How long is the MSc in Advanced Professional Studies?

The MSc in Advanced Professional Studies runs one year full-time or two years part-time. Distance learners on the MSc in Advanced Professional Studies follow the same negotiated learning calendar.

How is the MSc in Advanced Professional Studies delivered?

The MSc in Advanced Professional Studies is available on-campus, online and by distance learning. Every mode of the MSc in Advanced Professional Studies includes the sponsor project and viva.

Is the MSc in Advanced Professional Studies recognised in the UK?

Yes, the MSc in Advanced Professional Studies sits at UK Level 7 and is aligned with CIPFA and Institute for Government thematic frameworks. Senior UK employers recognise the MSc in Advanced Professional Studies as an executive credential.

What entry requirements apply to the MSc in Advanced Professional Studies?

The MSc in Advanced Professional Studies requires a 2:2 Bachelor's degree or equivalent, or five years of senior experience. IELTS 6.5 applies to international applicants for the MSc in Advanced Professional Studies.

What is the cost of the MSc in Advanced Professional Studies and is funding available?

Fees for the MSc in Advanced Professional Studies are published on the LSLPE admissions page. Employer sponsorship and staged payment are common for the MSc in Advanced Professional Studies.

MSc Advanced Professional Studies | LSLPE | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The MSc in Advanced Professional Studies is a UK Level 7 postgraduate degree delivered one year full-time or two years part-time on-campus, online and by distance learning. The programme is negotiated with a named practitioner supervisor and is aligned with Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development standards on senior professional practice, Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy guidance, and Institute for Government thematic frameworks.

By graduation you will have negotiated a personal learning agreement mapped to your senior role, produced three practitioner artefacts of publishable standard, delivered a professional-practice viva in the select-committee tradition, and completed a dissertation of approximately 15,000 words on a live sector challenge.

Key Features

Programme aligned with CIPFA, CIPR and Institute for Government thematic frameworks.
Negotiated learning agreement covering three practitioner artefacts.
Seminars run in the select-committee tradition with named practitioner tutor supervision.
Live sponsor project undertaken for a partner employer, chambers, department or think tank.
Practitioner viva as the closing assessment stage.
Guest sessions with senior leaders from City, chambers and Whitehall.
Dissertation supervised by a practising senior professional in your chosen field.

What You Will Learn

Design and defend a personal learning agreement matched to a senior role.
Build advanced professional artefacts fit for board and executive review.
Apply mixed-methods research to live organisational questions.
Lead cross-functional reviews of law, policy and economic risk.
Deliver executive briefings to Cabinet-standard reporting expectations.
Design and evaluate strategic change programmes at scale.
Manage professional ethics and standards under UK regulatory frameworks.
Communicate senior professional judgement to boards, ministers or partners.

Who This Course Is For

Senior professionals in law, politics, economics and public policy seeking a Level 7 credential.
Practitioners moving from technician to strategic leadership roles.
Portfolio-route candidates without a Bachelor's degree but with senior experience.
International applicants credentialing senior UK-sector practice.
Career changers targeting director-level roles across sectors.

Career Pathways

Public Sector Consultant on senior reform mandates.
Government Affairs Manager at a regulated business or trade body.
Programme Manager on cross-departmental strategy.
Public Leadership Fellow at a think tank or civic-innovation programme.
Strategy Adviser to a chief executive or accounting officer.
NGO Programme Officer at director level.
Development Analyst leading complex sector engagements.
Public Affairs Consultant leading a specialist practice line.

The LSLPE careers service works with senior practitioners on portfolio, board interview and executive recruitment stages, and links Advanced Professional Studies students to senior networks across sectors.

Entry Requirements

A UK Bachelor's degree (2:2 or above) or equivalent international qualification in a relevant 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 law, politics, economics or public policy are considered on portfolio.
One academic and one professional reference.
A 500-word research proposal or professional practice statement outlining your senior role focus.

Why Study at LSLPE

The London School of Law, Politics and Economics is a specialist division of Harold International College of London teaching in small, tutor-visible cohorts. Advanced Professional Studies students engage directly with the tribunal of senior UK practice: chambers, Whitehall, the City, the Treasury and Chatham House-adjacent networks all sit within a short tube ride of LSLPE seminars.

Three parallel study modes let progressors, working senior practitioners and international applicants complete the MSc in Advanced Professional Studies without leaving employment, and the LSLPE careers service maintains standing links with senior recruitment functions.

Apply for MSc in Advanced Professional Studies

Enrol on the LSLPE Master's programme in advanced professional studies. Your dissertation will be supervised by a practising senior professional and the negotiated learning agreement begins at induction. Enrol Now.