Certificate in Economic Development
Course Overview
The Certificate in Economic Development is a short, structured UK Level 3 introductory course delivered over 3 to 6 months. It gives new entrants, career changers and international applicants a working command of economic development: growth, poverty, structural change, human development, aid and trade, and the working practice of bilateral and multilateral development institutions. The syllabus is aligned with Royal Economic Society and Overseas Development Institute-adjacent teaching benchmarks.
By graduation you will have written short pieces on national growth trajectories, mapped a country's structural transformation, prepared a first-entry poverty diagnostic and written a short piece on the theory-of-change of a chosen development intervention. The Certificate is a credible first credential and articulates into the LSLPE Diploma in Economic Thinking or Diploma in Public Leadership routes.
Key Features
- Rolling three-month intakes on-campus in central London or by online and distance learning.
- Syllabus aligned with Royal Economic Society and ODI-adjacent teaching benchmarks.
- Named programme tutor with returned marked work inside seven days.
- Case material drawn from published World Bank, IMF, ODI and UN development-report material.
- Practical assessments: growth commentary, structural-change map, theory-of-change piece.
- Direct articulation into the LSLPE Diploma in Economic Thinking.
What You Will Learn
- Basic growth accounting and the classical stylised facts of long-run growth.
- Structural transformation from agriculture through industry to services.
- Poverty and inequality measurement, including the Multidimensional Poverty Index.
- Human development, capabilities and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
- Aid architecture: bilateral, multilateral and philanthropic channels.
- Trade and development, including preferences, tariffs and value chains.
- Institutional economics: property rights, contract enforcement and state capacity.
- Writing a short development memo for a non-specialist reader.
Who This Course Is For
- School-leavers considering an economics, development or international-studies degree.
- Career changers exploring a move into NGO or bilateral development work.
- Working professionals in charities or CSR functions seeking a formal grounding.
- International applicants preparing for further UK development study.
Career Pathways
- Development Economist trainee
- NGO Programme Assistant
- Development Analyst trainee
- International Development Officer trainee
- Public Finance Analyst on development portfolios
- Research Economist support
The LSLPE careers service supports Certificate students with CV clinics, mock interview coaching and introductions to entry-level analyst pipelines across the development-consulting sector and NGO ecosystem.
Entry Requirements
- GCSE English at grade 4/C or equivalent; open access for mature applicants at admissions review.
- No prior study of economics required; the Certificate is designed as a first-entry route.
- IELTS 5.5 overall (no band below 5.0) for non-native English speakers, or equivalent.
- A short personal statement of 250 words describing your interest in economic development.
- International applicants supported through visa, accommodation and English-language guidance.
Why Study at LSLPE
The London School of Law, Politics and Economics teaches economic development in the heart of the UK development-policy cluster, within walking distance of the ODI, Chatham House and the international-affairs think-tank ecosystem. Case material and guest sessions come from working development analysts and NGO staff.
Three parallel study modes let progressors, working professionals and international applicants complete the Certificate without leaving employment, and the LSLPE careers service maintains active links with development consultancies and NGOs.
Apply for Certificate in Economic Development
Applications for the Certificate in Economic Development are open, with rolling intakes. Start with a UK Level 3 Certificate at LSLPE, rolling intakes, early applications receive the widest choice of tutors and elective modules. Enrol Now
