Course Summary
The Postgraduate Diploma in Business in Lean Enterprise Excellence is an executive/practitioner programme providing participants with the required knowledge, know-how, know-why, and skills to advance as Lean and Continuous Improvement leaders in organisations.
College Link
Career Sectors
This course prepares you for working in the Career Sectors below. Follow the links to get a fuller understanding of the sectors you are preparing for.
Entry Requirements
Eligibility and entry criteria
To be considered for entry onto the Postgraduate Diploma in Business in Lean Enterprise Excellence, applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:
Applicants should have a Level 8 qualification, in any discipline, along with a minimum of 3 years’ relevant industry experience; and, where applicants do not have a previous Level 8 qualification, they will be considered on the basis of a recognition of prior learning (RPL) application to a Level 8 standard or equivalent and provided they have a minimum of 5 years’ relevant industry experience.
Applicants for whom English is not their first language are required to present evidence of competence that meet the University's English Language Requirements for Postgraduate Programmes.
Application Details
Next Intake September 2026
The Student
Career Interests
This course is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests. If these interests do not describe you, this course may prepare you for work you may not find satisfying.
Enterprising
Enterprising people like situations that involve using resources for personal or corporate economic gain. Such people may have an opportunistic frame of mind, and are drawn to commerce, trade and making deals. Some pursue sales and marketing occupations. Many will eventually end up owning their own business, or in management roles in larger organisations. They tend to be very goal-oriented and work best when focused on a target. Some have an entrepreneurial inclination.
Administrative
Administrative people are interested in work that offers security and a sense of being part of a larger process. They may be at their most productive under supervisors who give clear guidelines and while performing routine tasks in a methodical and reliable way.
They tend to enjoy clerical and most forms of office work, where they perform essential administrative duties. They often form the backbone of large and small organisations alike. They may enjoy being in charge of office filing systems, and using computers and other office equipment to keep things running smoothly. They usually like routine work hours and prefer comfortable indoor workplaces.
Career Progression
Upon successfully attaining the requisite 60 Credits, participants will be conferred with the qualification of “Postgraduate Diploma in Business in Lean Enterprise Excellence” from SETU, and receive their “Lean Black Belt” letter.
Graduates have advanced to key positions as Site Leads or Senior Director/Managers in Lean/CI/OpEx. Many have been headhunted by other organisations, and others have become Lean Service Providers offering consultancy and training in Ireland and abroad.
Further Study
Lean masters
Students undertaking the Postgraduate Diploma in Business in Lean Enterprise Excellence may elect to transfer to the Master of Business Studies in Lean Enterprise Excellence, and must do so early in Semester 2
Doctoral research
Several graduates have gone on to pursue Level 10 Doctoral Research whilst continuing to work and/or as part of an industry reserach partnership. Interested parties can undertake the structured Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or the Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) at SETU (Waterford campus).
Industry demand
Ireland is a recognised global leader in Lean Enterprise and Operational Excellence, and there thus exists a high demand nationally and internationally for graduates with Lean knowledge, know-how, know-why, and skills. Graduates of the Postgraduate Diploma in Business in Lean Enterprise Excellence from SETU (Waterford) are highly valued within their organisations and highly sought-after in general.
In addition to the extensive knowledge and learning acquired, the applied nature of the programme and real-world individual and group problem-solving provide participants with invaluable experience and skills that enable their workplace-readiness and capability to implement Lean in any sector, organisation type and scale. The vast majority of participants are employer-funded, and this further affirms the importance that organisations increasingly place on Lean capacity and capability development.
Career progression
Graduates have advanced to key positions as Site Leads/Managers in Lean/Operational Excellence/CI. Many have been headhunted by other organisations, and others have become Lean Service Providers offering consultancy and training in Ireland and abroad.
Communities of learning and practice
The Academy of Lean Enterprise Excellence and Faculty Members are co-founders, leaders, and strategic advisors to a number of regional and national entities, and have been integral in the development of the national Lean ecosystem. Our programme participants and alumni become part of the regional, national, and global communities of learning and practice in Lean.
www.leanbusinessireland.ie
www.leanconstructionireland.ie
Duration
Delivery
This is a part-time executive programme delivered over 12 months in an E-learning format, and with a primary focus on in-class participation and engagement. Classes are on Monday evenings and 3-4 Saturdays in both semesters.
The programme is fully delivered Online and in Synchronous mode. Participants are provided with the full programme schedule for the academic year at the commencement and orientation session in mid-September. Classes are in block-release format (3-hours; 4-hours; 6-hours) on assigned evenings and occasional Saturdays. Live conference classes take place via Zoom or MS Teams, with participants accessing the SETU Zoom and MS Teams accounts as registered students.