Graduate Diploma in Humanities and Social Sciences
Source: https://www.qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/coursefinder/courses/2026/graduate-diploma-in-humanities-and-social-sciences/ Parent: https://www.qmul.ac.uk/study/foundation-courses/
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Graduate Diploma in Humanities and Social Sciences
Entry Year: 2026
2 study options
Graduate Diploma in Humanities and Social Sciences GradDip
Key information
Degree : GradDip
Duration : 1 years
Start : September 2026
UCAS code : Y2QA
Institution code : Q50
Entry Requirements : Full entry requirements (including contextual admissions)
Home fees : £24,950
Overseas fees
: £24,950\
[Funding information](#funding)\
[Paying your fees](https://www.qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/feesandfunding/payment/)
Graduate Diploma in Humanities and Social Sciences January Start GradDip
Key information
Degree : GradDip
Duration : 1 years
Start : January 2027
UCAS code : Y2QC
Institution code : Q50
Entry Requirements : Full entry requirements (including contextual admissions)
Home fees : £24,950
Overseas fees
: £24,950\
[Funding information](#funding)\
[Paying your fees](https://www.qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/feesandfunding/payment/)
Graduate Diploma in Humanities and Social Sciences
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Overview
Get the skills and experience you need for a postgraduate degree in the humanities and social sciences, designed for international and EU students.
Are you changing disciplines? Need to improve your level of English? Don't otherwise meet the academic entry requirements for direct entry to a master's degree? Our Graduate Diploma in Humanities and Social Sciences offers non-UK students a one-year pathway to postgraduate study at Queen Mary and other UK institutions.
Running from either September to June or January to July, this highly intensive diploma is primarily aimed at those wanting to study business and management, politics and international relations, linguistics or film.
You'll take two compulsory modules along with two other modules of your choice, which will be determined by the subjects you want to study at Masters Level after completing your diploma. You'll develop solid knowledge in your chosen academic field, and improve your ability to use academic English effectively at postgraduate level.
Structure
Start your Graduate Diploma in Humanities and Social Sciences in either September or January. You’ll choose your modules based on which postgraduate degree you want to study after your diploma.
Year 1
Academic English and research skills modules (compulsory for all students)
- English Language and Study Skills
- Independent Research Project
- Research Methods
You choose the rest of modules depending on which master's degree you want to take after the diploma.
Business and management
Compulsory
- Contemporary Issues in Business and Management
- Introduction to Business and Management
Plus one of the following pairs:
- Introduction to Politics and International Relations I and II
- Introduction to Hollywood Cinema and Alternative to Hollywood cinema
- French 1a and 1b
- Japanese 1a and 1b
- Spanish 1a and 1b
Comparative Literature, Linguistics, or Language Teaching
Choose two from the following pairs:
- Introduction to Hollywood Cinema and Alterantive to Hollywood cinema
- Introduction to Politics and International Relations I and II
- Introduction to Business and Management and Comtemporary Issues in Business and Management
- French 1a and 1b
- Japanese 1a and 1b
- Spanish 1a and 1b
Film (January intake subject to availability)
Compulsory
- Alternatives to Classical Hollywood Cinema
- Introduction to Hollywood Cinema
Plus one of the following pairs:
- Introduction to Politics and International Relations I and II
- Introduction to Business and Management and Comtemporary Issues in Business and Management
- French 1a and 1b
- Japanese 1a and 1b
- Spanish 1a and 1b
Politics and International Relations
- Introduction to Politics and International Relations I and II
Plus one of the following pairs:
- Introduction to Business and Management and Comtemporary Issues in Business and Management
- French 1a and 1b
- Japanese 1a and 1b
- Spanish 1a and 1b
Please note that all modules are subject to change.
Testimonial
The most impressive feature is diversity, students from different countries, different cultures. This can broaden my horizon and worldview. Moreover, the teachers are very professional and dedicated, the courses are practical and useful for the following Masters programme.
Teaching
Teaching and learning
Academic subjects are taught in lectures and seminars. Lectures can contain up to 50 students, but seminars will be divided into smaller groups of up to 18 students. English language and study skills modules are taught in groups averaging 16 students.
You will attend classes for up to 20 hours per week: 12 hours of English Language and Study Skills and up to eight hours of academic subjects. You will also be expected to undertake independent study.
Assessment
Assessment typically includes a combination of coursework (portfolios, individual and group presentations, written assignments, in-class tests, research projects and seminars) and/or examinations in May or June.
To progress onto Masters programmes at Queen Mary you will need to achieve minimum grades in individual modules.
Resources and facilities
The School offers excellent on-campus resources to aid your studies, including:
- multimedia digital labs for language learning
- the Queen Mary library
- online resources to help you develop your academic English, specially developed for Queen Mary students.
Entry requirements
Graduate Diploma in Humanities and Social Sciences - GradDip
Degree
At least a pass in a full first degree that is:
- equivalent to a UK undergraduate degree, and
- in a relevant subject.
You must have passed all final year modules.
Higher Education Diploma
A UK Higher Education Diploma, or the equivalent.
Graduate Diploma in Humanities and Social Sciences January Start - GradDip
Degree
- At least a pass in a full first degree that is equivalent to a UK undergraduate degree.
- We will consider most degree subjects.
- We expect applicants to have passed all final year modules. Awards with failed modules in the final year of academic study will be considered on a case by case basis at the discretion of the academic department.
Diploma of Higher Education
- A UK Diploma of Higher Education (Level 5) with at least 55% overall, or the overseas equivalent.
- We will consider most subjects areas.
- We expect applicants to have passed all final year modules. Awards with failed modules in the final year of academic study will be considered on a case by case basis at the discretion of the academic department.
Non-UK students
We accept a wide range of European and international qualifications. Please visit International Admissions for full details.
English language
We require IELTS 5.5 overall including 5.5 in Writing, Reading, Listening and Speaking. Find out more about our English language entry requirements, including the types of test we accept and the scores needed for entry to the programme.
You may also be able to meet the English language requirement for your programme by joining a summer pre-sessional programme before starting your degree.
Funding
Deposit
Once you have met the conditions of your offer, you will need to pay a deposit of £2,000 towards your tuition fees. This deposit will help in applying for your Tier 4 (General) student visa.
Find out more about deposits and read our refund policy.
If your fees are being paid by a government sponsor we do not require a deposit; however, we will need a formal letter from your sponsor confirming the arrangement.
Support from Queen Mary
We offer specialist support on all financial and welfare issues through our Advice and Counselling Service, which you can access as soon as you have applied for a place at Queen Mary.
Take a look at our Student Advice Guides which cover ways to finance your degree, including:
- additional sources of funding
- planning your budget and cutting costs
- part-time and vacation work
- money for lone parents.
Careers
Students who achieve the required grades in the diploma are guaranteed a place on a relevant postgraduate degree at Queen Mary. The diploma will also help you to access postgraduate study at other leading UK institutions.
Recent students have gone on to earn postgraduate degrees in:
Business and management
- MSc Accounting & Management
- MA Heritage Management
- MSc International Financial Management
- MSc International Human Resources Management
- MSc Management
- MSc Management with integrated Pre-Masters Graduate Diploma (two-years)
- Msc Entrepreneurship and Innovation
- MSc Marketing
- MA Creative Industries and Arts Organisation
Languages, lingustics and film
- MA Applied Linguistics for English Language Teaching
- MA Comparative Literature
-
MA Linguistics
-
MA English Language Teaching
-
MA English Language Teaching with Integrated Pre-Masters (two-year programme)
-
MA Film Studies
- MA Documentary Practice
Politics and International Relations
- MSc International Business & Politics (joint programme with School of Business & Management)
- MSc International Public Policy
- MA International Relations
- MSc Public Policy
Geography
- MA Global Development
- MSc Development & International Business
- MA Development & Global Health
School of Medicine and Dentistry: Centre for Public Health Policy
- MSc Global Public Health and Policy**
- MSc Global Health Systems Theory and Policy**
- MSc Global Health Law and Governance**
- MSc Migration, Culture and Global Health
- MSc International Primary Health Care
- MSc Public Mental Health
** Also available as an MRes.
Career support
The Queen Mary careers team can offer:
- specialist advice on choosing a career path
- support with finding work experience, internships and graduate jobs
- feedback on CVs, cover letters and application forms
- interview coaching.
Learn more about career support and development at Queen Mary.
About the School
The School of the Arts combines innovation, discovery and excellence in education and research in Drama, Film, Modern Languages, English & Comparative Literature, Creative Writing, Linguistics and Liberal Arts. We rank in the top 100 worldwide for Arts and Humanities (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024)
With our commitment to social justice, inclusivity and social mobility, our collaborations with external organisations, prominent writers and performers, and our facilities that support both academic and practice-based learning, an education in the School of the Arts equips our students with critical thinking and practical skills, unleashes their imagination and enables them to reach the levels of excellence needed in today’s industries.
We regularly host prominent writers and performers and collaborate with leading organisations such as the V&A, the Barbican, the Live Art Development Agency and Shakespeare’s Globe.
We are renowned for the depth and impact of research - which leads our teaching. We rank 1st for drama and in the top 10 for film in the UK for the quality of our research (REF2021). Our multilingual community brings together brilliant minds from across the world to share a wealth of expertise combining research excellence with an unrivalled commitment to social justice and social mobility.