Entry requirements

Applicants should usually have completed at least two years of study at an overseas university by the time they begin studying at the School.

However, we will also consider, on a case-by-case basis, applications from students who have directly entered the second year of university on the basis of A levels or the International Baccalaureate Diploma.

Students undertaking a degree through the University of London International Programmes with LSE as the lead college are also eligible for entry after just one year of study. 

Students who have directly entered their second year on the basis of Advanced Placement exams will not normally be considered for a place. 

We positively welcome good applicants from any university in any country (except the UK), and will consider applications from students at institutions using any grading scale.

In general, we are looking for students who are in the top 10-15% of their class. If your country's entry requirements are not listed below, please consult the graduate entry requirements listed on these country pages. Your average cumulative grade should be the same as these. 

We look in detail at each applicant's recent university academic record, at what subjects have been studied and the level of success in those studies. We are primarily interested in a student's academic work in social science subjects and will be especially interested in the quality of work in the fields which they might wish to pursue at LSE.

In addition to the academic requirements listed above, you will need to provide proof of your English proficiency unless you are a national of Canada (whose first language is English) or one of the UKVI list of majority English-speaking countries or your degree is taught entirely in English in one of these countries.

UKVI list of majority English-speaking countries

The English proficiency requirements for the most common qualifications are: 

• International English Language Testing Service (IELTS) academic test with a score of 7.0 in all four components (in one exam sitting only).* 
• TOEFL IBT (Internet based test) with at least 107 overall 
  with a minimum of 25 in each of the four components (in one exam sitting only).*
• Cambridge C1 Advanced Certificate of English (CAE) with Grade B or better or 185 points overall and 
  a minimum of 185 points in each individual component.
• Cambridge C2 Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) with Grade C or better or 185 points overall and 
  a minimum of 185 points in each individual component.
• Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic with a score of 65 in all four components (in one exam sitting only).*

*Your test should be no more than two years old by 1 September in the year you intend to start the General Course.

You do not need to have obtained the required marks before you apply, but they would form a condition of any offer that you received, and would have to be achieved before your arrival at LSE.

Other tests under the English language requirements section of the undergraduate entry requirements may be acceptable if you have already taken them, but conditions attached to offers will be set as required scores in IELTS.