Programmes

LSE-Columbia University Double Degree in International and World History

  • Graduate taught
  • Department of International History
  • Application code Apply via Columbia University
  • Starting 2024
  • Home full-time: Closed
  • Overseas full-time: Closed
  • Location: Houghton Street, London, New York City

Our world is more interconnected than ever. We call it globalisation, but without good histories to explain how we got here, we cannot begin to know where we are heading.

This master's programme at Columbia University and LSE asks you to explore our world by studying the forces that have been remaking it; migration, trade, technological revolutions, epidemic disease, environmental change, wars and diplomacy. Working with preeminent historians in the field, you will analyse large-scale historical processes, pursue empirical research and produce your own comparative and cross-cultural histories.

The further development of the study of international history in this broad sense depends on the internationalisation of the training and skills of the next generation of experts. This double degree draws on the faculties of two of the world's leading centres of international affairs, which have the expertise and commitment to provide the training and skills needed. It offers close contact in seminars and colloquia with mentors in different intellectual and cultural settings in two global cities. You will spend the first year at Columbia University, New York, and the second year at LSE in London.

 Watch the Virtual Graduate Open talk given by Master's Admissions Advisor Dr Anna Cant in November 2022

Programme details

Key facts

MSc International and World History (LSE and Columbia)
Start date September 2024 at Columbia University, New York
Application deadline Apply via Columbia - deadlines: 16 January 2024 (early/priority deadline), and 14 March 2024 (final deadline)
Duration 22 months full-time only
Financial support Tuition Reduction Scholarships at Columbia, Graduate Support Scheme (for year two at LSE, apply in year one; see 'Fees and funding')
Minimum entry requirement 2:1 degree or equivalent in any discipline
GRE/GMAT requirement None
English language requirements Higher (see 'Assessing your application')
Location  Columbia University, New York, USA (year one), Houghton Street, London, UK (year two)
For more information about tuition fees and entry requirements, see the fees and funding and assessing your application sections.

Entry requirements

Minimum entry requirements for LSE-Columbia Double Degree in International and World History

Upper second class honours degree (2:1) or equivalent in any discipline. 

Competition for places at the School is high. This means that even if you meet the minimum entry requirement, this does not guarantee you an offer of admission.

If you have studied or are studying outside of the UK then have a look at our Information for International Students to find out the entry requirements that apply to you.

Assessing your application

We welcome applicants from all academic and professional backgrounds. Students are selected for admission based on their academic and professional pursuits, in addition to their unique interests and life experiences.

Students in our programme have backgrounds in history as well as a wide range of other academic fields including comparative literature, philosophy, anthropology, area studies, political science, journalism and business. Students with backgrounds outside of the humanities and social sciences are also welcome to apply, so long as their Statement of Purpose explains why they wish to study history.

We accept students who are currently finishing their undergraduate studies, although work experience is considered a plus in the application process. Although most incoming students do not have a degree beyond the bachelor’s degree, students with a previous master’s degree are welcome to apply.

Applications are reviewed by both institutions; however, you apply via Columbia University.

Data sharing

Double degrees and certain other degrees and scholarships require that LSE shares personal data with another university or partner. In our agreements we will use the School’s standard data sharing template for universities and partners in the EU and EEA and in an adequate countryStandard contract clauses will be used for any other country. If you have any questions about this or how your personal data will be treated by LSE, please contact the Data Protection Officer, Rachael Maguire, via glpd.info.rights@lse.ac.uk or check our Student Privacy Notice.

Fees and funding

Every graduate student is charged a fee for their programme.

The fee covers registration and examination fees payable to the School, lectures, classes and individual supervision, lectures given at other colleges under intercollegiate arrangements and, under current arrangements, membership of the Students' Union. It does not cover living costs or travel or fieldwork.

Tuition fees 2024/25 for LSE-Columbia University Double Degree in International and World History

Home students, first year: Columbia fee
Overseas students, first year: Columbia fee
Home students, second year (provisional): £28,584 (2025/26 at LSE)
Overseas students, second year (provisional): £28,584 (2025/26 at LSE)

The Table of Fees shows the latest tuition amounts for all programmes offered by the School.

Fee status

For this programme, the tuition fee is the same for all students regardless of their fee status. However any financial support you are eligible for will depend on whether you are classified as a home or overseas student, otherwise known as your fee status. LSE assesses your fee status based on guidelines provided by the Department of Education.

Further information about fee status classification.

Fee reduction

Students who completed undergraduate study at LSE and are beginning taught graduate study at the School are eligible for a fee reduction of around 10 per cent of the fee.

Scholarships and other funding

The School recognises that the cost of living in London may be higher than in your home town or country, and we provide generous scholarships each year to home and overseas students.

Funding for the first year, at Columbia

Tuition Fee Reduction Scholarships are available. Recipients are selected by Columbia University.

Funding for the second year, at LSE

This programme is eligible for needs-based awards from LSE, including the Graduate Support SchemeMaster's Awards, and Anniversary Scholarships. You must apply for these needs-based awards from LSE, during your first year of study, submitting an application by the funding deadline. Funding deadline for needs-based awards from LSE: 25 April 2024.

In addition to our needs-based awards, LSE also makes available scholarships for students from specific regions of the world and awards for students studying specific subject areas.

Government tuition fee loans and external funding

A postgraduate loan is available from the UK government for eligible students studying for a first master’s programme, to help with fees and living costs. Some other governments and organisations also offer tuition fee loan schemes.

Find out more about tuition fee loans

Further information

Fees and funding opportunities

Information for international students

LSE is an international community, with over 140 nationalities represented amongst its student body. We celebrate this diversity through everything we do.  

If you are applying to LSE from outside of the UK then take a look at our Information for International students

1) Take a note of the UK qualifications we require for your programme of interest (found in the ‘Entry requirements’ section of this page). 

2) Go to the International Students section of our website. 

3) Select your country. 

4) Select ‘Graduate entry requirements’ and scroll until you arrive at the information about your local/national qualification. Compare the stated UK entry requirements listed on this page with the local/national entry requirement listed on your country specific page 

Programme structure and courses

Programme structure

At the heart of the programme is the two-year dissertation, a piece of original scholarly work based on detailed empirical research and analysis. The dissertation is supported by a sequence of three compulsory courses taken at Columbia and LSE, as well as a large range of electives that allow for specialisation. Rigorous language study is also an important component of the curriculum as it enables projects that are international in nature. 

The programme begins with Approaches to International and Global History which introduces the conceptual possibilities of International and World History and the year-long MA/MSc Research Skills and Methods. The latter is a series of practical workshops that help you develop your dissertation topic and begin your research. At LSE, you will enrol in your final compulsory course, a year-long Dissertation Workshop, designed to help you write your dissertation as well as think about where you would like to take your career after the programme has finished.  

First year, at Columbia University, New York

At Columbia University, students are required to complete 30 graduate credits, including the core components of the programme: Approaches to International and Global History (HIST GR8930) and Research Skills and Methods in International and Global History (HIST GR5000). At least 22 credits must be obtained through courses in the History Department. Students may also take courses outside of the History Department toward the history requirement if a course is historical in nature, provided that the MA/MSc academic advisor (Dr Line Lillevik) approves. Please note that the program does not accept R credits toward degree completion.

Students have the option to take up to eight graduate elective points (typically 2 courses) from outside of the History Department. Students can take classes from other departments within the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) as well as in other schools at Columbia, including the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), the Journalism School, Teachers College and the School of the Arts (SOA). Please note that classes outside of the department or in other schools may require additional permissions or cross-registration procedures.

Approaches to International and Global History
Introduces the conceptual possibilities and problems of international and world history.

MA/MSc Research Skills and Methods Workshop
A series of practical workshops including training in the use of archives and other primary sources, the organisation and documentation of research, and the presentation and publication of findings.

Courses up to the value of 30 credits from a range of options

Second year, at LSE 

At LSE, you will complete three full units in addition to the dissertation.

At least two of these three units must be chosen from the wide range of international history and economic history course offerings. You may complete a third unit in another department at LSE, provided that both the academic director at LSE and the teacher responsible for the course approve.

Optional courses to the value of three units

Watch our HY course videos

Dissertation workshop

You will also take the year-long Dissertation Workshop, which is designed to help you research and write your dissertation and to think about where you would like to take your career after your time at LSE has finished. It provides a specialised forum for discussion and debate on what it means to write history and to be an historian.

LSE-Columbia University Double Degree Dissertation
Provides assistance in writing your dissertation and thinking about the direction in which you want your career to go. It provides a specialised forum for discussion and debate on what it means to write history and be a historian.

Although it is not mandatory, you are also welcome to attend the larger graduate-level Research Training Workshop for all international history master’s students at the LSE, which focuses on practical research and study skills.

Dissertation

The dissertation is the single most important component of the MA/MSc program. It is an original scholarly work based on detailed empirical research and analysis.

Browse past dissertations from our programme's alumni.

This component of the degree reflects our belief that Masters level history students should be willing to engage in detailed historical research. In preparing this piece of work, students are provided with guidance about how to choose an appropriate topic, how to identify and locate the necessary sources, and how to write up their research findings. This is done through a combination of departmental workshops and discussions between individual students and their dissertation supervisor. But ultimately the dissertation is a test of the research abilities and writing skills of each individual student.

While in London, students preparing dissertations can take advantage of numerous world-class research libraries and archives. These include the National Archives (formerly the Public Record Office), the British Library, the libraries of specialised schools of the University of London such as the Institute for Historical Research, the School of Oriental and African Studies, and the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, and the LSE's own library, the British Library of Political and Economic Sciences. The LSE's archive also contains much valuable research material, as do the collections of the Imperial War Museum, the Warburg Institute and many others.

For the most up-to-date list of optional courses please visit the relevant School Calendar page. 

You must note, however, that while care has been taken to ensure that this information is up to date and correct, a change of circumstances since publication may cause the School to change, suspend or withdraw a course or programme of study, or change the fees that apply to it. The School will always notify the affected parties as early as practicably possible and propose any viable and relevant alternative options. Note that the School will neither be liable for information that after publication becomes inaccurate or irrelevant, nor for changing, suspending or withdrawing a course or programme of study due to events outside of its control, which includes but is not limited to a lack of demand for a course or programme of study, industrial action, fire, flood or other environmental or physical damage to premises.

You must also note that places are limited on some courses and/or subject to specific entry requirements. The School cannot therefore guarantee you a place. Please note that changes to programmes and courses can sometimes occur after you have accepted your offer of a place. These changes are normally made in light of developments in the discipline or path-breaking research, or on the basis of student feedback. Changes can take the form of altered course content, teaching formats or assessment modes. Any such changes are intended to enhance the student learning experience. You should visit the School’s Calendar, or contact the relevant academic department, for information on the availability and/or content of courses and programmes of study. Certain substantive changes will be listed on the updated graduate course and programme information page.

Teaching and assessment

Contact hours and independent study

At LSE you will take a number of courses, often including half unit courses and full unit courses. In half unit courses, on average, you can expect 20-30 contact hours in total and for full unit courses, on average, you can expect 40-60 contact hours in total. This includes sessions such as lectures, classes, seminars or workshops. Hours vary according to courses and you can view indicative details in the Calendar within the Teaching section of each course guide.

You are also expected to complete independent study outside of class time. This varies depending on the programme, but requires you to manage the majority of your study time yourself, by engaging in activities such as reading, note-taking, thinking and research. 

Teaching methods

LSE is internationally recognised for its teaching and research and therefore employs a rich variety of teaching staff with a range of experience and status. Courses may be taught by individual members of faculty, such as lecturers, senior lecturers, readers, associate professors and professors. Many departments now also employ guest teachers and visiting members of staff, LSE teaching fellows and graduate teaching assistants who are usually doctoral research students and in the majority of cases, teach on undergraduate courses only. You can view indicative details for the teacher responsible for each course in the relevant course guide.

Assessment

All taught courses are required to include formative coursework which is unassessed. It is designed to help prepare you for summative assessment which counts towards the course mark and to the degree award. LSE uses a range of formative assessment, such as essays, problem sets, case studies, reports, quizzes, mock exams and many others. Summative assessment may be conducted during the course or by final examination at the end of the course. An indication of the formative coursework and summative assessment for each course can be found in the relevant course guide.

For this programme, dissertations are submitted in the first week of the Spring Term and assessed in accordance with LSE’s MSc criterion. Exams are held between mid-May and late June.

Academic support

You will also be assigned an academic mentor who will be available for guidance and advice on academic or personal concerns. You will meet the mento at least twice a term - as many times as need be - to discuss any aspect of your life at the LSE. The mentor is the first point of contact if you have any worries about your time in London and at LSE. The Department also has a Masters Programme Tutor, who oversees the Graduate programme and he is also available to meet students. Graduates can also approach the Postgraduate and Research Programme Manager, Mrs Nayna Bhatti. Finally, there are graduate representatives on School committees and the Graduate Staff-Student Committee and we value their input.

The Department of International History is committed to the idea that graduate teaching should be done in small groups. In order to meet this commitment, and to ensure that students can work with their teachers in an environment where real dialogue and interchange is possible, the number taking some courses does have to be controlled. This means that it becomes very important to indicate in advance to the Department what options the incoming students wish to take. 

There are many opportunities to extend your learning outside the classroom and complement your academic studies at LSE. LSE LIFE is the School’s centre for academic, personal and professional development. Some of the services on offer include: guidance and hands-on practice of the key skills you will need to do well at LSE: effective reading, academic writing and critical thinking; workshops related to how to adapt to new or difficult situations, including development of skills for leadership, study/work/life balance and preparing for the world of work; and advice and practice on working in study groups and on cross-cultural communication and teamwork.

LSE is committed to enabling all students to achieve their full potential and the School’s Disability and Wellbeing Service provides a free, confidential service to all LSE students and is a first point of contact for all disabled students.

Faculty

Programme Director

 Gusejnova

Dr Dina Gusejnova
Assistant Professor
Department of International History

Class profile

The LSE-Columbia University Double Degree in International and World History program asks students to analyse large-scale historical processes, pursue empirical research, and produce their own comparative and cross-cultural histories. Students in our program have backgrounds in history as well as a wide range of other academic fields including comparative literature, philosophy, anthropology, area studies, political science, journalism and business.

Student support and resources

We’re here to help and support you throughout your time at LSE, whether you need help with your academic studies, support with your welfare and wellbeing or simply to develop on a personal and professional level.

Whatever your query, big or small, there are a range of people you can speak to who will be happy to help.  

Department librarians – they will be able to help you navigate the library and maximise its resources during your studies. 

Accommodation service – they can offer advice on living in halls and offer guidance on private accommodation related queries.

Class teachers and seminar leaders – they will be able to assist with queries relating to specific courses. 

Disability and Wellbeing Service – they are experts in long-term health conditions, sensory impairments, mental health and specific learning difficulties. They offer confidential and free services such as student counselling, a peer support scheme and arranging exam adjustments. They run groups and workshops. 

IT help – support is available 24 hours a day to assist with all your technology queries.  

LSE Faith Centre – this is home to LSE's diverse religious activities and transformational interfaith leadership programmes, as well as a space for worship, prayer and quiet reflection. It includes Islamic prayer rooms and a main space for worship. It is also a space for wellbeing classes on campus and is open to all students and staff from all faiths and none.  

Language Centre – the Centre specialises in offering language courses targeted to the needs of students and practitioners in the social sciences. We offer pre-course English for Academic Purposes programmes; English language support during your studies; modern language courses in nine languages; proofreading, translation and document authentication; and language learning community activities.

LSE Careers ­– with the help of LSE Careers, you can make the most of the opportunities that London has to offer. Whatever your career plans, LSE Careers will work with you, connecting you to opportunities and experiences from internships and volunteering to networking events and employer and alumni insights. 

LSE Library  founded in 1896, the British Library of Political and Economic Science is the major international library of the social sciences. It stays open late, has lots of excellent resources and is a great place to study. As an LSE student, you’ll have access to a number of other academic libraries in Greater London and nationwide. 

LSE LIFE – this is where you should go to develop skills you’ll use as a student and beyond. The centre runs talks and workshops on skills you’ll find useful in the classroom; offers one-to-one sessions with study advisers who can help you with reading, making notes, writing, research and exam revision; and provides drop-in sessions for academic and personal support. (See ‘Teaching and assessment’). 

LSE Students’ Union (LSESU) – they offer academic, personal and financial advice and funding. 

PhD Academy – this is available for PhD students, wherever they are, to take part in interdisciplinary events and other professional development activities and access all the services related to their registration. 

Sardinia House Dental Practice – this offers discounted private dental services to LSE students. 

St Philips Medical Centre – based in Pethwick-Lawrence House, the Centre provides NHS Primary Care services to registered patients.

Student Services Centre – our staff here can answer general queries and can point you in the direction of other LSE services.  

Student advisers – we have a Deputy Head of Student Services (Advice and Policy) and an Adviser to Women Students who can help with academic and pastoral matters.

Student life

As a student at LSE you’ll be based at our central London campus. Find out what our campus and London have to offer you on academic, social and career perspective. 

Student societies and activities

Your time at LSE is not just about studying, there are plenty of ways to get involved in extracurricular activities. From joining one of over 200 societies, or starting your own society, to volunteering for a local charity, or attending a public lecture by a world-leading figure, there is a lot to choose from. 

The campus 

LSE is based on one campus in the centre of London. Despite the busy feel of the surrounding area, many of the streets around campus are pedestrianised, meaning the campus feels like a real community. 

Life in London 

London is an exciting, vibrant and colourful city. It's also an academic city, with more than 400,000 university students. Whatever your interests or appetite you will find something to suit your palate and pocket in this truly international capital. Make the most of career opportunities and social activities, theatre, museums, music and more. 

Want to find out more? Read why we think London is a fantastic student city, find out about key sights, places and experiences for new Londoners. Don't fear, London doesn't have to be super expensive: hear about London on a budget

Student stories

Careers

Graduate destinations

The MA/MSc program provides graduates with the opportunity to develop lifelong contacts on both sides of the Atlantic, using Columbia and the LSE as launching pads for their professional careers. While approximately 25% of our alumni choose to pursue a PhD and a career in academia, some choose to apply the insights gained to a career outside of academia, including government, intergovernmental organizations, foundations, NGO's, education, consulting, journalism, business and academia.

Further information on graduate destinations for this programme.

Support for your career

As students and graduates at Columbia and the LSE, MA/MSc students have access to Career Centers at both universities. We strongly encourage students to take full advantage of these resources while they are enrolled in the program. Alumni maintain access to LSE career services for five years after graduation, and Columbia career services forever. After completing the program, our graduates become members of two extensive global alumni networks.

At LSE, the department is committed to supporting students' options after graduation in the world of work or futher studies by organising a careers programme tailored specifically to International History students with the help of LSE Careers. Also, many leading organisations give careers presentations at the School during the year, and LSE Careers has a wide range of resources available to assist students in their job search. Find out more about the support available to students through LSE Careers.

Read more about the Careers support provided by Columbia to MA/MSc graduates.

Student profiles

Abigail Schoenfeld
LSE-Columbia University Double Degree in International and World History, 2018

Schoenfeld

Abigail is currently a Princeton University PhD student in Near Eastern Studies. Read more.

Carla Coley
LSE-Columbia University Double Degree in International and World History, 2018

Coley

Carla is currently a Director of BLJ Worldwide. Read more.

Find out what other LSE-Columbia Double Degree students have been doing since graduating

Why study with us

International History at LSE

The LSE was founded in 1895 originally as an institute of higher education for graduate students. The Department of International History reflects this tradition and takes its responsibility for graduate teaching and research supervision very seriously. We admit nearly as many masters students as undergraduates, with a critical mass of graduates usually numbering over 150 in a year. Consequently our graduates never feel on the margins of the department or an after-thought which often can be the case at some other London institutions geared more for undergraduate teaching. We have one of the most cosmopolitan graduate communities in London and for international history in the UK and it is therefore one of the most vibrant and dynamic. You will have use of our library, famous for being the best university library in London. In addition, we have an IT network and training facilities that are acknowledged to be leading the field.

LSE History rankings

The Department of International History has consistently performed well in the QS World University Rankings. In the QS World University History Subject Table for 2021, History at LSE ranked 5th overall in the world for the second year running, ahead of Columbia, Stanford, Berkeley and Princeton. In the UK and in  Europe, History at LSE continues to rank third, behind Oxford and Cambridge, but ahead of King's College London, UCL and Edinburgh.

Research in the Department

The department offers a number of established and well-respected taught programmes which give students a range of core and specialist topics, the latter enabling our staff to teach topics which form their current research projects (which also saves you money as you don't have to buy the book later on!). While on the subject of research, the department is divided into five research clusters covering a wide range of subjects taught in the Department. We have our own blog, LSE International History Blog, where students and non-LSE historians contribute historically-informed perspectives on contemporary affairs. We also have our own podcast, Our Histories, with each episode devoted to the research conducted by one of our faculty members.

LSE and departmental events

Graduate students in the Department of International History have a research seminar with guest speakers and there are guest lectures. We organise a weekend away at Cumberland Lodge, Great Windsor Park once a year. This is designed to enable graduates to get to know each other better and to develop their ideas about a particular topic. Additionally throughout the year, students can take advantage of the great LSE tradition of inviting famous (and infamous) figures from the world of politics, business, media and international affairs. Please see the Department's Public Lectures and Events for a good range of history events hosted by us during the academic year as well as the  LSE Public Lectures and Events. This helps make the LSE a particularly fertile and exciting place to be studying international history. There is an almost bewildering range of societies and clubs engaging with international politics, single issues, the 'third world', social justice problems or just dedicated to sport, music, dance and a whole range of pursuits which we lecturers haven't got a clue about. We highly recommend our students join the LSE Student Union History Society. We have a gym and squash courts on site and one of the largest student shops on campus. There is also a large student bookshop owned by Waterstone's selling new and used books.

We are very fortunate at the LSE in being so centrally located in the capital. We are in walking distance of the British Library, Covent Garden, the Royal Courts of Justice, the British Museum, the National Gallery, the West End theatres as well as Trafalgar Square, the Barbican, Buckingham Palace, River Thames and the London Eye. Much of our graduate accommodation is located in prime real-estate sites in central London. Our graduate students can take advantage of all the intellectual resources that this capital is home to, including the National Archives south of the river at Kew and the world's largest newspaper archive in North London. Not surprisingly our students are able to produce dissertations of the highest quality benefiting from such easy access to a range of primary sources and people willing to help.

Preliminary reading

General reading

  • Antony Best, Jussi Hanhimaki, Joe Maiolo, and Kirsten Schulze, International History of the Twentieth Century and Beyond (Routledge, 2014 3rd edition)

Subject specific recommendations

  • Mark Mazower, Dark Continent: Europe's Twentieth Century (1999)
  • Jeremy Friedman, Shadow Cold War: The Sino-Soviet Competition for the Third World (2015).
  • Elizabeth Economy, The Third Revolution: Xi Jinping and the New Chinese State (2019).
  • Hazel V Carby, Imperial Intimacies: A Tale of Two Islands (Verso 2019)
  • Kristina Spohr, Post Wall, Post Square, How Bush, Gorbachev, Kohl, and Deng Shaped the World after 1989 (YUP, 2020)
  • O. A. Westad, The Global Cold War: Third World Interventions and the Making of Our Times (2011)
  • Desmond Dinan, ed, Origins and Evolution of the European Union (OUP, 2014) (for HY411)
  • David van Reybrouck Congo: The Epic History of a People (2014 edn)
  • Nelson Mandela, Conversations with Myself (2010)

Contact us

Programme and admissions enquiries

With questions related to your application or the admissions process, please check our admissions frequently asked questions page.

If you have any queries which are not answered on the website, please contact the department's Graduate Admissions Advisor.

Anna Cant

Dr Anna Cant
Assistant Professor in International History

Email

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