Is the Higher Diploma in Literature Studies the same as a comparative literature degree?

Comparative method is central — reading across English and at least three non-Anglophone traditions in translation — but the course also includes substantive theory and genre study. It maps well onto a top-up year in either English Literature or Comparative Literature.

Do I need to read languages other than English for the Higher Diploma in Literature Studies?

No. World literature is read in translation. Students with reading languages other than English can elect to work with originals where relevant for their dissertation, but it is not a course requirement.

Can I study the Higher Diploma in Literature Studies online?

Yes. Weekly online seminars run with cohort discussion and tutor feedback on the same set readings as on-campus students. Distance students complete the dissertation under remote supervision.

What does the dissertation on the Higher Diploma in Literature Studies look like?

An 8,000-word original piece on a topic of your choice, agreed with your supervisor. Past dissertations have ranged from twentieth-century African novels in translation to comparative readings of contemporary climate fiction.

Will the Higher Diploma in Literature Studies prepare me for an MA?

Yes. The methods training and the dissertation map directly to the entry requirements of UK MAs in English Literature, Comparative Literature and related fields. The defended viva gives you experience of the academic conversation an MA expects.

Higher Diploma in Literature Studies | LSJHML London | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The Higher Diploma in Literature Studies at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a fifteen-to-eighteen-month UK qualification for serious literary readers — editors, critics, teachers and career-changers — who want a near-degree-level credential and a sustained piece of original literary research. You will read across periods, genres and linguistic traditions in translation, train in current critical theory, and produce an 8,000-word dissertation under tutor supervision. Direct top-up into the final year of a UK Bachelor's degree at LSJHML or a partner university is available on completion.

This Higher Diploma takes literature seriously as an object of disciplined study. By the end of the Higher Diploma in Literature Studies you can read across the comparative field with confidence, situate a text inside both literary and critical traditions, and write a long-form piece of criticism that holds up against peer review.

Key Features

Sustained literary dissertation — an 8,000-word original piece with tutor supervision and a defended viva at year end.
Comparative literature core — reading across English and world literature in translation.
Critical theory module — formalist, historicist, feminist, postcolonial, ecocritical and contemporary critical traditions.
Genre studies — novel, short story, poetry, drama, life writing.
Industry-led masterclasses from working editors, critics, translators and academic literary scholars.
Direct top-up into the final year of a UK Bachelor's degree at LSJHML or a partner university.

What You Will Learn

The Higher Diploma in Literature Studies is structured around the working practice of a serious reader, critic or editor. You graduate able to read with discipline across genres and traditions, apply critical method with care, and write long-form criticism that respects both text and reader.

Close reading and comparative reading methods.
Literary history — major movements from the early modern period to the contemporary novel.
World literature in translation — at least three non-Anglophone traditions.
Genre studies — novel, short story, poetry, drama, life writing.
Critical theory — formalism, historicism, feminism, postcolonialism, ecocriticism.
Translation studies for the literary reader — what translation does to a text.
Editorial and review writing — for academic and general readers.
Research methods — primary-source and secondary literature work, scholarly apparatus.

Who This Higher Diploma Is For

Advanced Diploma literature graduates ready for near-degree-level literary work.
Working editors, critics and editorial researchers wanting structured critical grounding.
English and modern languages teachers wanting a substantial research credential.
Career-changers preparing for postgraduate literature study or a BA top-up year.

Career Pathways

Graduates of the Higher Diploma in Literature Studies move into senior editorial, critical and academic-adjacent roles, and many continue into a BA top-up or directly into an MA. Typical roles include:

Editor (literary publisher, journal, academic press)
Critic (national arts desk, longform magazine, literary review)
Academic Researcher (university research centre, learned society)
Curriculum Designer (educational publisher, examinations body)
Lecturer in Literature (FE college, adult education programme)
Literary Festival Programmer (literature festival, cultural centre)

The Higher Diploma articulates directly into the final year of a UK BA in English Literature or related discipline at LSJHML or a partner university.

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, CV and a 1,500-word essay sample of literary criticism.
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.