How long is the BSc in Global Trade Systems?

The BSc in Global Trade Systems runs for three years full-time with part-time and accelerated routes. Online and distance students complete the BSc in Global Trade Systems on the same seminar rhythm.

Does the BSc in Global Trade Systems include a placement?

Yes, the BSc in Global Trade Systems includes a year-two placement in a trade body, logistics firm, government department or think tank. LSLPE careers matches BSc in Global Trade Systems students with placement partners.

Is the BSc in Global Trade Systems UK-recognised?

Yes, the BSc in Global Trade Systems is a UK Level 6 honours degree aligned with Royal Economic Society and Government Economic Service guidance.

What are the entry requirements for the BSc in Global Trade Systems?

The BSc in Global Trade Systems asks for BBB at A-level including a quantitative subject, or equivalent, plus GCSE English and Maths. International applicants receive support onto the BSc in Global Trade Systems.

How much does the BSc in Global Trade Systems cost?

Fees for the BSc in Global Trade Systems are on the LSLPE fees page, with staged payment plans, scholarships and, where applicable, UK student-finance support. Letters for the BSc in Global Trade Systems are issued on request.

BSc in Global Trade Systems | LSLPE | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The BSc in Global Trade Systems at LSLPE is a UK Level 6 honours degree covering the architecture of international trade — the treaty rules, regulatory bodies, logistics economics and market institutions that hold cross-border flows together. It runs three years full-time with part-time and accelerated routes available on-campus, online and by distance learning. The syllabus is aligned with Royal Economic Society and Government Economic Service guidance and draws case content from the ODI, Chatham House and the Department for Business and Trade.

By graduation you will have mapped a live UK export corridor end to end, modelled trade-flow shocks, produced trade-policy briefings for a mixed academic and practitioner audience and defended a final-year dissertation. A year-two placement in a trade body, logistics operator, government department or think tank rounds out the honours programme.

Key Features

Curriculum aligned with Royal Economic Society and Government Economic Service guidance.
Case sequences drawn from WTO dispute reports, ODI and Chatham House trade work.
Year-two placement in trade bodies, logistics firms, government departments or think tanks.
Data workshops on trade flows, port statistics and shipping cost indices.
Final-year dissertation with a practising trade analyst as second supervisor.
Three parallel study modes on the same weekly seminar rhythm.

What You Will Learn

Architecture of the WTO, regional trade agreements and dispute mechanisms.
Customs regimes, rules of origin and non-tariff-measure analysis.
Logistics economics — shipping, air freight, road and rail.
Digital trade rules and cross-border data flows.
Trade in services, financial services and professional services.
Sanctions and export controls in UK and international regimes.
Econometric analysis of trade flows.
Research methods for a Level 6 trade-systems dissertation.

Who This Course Is For

School leavers targeting a specialist trade-systems degree.
International applicants preparing for global-trade careers.
Career changers moving from logistics, freight or shipping into policy analysis.
Part-time learners already in exporter, chamber-of-commerce or freight roles.
Access to HE students progressing into a global-trade specialism.

Career Pathways

Trade Economist
Government Economist
Economic Policy Analyst
Regulatory Economist
Economic Consultant
Investment Analyst
Development Economist
Research Economist

The LSLPE careers service runs at least one careers day each academic year for BSc in Global Trade Systems students, connecting them with trade bodies, logistics firms, exporters and government departments.

Entry Requirements

A-levels (or equivalent) at BBB or above including Mathematics or a quantitative subject, 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 outlining your interest in global trade systems.
International applicants receive dedicated visa and accommodation support from LSLPE admissions.

Why Study at LSLPE

LSLPE reads trade systems inside the wider law-politics-economics conversation because trade rules are drafted by lawyers, argued by politicians and constrained by economics. Central London places the Department for Business and Trade, the ODI, City law firms and the LSE-adjacent think-tank ecosystem a short tube ride from every classroom.

Three parallel study modes let progressors, working practitioners and portfolio-route applicants complete the BSc in Global Trade Systems alongside employment. The LSLPE careers service connects each cohort with trade employers through the year.

Apply for BSc in Global Trade Systems

Applications for the BSc in Global Trade Systems open across UCAS-equivalent windows and admissions responds within one working day. Apply for the LSLPE Bachelor's programme with a placement year in a trade body or government department included. Enrol Now