Cost
Please refer to the Table of fees website for information on the cost of the PhD programme.
School Funding
LSE PhD scholarships
The School offers 63 full scholarships for new PhD students. The scholarships cover fees and living expenses of up to £18,000 each year for four years. They are available to all students undertaking full-time research in any LSE discipline, with annual renewal, subject to satisfactory academic performance at the School.
Each academic department will be allowed to nominate a limited number of candidates for the awards. Award will be made by a Panel representing different academic disciplines within the School. The awards are made solely on outstanding academic merit and research potential. This relates not only to your past academic record, but also to an assessment of your chosen topic and to your likely aptitude to complete a PhD in the time allocated.
As a requirement of the studentship scholars must contribute to their academic department as part of their research training, by providing teaching or other work in their department, usually from their second year onwards.
There is no need to apply separately for these awards. Selection will be based on the PhD application to the School.
The School's Financial Support Office has information on sources of funds for prospective graduate students. Students who are able to fund themselves or succeed in securing a scholarship or sponsorship from any source will be considered for entry to the programme in exactly the same way as students who have no funding in place.
LSE Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Doctoral Training Centre Scholarships
Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the LSE Doctoral Training Centre (DTC) is housed in the new PhD Academy in LSE's prestigious Library building.
The LSE DTC supports a minimum of 36 studentships a year, selected within LSE and awarded under the terms set by the ESRC. Each studentship is available to UK and EU students, and is tenable for three or four years, depending on the programme of study and subject to satisfactory academic performance. It covers full fees (UK and EU level) and an annual stipend, which for 2015 was £16,057. LSE provides a separate stipend award for any EU students selected who do not meet the ESRC eligibility criteria for a full award. This is assessed and set up automatically as part of the award process.
Funding can cover one year's research training Master's linked to a three year PhD, two year MRes linked to two years of study or a three year PhD programme. Each academic department is responsible for nominating students for funding. Please visit esrc.ac.uk and our Financial Support Office for further information on ESRC eligibility and postgraduate funding opportunities.
LSE's DTC covers all economics and social science research programmes within the School, and awards are spread across departments. LSE has a steer from the ESRC towards economics based subjects, research involving quantitative methods and interdisciplinary programmes.
There is additional DTC funding available during the research programme to support difficult language training, field work, overseas institutional visits (in particular to partner institutions in Africa and Asia), and collaborative opportunities.
Leverhulme Trust Scholarships
LSE is offering six prestigious Leverhulme Trust Doctoral Scholarships for PhD study in any department whose research addresses "The Challenge of Escalating Inequalities". The scholarships are available to UK and EU students. Applicants will apply in the normal way for an MRes/PhD or MPhil/PhD, ensuring that their research proposal details their interest in this area of research. Scholars will be affiliated to LSE's International Inequalities Institute.
The scholarships cover a full fee at UK/EU level plus a stipend at Research Council rates which are published in early 2016 (£16,057 for 2015). They are three year awards, renewable each year subject to satisfactory progress.
Postgraduate travel fund
The School has a fund for conference attendance, administered by the Financial Support Office. The application form and terms can be found here. The fund is allocated to successful applicants on a first-come, first-served basis until the fund runs out, normally in the summer term. The Department of Management has an arrangement with the Financial Support Office whereby they will fund up to 70% of a given claim, and the Department will make up the rest (see below ‘Conference Travel’).