Executive MSc Students

Course participants are mid-career, busy professionals from the world of international affairs, defence, finance, international business, and NGOs.

I had the chance to understand way better the way that some parts of the UK government or diplomacy think and function

Francesca Dell'Apa

Exec MSc Overview Exec MSc Overview

 Our programme video gives an overview of our one-year degree designed to enhance the strategic vision and negotiation skills of professionals working in an international environment.

We also have numeorus testimonials from former alumni who in recent years have taken part on the programme. 

For more information on the programme and admissions check out our FAQS or contact us.

Student Backgrounds

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Student Experiences 

Below you can meet some of our past participants and read what they have to say about us.

Public Sector

Rosimar Da Silva Suzano, Minister, Brazilian Embassy, London

"The course has afforded new and invaluable pathways to rethinking and dealing with global challenges."

Jim Emerson, Secretary General, ChildFund Alliance

“From my first contact with the faculty I knew this was the right course - I would be in a demanding academic environment that has a strong focus on applying knowledge in real situations. It was hard work, it was great fun."

Edward Ferguson, Head of Defense Strategy and Priorities, UK MoD

"I have found the course enormously valuable as a source of practical advice and ideas which I am feeding directly into the process of preparing for the next National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review in 2015."

Lars Hanson, Personal Advisor, OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities.

"I applied to the MSc International Strategy and Diplomacy because I wanted to develop my academic skills without giving up my career. The programme gave me that – and much more."

Lei Zhang, Department of International Organizations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of PR China

“It gave me new perspectives that will play a catalytic role in my career”

Liisa-Maija Harju, Communication Specialist, UN Environment

"This course was a great fit for me at this point in my career. Due to the flexible course arrangements I was able to continue working while studying for skills that enable me to move into more senior positions in my field.”  

Yohei Matsuda, Deputy Director, Corporate Affairs Division Economic and Industrial Policy Bureau, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan

“Planning ahead in public policy requires some strategic thinking and a deep understanding of geopolitical transitions; insights gained on the course are always on my mind when designing economic policies towards the Asia-Pacific region”

Michael Muench, Advisor to the CDU/CSU group in the German Parliament

"The course has equipped me with the analytical tools necessary for making sense of today's multi-faceted world and, as a political advisor, has enabled me to formulate better policy."

Kara Owen, Deputy Ambassador, Paris-designate.

"This combination of thought provoking discussion and practical guidance on how to think strategically means that I will prepare for my new post in a very different way."

Alper Ozden, Adviser, Office of the Turkish Prime Minister.

"The wealth of knowledge and experience shared with us was priceless." 

Karen Pierce, Director of Afghanistan and South Asia, Foreign Commonwealth Office

"Right from the first week I was able to apply the lessons I had learnt to our operational and policy work and to coach my teams to look at issues differently." 

Darshini Subramaniam, Assistant Director, Ocean Strategy Unit, Ministry of Agriculture of Malaysia

"This course’s unique structure and diverse group of students equipped me with an out of the box perspective on international affairs”

Amy Wilson, Special Assistant to Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins, Coordinator for Threat Reduction Programs, U.S. Department of State

“In my current position, working towards U.S. hosted 2016 Nuclear Security Summit, I find myself constantly drawing on strategic concepts introduced in the program to examine policies through a new lens” 

Dominic Wilson, UK National Security Council Secretariat.

"It provides a unique forum for the kind of multi-disciplinary thinking that is essential for strategy making in today's complex world."

Xu Wei, Staff Officer, Ministry of National Defence, PRC.

"This is a wise, timely and bold initiative by LSE IDEAS to train serious thinkers in how to make tomorrow's world more manageable."

Private Sector

Andrew Arnold, Senior Business Development Manager, BG Group.

"The course is highly practical and immediately applicable to what I do in my day job in global business development: the richly provocative insights into geopolitics and international strategy have transformed my perspective on how my industry operates."

Lucia Catalan, Head of Asset Management.

"The masters offers a unique perspective in geopolitics and strategy taught by leading academics in one of the best universities in the world. The combination of a diverse multinational group of people from the public and private sector has proven invaluable for the weekly discussions about very relevant global issues."

Mikki Choman, Head of Corporate Communications, City & Guilds Group.

"This is one of the best investments I have made in myself and my career. This is not international relations in an ivory tower. Topical content and practical simulations with top experts, combined with a group of brilliant and diverse classmates has helped me understand the world in a completely new and useful way."

Tim Ford,  Business Development Analyst, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company

“The executive master's programme supported me in my professional development in crafting strategy, employing diplomacy, and enhancing negotiation skills in a global environment.”

Dwight Gibson, Vice President of Transport Solutions, Ingersoll Rand.

"The major strength of this program is the high quality of the lecturers and the diversity of the students – I am very impressed with the thoughtfulness of my fellow classmates and the unique perspectives they bring to bear."

Ben Hetzler, Institutional Director, Fisher Investments Europe Institutional Group - “As my work requires daily interaction with some of the world’s most sophisticated investors the program allowed me to develop invaluable strategic and critical thinking skills through deep analysis of relevant geopolitical topics. I highly recommend this masters programme for candidates who seek to take on a more strategic leadership role in their career.”

Jenifer Law, Vice President, Corporate Governance and Responsible Investment, BlackRock

“The programme’s innovative and extremely successful approach has been of particular benefit to my work with global multinational corporations”

Natalia Lechmanova, Senior Country Risk Analyst, Standard Chartered Bank.

"The course helps people from multinational firms to understand the significance of the changes taking place in the world as well as how to become better strategic thinkers and risk managers."

Gabrielle Oh, Business Planning Manager to the Global Head of Public Sector & Development Organisation, Standard Chartered Bank.

"The global financial crisis has had far-reaching implications for ongoing shifts in security, political and social structures. There is therefore no better time to revisit these issues than now and there is no better course or institution than to do so, with leading practitioners and academics alike."

Reza Therani, Business Executive.

"By amalgamating strategy with international affairs this carefully crafted course opens up new insights and perspectives that are especially valuable for international corporate executives."

Nicolas Trindade, Fixed Income Portfolio Manager

"The course enables me to enhance my understanding of how international relations can affect the global economy, ultimately helping me make better investment decisions."

Nafeesa Yousuf, Vice President, Credit Suisse.

“The uniquely balanced structure of the programme, combining theoretical underpinnings and policy application, ensures the knowledge gained is unparalleled by any other International Relations course.”