How long is the Higher Diploma in Employee Relations?

The Higher Diploma in Employee Relations runs 15 to 18 months, with evening pacing for working senior HR staff and heads of ER.

Can the Higher Diploma in Employee Relations be studied online?

Yes. The Higher Diploma in Employee Relations is delivered on-campus in London, fully online and by distance learning against the same capstone research paper.

Is the Higher Diploma in Employee Relations recognised by UK employers?

The Higher Diploma in Employee Relations is designed around CIPD Advanced Diploma, ACAS Code and CIArb material — references UK HR teams engage with.

What are the entry requirements for the Higher Diploma in Employee Relations?

An Advanced Diploma, HND / HNC or three years' HR / ER experience, GCSE English (grade 5) and Maths (grade 4), IELTS 6.0 for international applicants.

What does the Higher Diploma in Employee Relations cost?

Fees for the Higher Diploma in Employee Relations vary by mode and domicile. Contact LSIBM admissions for the current schedule and top-up terms.

Higher Diploma in Employee Relations | LSIBM London | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The Higher Diploma in Employee Relations at the London School of International Business and Management (LSIBM) is a Level 5 near-degree qualification inside the Human Resources & Leadership faculty, designed for heads of ER, senior HR business partners and union-facing employer leads ready to articulate onto a UK Bachelor's top-up. Across 15 to 18 months it consolidates senior ER competence — collective bargaining, restructure strategy, settlement work — and adds a substantial capstone research paper.

Study is on-campus in central London, fully online or by distance learning. Content is designed around the CIPD Advanced Diploma in Strategic People Management, the ACAS Code of Practice and Chartered Institute of Arbitrators practitioner material. The capstone research paper is written to become the final-year dissertation at the BSc top-up.

Key Features

Designed around the CIPD Advanced Diploma in Strategic People Management, ACAS Code and CIArb practitioner material.
Three study modes — central London campus, fully online or distance learning.
Bachelor's top-up hook — confirmed credit transfer at enrolment onto the LSIBM BSc in Employee Relations final year.
Capstone research paper defended in front of a working head of ER.
Collective-consultation workshop using UK trade-union recognition and TUPE cases.
Tribunal-preparation module using published UK ET decisions.

What You Will Learn

The higher diploma consolidates senior ER competence and adds a research thread. You will finish with a written capstone research paper that survives practitioner scrutiny and articulates onto a UK dissertation.

Collective bargaining and trade-union recognition at senior level.
Restructure strategy — selection, pooling, redundancy, redeployment.
TUPE at senior level for UK PLC employers.
Settlement strategy — without-prejudice, protected conversations, agreements.
Tribunal advocacy support at senior level.
Mediation at practitioner level.
Whistleblowing and PIDA at senior level.
Employment-law research methods.
Writing a substantial capstone research paper.

Who This Course Is For

Heads of ER targeting a UK Bachelor's top-up with confirmed credit transfer.
Senior HR business partners taking on restructure and collective work.
Union-facing employer leads at UK PLC and mid-market employers.
External consultants specialising in UK employee relations.
Career changers with senior HR backgrounds building an academic credential.

Career Pathways

Graduates typically move into head-of-ER, senior-HR-business-partner and restructure-lead roles across UK PLC, mid-market and public-sector employers, and articulate onto UK Bachelor's top-ups. The higher diploma supports applications but does not by itself guarantee an offer. Typical destinations include:

Head of Employee Relations
Senior Employee Relations Adviser
ER Case Manager (senior)
Trade Union Liaison Lead
Restructure Programme Manager
ER Consultant (senior)

The Higher Diploma in Employee Relations is the natural step onto the LSIBM BSc in Employee Relations top-up and CIPD Chartered membership.

Entry Requirements

A relevant Advanced Diploma (Level 5), HND, HNC, or three years of substantive professional HR / ER experience.
GCSE English Language at grade 5/C and Mathematics at grade 4/C (or equivalent).
IELTS 6.0 overall (no band below 5.5) for non-native English speakers.
A short statement of intent and two references (one academic or professional-body, one workplace) — applicants presenting a professional-body membership route (CIPD Associate, CMI Level 5) are particularly welcome.

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. Higher Diploma cohorts sit at the near-degree tier — small groups, tutor visibility every week, curriculum reviewed against ACCA, CIMA, CIM, CIPD, CMI and IOE&IT competencies so graduates walk into a UK Bachelor's top-up with confirmed credit transfer.

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. Higher Diploma students attend at least one working practitioner clinic per fortnight and complete a substantial capstone project defended in front of a working professional.

Apply for the Higher Diploma in Employee Relations

Move onto the top-up track with the Higher Diploma in Employee Relations. Click Enrol Now and our admissions team will respond within one working day with intake dates, credit-transfer guidance for UK Bachelor's top-up routes, and the current fee schedule. Higher Diploma graduates articulate into LSIBM's Bachelor's final year with confirmed credit transfer at enrolment.