Does the Advanced Diploma in International Studies prepare me for the FCDO?

It builds the analytical and written-submission skills the FCDO assesses for, and several Diploma and Advanced Diploma graduates have moved into FCDO or Diplomatic Service roles. The FCDO has its own recruitment process; the Advanced Diploma is one credible part of an application.

What is the difference between the Advanced Diploma in International Studies and the Advanced Diploma in Political Thought?

International Studies focuses on the world — international relations, comparative politics, foreign policy analysis. Political Thought focuses on ideas — political theory, the canon, contemporary normative debates. They share an analytical foundation but train different specialisms.

Is the Advanced Diploma in International Studies useful for journalism?

Yes — international journalism in particular. The analytical and policy-reading skills feed directly into foreign-desk research, country reporting and the structured analysis the BBC World Service, Reuters and the Financial Times international desks assess for.

Will I produce original research on the Advanced Diploma in International Studies?

Your policy brief project and country dossier work involve original analysis on a published evidence base. The course is not a dissertation programme; for a sustained piece of original research, students typically continue to a BA or MA.

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

Course Overview

The Advanced Diploma in International Studies at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a twelve-to-fifteen-month senior-track UK qualification for Diploma graduates, foreign-service aspirants and working policy professionals ready for a credential that lifts them into specialist or supervisory work. You will build analytical fluency across international relations theory, comparative politics and policy analysis, produce a fully evidenced policy brief, and rehearse the writing and presentation work the FCDO, think tanks and international NGOs assess applicants on.

The Advanced Diploma in International Studies takes you beyond the seminar reading list and into the working tools of an analyst — country dossiers, situation reports, ministerial submissions and the type of short, precise written advice that earns a second meeting. You leave able to explain a complicated international story to a generalist reader without losing what makes it complicated.

Key Features

Policy brief project — produce a fully evidenced 3,000-word brief on a current international issue, written to FCDO submission standards.
Comparative politics seminar covering electoral systems, legislative behaviour, regime types and case studies from at least four world regions.
International political economy module — trade governance, financial systems, sanctions architecture, supply chains.
Simulation week — model UN-style negotiation exercise on a current multilateral issue with industry observers.
Three study modes — on-campus in central London with seminar days near Whitehall and the Inns of Court, online with cohort calls, or distance learning.
Credit transfer into the final year of a UK Bachelor's degree in International Studies or International Relations at LSJHML or a partner university.

What You Will Learn

The Advanced Diploma in International Studies is structured around the working analytical practice of someone who needs to read the world, explain it, and recommend something. You graduate able to produce a country brief, contribute to a multilateral negotiation analysis, and write the kind of three-page submission that lands on a senior official's desk.

International relations theory — realism, liberalism, constructivism, English-school approaches and their analytical uses.
Comparative politics — system types, regime classification, political institutions, electoral analysis.
International political economy — trade, finance, sanctions, development and the institutions that govern them.
International law — UN Charter, treaty interpretation, international humanitarian law basics.
Foreign policy analysis — bureaucratic politics, decision-making frameworks, country-case methodology.
Policy brief writing — structure, evidence threshold, recommendations, the political reader's eye.
Negotiation and diplomacy — multilateral process, bilateral practice, track-two engagement.
Open-source intelligence and analysis — country desk practice, sourcing, verification.

Who This Course Is For

Diploma-level graduates in politics, international relations or related social sciences ready for senior practitioner specialism.
Civil servants and FCDO desk staff seeking a structured external qualification to support promotion.
International NGO and humanitarian staff moving into policy and advocacy roles.
Career-changers from journalism, the military or commercial international roles entering policy and diplomacy work.

Career Pathways

International studies graduates feed into a tight UK labour market across Whitehall, the wider public sector, think tanks, international NGOs and policy consultancies. Advanced Diploma graduates typically progress into specialist analyst or programme officer roles. Typical destinations include:

Political Analyst (think tank, country-risk firm, embassy desk)
Policy Researcher (Whitehall department, devolved government, parliamentary unit)
International Relations Officer (UN-affiliated body, international NGO)
Think Tank Researcher (Chatham House-style organisation, RUSI-style organisation)
Diplomat (FCDO entry routes, foreign ministry of another country)
Programme Officer (international development funder, multilateral programme)

The Advanced Diploma articulates directly into the final year of a UK Bachelor's degree in International Studies or International Relations at LSJHML or a partner university.

Entry Requirements

A UK Diploma (Level 4) or equivalent in 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 and CV.
Mature applicants (21+) without standard qualifications may apply with three years of relevant work 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.