Does the Diploma in Business English include a Cambridge BEC examination?

Assessment design is aligned with Cambridge BEC Vantage. The BEC examination is sat separately (additional fee, optional) and many students choose to sit it alongside or shortly after the Diploma to add a Cambridge certification to their UK Diploma.

What English level do I need to enrol in the Diploma in Business English?

IELTS 5.5 (or equivalent) on entry. The Diploma takes you to upper-intermediate corporate standard (around BEC Vantage / B2). Students entering at lower levels are typically routed to the Certificate in Business English first.

Can the Diploma in Business English be done online from outside the UK?

Yes. The online route is popular with international working students. Live tutorials run in UK working hours with recordings; distance learners set their own pace within deadlines. Presentation assessments are completed by video.

How does the Diploma in Business English differ from a general English diploma?

General English diplomas cover everyday English at intermediate to advanced level. The Diploma in Business English focuses on corporate English — meetings, reports, presentations, negotiation, client correspondence — useful for working professional roles rather than general communication.

Is the Diploma in Business English recognised by international employers?

The Diploma is a UK-recognised Level 4 qualification and is aligned with Cambridge BEC frameworks employers know internationally. Most students sit BEC alongside the Diploma to add an internationally recognisable certification.

Diploma in Business English in London | LSJHML | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The Diploma in Business English at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a nine-to-twelve-month UK qualification for international professionals and bilingual graduates who need to operate in English at corporate working standard. You will write reports and proposals, present at boardroom standard, negotiate in English, and handle the everyday client and meeting correspondence that defines a working business role.

The course is shaped around current Cambridge BEC frameworks and the real working patterns of UK and international corporate life. By completion you will be ready for a junior-to-mid corporate role, an account-management position, or to use English as the lead language in a multilingual team.

Key Features

Career-ready UK qualification at Level 4 — nine to twelve months full-time, twelve to eighteen months part-time.
Cambridge BEC Vantage-aligned assessment design with the option to sit BEC alongside the Diploma.
Business writing portfolio — reports, proposals, executive summaries, client and supplier correspondence.
Presentation and meeting English in studio-quality conditions with video review.
Industry-led masterclasses from corporate communications staff, account managers and business English trainers.
Top-up route into the final year of a Bachelor's degree in Business English at LSJHML or partner universities.

What You Will Learn

The Diploma in Business English is structured around the corporate English a working professional actually uses in a UK or international setting. You finish able to write a competent report, present a position to a meeting, handle daily client correspondence, and navigate the cultural conventions that frame English-language business communication.

Business writing — reports, proposals, executive summaries, client emails at scale.
Meeting English — agendas, minutes, contribution language, chairing.
Presentation craft — structure, voice, slides, Q&A in English.
Negotiation language — opening positions, concessions, closure, written follow-up.
Reading commercial text — annual reports, market updates, regulatory communications.
Telephone and video-meeting English — turn-taking, clarification, summary.
Cross-cultural business communication — UK, US, European and Asian conventions.
Workplace English — internal emails, performance language, project communication.

Who This Course Is For

International graduates entering UK or English-language corporate roles for the first time.
Working professionals in multilingual settings whose English needs to operate at corporate standard.
Bilingual account managers, sales coordinators and project staff stepping up to client-facing roles.
Career-changers from teaching or general English study moving into business communication.

Career Pathways

Diploma in Business English graduates move into corporate communications, international account management, business training and bilingual operational roles across UK and global firms. Many continue to a Bachelor's degree top-up year. Typical first roles include:

Business English Trainer (corporate training, in-house language programme)
Corporate Communications Specialist (FTSE corporate, professional services)
Bilingual Account Manager (international agency, export desk, B2B sales)
International Sales Coordinator (cross-border commercial team)
Junior Communications Officer (multinational, regulated industry)
Customer Relationship Coordinator (English-language client team)

Graduates typically continue to LSJHML's Bachelor's degree in Business English through credit-transfer top-up.

Entry Requirements

Completion of secondary school (A-Levels, BTEC, or international equivalent).
IELTS 5.5 overall (no band below 5.0) for non-native English speakers.
Personal statement.
Mature applicants (21+) may apply with two 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.