How to train and get a free degree

As a young adult and school leaver it can be hard to make choices about your future. Do you want to get stuck into the world of work, earning a salary and building up great experience for your CV? Or do you want to head into the world of higher education and study for a degree at university?

Now you can do both with Degree Apprenticeships. Earn a salary, build great experience, and study for a free degree - all at the same time. The McDonald's Management Degree Apprenticeship means you can earn and learn your way to being an outstanding manager - with a degree qualification that you don't pay a penny for.

What is a Degree Apprenticeship?

Successfully apply for a Degree Apprenticeship and you will earn and learn for a degree qualification at the same time.

You’ll get stuck into a real working environment with an employer, earning a salary and learning the ropes as you go.

You will also learn for a relevant degree as part of your training. You’ll get dedicated learning time to study for an internationally-recognised degree qualification.

Who pays the student costs towards the degree in a Degree Apprenticeship? Not you. You make money with your salary, but you don’t have to spend it! The degree is all paid for by your employer and the government combined.

The McDonald’s Management Degree Apprenticeship – how does it work?

You will receive on-the-job training, for which you will be paid a salary.

You will study towards a BA (Hons) Business Management Professional in Retail degree. This degree is accredited by the CMI. That means you can also obtain the CMI Level 5 Diploma in Management and Leadership on successful completion of your studies, in addition to your degree. The CMI accreditation enables you to join the Institute as a student member and register for Chartered Manager status on completion of your studies. In other words, McDonald’s Management Degree Apprenticeship can really take you places in your career.

You will study on block release at Manchester Metropolitan University 3/4 times a year. This degree study will teach you business theory that you can apply to your on-the-job training. The MMU has a great reputation for business degrees. It is in the top 5% of business schools with AACSB accreditation, so you’ll be getting a world-class business management degree education.

As part of the course you will complete a Level 3 Apprenticeship in Hospitality Supervision. So you’ll actually be completing an Apprenticeship AND a degree as part of this opportunity – all for free!

“At the moment what I really love about McDonald’s is that I can do my degree apprenticeship. That’s fantastic. It’s like every year McDonald’s is coming up with something new.”

Meet Thiago

What do you need to apply?

To apply for the McDonald’s Management Degree Apprenticeship you will need:

GCSE grade C or grade 4 in English Language, Maths, and (preferably) ICT.

104–112 UCAS points at A2 – usually BCC or BBC.

Alternative requirements might include a BTEC Subsidiary Diploma, Diploma, or Extended Diploma at Grade 3 (with grades DMM).

McDonald’s is also willing to accept non-standard applications on a case-by-case basis. This flexibility is one of the many reasons why they have been awarded the Youth Friendly Employer Mark.

Degree Apprenticeships – earn AND learn

With a Degree Apprenticeship, that hard choice between work and further study when you leave school just got easier.