Double Degree Programme FAQs

At Department level we are limited in terms of advice or information we are able to provide regarding VISAs and immigration. The LSE visa Advice Team have lots of information on their website here and you can contact them directly here.
LSE is unable to provide visa advice on visas for the United States and China. Please contact USC, Fudan University or NYU for further details on this.

• Students on Double Degree Programmes can request to transfer to the 1 year MSc Media and Communications (Classic Track) up until 23:59 on 6 November 2026. It is not possible to transfer to other MSc programmes within the Department. Please note that if you submit your transfer request by 5pm on 9 October 2026, you will be transferred to MC418 (which is the programme core course for the MSc Media and Communications - Classic Track). If you submit your transfer request after 5pm on 9 October 2026 but before 23:59 on 6 November 2026, you will remain in MC411 (USC/Fudan) or MC420 (NYU).
  If you wish to transfer you should complete the following steps:
• Contact your Academic Mentor or Programme Directors or Departmental Senior Student Adviser to discuss your decision, reasoning and any contributing circumstances.
• If you hold a UK student visa, you must contact LSE’s visa Advice Team here to discuss how transferring programmes may affect your UK visa. The form below will ask if you have contacted the team - if you hold a visa and have not done so, your request will be rejected.
• Once you have completed the above you should inform your Programme Director and Programmes Coordinator at LSE and at USC, Fudan or NYU. Once they approve, you should submit submit the Programme Transfer form, which can be found under the 'process overview' dropdown. You must outline your reasons for the transfer, as discussed with your Programme Director. Requests with insufficient detail will be rejected. As guidance, your response should be at least 50 words. The form should be submitted by 23:59 on 6 November at the very latest.

You can only transfer to the MSc Media and Communication (Classic Track) unless you face exceptional circumstances. Please find more about exceptional circumstances here. You will need to provide evidence of your exceptional circumstances and more details on the standards of evidence are available here.

Please note that students on the Global Media and Communications (LSE/USC) Programme can interrupt up until 12 March 2027. Students on the Global Media and Communications (LSE/Fudan) and the Double Master’s Degree in Media, Culture and Global Cities (LSE and NYU) Programmes can interrupt the LSE year up until the end of Winter Term.

If you are experiencing health or personal difficulties during the LSE degree that affects your ability to attend classes or otherwise engage with your studies then requesting an interruption at the earliest opportunity is often the best option. This enables you to take a break for 1 calendar year and then return the following year to fully benefit from teaching. Please note though that you cannot interrupt to pursue study elsewhere, as this is not permitted within the School's Conditions of Registration and Enrolment. You can interrupt during the Autumn or Winter terms only. If you have received all your teaching for the year you will only be permitted to interrupt from the beginning of the next academic year.
The deadline for interruption applications is the last day of the term in which you wish to interrupt. It is not possible to backdate an interruption so you should discuss the options and make a decision as early as possible.
If you are considering interruption you should contact your Academic Mentor or Programme Director to discuss in first instance. You can find more information on the process here.

(1) Double Degree students may interrupt their studies and defer their second year at USC, Fudan or NYU but they will do this in the understanding that they will take up their place in the second year of the programme in August the year following interruption. You can no longer transfer to MSc Media and Communication (Classic Track) unless you face exceptional circumstances. Please find more about exceptional circumstances here. You will need to provide evidence of your exceptional circumstances and more details on the standards of evidence are available here.

(2) If exceptional circumstances cannot be provided and you are still unable to attend the second year of the programme in the August after your interruption year, you will be withdrawn from the programme and you will not receive an LSE MSc degree.

In order to graduate from LSE, you will need to satisfy the requirements of both the first year at LSE and the second year at USC, Fudan or NYU. Double degree graduations at LSE normally take place during the July graduation ceremony.

Students who do not pass all of their LSE courses but who otherwise satisfy LSE’s academic requirements for Year 1, will need to redeem any failed LSE course(s) according to LSE’s rules or pass an additional USC Annenberg course(s) of equivalent value during Year 2 in order to meet the criteria for the USC Annenberg award.