How long does the MA in Foreign Policy Analysis take?

The MA in Foreign Policy Analysis runs one year full-time or two years part-time. Online and distance routes make the MA in Foreign Policy Analysis accessible to working diplomats and analysts worldwide.

In what modes is the MA in Foreign Policy Analysis delivered?

The MA in Foreign Policy Analysis is delivered on-campus in central London, online with live seminars and by distance learning. Each mode of the MA in Foreign Policy Analysis shares the same weekly seminar rhythm and dissertation supervision.

Is the MA in Foreign Policy Analysis UK-recognised?

Yes. The MA in Foreign Policy Analysis is a UK Level 7 award aligned with British International Studies Association Master's benchmarks and mapped to Chatham House and IISS research standards.

What are the entry requirements for the MA in Foreign Policy Analysis?

Applicants to the MA in Foreign Policy Analysis need a UK Bachelor's degree at 2:2 or above, or 5+ years of senior professional experience. IELTS 6.5 is required for non-native English speakers.

How much does the MA in Foreign Policy Analysis cost and is funding available?

Fees for the MA in Foreign Policy Analysis are quoted in your written offer. LSLPE supports MA in Foreign Policy Analysis applicants with instalment plans, employer sponsorship and early-application bursaries.

MA in Foreign Policy Analysis | LSLPE | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The MA in Foreign Policy Analysis is a one-year full-time UK Level 7 programme (or two years part-time by online and distance routes) that trains graduates to read foreign policy as a product of bureaucratic organisations, domestic politics and international structure. The syllabus draws on the analytical tradition of Chatham House, IISS, BISA and the FCDO's own briefing conventions.

By graduation you will have produced country risk assessments, drafted Chatham House-style briefings on live UK foreign policy questions, staged a supervised inter-departmental exercise, and defended a substantial dissertation on a foreign policy analysis theme.

Key Features

Curriculum aligned with British International Studies Association Master's benchmarks.
Dissertation supervised in the Chatham House, IISS and BISA research tradition.
Applied training on live UK FCDO material and international bodies' output.
Sponsor project route with a UK think tank, NGO or international body.
Weekly seminars run in the case-room and select-committee tradition.
Careers service links to the FCDO, MoD, UK think tanks and international bodies.
Three parallel study modes for practitioners, career changers and international applicants.

What You Will Learn

Apply the models of foreign policy analysis to live UK decisions.
Read UK Integrated Review documents against structural constraints.
Assess bureaucratic politics in FCDO, MoD and Cabinet Office interactions.
Analyse the domestic politics of UK foreign policy.
Produce a country risk assessment fit for a senior policy audience.
Write a Chatham House-style briefing to house style.
Present foreign policy findings to a mixed audience of academics and practitioners.
Structure a Level 7 dissertation with an original analytical contribution.

Who This Course Is For

Working diplomats and civil servants moving to a senior-track credential.
Bachelor's graduates ready for senior foreign policy work.
Portfolio-route senior professionals with 5+ years of relevant experience.
Journalists and communications officers covering foreign policy.
International applicants seeking a UK Master's grounded in applied analysis.

Career Pathways

Foreign Policy Adviser in a UK think tank, government or international body.
Diplomat within the FCDO career track.
Political Analyst covering international questions.
Defence Policy Analyst at a UK think tank or consultancy.
Strategic Intelligence Analyst in a security services or corporate role.
International Affairs Officer at an NGO or UN body.
Parliamentary Researcher supporting the Foreign Affairs Committee.

The LSLPE careers service links MA in Foreign Policy Analysis students to the FCDO, Chatham House, IISS-adjacent employers and international bodies at its annual careers day.

Entry Requirements

A UK Bachelor's degree (2:2 or above) or equivalent international qualification in international relations, politics, history, PPE or a comparable discipline.
IELTS 6.5 overall (no band below 6.0) for non-native English speakers.
Applicants without a Bachelor's degree but with 5+ years of senior professional experience in foreign policy or diplomacy are considered on portfolio for the MA in Foreign Policy Analysis.
One academic and one professional reference.
A 500-word research proposal or professional practice statement for the MA in Foreign Policy Analysis.

Why Study at LSLPE

LSLPE places Chatham House, the Foreign Office, the IISS-adjacent policy community and Parliament within a short tube ride of the seminar room, and the MA in Foreign Policy Analysis is taught with live UK material in the case-room. Cohorts are small and every seminar is argued in public.

Three parallel study modes let progressors, working practitioners and portfolio-route applicants complete the MA in Foreign Policy Analysis without leaving employment, and the LSLPE careers service refreshes its BISA and Chatham House-aligned curriculum links annually.

Apply for MA in Foreign Policy Analysis

Enrol on an LSLPE Master's programme with a dissertation, capstone or sponsor project supervised by practising policy advisers. The MA in Foreign Policy Analysis admissions team responds within one working day. Enrol Now