How long does the BA in Strategic Studies take to complete?

The BA in Strategic Studies is a three-year full-time honours programme with an integrated placement year, or a longer part-time route across online and distance modes. Accelerated study is available for qualified applicants on the BA in Strategic Studies.

Can I study the BA in Strategic Studies online?

Yes. The BA in Strategic Studies is delivered on-campus in central London, online and by distance learning, and each mode shares the same seminar structure and named tutor support.

Is the BA in Strategic Studies UK recognised?

The BA in Strategic Studies is a UK Level 6 honours degree taught to standards aligned with IISS and BISA analytical frameworks, and it prepares graduates for postgraduate study in security and international affairs.

What are the entry requirements for the BA in Strategic Studies?

Applicants need A-levels at BBB, a UK Access to HE Diploma or equivalent international qualification, GCSE English and Maths at grade 4/C, and IELTS 6.5 where required. International applicants for the BA in Strategic Studies receive full visa support.

How much does the BA in Strategic Studies cost and is funding available?

Tuition varies by mode and intake. LSLPE admissions publishes current fees at offer stage and discusses instalment plans and scholarships for the BA in Strategic Studies on request.

BA in Strategic Studies | LSLPE | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The BA in Strategic Studies at LSLPE is a three-year UK Level 6 honours degree with part-time and accelerated routes available. The programme reads strategy as the art of matching ends, ways and means under uncertainty, and covers grand strategy, defence policy, intelligence analysis, arms control, deterrence and coercive diplomacy. It is aligned with the guidance of the International Institute for Strategic Studies and the British International Studies Association.

By graduation you will have produced strategic net assessments on live cases, drafted defence-policy briefs for hypothetical MoD clients, contributed to war-game exercises in the case-room tradition, completed a placement year in Whitehall or a defence-adjacent think tank, and defended a final-year dissertation on a strategic question.

Key Features

Placement year in Whitehall, a defence think tank, an international body or a defence-industrial firm.
Curriculum aligned with International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) and BISA analytical frameworks.
Regular war-gaming and net-assessment exercises.
Comparative teaching across UK, US, NATO, European and non-Western strategic traditions.
Dissertation supervised by a practising strategist or academic.
Careers days linking students to defence ministries, defence-industrial firms and specialist think tanks.

What You Will Learn

Classical and contemporary strategic thought from Clausewitz to modern deterrence theory.
Grand strategy and its expression in UK Integrated Reviews.
Defence policy, force structure and procurement politics.
Intelligence analysis, tradecraft and assessment writing.
Arms control, non-proliferation and disarmament regimes.
Cyber, space and hybrid domains of strategic competition.
War-gaming, red-teaming and structured analytic techniques.
Dissertation research and defence on a strategic question.

Who This Course Is For

School-leavers targeting careers in defence policy, intelligence and diplomacy.
International applicants comparing their own strategic settings against UK and allied practice.
Serving military personnel building an academic credential for post-service progression.
Career changers moving from adjacent fields into defence and strategic analysis.
Applicants planning postgraduate progression to an MA in Security and Global Politics.

Career Pathways

Defence Policy Analyst inside the Ministry of Defence or a Whitehall department.
Strategic Intelligence Analyst in a government or private-sector practice.
Foreign Policy Adviser at the FCDO or an embassy.
International Relations Analyst at a defence think tank such as the IISS or RUSI-style bodies.
Political Analyst covering security and strategic affairs.
International Affairs Officer at an international body.
Development Diplomat pipeline at the FCDO.

The LSLPE careers service coordinates the placement year and runs at least one careers day each academic year connecting BA students with defence-policy recruiters and think-tank principals.

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 demonstrating strategic-studies interests.
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 that reads politics, law and economics as three interlocking disciplines. The BA in Strategic Studies draws on all three, since strategy is constrained by legal frameworks, funded by fiscal politics and executed through diplomatic and military instruments. Small, tutor-visible cohorts and case-room seminars run through every mode.

Central London places the FCDO, the Ministry of Defence adjacent institutions, Chatham House and the IISS within a short tube ride of every classroom. The LSLPE careers service links students to defence-policy recruiters and think-tank principals, and three parallel study modes let progressors and serving professionals complete the BA without leaving service or employment.

Apply for BA in Strategic Studies

Apply for the LSLPE Bachelor's programme with a placement year in Whitehall, a defence think tank or an international body. Admissions responds within one working day. Enrol Now