How long is the MSc in Global Trade Systems?

The MSc in Global Trade Systems runs one year full-time or two years part-time. Distance learners on the MSc in Global Trade Systems follow the same seminar calendar as the on-campus cohort.

How is the MSc in Global Trade Systems delivered?

The MSc in Global Trade Systems is available on-campus, online and by distance learning. All modes of the MSc in Global Trade Systems include the sponsor project and dissertation.

Is the MSc in Global Trade Systems recognised in the UK?

Yes, the MSc in Global Trade Systems sits at UK Level 7 and is aligned with Royal Economic Society guidance. The MSc in Global Trade Systems is recognised across UK Whitehall trade teams and City advisories.

What entry requirements apply to the MSc in Global Trade Systems?

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

What is the cost of the MSc in Global Trade Systems and is funding available?

Fees for the MSc in Global Trade Systems are published on the LSLPE admissions page. Employer sponsorship and staged payment are considered for the MSc in Global Trade Systems on application.

MSc in Global Trade Systems | LSLPE | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The MSc in Global Trade Systems 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 aligned with Royal Economic Society thematic guidance and the workstreams of the Department for Business and Trade, and it prepares senior trade economists for roles in negotiation support, customs modelling, sanctions analysis and multilateral policy.

By graduation you will have modelled trade flows using gravity equations, produced an executive briefing on a live UK trade agreement, drafted a market-access review under WTO framework rules, and completed a dissertation of approximately 15,000 words on a live global trade challenge under practitioner supervision.

Key Features

Programme aligned with Royal Economic Society guidance and Chatham House-referenced trade programmes.
Seminars run in the select-committee tradition with cohorts arguing evidence in public.
Live sponsor project undertaken with a City trade advisory, think tank or exporter body.
Modelling laboratory using R, Stata and OECD TiVA data.
Dedicated stream on sanctions economics and export controls.
Guest sessions with practising trade negotiators, customs specialists and shipping economists.
Dissertation supervised by a practising trade economist adviser.

What You Will Learn

Estimate gravity models of bilateral trade using recognised datasets.
Interpret WTO framework rules including MFN, national treatment and anti-dumping.
Analyse Rules of Origin and cumulation in preferential trade agreements.
Model tariff, quota and non-tariff barrier effects on price and welfare.
Assess supply-chain resilience and reshoring versus friendshoring options.
Read and negotiate services trade schedules and digital trade chapters.
Advise on UK sanctions regimes and export-control obligations.
Communicate trade policy findings to ministers, boards and international counterparts.

Who This Course Is For

Serving trade policy officers at Whitehall departments and devolved administrations.
City economists moving into customs, shipping or trade-finance analytics.
NGO researchers on trade-and-development, labour standards or environment briefs.
International applicants working with export promotion agencies or multilateral bodies.
Graduates in economics or international relations targeting a trade career track.

Career Pathways

Trade Economist inside a Whitehall trade directorate or exporter association.
Economic Consultant on trade defence and market-access mandates.
Government Economist supporting Free Trade Agreement negotiations.
Investment Analyst on cross-border logistics and infrastructure coverage.
Research Economist at a Chatham House-adjacent trade programme.
Public Finance Analyst on customs revenue and border cost work.
Regulatory Economist on cross-border digital services regulation.
Economic Policy Analyst at an NGO monitoring trade obligations.

The LSLPE careers service runs at least one careers day each year connecting Master's cohorts to trade advisories, City firms, exporter bodies and international agencies.

Entry Requirements

A UK Bachelor's degree (2:2 or above) or equivalent international qualification in economics, international relations, business or a quantitative 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 trade policy, customs or export practice are considered on portfolio.
One academic and one professional reference.
A 500-word research proposal or professional practice statement on the trade question you intend to investigate.

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. Central London places the Department for Business and Trade, the City trade-finance ecosystem, Chatham House and shipping associations within a short tube ride of every seminar.

Three parallel study modes let progressors, working trade officers and international applicants complete the MSc in Global Trade Systems without leaving employment, and the LSLPE careers service maintains standing links with trade consultancies, Whitehall recruiters and City coverage teams.

Apply for MSc in Global Trade Systems

Enrol on the LSLPE Master's programme in global trade systems. Your dissertation will be supervised by a practising trade economist, and the sponsor project begins in week one. Enrol Now.