How long does the Higher Diploma in International Relations take?

The Higher Diploma in International Relations runs 15 to 18 months. On-campus, online and distance modes of the Higher Diploma in International Relations follow the same weekly seminar structure.

How is the Higher Diploma in International Relations delivered?

You can study the Higher Diploma in International Relations on-campus in central London, fully online or by structured distance learning. All modes of the Higher Diploma in International Relations share the same capstone project pathway.

Is the Higher Diploma in International Relations recognised in the UK?

Yes. The Higher Diploma in International Relations is a UK Level 5 award with confirmed credit transfer into a UK Bachelor's top-up. It aligns with Political Studies Association and Chatham House working-group standards.

What are the entry requirements for the Higher Diploma in International Relations?

You need a relevant Level 4 Diploma, Advanced Diploma or comparable qualification. Working paralegals, policy officers and research assistants are welcomed onto the Higher Diploma in International Relations.

What are the fees and funding options for the Higher Diploma in International Relations?

Fees vary by study mode and residency. LSLPE offers structured instalment plans and early-application discounts on the Higher Diploma in International Relations; contact admissions for a personalised quotation.

Higher Diploma in Int'l Relations | LSLPE | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The Higher Diploma in International Relations at LSLPE is a Level 5 programme running 15 to 18 months across on-campus, online and distance routes, with structured articulation into a UK Bachelor's top-up in the same discipline. The syllabus reads international relations as a working professional discipline aligned with the Political Studies Association, the British International Studies Association and Chatham House working-group conventions.

By graduation you will have produced a country-risk briefing, a UN or regional-organisation position paper, a comparative analysis of two foreign-policy doctrines, and a capstone project on a live diplomatic file. You will be able to write to the standard expected of a parliamentary researcher, an embassy political section or an international NGO desk officer.

Key Features

Weekly seminars aligned with Political Studies Association (PSA) and British International Studies Association (BISA) reading conventions.
Case sessions modelled on Chatham House working groups and Institute for Government convenings.
Guest input from foreign-affairs advisers, embassy staff and international-organisation officers.
Capstone project supervised by a practising analyst.
Confirmed credit transfer into a UK Bachelor's top-up in international relations.
Three parallel study modes so serving officers and progressor students share the same cohort.

What You Will Learn

Mapping actors, interests and institutions in an international file.
Reading treaty text, joint communiques and UN resolutions with confidence.
Producing an embassy-style country brief and a policy submission.
Comparing realist, liberal and constructivist explanations of a live case.
Analysing sanctions regimes, alliance commitments and defence postures.
Handling human-rights, climate and trade files as intersecting portfolios.
Running structured foresight and scenario exercises.
Defending a capstone conclusion in a supervised oral panel.

Who This Course Is For

Working paralegals, policy officers and research assistants moving into diplomatic and international-affairs work.
Progressor students from a Level 4 Diploma seeking a Bachelor's articulation route.
Career changers moving from journalism, NGO or defence backgrounds into structured international analysis.
International applicants preparing for foreign-service or international-organisation entry examinations.
Graduates who need a UK-recognised senior credential before applying to a Master's programme.

Career Pathways

International Relations Analyst
Parliamentary Researcher on foreign affairs
Political Consultant
Foreign Policy Adviser (junior track)
Public Affairs Officer with an international remit
Diplomatic support officer
International Affairs Officer at an NGO or think tank
Strategic Intelligence Analyst (graduate entry)

The LSLPE careers service curates introductions across embassies, Whitehall foreign-affairs teams, Chatham House and international NGOs, and refreshes curriculum alignment annually against Bar Standards Board, Political Studies Association and Royal Economic Society guidance.

Entry Requirements

A relevant Diploma (Level 4), Advanced Diploma or comparable qualification in politics, international relations, law or a related discipline.
GCSE English at grade 4/C and Mathematics at grade 4/C or equivalent.
IELTS 6.0 overall (no band below 5.5) for non-native English speakers.
One academic or professional reference.
Working professionals moving from paralegal, policy officer, research assistant or public administration roles are welcomed.

Why Study at LSLPE

LSLPE is a specialist division of Harold International College of London teaching in small, tutor-visible cohorts. Central London places embassies, Chatham House, the FCDO adjacent-briefing culture and the LSE-adjacent think-tank ecosystem within a short tube ride of every seminar room, which matters when your case sources are diplomatic files drafted nearby.

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

Apply for Higher Diploma in International Relations

Applications for the Higher Diploma in International Relations are open now, with confirmed credit transfer into a Bachelor's top-up on completion. Complete a Higher Diploma at LSLPE and articulate into a UK Bachelor's top-up in the same discipline. Enrol Now