How long is the BA in Democracy and Governance at LSLPE?

The BA in Democracy and Governance runs three years full-time, with part-time and accelerated routes available. Online and distance routes follow the same weekly seminar structure as the on-campus BA in Democracy and Governance.

How is the BA in Democracy and Governance delivered?

The BA in Democracy and Governance is delivered on-campus in London, online and by distance learning. All three modes include the embedded placement, comparative workshops and a final-year capstone.

Is the BA in Democracy and Governance UK-recognised?

Yes, the BA in Democracy and Governance is a UK Level 6 honours degree aligned with Political Studies Association, British International Studies Association and Institute for Government guidance.

What are the entry requirements for the BA in Democracy and Governance?

The BA in Democracy and Governance expects A-levels at BBB or above, an Access to HE Diploma with 45 Level 3 credits, or an equivalent international qualification for entry to the BA in Democracy and Governance.

What does the BA in Democracy and Governance cost and is funding available?

The BA in Democracy and Governance is quoted on the LSLPE fees page with staged payment plans, employer sponsorship documentation and scholarship windows. Admissions issues a personalised funding letter for the BA in Democracy and Governance on request.

BA in Democracy and Governance | LSLPE | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The BA in Democracy and Governance at LSLPE is a UK Level 6 honours degree running three years full-time, with part-time and accelerated routes available. The programme is aligned with Political Studies Association guidance on democratic studies, British International Studies Association benchmarks on comparative government, and Institute for Government analytical practice. Teaching sits within a short tube ride of Parliament, Whitehall and the international governance bodies with London footprints.

By graduation you will have written a comparative essay on democratic backsliding, produced a briefing on a specific electoral system, drafted a governance-reform position paper and completed a final-year capstone or dissertation. A year-two placement in Parliament, a think tank or an international democracy NGO is embedded in the degree.

Key Features

Curriculum aligned with PSA democratic studies guidance, BISA comparative benchmarks and Institute for Government analytical practice.
Case-room seminars using materials from V-Dem, Freedom House and Chatham House democracy monitoring.
Comparative government workshops covering Westminster, presidential, mixed and consensus systems.
Embedded year-two placement in Parliament, a think tank or an international democracy NGO.
Named programme-tutor support across all three study modes.
Final-year capstone supervised by a practising political scientist.

What You Will Learn

Democratic theory from Aristotle and Rousseau through to contemporary deliberative and agonistic accounts.
Electoral systems including FPTP, PR, STV and mixed member models.
Party systems, party organisation and modern party finance regulation.
Parliamentary and executive institutions in Westminster and comparative settings.
Democratic backsliding, populism and autocratisation.
Regional and international governance including the EU, Commonwealth and UN.
Political communication and the mediated public sphere.
Research methods including comparative and quantitative democracy indicators.

Who This Course Is For

School leavers and Access to HE progressors targeting political careers.
Career changers moving from campaigning, journalism or public affairs into professional political analysis.
Working practitioners in NGOs and international organisations engaging with democratic reform.
International applicants studying UK and comparative governance for domestic practice.
Aspiring diplomats, parliamentary researchers and public affairs consultants.

Career Pathways

Political Analyst
Parliamentary Researcher
International Relations Analyst
Public Affairs Officer
Government Relations Manager
Political Consultant
Election Analyst
Political Communications Officer

The LSLPE careers service holds at least one careers day each academic year connecting BA in Democracy and Governance students with employers in Westminster, international democracy NGOs, comparative governance think tanks and diplomatic missions.

Entry Requirements

A-levels (or equivalent) at BBB or above, OR a UK Access to HE Diploma with 45 credits at Level 3.
GCSE English at grade 4/C and Mathematics at grade 4/C (or equivalent).
IELTS 6.5 overall (no band below 6.0) for non-native English speakers.
Two academic references and a personal statement.
International applicants receive dedicated visa and accommodation support from LSLPE admissions.

Why Study at LSLPE

LSLPE is the specialist law, politics and economics division of Harold International College of London, teaching in small tutor-visible cohorts within a short tube ride of Parliament, Whitehall and Chatham House. The BA in Democracy and Governance reads its subject through comparative data and the working reports of democracy-support organisations.

Three parallel study modes let progressors, working practitioners and portfolio-route applicants complete the BA without leaving employment, and the LSLPE careers service refreshes curriculum annually against PSA, BISA and Institute for Government guidance.

Apply for BA in Democracy and Governance

Applications for the BA in Democracy and Governance open with rolling intakes and admissions responds within one working day. Apply for the LSLPE Bachelor's programme with a placement year in Parliament, a think tank or an international democracy NGO included, and take a credentialed UK step into comparative political analysis. Enrol Now