Does the Advanced Diploma in History cover global as well as British history?

Yes. Period modules range across medieval, early modern and modern history, with global and comparative content threaded through. A dedicated global history module addresses non-Eurocentric perspectives and the decolonising of the curriculum.

Can I take the Advanced Diploma in History online?

Yes. The online route runs live seminars and tutor-marked essays on the same syllabus as the on-campus course. Distance learning is available for students who prefer asynchronous study, with structured deadlines and supervision on the research project.

What kind of research project will I do on the Advanced Diploma in History?

A 6,000–8,000-word independent project on a topic agreed with your tutor. Recent students have worked on regional industrial heritage, twentieth-century social history, early modern religious change and post-1945 international history. The project demonstrates source handling and argument under supervision.

How does the Advanced Diploma in History articulate into a BA?

Graduates of the Advanced Diploma in History can enter the final year (Level 6) of a UK BA in History at LSJHML or a partner university. Admissions maps your credits at the application stage so you know exactly what entry point your record supports.

Will the Advanced Diploma in History help me become an archivist?

It supports an entry-level route. Most chartered archivist posts require a postgraduate archives qualification, which the Advanced Diploma prepares you to apply for. Graduates often work as archive assistants or volunteers while studying for the chartered qualification.

Advanced Diploma in History | LSJHML London | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The Advanced Diploma in History at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a twelve-to-fifteen-month UK qualification for readers and researchers ready to work at undergraduate level with primary sources, historiographical debate and structured archival research. You will study selected periods in depth — medieval, early modern and modern — and complete an independent research project that demonstrates the working method of a trained historian.

This Advanced Diploma is more than a survey of dates. It teaches you how a historian reads a source, weighs a competing interpretation, and builds an evidenced argument. The Advanced Diploma in History prepares graduates for the final year of a BA, for heritage and archival work, and for postgraduate study.

Key Features

Senior-track UK qualification in historical practice, mapped to the standards of the Royal Historical Society and Historical Association.
Source-handling workshops with manuscripts, printed primary sources, photographs and digital archives.
Historiography strand — major schools and current debates, taught alongside the period modules.
Independent research project of 6,000–8,000 words on a topic agreed with your tutor.
London archives access for on-campus students at the British Library, the National Archives at Kew and selected institutional collections.
Direct top-up into the final year of a UK BA in History at LSJHML or a partner university.

What You Will Learn

The Advanced Diploma in History is structured around the practice of historical research — reading sources critically, situating them in historiographical debate, and building an argument that survives peer review. You graduate able to identify and use a primary source, write a research essay to undergraduate standard, and contribute confidently to a history seminar.

Source criticism — provenance, authorship, audience, the limits of evidence.
Medieval history — political, religious, social and cultural threads from c.1000 to 1500.
Early modern Europe — Reformation, state formation, the early Atlantic world.
Modern British and European history — industrialisation, empire, the two world wars, post-1945 settlements.
Global history — non-Eurocentric perspectives, comparative frameworks, the decolonising of the curriculum.
Historiography — major schools, current debates, the politics of memory.
Archive methods — using printed catalogues, digital archives, the major UK repositories.
Academic writing — essay structure, footnoting, bibliography, the research project.

Who This Course Is For

Diploma graduates in history or humanities ready to operate at undergraduate level.
Working professionals — teachers, museum staff, heritage volunteers — wanting a recognised UK credential.
Mature readers committed to historical study who want structure, supervision and a credential.
International students preparing for entry to the final year of a UK BA in History.

Career Pathways

An Advanced Diploma in History is a credential that supports work in education, heritage, archives and editorial fields. The Advanced Diploma in History also prepares graduates for direct entry into the final year of a UK history degree. Typical roles include:

History Teacher (secondary school after a PGCE)
Archivist (entry-level local authority or institutional archive)
Museum Assistant or Curator (regional museum, heritage trust)
Heritage Researcher (consultancy, public history project)
Editorial Researcher (publishing house, broadcaster, magazine)
Library Assistant (academic or specialist library)

Graduates progress to the final year of a UK BA in History at LSJHML or a partner university, with credit-mapped entry.

Entry Requirements

A UK Diploma (Level 4) or equivalent in history, humanities or a related subject, OR completion of secondary school plus one year of relevant work experience.
IELTS 5.5 overall (no band below 5.5) for non-native English speakers.
Personal statement, CV and a short essay sample (1,000–1,500 words on a historical topic).
Mature applicants (21+) without standard qualifications may apply with three years of relevant work or volunteer experience.

Why Study at LSJHML

The London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages is a specialist higher-education provider based in central London. Our programmes are designed in dialogue with working professionals — journalists, translators, civil servants, academics, broadcasters, editors, publishers and policy researchers — so what you learn in seminar on Monday is what your future employer is using on Tuesday. We deliberately keep cohorts small, give every student named tutor support, and treat employability as a structural part of every programme rather than an optional add-on.

London is the work — politics, courts, capital markets, theatre, broadcasting, publishing, public service, the global press. Your studies are taught in the same square mile where the stories you read about happen. Whether you join us on-campus, online or by distance learning, the city is your classroom and our industry network is your launchpad.