are Management Level 4 & 5 Level 5 Diploma in Health and Social Care Management (610/1537/4), which is the equivalent of the first and second year of a degree?

Rachel Donnelly, Course Information Editor. The Level 5 Diploma in Health and Social Care Management Online (RQF, 120 Credits) is regulated by Ofqual and accredited by OTHM under qualification number 610/1537/4. It sits at RQF Level 5, which is academically equivalent to the second year of a UK bachelor’s degree. It is not equivalent to the first year, which is Level 4. This distinction matters for progression. Many universities accept this 120-credit qualification as entry into the final year of a Level 6 Bachelor’s degree, often called a top-up degree. The diploma itself does not confer a degree title. It provides the specific management knowledge and assignment-based evidence required to bridge the gap between operational care roles and strategic leadership. You gain the credits needed for progression, not the degree itself. The structure focuses entirely on management principles, quality assurance, and workforce leadership within health and social care settings.