How long is the Higher Diploma in Project Management?

The Higher Diploma in Project Management runs for 15 to 18 months on-campus, online or by distance learning, with a phased schedule designed around working professionals and weekend study options.

Can I study the Higher Diploma in Project Management fully online?

Yes. The Higher Diploma in Project Management is delivered on-campus, fully online with weekly live clinics, and by distance learning, all with the same PRINCE2 and Agile capstone assessment.

Is the Higher Diploma in Project Management recognised in the UK?

Yes. The Higher Diploma in Project Management is a UK Level 6 qualification aligned with APM and PMI standards and mapped to PRINCE2 Foundation and Practitioner content.

What are the entry requirements for the Higher Diploma in Project Management?

An Advanced Diploma, HND or Foundation Degree, or three years' delivery experience. IELTS 6.0 for non-native English speakers. The Higher Diploma in Project Management also welcomes mature applicants.

What does the Higher Diploma in Project Management cost and is funding available?

Tuition for the Higher Diploma in Project Management varies by route. Means-tested bursaries and employer-sponsored places are offered each intake — contact LSCT admissions for the current fee schedule.

Higher Diploma in Project Management London | LSCT | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The Higher Diploma in Project Management at the London School of Commerce and Technology (LSCT) is a Level 6 qualification for working professionals and recent diploma graduates who want a credible, employer-recognised project-management credential without committing to a full three-year degree. The programme runs for 15 to 18 months and is built around PRINCE2, Agile/Scrum and the APM Body of Knowledge so the methods you learn are the methods UK employers actually ask about at interview.

You will plan, replan, replan again and deliver a real client-facing project as your capstone, working in a small team with a tutor playing the role of project sponsor. By graduation you can build a baseline schedule in Microsoft Project, run a stage gate, write a credible risk register and chair a steering committee without looking at your notes.

You will study in small, tutor-visible cohorts; meet visiting professionals fortnightly; and work to deadlines that mirror professional practice in the business & commerce sector. British business operates under tighter governance, ESG-disclosure and operational-resilience expectations than at any point in the last twenty years, and the programme is updated annually to reflect new FRC, FCA and Companies House requirements.

Key Features

APM and PMI-aligned syllabus with content mapped to PRINCE2 Foundation and Practitioner certification.
Three study modes — on-campus in London, fully online with weekly live clinics, or distance learning with cohort deadlines.
Capstone client project in the final stage — deliver a real engagement against a fixed scope and budget.
Hybrid Waterfall, Agile and Disciplined Agile taught side by side so you can choose the method that fits the work.
Earned-value management and forecasting module — track schedule and cost variance like an experienced PMO lead.
Top-up route to a full Bachelor's degree in Business Management with one additional year of study.
Case-study peer review — fortnightly board-style case discussion with cohort and a named tutor across the cohort programme.

What You Will Learn

The programme is structured around the project lifecycle — initiation, planning, execution, control and closure — and layered with the leadership, finance and stakeholder skills that distinguish a credible project manager from a glorified administrator.

PRINCE2 method and tailoring for UK public and private sector projects.
Agile, Scrum and Kanban with hands-on team simulations.
Scheduling and critical-path analysis using Microsoft Project and Smartsheet.
Cost management and earned-value reporting to a steering committee.
Risk, issue and dependency management with quantitative risk modelling.
Stakeholder engagement and communications planning.
Procurement, contracts and supplier management in regulated environments.
Programme and portfolio governance for senior project careers.
Executive communication — board papers and stand-up presentations to a working chair.
Financial literacy for non-finance functions — read the management accounts.

Across every module you keep a structured working portfolio of board-style papers, models and decision notes — 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 manager.

Who This Course Is For

This Higher Diploma suits learners who want a postgraduate-tier qualification with credit-transfer options into a Bachelor's degree.

Working coordinators, schedulers and PMO analysts ready to step up into a delivery role.
International students looking for a UK-recognised project-management credential.
Career changers from operations, engineering or IT entering structured project delivery.
HND or Advanced Diploma holders wanting a credit-transfer route to a Bachelor's.
Returners to work re-entering UK business after a career break or family leave looking for an assessed credential.

Career Pathways

LSCT project-management graduates move into delivery, PMO and consulting roles across construction, financial services, public sector, technology and the charity sector. Typical destinations include:

Junior Project Manager (IT, construction, change)
PMO Analyst or Portfolio Coordinator
Programme Support Officer (central or local government)
Agile Scrum Master (entry level)
Risk and Assurance Analyst
Business Change Officer
Strategy and Insights Lead at a UK SME or growth-stage scale-up

The Higher Diploma in Project Management is a recognised step into a full Bachelor's degree top-up or a postgraduate qualification in programme leadership.

LSCT careers service maintains a working contact book of UK business 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 CIM, CIPD, CIPS and APM London engagement events that LSCT students are encouraged to attend throughout their study.

Entry Requirements

An Advanced Diploma (Level 5), HND, Foundation Degree, or equivalent prior study in business, engineering, construction or IT.
Three years' relevant work experience considered in lieu of academic prerequisites — particularly delivery, coordination or PMO experience.
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 line-management responsibility, P&L exposure or recognised professional-body membership 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 project managers that means HS2, Crossrail successor schemes, the City's regulatory transformation programmes and the NHS digital portfolio are all on your doorstep as case studies.

Our business students frequently complete employer visits, board observation and shadowing weeks at FTSE-listed firms and SMEs 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 Project Management

Close the gap to a Bachelor's degree with the Higher Diploma in Project Management. Click Enrol Now to apply; admissions confirm your credit-transfer route within one working day, with a tailored top-up plan if you intend to progress to honours-level study.