How long is the Diploma in Economics?

The Diploma in Economics runs nine to twelve months across modes, closing with an applied econometrics coursework and a UK policy brief.

Can the Diploma in Economics be studied online?

Yes. The Diploma in Economics runs on-campus in central London, fully online, or by distance learning, with the same R or Stata econometrics exercise across modes.

What are the entry requirements for the Diploma in Economics?

A Level 3 Certificate in economics or a quantitative subject, or two years of relevant experience on the portfolio route, plus GCSE English and Maths at grade 4/C.

How much does the Diploma in Economics cost?

Tuition varies by route and domicile. Contact LSIBM admissions for the current fee schedule, instalment options and scholarship eligibility for the Diploma in Economics.

Diploma in Economics | LSIBM London | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The Diploma in Economics at the London School of International Business and Management (LSIBM) is a Level 4 practitioner qualification for candidates who want to move beyond introductory economics into applied analytical work. Sitting in the Accounting, Finance & Economics faculty, this diploma covers intermediate microeconomics, intermediate macroeconomics, an applied econometrics component using R or Stata basics, and a running policy-brief workshop shaped by Government Economic Service (GES) briefing conventions.

The Diploma is designed for holders of an economics Certificate, career changers into UK regulatory or consulting analysis, and public-sector professionals stepping into an evidence-and-policy role. Content is designed around the Royal Economic Society and Society of Business Economists syllabuses, with reference to the Government Economic Service assistant-scheme competencies, and study is available on-campus in central London, fully online, or by distance learning. Course material engages with live UK evidence — Bank of England Monetary Policy Reports, OBR Fiscal Outlooks, ONS labour-market releases and CMA merger decisions — so students read economics in the form a working UK analyst actually encounters it.

Diploma teaching runs in small tutor-visible cohorts with a diagnostic in week one, weekly seminar clinics, structured cohort discussions with a working practitioner each fortnight, and a summative case-study assessment mapped to UK professional-body rubrics. Students choosing the online route join the same intake and receive the same tutor allocation, recorded live sessions, and asynchronous discussion channels so working professionals can study alongside a demanding role without falling behind their cohort.

Key Features

Curriculum designed around the Royal Economic Society and Society of Business Economists syllabuses with GES-style briefing practice.
Three study modes — central London campus, fully online, or distance learning — with a single intake schedule.
Applied econometrics component using R or Stata basics with a real UK dataset.
Cohort clinic with a working consultancy economist and a UK regulator analyst.
Assessment mix — problem sets, an econometrics coursework and a policy-brief case study.
Direct progression to the LSIBM Advanced Diploma in Economics.
Structured route toward Royal Economic Society graduate-track membership and the Government Economic Service assistant scheme.
Assessment combines weekly problem sets and short analytical notes with a summative policy-brief case study.

What You Will Learn

The Diploma teaches the applied economist's daily toolkit at Level 4 — reading a UK dataset critically, running a simple regression that survives peer review, and writing a policy note a Whitehall private secretary will read to the end.

Intermediate microeconomics — consumer and producer theory, general equilibrium basics.
Intermediate macroeconomics — IS-LM, AD-AS and open-economy models.
Introductory econometrics — OLS regression, hypothesis testing, and interpreting output.
Data handling in R or Stata for a UK administrative dataset.
Applied policy analysis — cost-benefit, HM Treasury Green Book basics.
UK regulatory economics — CMA, Ofgem, Ofcom and the Payment Systems Regulator.
Trade economics and the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement in policy terms.
Writing a UK policy brief to Government Economic Service assistant standard.
Presenting to a mixed technical / non-technical audience.
Introduction to behavioural economics with UK Nudge Unit examples.
Interpreting the Bank of England Monetary Policy Report and translating findings into a business note.
Reading a CMA market study and defending an economic-reasoning position.
Producing a short cost-benefit note in the format used by UK public bodies.
Applying simple econometrics in Excel or R to an open ONS dataset.

Who This Course Is For

Holders of an economics Certificate progressing to Level 4.
Career changers into UK regulatory, consulting or think-tank analysis.
Public-sector professionals stepping into evidence-and-policy roles.
Journalists and researchers covering UK economic policy.
International students preparing for a UK diploma-to-Bachelor progression.
Business analysts at UK mid-market firms adding an economic-reasoning layer to their commercial work.

Career Pathways

Graduates of the Diploma typically move into applied-analyst roles across UK economic consultancies, regulators, think tanks and central government. The Diploma supports applications but does not by itself substitute for an honours economics degree. Typical destinations include:

Junior Economist
Economic Research Assistant
Regulatory Analyst
Policy Analyst (economics)
Data Analyst (economics)
Sector Research Executive
Pricing Analyst
Economic Research Officer

The Diploma is the natural step onto the LSIBM Advanced Diploma in Economics or the Higher Diploma with BSc top-up.

Diploma holders progress onto the LSIBM Advanced Diploma or BSc in Economics, and Government Economic Service assistant schemes are a realistic longer-run target with sustained analytical practice.

Entry Requirements

A relevant Certificate (Level 3) in economics or a quantitative subject — mature applicants with two years of relevant experience are welcomed on a portfolio route; numeracy diagnostic set at application.
GCSE English Language at grade 4/C and Mathematics at grade 4/C (or international equivalent).
IELTS 5.5 overall (no band below 5.0) for non-native English speakers.
A short statement of intent and one academic or professional reference.

Why Study at LSIBM

The London School of International Business and Management (LSIBM) is a specialist business-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 — CMI, CIM, CIPD, ACCA, CIMA, CFA UK, CIPS and IOE&IT — so qualifications carry weight with employers.

London puts the City, Canary Wharf, Whitehall, Companies House, the FCA, the Bank of England and the West End within a short tube ride of every classroom. Diploma cohorts run structured cohort clinics with working practitioners — a Big-Four tax adviser, a CIM Fellow in marketing, a CIPD-chartered HR director — so students meet professional expectations well before graduation.

Apply for the Diploma in Economics

Take the practitioner step with the Diploma in Economics. Click Enrol Now and our admissions team will respond within one working day with intake dates, credit-transfer guidance and current fee schedule. Diploma students are eligible for direct progression to LSIBM's Advanced Diploma or Higher Diploma routes on completion.