an appropriate level, or a UK ENIC statement of comparability for an overseas qualification, would satisfy OTHM as an 'equivalent recognised qualification', and would seek the awarding body's view before registration. Nobody is admitted on experience alone.
If you are unsure which route applies to you, enquire and say so; working that out is what the advice call is for.
MethodHow you are assessed
Assignments are assessed against OTHM's criteria and combine technical artefacts with written justification: a network design with its rationale and security analysis, an analytics report on a real or supplied dataset with methods explained, a database design and implementation with normalisation and performance discussion, an evaluation of an information system in an organisation, and a reasoned analysis of a legal and ethical scenario. Computing Projects requires a proposal, a plan, a built artefact or substantial investigation, testing and a reflective report, and is supervised through scheduled checkpoints.
The general arrangements for marking, moderation, feedback and resubmission are described on the how LSPM teaches page.
Time, honestly estimated
The published figure is 1,200 hours, 480 of them guided and 720 your own. Spread across the period you choose:
| If you finish in | Hours per week |
|---|---|
| Twelve months | about 23 |
| Eighteen months | about 15 |
| Twenty-four months | about 12 |
AfterwardsProgression
Universities offering top-ups in computing, information technology, information systems or data science are the natural destination, and the unit titles map onto common final-year modules directly. Some computing top-ups examine the prior programming and mathematics content of an applicant's qualifications closely; the OTHM specification should be sent with the transcript so that the university can see the unit content, and applicants should expect that a software-engineering degree may be a harder match than an information-systems one.
In employment, the diploma answers the 'degree or equivalent' clause in IT management and analyst job descriptions and gives a self-taught practitioner a documented body of Level 6 work. It does not replace vendor certifications where those are specified, and this page does not pretend otherwise.
The mechanics of advanced standing, and the questions admissions tutors ask, are on the top-up degrees page.4 Slot: universities holding a current progression agreement for this award, verified before publication.
Not everyone wants the bachelor's. The other direction from here is a Level 7 diploma, at master's level, described on the companion site for Level 7 diplomas.
FitWho it suits, and who it does not
A good fit if you
- administer, engineer or analyse systems for a living and want the theory behind your practice certificated at Level 6;
- hold a Level 5 computing or IT qualification, or a recognised certification of comparable standing, and want to progress without leaving work;
- are moving from a hands-on role towards systems, data or IT management responsibility.
A poor fit if you
- are new to computing and want to learn programming or networking from the beginning; the units assume prior knowledge;
- have technical experience but no Level 5 qualification or equivalent certification; OTHM's entry route for this award does not admit on experience alone, and neither LSPM nor this site can promise a way round that;
- need a software-engineering or computer-science degree specifically; a top-up in information systems or IT is the more realistic destination.
QuestionsAsked about this programme
Can I be admitted on experience without a Level 5 qualification?
Not on experience alone; OTHM's entry requirements for this particular award do not include that route. LSPM can consider whether a vendor certification or an overseas qualification with a UK ENIC statement counts as an equivalent recognised qualification, and would ask OTHM before registering you. Better to hear that plainly here than to discover it after you have applied.
How much programming is involved?
Some, and more in Computing Projects than elsewhere, but the diploma is not a programming course. The database and analytics units involve query languages and analytical tooling; the project can be a build, an implementation or a substantial investigation, depending on the proposal you agree with your supervisor.
What kinds of project have learners done?
Network redesigns for their employer with security analysis, data warehouses and reporting layers for a business function, analytics studies on operational datasets, evaluations and pilots of information systems, and small applications built to solve a workplace problem. The requirement is that it be planned, executed, tested and reflected on at Level 6.
Is the law unit about UK law only?
Computers, Society and Law is framed on UK data protection, computer misuse and intellectual property law, with attention to the international frameworks that shape them. Learners based elsewhere compare their own jurisdiction where the assignment brief allows.
Would a computing degree top-up accept this diploma?
Many information systems, IT and computing top-ups admit holders of Level 6 computing diplomas with advanced standing; software engineering and computer science programmes tend to look harder at mathematics and programming content and may ask for bridging study. Send the specification with your application so that the university can map the units.
Documents and application
Applications are made on London School of Planning and Management's own website, not this site; this site is LSPM's independent recruitment agent. Most people enquire first; the apply link is for those who have already had that conversation.
Brochure slot. The programme brochure (PDF) belongs to LSPM, is to be supplied by LSPM, and will replace this anchor.
Notes and sources
- GOV.UK, list of qualification levels (Level 6 includes honours degrees). ↩
- OTHM, OTHM Level 6 Diploma in Information Technology : qualification specification (PDF) consulted 30 September 2026; qualification page at othm.org.uk. Source for units, credits, hours and entry wording. ↩
- Ofqual, Register of Regulated Qualifications, qualification number 603/3789/8. ↩
- QAA, Higher Education Credit Framework for England (credit volumes; advanced standing). ↩