Revo CertHE in Retail and Leisure Place Management
How to apply
Duration: 1 year (part-time)
Delivery: Blended
About this course
Created specifically for professionals working across retail, leisure, property and place management, the Revo CertHE in Retail and Leisure Place Management has been developed by Solent University and the Revo Educational Trust to equip current and aspiring place-management professionals with the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to succeed in a rapidly evolving sector.
The programme provides a practical, industry-focused introduction to managing and developing successful retail and leisure places and the assets that sit at the heart of many communities. It reflects the changing nature of the sector, where traditional boundaries between retail, leisure, food and beverage, daytime and night-time economies, and physical and digital experiences continue to evolve.
As the role of the traditional centre manager has developed, today’s place-management professionals are increasingly expected to understand commercial performance, interpret financial information, develop strategy, manage stakeholders, build community partnerships and respond to changing customer and organisational expectations. The programme will help you broaden your understanding beyond your own area of responsibility, see how different parts of the organisation connect and develop the confidence to contribute to wider business decisions.
This one-year, part-time Level 4 qualification is designed to fit around your professional commitments. Through a blended approach combining flexible directed learning with collaborative group learning, you will develop your knowledge across key areas of retail, leisure and place management while applying your learning to real workplace situations.
Throughout the programme, you will be supported to develop your professional confidence, strengthen your decision-making and build the academic and practical skills needed to become a more effective and independent practitioner.
Regular feedback and opportunities for reflection will support both your academic and professional development throughout the course.
Professional benefits
By the end of the programme, you will be better equipped to:
- Apply recognised industry best practice with confidence
- Make informed commercial, operational and strategic decisions
- Interpret and communicate financial and performance information
- Understand how different business functions and priorities connect
- Work more effectively across functions, stakeholders, partners and communities
- Apply academic knowledge and industry insight to real workplace challenges
- Bring broader perspectives and fresh thinking to organisational issues
- Contribute more effectively to organisational planning and senior-level discussions
The programme is designed to help you become a more confident, capable and well-rounded place-management professional, with the knowledge, skills and judgement to contribute beyond your immediate area of responsibility and make a greater impact within your organisation and community.
Benefits for employers
The programme develops professionals who can think beyond their immediate role, understand wider commercial and organisational priorities, work effectively across functions and apply their learning directly to workplace challenges.
Start date
May 2027
Course team
- Michelle Merry - Programme Manager
- Emma Pritchard - Adobe Training
- Nick Lawrence - Introduction to Retail and Leisure Place Management; Future Leaders Project
- Emmanuel Quansah - Management, Operations, and Health and Safety
- Brenda Short - Property Law
- Tim Jackson - Marketing
- Blessing Sibanda - Financial Management
Developed in partnership with Revo
The Revo CertHE in Retail and Leisure Place Management has been developed by Solent University in partnership with the Revo Educational Trust to ensure the programme remains closely aligned with the needs of the retail, leisure and place-management sectors.
Combining academic expertise with industry knowledge, the programme reflects current challenges, recognised best practice and the evolving role of place-management professionals.
Throughout the course, Revo members contribute directly to the learning experience, sharing practical insights and real-world examples that help bring key concepts to life. Their involvement helps learners understand how knowledge is applied in professional settings and provides valuable perspectives from across the sector.
The programme also offers opportunities to build professional networks by learning alongside peers and engaging with experienced industry practitioners.
This partnership ensures that learners benefit from a qualification that is both academically rigorous and professionally relevant.
Developed with:
Why choose this course?
What will I learn?
- Introduction to Retail and Leisure Place Management
- Principles of Retail and Leisure Management
A general introduction to the principles and practice in retail and leisure management. - Management, Operations, Health and Safety
Building on and developing the operational topics introduced in Principles of Retail and Leisure Management, covering facilities and property management, operations and critical risk management, and health and safety. - Fundamentals of Property Law and Data Governance
Providing an understanding of legal and statutory requirements and their application - essential for effective and competent professional practice for retail and leisure management professionals. - Principles of Marketing
Developing an understanding of the key concepts and terminology used in marketing and introducing students to key principles in marketing focusing primarily on consumer marketing. - Financial Management and Reporting
Providing an understanding of asset class, property economics, investment and the financial budgeting and reporting skills essential to a centre manager. - Project: The Retail Place - The Future Leaders Project
Bringing together the learning from the course to date and providing an awareness of the retail and business innovations and new technologies being developed for use within the sector.
Who is this course for?
This course is designed for current and aspiring professionals working across retail, leisure, property and place management.
It is particularly relevant to those with responsibility for managing places, assets, operations, customer experience, commercial performance, stakeholders or community partnerships, as well as those looking to move into a place-management role or broaden their responsibilities within the sector.
Whether you are already established in the industry or developing your career, the programme will help you strengthen your professional knowledge, build confidence in your decision-making and develop a broader understanding of the commercial, operational and strategic aspects of place management.
What does this course lead to?
A graduate from this course will be able to play a role in an industry that is constantly being challenged to get the best out of our assets in driving performance and value. Students will learn the additional competencies required of a traditional centre manager to transform them into a commercial manager able to present, interpret financial data into strategy, and facilitate wider community partnerships.
How you'll learn and be assessed
Your learning is designed around three simple stages:
- Prepare: build your understanding through flexible learning activities that you can complete around your professional commitments.
- Practice and explore: apply what you have learned through interactive sessions with academics, industry practitioners and other learners, using real-world examples and workplace challenges.
- Consolidate: bring your learning together, reflect on how it applies to your role and develop the confidence to use it in practice.
Assessment is designed to reflect real professional contexts and help you apply your learning to situations relevant to the sector and your own workplace.
Tuition fees
The tuition fees for the 2026/27 academic year are:
UK, EU and Channel Island fees: £9,790 (VAT free). Various payment options are available.
International part-time fees: Students from outside the EU are usually unable to obtain a visa for part-time study. Please visit our visas and immigration page for more information.
For further information, please visit our tuition fees page.
Extra course costs
While most course costs are covered by your tuition fees, some essential resources and optional extras may need to be paid for separately. For advice on budgeting and managing your money, please contact student.funding@solent.ac.uk.
Bursaries, scholarships and financial support
Advance your career in place management with 50% Revo sponsorship
- Eligible professionals may apply for 50% Revo sponsorship, reducing the tuition fee from £9,790 to £4,895.
- The next cohort starts on 6 May 2027, with final assessments taking place on 17 April 2028.
- Further details on eligibility and how to apply for Revo sponsorship are available from the Revo website and the application for grant funding is here.
Key entry requirements
We welcome applications from experienced professionals as well as those with formal academic qualifications.
Applicants who do not hold the academic qualifications listed below may still be considered for admission where they can demonstrate relevant professional or industry experience.
16 points minimum from either 6-unit or 3-unit awards
- plus Level 2 English and Maths
- or BTEC/Edexcel Advanced GNVQ
- or National Certificate Diploma in a building/construction related discipline
- or relevant Access course
- or other qualifications which are considered to be equivalent of the above.
For further information about UK, EU and international qualifications, please contact admissions.
English language requirements
Applicants who do not have English as their first language will be required to demonstrate an approved level of proficiency in the use of the English language. The agreed minimum requirements for this course are:
- IELTS minimum 6.0 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each individual component
- TOEFL IBT minimum 80 with a minimum of 20 in each individual component
- Duolingo English Language Test - 100 overall with a minimum of 90 in each component
- or equivalent.
Qualifications are checked before enrolment, and international students must bring their original certificates or certified copies when coming to study at the University.
Make your application
- Contact admissions
