Is the Advanced Diploma in World History Eurocentric?

No — by design. The Advanced Diploma in World History reads the past comparatively across Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and the Pacific, drawing on the global-history tradition associated with the Annales school and contemporary global historians.

Can I focus on a single region or period?

Yes — in the capstone. The taught modules are comparative across regions, but the 6,000–8,000-word capstone research piece is on a question of your choice. Past Advanced Diploma in World History capstones have ranged from Tokugawa Japan to post-independence Ghana.

Is the Advanced Diploma in World History useful for archive work?

Yes. The primary-source workshops and historical-method module are directly relevant to archive practice. Many Advanced Diploma in World History students work in archives or move into archive roles after completing the qualification.

Can I study the Advanced Diploma in World History online?

Yes. The course runs on-campus in central London, fully online with weekly seminar calls, and as distance learning. The primary-source workshops use digitised collections accessible to all students.

What fees and instalment options are available?

Fees vary by mode and intake. LSJHML offers an instalment plan across the academic year and a small early-application discount. Contact admissions for the current schedule.

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

Course Overview

The Advanced Diploma in World History at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a twelve-to-fifteen-month UK qualification for working history practitioners, teachers, archivists and serious independent historians ready for a senior-track credential. The course is structured in dialogue with the Royal Historical Society and the Historical Association, and is built around global history method — reading the past comparatively rather than through a single national lens.

You will work through major themes of the past 500 years — empire, revolution, industrialisation, decolonisation, migration — across multiple regions, learn primary-source method to publishable standard, and produce a 6,000-to-8,000-word capstone research piece on a single historical question.

Key Features

Global history curriculum covering five centuries across Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and the Pacific.
Primary-source workshops using digitised collections from the British Library, the National Archives and major international repositories.
Historical-method module — periodisation, historiography, source evaluation, comparative analysis.
Capstone research piece of 6,000–8,000 words supervised by a named tutor and assessed to Royal Historical Society early-career standards.
Industry-led seminars from working historians in academia, the National Archives and heritage organisations.
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 World History is structured around the working practice of a global historian — comparative reading, primary-source discipline, historiographical awareness and sustained argument. You finish able to read a historical period across regions, evaluate sources to professional standard, and write a sustained research piece grounded in evidence and historiography.

Global history method — comparative reading across regions, transnational history, world-systems analysis.
Empire and decolonisation — comparative empires, the long process of decolonisation, post-imperial legacies.
Revolution and political change — French, Haitian, American, Russian and Chinese revolutions in comparative perspective.
Industrialisation and economic history — comparative industrialisation, labour history, global trade networks.
Migration history — forced and voluntary migration, diaspora formation, citizenship debates.
Primary-source method — provenance, evaluation, contextualisation, citation discipline.
Historiography — major schools of historical thought from Annales to the global turn.
Research design — research question formation, archive selection, methodological justification.

Who This Course Is For

History teachers in secondary or further education seeking a senior-track subject credential.
Archivists and records managers wanting structured historical-method training.
Heritage and museum staff in interpretation, learning or research roles.
Diploma graduates in history or humanities progressing toward a Bachelor's top-up year.

Career Pathways

The Advanced Diploma in World History supports progression into senior heritage, archive and education roles, and articulates into a Bachelor's top-up year. Typical roles include:

Historian (independent researcher, heritage consultant)
Archivist (national, local-authority or specialist archive)
Museum Curator (history collection, regional museum)
History Teacher (secondary, sixth form, further education)
Heritage Researcher (Tate, V&A, English Heritage, National Trust)
Editorial Researcher (history publishing, broadcast documentary)

Graduates progress to the final year of a UK BA in History at LSJHML or a partner university, or to a Master's in a regional or thematic specialism.

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, CV and a short essay sample.
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.