How is the BA in Public Administration delivered?

The BA in Public Administration is available on-campus in central London, fully online and by structured distance learning. All modes of the BA in Public Administration share the same seminar and placement structure.

What are the entry requirements for the BA in Public Administration?

You need A-levels at BBB or above (or equivalent) for the BA in Public Administration. International applicants and Access to HE candidates are welcomed onto the BA in Public Administration.

What are the fees and funding options for the BA in Public Administration?

Fees vary by residency and study mode. LSLPE publishes a full fee sheet at application and offers structured instalment plans and early-application discounts for the BA in Public Administration; contact admissions for a personalised quotation.

BA in Public Administration | LSLPE | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The BA in Public Administration at LSLPE is a three-year UK honours degree, with part-time and accelerated routes, that trains a new generation of civil servants, local-authority officers and public-body managers. The syllabus is aligned with Political Studies Association, Institute for Government and CIPFA working standards, and the year-two placement in Whitehall, a local authority, a regulator or an arm's-length body converts theory into evidence you can defend to a director-general or Section 151 officer.

By graduation you will have produced a full policy option appraisal, an accountability audit, a stakeholder-mapping exercise, a placement portfolio and a policy-focused dissertation.

Key Features

Curriculum aligned with Political Studies Association (PSA), Institute for Government (IfG) and CIPFA standards.
Placement year in Whitehall, a local authority, an arm's-length body or a regulator.
Weekly seminars in the select-committee tradition.
Guest sessions from serving senior civil servants and local-authority chief executives.
Small-cohort tutorials in the case-room tradition.
Three parallel study modes and accelerated pathways.

What You Will Learn

Reading and drafting a ministerial submission and a cabinet paper.
Applying the Green Book, Magenta Book and Managing Public Money.
Producing a policy option appraisal and a cost-benefit analysis.
Handling accountability to Parliament, cabinet committee and audit.
Understanding local-authority scrutiny and Section 151 responsibilities.
Running stakeholder-engagement and consultation exercises.
Writing a select-committee submission and a National Audit Office-style value-for-money briefing.
Producing a policy-focused dissertation with UK data.

Who This Course Is For

A-level or equivalent applicants targeting a UK public-service career.
International applicants preparing for civil-service work in their home ministries.
Career changers moving from the private sector or third sector into public administration.
Working professionals seeking part-time or accelerated routes to a UK honours degree.
Students who want a placement-year portfolio and a policy dissertation at graduation.

Career Pathways

Civil Service Fast Stream applicant
Programme Manager in central or local government
Public Sector Consultant
Policy Adviser at director level (progression track)
Public Affairs Consultant
Public Leadership Fellow
Government Affairs Manager
Political Analyst

The LSLPE careers service curates introductions across Whitehall departments, local government, the NHS, arm's-length bodies and consultancies, and refreshes curriculum alignment annually against Bar Standards Board, Political Studies Association and Royal Economic Society guidance.

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 a specialist division of Harold International College of London teaching in small, tutor-visible cohorts. Central London places Whitehall, Parliament, City Hall, the National Audit Office, the Institute for Government and the LSE-adjacent think-tank ecosystem within a short tube ride of every classroom, which matters when the ministerial submissions you will draft mirror ones being decided a few stops away.

Every intake, on-campus or remote, joins the same weekly seminar structure with named programme-tutor support. Seminars are run in the select-committee tradition, evidence-led and argued in public, and the careers service connects students with employers across Whitehall, local government, think tanks and consultancies.

Apply for BA in Public Administration

Applications for the BA in Public Administration are open now, with a placement year in chambers, government or a think tank included. Apply for the LSLPE Bachelor's programme and step into a UK-recognised public-administration career. Enrol Now