Curriculum overview
We are ranked #6 in the world for social science and management, and the MSc Management and Strategy programme is founded in LSE’s tradition for academic excellence.
The programme is designed around four compulsory core courses, and you can also customise your programme according to your own interests and career goals with a wide choice of optional elective courses in managerial economics, accounting, finance, and a range of other topics from leading academic departments across LSE.
You will complete the programme with a 6,000 word dissertation project during the summer, which will enable you to specialise with in-depth knowledge in your specific area of interest.
Compulsory core courses (2.5 units)
(* denotes a half unit)
Incentives and Governance in Organisations*
Explains how information and incentives influence decisions in organisations, and, on this basis, draws conclusions about the way companies should be organised and governed.
Design and Management of Organisations*
Investigates organisation and management decision making on the basis of general heuristics and biases exhibited by individuals and groups. This is used to analyse how organisations can manage individual and group decision making, and how this gives rise to informal structures in organisations, e.g. corporate culture.
Behavioural Strategy*
Introduces the abstract study of strategy on the basis of game theory and business economics, and applies these concepts to questions of business strategy, e.g. questions of vertical integration, value creation and a firm’s resources and capabilities.
Strategic Competitive Analysis*
Develops a framework, on the basis of game theory and economics, to think systematically about the various dimensions of how firms compete in industries. This includes questions of market definition, pricing, advertising and research and development.
Dissertation: MSc Management and Strategy*
Gives students the opportunity to work on a project of their choice and apply the concepts from the programme in addressing a research question and the analysis of empirical evidence.
Optional elective courses (1.5 units)
(* denotes a half unit)
You will customise your programme according to your own interests with two 0.5 unit courses from the M&S elective course list below plus one other 0.5 unit course. This can be chosen from the list below or, with the approval of the Programme Director, from the full list of LSE graduate level courses.
Two 0.5 unit courses from the following list:
Valuation and Security Analysis*
Management Accounting, Decisions and Control*
Financial Accounting, Reporting and Disclosure*
Financial Markets* (FM473L)
Financial Markets* (FM473M)
Managerial Finance* (FM474L)
Managerial Finance* (FM474M)
Public Management: A Design-Oriented Approach
Auctions and Game Theory*
Firms & Markets in Emerging Economies
Behavioural Economics for Management*
Strategy and Change in Public Sector Management*
Negotiation Analysis*
Strategy for the Information Economy*
Corporate Strategy
International Marketing: A Strategic Approach*
Evolutionary Psychology and Management
The World Trading System*
Topics in Management Research*
Principles of Pricing
Brand Strategy*
Computer Programming*
Data for Data Scientists*
Applied Machine Learning For Social Science*
Artificial Intelligence*
One 0.5 unit course from the above list or, with the approval of the Programme Director, from the full list of LSE graduate level courses.
To find 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.