Diploma in Policy Analysis
Course Overview
The Diploma in Policy Analysis is a UK Level 4 practitioner-foundation qualification running 9 to 12 months. It teaches the applied craft of policy analysis: framing a problem, identifying options, appraising them against evidence and cost, drafting a submission for a decision-maker and evaluating what happened afterwards. The syllabus is aligned with Political Studies Association standards and draws heavily on HM Treasury Green Book appraisal and Institute for Government policy-cycle practice.
By graduation you will have produced a full policy brief, an options appraisal against a real-world case, a cost-benefit note using Green Book conventions and a short evaluation plan. You will present one brief orally to a mock ministerial panel and defend it under structured questioning. The Diploma articulates directly into the LSLPE Advanced Diploma in Public Policy and into related Bachelor's top-ups.
Key Features
- Nine to twelve months of applied policy analysis with three intake windows a year.
- Syllabus aligned with Political Studies Association, Institute for Government and IFS analytical standards.
- Green Book cost-benefit and impact-assessment methods taught to production standard.
- Named programme tutor and marked policy briefs returned inside seven days.
- Three parallel study modes: on-campus in central London, online, and distance learning.
- Direct articulation into the LSLPE Advanced Diploma in Public Policy and Higher Diploma routes.
What You Will Learn
- Problem framing, stakeholder mapping and evidence triage for a policy question.
- Structured options appraisal using Green Book five-case model conventions.
- Quantitative essentials: cost-benefit analysis, discounting, sensitivity testing.
- Qualitative evidence review, including systematic reading of grey literature.
- Drafting a two-page ministerial submission and a longer full policy brief.
- Designing an evaluation plan using theory of change and process-tracing methods.
- Working through the policy cycle from agenda-setting to implementation review.
- Presenting and defending analysis under structured, adversarial questioning.
Who This Course Is For
- Working policy officers seeking a formal analytical credential.
- Council officers, NGO analysts and think-tank researchers wanting Green Book fluency.
- Career changers moving from consulting, journalism or research into a policy setting.
- Graduates preparing for civil-service policy streams or think-tank fellowships.
Career Pathways
- Policy Adviser
- Policy Analyst in a Whitehall department
- Think Tank Researcher
- Public Sector Consultant
- Development Analyst
- NGO Programme Officer
- Political Analyst
The LSLPE careers service holds year-round links with ministerial private offices, think tanks around Chatham House and the Institute for Fiscal Studies, and the wider public-affairs sector, and supports Diploma graduates through applications and interview.
Entry Requirements
- A Level 3 qualification (A-levels, BTEC, Access to HE) or equivalent, or a relevant Certificate at LSLPE.
- GCSE English at grade 4/C and Mathematics at grade 4/C or equivalent.
- IELTS 5.5 overall (no band below 5.5) for non-native English speakers, or equivalent.
- A personal statement outlining your progression aims and any policy experience to date.
- Applicants with policy-brief or research portfolios are encouraged to reference them at application.
Why Study at LSLPE
The London School of Law, Politics and Economics teaches policy analysis where policy is made, within walking distance of Whitehall, Parliament, the Treasury and the think-tank cluster around Westminster. Guest sessions and live-brief workshops draw on Institute for Government policy-cycle research and Political Studies Association teaching guidance.
Three parallel study modes let progressors, working practitioners and portfolio-route applicants complete the Diploma without leaving employment, and the LSLPE careers service maintains a live map of policy pipelines across chambers, Whitehall, the City and the think-tank ecosystem.
Apply for Diploma in Policy Analysis
Applications for the Diploma in Policy Analysis are open, with three intakes a year. Step up to a UK Level 4 Diploma at LSLPE, three intake windows a year, admissions responds within one working day. Enrol Now
