MSc in International Social and Public Policy (LSE and Fudan)

Programme Code: TMISPPWF

Department: Social Policy

For students starting this programme of study in 2022/23

Guidelines for interpreting programme regulations

Classification scheme for the award of a taught master's degree (four units)
Exam sub-board local rules

Year 1 at LSE

The first year is spent at LSE. Students must take two compulsory courses, options to the value of 2.0 units and a dissertation as shown.

Year 2 at Fudan

Upon successful completion of the first year, students will move to study the second year at Fudan University, Shanghai, China.

Please note that places are limited on some optional courses. Admission onto any particular course is not guaranteed and may be subject to timetabling constraints and/or students meeting specific prerequisite requirements. Please refer to the progression rules below

Paper	Course number, title (unit value)
Paper 1	SP400 International Social and Public Policy (0.5) and SP401 Understanding Policy Research (0.5)
Papers 2 & 3	A
	Courses to the value of 2 unit(s) from the following: PP4X6 Welfare Analysis and Measurement (1.0) (suspended 2025/26)
	SP403 Academic & Professional Skills Development for Social Policy (0.0)
	SP410 Migration: Current Research, Critical Approaches (0.5)
	SP411 Social Policy and Development (0.5)
	SP412 Non-Governmental Organisations, Social Policy and Development (0.5) #
	SP413 Understanding Social (Dis)advantage (0.5) (withdrawn 2023/24)
	SP414 Ethnicity, Race and Social Policy (0.5)
	SP415 Urbanisation and Social Policy in the Global Souths (0.5) #
	SP417 Sexuality, Everyday Lives and Social Policy in Developing Countries (0.5)
	SP418 Global Social Policy and International Organizations (0.5)
	SP419 Social Movements, Activism, and Social Policy (0.5)
	SP420 Understanding Policy Research (Advanced) (0.5)
	SP430 Social Security Policies (0.5)
	SP432 Education Policy, Reform and Financing (0.5)
	SP434 Behavioural Public Policy (0.5)
	SP435 Housing, Neighbourhoods and Communities (0.5) (withdrawn 2024/25)
	SP441 Politics of Social Policy (0.5)
	SP471 Issues in Contemporary Policing (0.5) # (withdrawn 2025/26)
	SP473 Policing, Security and Globalisation (0.5)
	SP475 Riots, Disorder and Urban Violence (0.5) #
	SP476 Punishment and Penal Policy (0.5)
Paper 4	SP499 Dissertation - International Social & Public Policy (1.0)

Footnotes

# means there may be prerequisites for this course. Please view the course guide for more information.

A: Papers 2 & 3: Relevant outside options subject to agreement by the Programme Director.

Progression:

Candidates will be awarded the “MSc in International Social and Public Policy” at the end of Year 1 (subject to the relevant classification scheme). Candidates must pass Year 2 at Fudan—in accordance with the rules of that university for fail/pass and retaking where appropriate—in order to be awarded the Fudan degree. Once awarded both of these individual degrees, candidates will be considered as having been awarded the Double Degree.

Students on the Double Degree progress to Year 2 at Fudan unless any of the exceptional circumstances below occur:

(i.) A student has either deferred or not made a serious attempt in assessment for any course.

(ii.) A student has failed courses to the value of more than one unit.

(iii.) A student has indicated that they do not intend to make a serious attempt to submit a dissertation at the end of the first year at LSE and/or has not submitted formative work to their dissertation Supervisor.

The Department will hold an assessment ratification meeting to consider the facts in relation to any of the above circumstances. The meeting will consider any medical and/ or exceptional circumstances presented by a student, before deciding whether to recommend that they should progress to the second year or not. Any recommendation to progress in any of the above circumstances will require approval by the GSBE. The Programme Director will inform the student as soon as possible if they are allowed to progress to the second year.

Note for prospective students:
For changes to graduate course and programme information for the next academic session, please see the graduate summary page for prospective students. Changes to course and programme information for future academic sessions can be found on the graduate summary page for future students.