What level of English do I need for the Higher Diploma in Business English?

CEFR B2 (IELTS 6.0 or equivalent) at minimum. The Higher Diploma in Business English is an advanced course — it takes B2+ learners towards C1 in professional contexts. Applicants below B2 should consider our Diploma in Applied English first.

Does the Higher Diploma in Business English align with Cambridge BEC?

Yes. The course is designed around Cambridge BEC Higher and British Council professional-English frameworks. Students often sit BEC Higher during or after the Higher Diploma; the Diploma is academic credential separate from BEC certification but aligned with it.

Can the Higher Diploma in Business English be studied online?

Yes — naturally so, as much corporate communication is now remote. The online route mirrors the on-campus course with live small-group sessions, recorded negotiation and presentation review, and structured asynchronous business-writing workshops.

Is the Higher Diploma in Business English useful for an MBA application?

Yes. The course's advanced professional English, presentation craft and cross-cultural communication are valuable for MBA and international postgraduate business applicants. Several recent graduates have used the Higher Diploma to strengthen MBA admissions, particularly in cohorts where English is a working but non-native language.

How is the Higher Diploma in Business English different from a general English course?

General English courses build language at general everyday level. The Higher Diploma in Business English assumes that everyday level and works at corporate registers — negotiation, meetings, executive presentation, written commercial work. The course is occupational, not generalist.

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

Course Overview

The Higher Diploma in Business English at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a fifteen-to-eighteen-month near-degree-level UK qualification for advanced learners of English moving into senior international business contexts. You will work through professional registers, corporate-communication conventions, negotiation language, presentation craft and the cross-cultural communication competence international roles demand.

The Higher Diploma in Business English is built for advanced rather than entry-level English learners. By graduation you can lead a meeting in English, present to a senior international audience, draft a commercial proposal, and negotiate confidently across cultural contexts. The course is structured around Cambridge Business English Certificate (BEC) Higher and British Council professional-English frameworks.

Key Features

UK-recognised higher diploma in business English aligned with Cambridge BEC Higher and British Council professional-English standards.
Advanced corporate-communication workshops covering email, report and proposal writing.
Negotiation and meeting practice with structured tutor feedback and recorded review.
Presentation craft module — for in-person and remote audiences.
Cross-cultural communication across major international business contexts.
Top-up pathway to the final year of a UK Bachelor's degree in business, communications or applied English.

What You Will Learn

The Higher Diploma in Business English is structured around the working competencies of an advanced professional using English at senior international level — written, spoken and cross-cultural. You leave able to operate in English across the full range of corporate-communication contexts, present to a senior audience and negotiate confidently across cultures.

Advanced business writing — emails, reports, proposals, executive summaries.
Meeting language — chairing, contributing, clarifying, summarising.
Negotiation — language of position, concession, agreement, formal and informal registers.
Presentation craft — structure, voice, slide design, handling questions.
Cross-cultural communication — UK, European, North American and East Asian business contexts.
Sector-specific English — finance, technology, professional services, consulting.
Corporate ethics and compliance communication — written conventions and risk.
Remote and hybrid communication — written, voice, video meeting protocols.

Who This Higher Diploma Is For

Advanced English learners (CEFR B2+) moving into senior international business roles.
Working professionals — managers, consultants, account managers — upgrading professional English.
International graduates planning UK or international corporate careers.
Senior practitioners requiring a recognised UK credential to support international promotion.

Career Pathways

Higher Diploma in Business English graduates use the qualification to support senior international roles where advanced professional English is essential. Typical roles include:

Business English Trainer (corporate training, language school)
Corporate Communications Specialist (in-house, agency)
Bilingual Account Manager (international business)
International Sales Coordinator (commercial)
Executive Assistant (international corporate)
International Project Coordinator (consulting, services)

The Higher Diploma in Business English supports top-up to a UK BA in Business, Strategic Communication or Applied English Studies, or progression into MBA-level study.

Entry Requirements

An Advanced Diploma (Level 5) or equivalent in a related subject, OR a Diploma plus two years of relevant work experience.
IELTS 6.0 overall (no band below 5.5) for non-native English speakers.
Personal statement and CV.
Mature applicants (25+) without standard qualifications may apply with significant senior-track 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.