The MPA programme comprises a range of core courses, which are compulsory to students’ chosen specialisation (called a policy stream), and option courses, as described below.
All first year students complete a compulsory two-week course in mathematics and statistics. This is known as the pre-sessional and takes place directly before the start of LSE term time. This course is an intense introduction - or, if some students have studied these areas before, a refresher for - some of the key skills and techniques that are needed for the MPA degree.
Students commonly describle the pre-sessional as a bootcamp. For those without a quantitative background - rest assured - it is designed to be accessible, but it will be challenging.
In the first year, all students take three core courses which provide them with rigorous theoretical knowledge and skills in political and economic analysis and quantitative methods. These will support students in their chosen specialisation in the second year of the programme.
Core courses
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Political Science and Public Policy (GV478)
Students will learn game theoretical concepts and apply them to a variety of political contexts; these tools should be useful both for explaining existing political outcomes and for designing interventions to achieve desired future outcomes.
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Micro and Macro Economics for Public Policy (EC440)
Students will learn macro- and micro-economic concepts, models and methods suitable for appraising policy, applicable in a wide variety of contexts.
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Quantitative Approaches and Policy Analysis (EC455)
Students will learn skills for the quantitative evaluation of public policies, with the help of regression based evaluation methods, cost-benefit analysis and computable general equilibrium modelling.
Option courses
In addition, students choose a fourth course in Year One from a wide range of options available across LSE’s academic departments subject to availability. Students’ choice can be based on their strengths and interests.
Further information and guidance will be provided to students at the beginning of the programme.
At the beginning of the second year, students choose a policy stream from a range of five, which allows them to specialise in a particular field. Each policy stream has its own core courses.
The five MPA policy streams are:
In addition, students participate in a Capstone project, which is a compulsory course of the MPA, and also take option courses.
The Capstone project
The Capstone project is a compulsory one unit course. Students will learn to carry out analysis and research as part of a group in order to address a practical policy issue or problem relevant to a real client organisation. It allows students to extend their capabilities and apply in a professional context what they have learnt in the MPA core courses.
Option courses
Students pursue a number of option courses from a wide range of options available across LSE’s academic departments subject to availability. Alternatively, students may choose to write an MPA Policy Paper (6,000 words) or MPA Dissertation (10,000 words) as an option course. This choice is based on each student’s strengths and interests.
Further information and guidance will be provided to students at the beginning of the programme.
Gain a better understanding of what an MPA student's curriculum could look like by exploring the following examples:
Student A
Student B
Student C