Double Degree students at the European Institute

Writing your dissertation

Students taking the LSE-Bocconi Double Degree in European and International Public Policy and Politics are expected to meet the dissertation criteria for each individual academic institution. You will therefore have to submit your dissertation twice. Once at the LSE in mid-August and slightly later in the year at Bocconi.

It’s important that you understand what is required, and when, by each institution. Bocconi will provide you with guidance on writing your dissertation, and the requirements for submitting at Bocconi.

At LSE, the EU499 Dissertation Moodle page is your go to resource for information about the LSE dissertation (please note an LSE IT account is required to access Moodle). You be assigned an academic mentor in the Winter Term who you are expected to speak with throughout your project’s development until the last day of supervision at the end of the Spring Term. Please note that your LSE supervisor will only be able to guide you on meeting the LSE Dissertation requirements. You will need to independently find a supervisor willing to sponsor your project at Bocconi.

We recommend that you read all of the information available from both institutions before starting your project. You should think strategically and ensure that you are not creating more work for yourself by pursuing research that may not be accepted by one institution or the other. This is by no means an easy task, but you will not be left alone You will be assigned an Academic Mentor at the start of your second year at LSE. Your Academic Mentor will help guide you in developing your project to ensure that your research design is appropriate and that your project is viable. Our advice is start early and maintain dialogue with all parties regularly.

Your MSc Programme Regulations

We’ll provide guidance on how to interpret your MSc programme regulations in the summer so please hold off from asking questions about which courses you can take for the time being as there will be plenty of opportunities as we approach the course choice window opening in late September.

Choosing your degree stream

Incoming LSE-Sciences Po Double Degree students will need to indicate which ‘degree stream’ you would like to pursue during your second year of studies at LSE. You are eligible to choose one MSc programme from the following:

• MSc Culture and Conflict in a Global Europe (LSE-Science Po)
• MSc European and International Public Policy (LSE-Science Po)
• MSc International Migration and Public Policy (LSE-Science Po)
• MSc Political Economy of Europe (LSE-Science Po)

Our colleagues at Sciences Po will be reaching out to you about which of the above streams you would like to follow in April.

EU499 Dissertation vs. EU495 Applied Policy Project

One major difference between the MSc Culture & Conflict in a Global Europe (LSE-Columbia) and the single honours sister programme is that you are able to choose between two options for your final project under Paper 4 of your MSc programme regulations. You will need to be sure which of these options you'd like to select before you arrive and make your choice during the course selection window at the start of Autumn Term. Once you have made your decision there is no going back. So what's the difference?

EU499 Dissertation

Students are required to write a 10,000-word dissertation on a topic within the field of your programme. You will initially develop your project with your Academic Mentor at LSE in early Autumn Term, before submitting a preliminary proposal and being assigned a Dissertation Supervisor who will be your primary contact for the remainder of the project. Formative milestones along the way include a preliminary synopsis (due in late Autumn Term), a preliminary topic proposal (due early Winter Term, a prospectus (due between late Winter Term and the end of the Spring Break in agreement with your Supervisor), and a final topic proposal in Spring Term. The final deadline for the dissertation is in mid-August. 

EU495 Applied Policy Project

Students will work on an applied policy project related to a public policy problem in lieu of a dissertation. This policy problem can be situated at the international, European, national, or sub-national level. Thematically, it can be related to a  wide range of relevant policy fields (e.g., international trade, social policy, environmental policy, or justice and home affairs and migration). Workshops will provide overviews of different styles and types of policy analysis writings. Students will have regular meetings with their supervisors. Students must submit formative work as part of the Applied Policy Project process - namely a condensed summary of the policy brief in Autumn Term and a presentation in Winter Term. Students’ summative work, on which the final grades of the project will be determined, consists of two applied policy papers: A policy brief (worth 30% of the final grade, due in Spring Term) and a Policy Paper (worth 70% of the final grade, due in mid-August).

The information below is relevant to students on the LSE-Fudan Double Degree in the Global Political Economy of China and Europe and is intended to give some information about what to expect in the 2nd year of your programme. A special introductory session with Fudan University will be held early in the Autumn Term, with opportunities to ask for further information about the details provided.