Advanced Diploma in International Relations
Course Overview
The Advanced Diploma in International Relations is a UK Level 5 senior-track qualification running 12 to 15 months. It develops fluency in modern international-relations theory and applied practice: realism, liberalism, constructivism, English-School and critical approaches, and their application to security, trade, climate and human rights. The syllabus is aligned with British International Studies Association and Chatham House-adjacent standards and draws on the applied practice of the FCDO and the international-affairs think-tank sector.
By graduation you will have produced a regional-security assessment, a foreign-policy brief on a live UK question, a comparative institutional analysis of a chosen multilateral regime, and a capstone case tracing an international-relations question through its analytical and policy stages. Credit transfer into a UK Bachelor's top-up is confirmed at enrolment.
Key Features
- Twelve to fifteen months of applied international-relations study with case-driven assessment.
- Syllabus aligned with British International Studies Association and Chatham House-adjacent standards.
- Case material drawn from published FCDO documents, Chatham House papers and IISS strategic surveys.
- Named programme tutor plus a working international-relations mentor.
- Three parallel study modes and confirmed credit transfer into a UK Bachelor's top-up.
- Two intake windows a year with named admissions support for international applicants.
What You Will Learn
- Realist, liberal, constructivist and critical approaches to international relations.
- Security studies: strategic culture, deterrence, alliance politics.
- International political economy: trade, finance, sanctions and industrial policy.
- Climate diplomacy under the UNFCCC framework.
- Human rights and international humanitarian law in practice.
- Regional analysis: EU, transatlantic, Indo-Pacific and MENA cases.
- Foreign-policy analysis: bureaucratic politics, two-level games, strategic culture.
- Writing a foreign-policy brief and defending it under expert questioning.
Who This Course Is For
- Working diplomats and foreign-service officers on rotation.
- Policy officers in Whitehall departments with international portfolios.
- NGO staff and think-tank researchers moving into senior analytical roles.
- Career changers moving from journalism, security or academia into international relations.
Career Pathways
- Diplomat
- Foreign Policy Adviser
- International Relations Analyst
- Strategic Intelligence Analyst
- Defence Policy Analyst
- Political Analyst on international portfolios
- Development Diplomat
- Global Affairs Analyst
The LSLPE careers service links Advanced Diploma graduates with entry pipelines into the FCDO, defence and security bodies, Chatham House and BISA-adjacent think tanks, and international NGOs.
Entry Requirements
- A relevant Diploma (Level 4), Foundation Year, or at least two years of relevant professional experience in politics, international relations or public policy.
- 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 foreign-policy or research portfolios are encouraged to include them.
Why Study at LSLPE
The London School of Law, Politics and Economics teaches international relations in the heart of the UK international-affairs cluster, within walking distance of the FCDO, Chatham House and the diplomatic missions of central London. Guest sessions come from working diplomats and international-affairs analysts.
Three parallel study modes let progressors, in-post practitioners and international applicants complete the Advanced Diploma without leaving employment, and the LSLPE careers service maintains active links with the FCDO, think tanks and international bodies.
Apply for Advanced Diploma in International Relations
Applications for the Advanced Diploma in International Relations are open, with named admissions support for international applicants. Enrol on a UK Level 5 Advanced Diploma at LSLPE, credit transfer into Bachelor top-ups confirmed in writing at enrolment. Enrol Now
