What are the entry requirements for the Advanced Diploma in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences?

Applicants need a Level 4 Diploma, foundation year or two years' relevant experience, GCSE English and Maths at grade 4/C, and IELTS 6.0 where required. A research portfolio supports the Advanced Diploma in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences application.

How much does the Advanced Diploma in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences cost and is funding available?

Tuition varies by mode. LSLPE admissions publishes current fees at offer stage and discusses instalment plans and employer sponsorship for the Advanced Diploma in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences on request.

Adv Diploma Interdisciplinary Social Sciences | LSLPE | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The Advanced Diploma in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences at LSLPE is a UK Level 5 senior-track qualification running 12 to 15 months across on-campus, online and distance modes. It treats social research as an inherently interdisciplinary practice, drawing on political science, economics, sociology and public policy to answer questions no single discipline can settle alone. The syllabus is aligned with the guidance of the Political Studies Association, the Royal Economic Society, the Institute of Development Studies and the Overseas Development Institute.

By graduation you will have designed and executed a mixed-methods research project, produced Chatham House-style policy notes on a live cross-cutting question, run quantitative and qualitative analyses on public datasets, and defended a supervised capstone report.

Key Features

Cross-disciplinary teaching by tutors from politics, economics and public policy backgrounds.
Curriculum aligned with PSA, RES, ODI and IDS analytical frameworks.
Applied methods stream combining quantitative and qualitative research design.
Confirmed credit transfer into an articulated UK Bachelor's top-up.
Guest seminars from Chatham House-adjacent researchers and IfG policy analysts.
Careers day links to think tanks, NGOs, government departments and public-sector consulting.

What You Will Learn

Research design across political science, economics and public policy traditions.
Quantitative methods including regression, panel data and applied causal inference.
Qualitative methods including interviewing, coding, process tracing and case study.
Mixed-methods integration and triangulation.
Ethics approval and research governance for social science.
Policy-note writing in Chatham House, IFS and ODI styles.
Data visualisation and reproducible-research practice.
Capstone research design, execution and defence.

Who This Course Is For

Diploma holders progressing to Level 5 with interdisciplinary interests.
Think-tank and NGO staff building methods evidence for progression.
Civil servants moving from policy officer to policy analyst roles.
International applicants comparing social-science methods across traditions.
Working professionals studying part-time through the distance route.

Career Pathways

Policy Adviser inside a Whitehall department or executive agency.
Think Tank Researcher at the IFS, ODI, IfG or IDS.
Development Analyst at a bilateral donor or multilateral body.
Public Sector Consultant serving government and arm's-length clients.
Programme Manager in a mission-led charity or NGO.
Global Affairs Analyst in a research house or newsroom.
Public Leadership Fellow inside a leadership institute or think tank.

The LSLPE careers service refreshes curriculum alignment annually against PSA and RES guidance and links Advanced Diploma students to think-tank and consulting recruiters through the careers day programme.

Entry Requirements

A relevant Diploma (Level 4), Foundation Year, or at least two years of relevant professional experience in policy, research or public administration.
GCSE English at grade 4/C and Mathematics at grade 4/C or equivalent.
IELTS 6.0 overall (no band below 5.5) for non-native English speakers.
One academic or professional reference.
Applicants with research or policy portfolios are encouraged to include them.

Why Study at LSLPE

LSLPE is a specialist division of Harold International College of London that reads politics, law and economics as three interlocking disciplines and treats social research as their natural meeting point. The Advanced Diploma in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences is delivered in small, tutor-visible cohorts using the case-room and select-committee tradition.

Central London places Whitehall, Parliament, Chatham House, the IFS, ODI and the LSE-adjacent think-tank ecosystem within a short tube ride of every classroom. Online and distance students join the same weekly seminar structure with named programme-tutor support, so working practitioners complete the Advanced Diploma in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences without leaving employment.