Higher Diploma in Academic Skills Development
Course Overview
The Higher Diploma in Academic Skills Development at the London School of Commerce and Technology (LSCT) is a Level 6 qualification for tutors, learning developers and academic-skills professionals who support undergraduate and postgraduate learners across UK universities and college higher-education provision. The syllabus is built around the Association for Learning Development in Higher Education (ALDinHE) practice framework, the SET professional standards and the Office for Students' access-and-participation requirements.
You will design and deliver a real academic-skills programme, run a one-to-one consultation cycle, analyse student-success data and present a service-improvement case to a panel that includes a working senior learning developer. By graduation you can run a learning-development service, write strong written feedback and contribute to an institutional access-and-participation plan.
You will study in small, tutor-visible cohorts; meet visiting professionals fortnightly; and work to deadlines that mirror professional practice in the education & professional studies sector. UK education and professional development are operating under new NPQ, EYFS and apprenticeship frameworks, and the syllabus reflects the most current evidence base from the Education Endowment Foundation, Chartered College of Teaching and CIPD.
Key Features
- SET, ALDinHE and Chartered College of Teaching-aligned syllabus, with guest sessions from working learning developers at UK universities.
- Three study modes — on-campus in London, fully online with weekly live tutorial clinics, or distance learning with structured deadlines.
- Service-design capstone — students plan and deliver an academic-skills programme for a real or sponsored cohort.
- One-to-one consultation module — observed tutorials with structured feedback.
- Access and participation module — taught against current Office for Students APP requirements.
- Top-up route to our MA in Education for further academic study.
- Reflective peer review — fortnightly observation-and-feedback rounds with cohort and a named tutor.
What You Will Learn
The Higher Diploma combines pedagogy with the practical craft of academic-skills support. You will graduate able to design a programme, run a tutorial that changes a behaviour, write written feedback that lands and contribute to institutional decision-making with student-success data.
- Learning development theory — ALDinHE framework.
- Academic writing pedagogy.
- One-to-one consultation practice.
- Programme design for diverse cohorts.
- Access, participation and inclusion.
- Student-success data — retention, attainment, NSS.
- Digital pedagogy for learning development.
- Capstone service-design project.
- Evidence-informed practice using EEF guidance and Chartered College of Teaching resources.
- Reflective journaling as a CPD spine — keep the record professionals actually keep.
Across every module you keep a structured working portfolio of lesson observations, reflective journals and evidence-based proposals — a single source of truth you can show at interview and continue to maintain after graduation. Programme assessment combines coursework, in-class exercises and a substantial practice-led piece of work assessed by a working senior leader.
Who This Course Is For
The Higher Diploma suits working academic-skills and learning-development professionals.
- Working learning developers and study-skills tutors at UK universities.
- International HE professionals seeking a UK-aligned learning-development credential.
- Postgraduate teaching assistants stepping into permanent academic-support roles.
- HND or Advanced Diploma holders looking for a route into HE professional services.
- Returners to work re-entering UK education after a career break or family leave with refreshed practice training.
Career Pathways
LSCT academic skills development graduates move into learning-development, academic-skills and student-success roles across UK universities, college HE provision and apprenticeship providers. Typical destinations include:
- Academic Skills Tutor / Learning Developer
- Student Success Coach
- Academic Adviser
- Foundation Year Lecturer (with PGCert top-up)
- Access and Participation Officer
- EAP Tutor (with relevant English-teaching qualifications)
- Learning and Development Officer at a UK in-house corporate L&D team
The Higher Diploma in Academic Skills Development is a recognised step into our MA in Education and further postgraduate research.
LSCT careers service maintains a working contact book of UK schools, MATs, training providers and corporate L&D employers, hosts at least one industry-careers day per academic year and offers structured one-to-one application support during your final stage. Many graduates also build long-term professional networks through the Chartered College of Teaching, SET and CIPD events that LSCT students are encouraged to attend.
Entry Requirements
- An Advanced Diploma (Level 5), HND, Foundation Degree, or equivalent prior study in education, English, the arts or a subject discipline taught at HE level.
- Three years' relevant work experience considered in lieu of academic prerequisites — direct learning-development or academic-tutoring experience is particularly valued for the Higher Diploma in Academic Skills Development.
- English language: IELTS 6.0 overall (no band below 5.5) for non-native English speakers.
- A personal statement and one academic or professional reference.
- Applicants with current teaching responsibility, classroom volunteering or training-delivery experience are particularly encouraged to mention these on the application form for the programme.
Why Study at LSCT
The London School of Commerce and Technology (LSCT) is a specialist higher-education provider based in central London and part of Harold International College. We teach in small cohorts so every student is visible to their tutor, run a single intake schedule that students can rely on, and partner with UK professional bodies so qualifications carry weight with employers. London puts Whitehall, the City, Silicon Roundabout, the Royal Courts of Justice, the West End and the NHS estate within a short tube ride of every classroom. For learning-development students the Office for Students' London office, the Quality Assurance Agency's London engagements and the ALDinHE annual conferences are within reach for guest sessions.
Our education and professional studies students complete setting observations at London schools, training providers and corporate L&D teams as part of the assessed coursework. Students also benefit from our partnership with Harold International College of London, with shared library access, careers-service connections and the option to take a small number of elective modules across the wider Harold International programme catalogue subject to availability.
Whichever study mode you select, you will join a single, intake-aligned cohort with weekly tutor visibility, a named programme tutor for the duration of your studies, an institutional access plan offering peer support and structured careers advice, and the full library and online-resource subscription package of Harold International College of London. Many students travel to London for two short on-campus residentials per academic year — these are optional for online learners but supported by LSCT for students who can attend.
Apply for Higher Diploma in Academic Skills Development
Close the gap to a Bachelor's degree with the Higher Diploma in Academic Skills Development. Click Enrol Now to apply; admissions confirm your credit-transfer route within one working day and arrange a short conversation with an HE professional-services tutor.
