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Diplomas for Graduates
Who are they for
The Diplomas for Graduates enable
you to extend either the depth or
range of your previous undergraduate
study. They are comprised largely
of honours-level courses drawn
from the undergraduate Economics,
Management, Finance and Social
Sciences syllabus. Specifically, they
are aimed at graduates who wish to:
< acquire and demonstrate vocational
skills in a particular field in the
workplace and beyond or
< use the Diploma as a basis for
progression into postgraduate
study and whose first degree
is in an unrelated field or
< gain a stronger basis for entry to
postgraduate study at a university
and whose first degree may not
be readily acceptable as equivalent
to a good UK honours degree.
Features
As well as developing subjectspecific
skills, Diplomas for Graduates
enable you to question and analyse
information, develop arguments,
and bolster your analytical and
communicative competence.
Further information
Entry to Masters programmes is
competitive, and at the discretion
of each admitting university., so you
should confirm with the relevant
university whether the Diploma
for Graduates is acceptable for entry
and, if so, what mark is needed.
When honours-level courses are
taken as part of a bachelors degree,
you will normally be familiar with
the subject matter through having
taken prerequisite courses earlier
in the degree. While graduates are
permitted to register for these awards
without taking the prerequisites,
you should be prepared for the
difficulty of the courses. For
example, you are advised to have
a firm grasp, at undergraduate
level, of mathematics or economics
before embarking on honourslevel
courses in these subjects.
Structures
Each Diploma for Graduates is made up
of four courses, which can be taken in
any order (there are no prerequisites).
You have between one to five years
years to complete the programme. A full
list of courses is given on pages 46-47.
Notes:
< If you hold a professional
qualification and/or postgraduate
qualification without
a full first degree, you cannot
be considered for admission
to a Diploma for Graduates.
< If you apply for the Diploma for
Graduates (Mathematics) you
are advised that, although not a
formal entrance requirement, it
is your responsibility to ensure
that before you start this
programme your mathematics
is already at least at the standard
of a first year undergraduate
degree in mathematics and
includes multivariate calculus.
< If you apply for the Diploma
for Graduates (International
Relations) you are exempt from
the requirement to demonstrate
competence in Mathematics. If
you wish to transfer from this
programme to another Diploma
for Graduates at a later stage,
however, you will be required
to demonstrate competence
in Mathematics as described.
‘Without being taught at the level I was,
with the University of London International
Programmes, I would not have driven myself
to choose the career path I’m following today.’
Apeksha Vora
Profile: Apekska Vora
Various distance
learning awards | India
‘From the start, the quality
of the University of London
International Programmes was
higher than I had ever studied
before. I found it challenging and,
more importantly, it made me
question the world around me.
The inter-disciplinary
nature of the programmes I
studied meant that I was able
to discover other subjects,
which sparked my interest in
Development Economics, and
subsequently, International
Development. Through my
studies, I finally decided that
I wanted to engage with
development research.
Without being taught at the
level I was, with the University
of London International
Programmes, I would not
have driven myself to choose
the career path I’m following
today. Not only does the
International Programmes
open avenues because of
its reputation, but it has also
opened up real opportunities
for me by changing my
perception of the world.’
Entrance requirements
To be eligible to register for a
Diploma for Graduates as an
International Programmes
student, an applicant must:
< hold a full first degree
completed in a minimum
of three years duration on a
full-time basis (or equivalent)
from a university or other
institution acceptable to
the University of London
(but see notes below) and
< demonstrate that they
have reached a level of
competence in Mathematics
at least equivalent to a pass
at GCSE/GCE ‘O’ level in a
Mathematical subject at
Grade C or above and
< provide proof of
competence in English
which is acceptable to
the University and
< internet access is also a
requirement for registration.
Classification
Students must pass four full
courses to be awarded the
Diploma for Graduates. One
resit may be attempted for
any course failed. Diplomas
for Graduates will be classified
as Distinction, Merit or
Pass. A student who has
failed a course twice or two
courses once is eligible
for a Pass grade only.
Transfer
Students will not be
permitted to transfer from the
Diploma for Graduates to the
related BSc or other degrees or
to other qualifications offered
through the International
Programmes. Students may
transfer between the different
Diplomas for Graduates. A
student who fails a course
twice may change to another
course, within the five-year
registration period, provided
that the failed course is
not compulsory on the
Diploma for Graduates to
which they wish to transfer.
Please note
There is no accreditation of
prior learning offered for any
course on the Diploma for
Graduates programmes.
Apeksha completed three
awards through the University
of London International
Programmes – a Diploma in
Economics, BSc in Economics and
Management, and a Diploma
for Graduates in International
Development – with teaching
support from Russell Square
International College in Mumbai.
Awarded a £20,000 scholarship
by the Sir Ratan Tata Trust, she
is now studying for a Masters
in International Development
at the Institute of Development
Studies, University of Sussex.
44 Undergraduate study in Economics, Management, Finance and the Social Sciences www.londoninternational.ac.uk/lse 45