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Entry Requirements and How to Apply

Application for admission to the General Course, including the General Course for English Language Majors track, may be made by current undergraduate students who will have completed at least two years of in-person study in an overseas university by the time they register at LSE.

The General Course is not open to students who will have graduated before they join the programme.

Applicants must abide by the specific requirements of their home institution. Failure to do so may adversely affect the outcome of the selection process.

Entry requirements

The academic entry requirements for applicants from a range of countries can be found here.

Applicants studying at institutions in the USA should have a minimum GPA of 3.3/4.0 after three semesters of study. Applicants listing predominantly quantitative courses (i.e., economics, finance, maths and statistics), should have a GPA of 3.5/4.0 or better in related courses, including higher level calculus and linear algebra. We are primarily interested in your academic work in social science subjects and will be especially interested in the quality of your work in the fields you might wish to pursue at LSE.

Applicants from the University of London

Global Programme (EMFSS) students studying in-person at a teaching institution are eligible for entry to The General Course after one year of study. You must have achieved a minimum mark of 65% or above in three full-unit modules and an overall average of 55% or above in each year of study.Global Programme (EMFSS) students studying online are eligible for entry to The General Course after two years of study. You must have achieved a minimum mark of 65% or above in three full-unit modules and an overall average of 55%.

Please note that all General Course admissions decisions are made by the General Course team. If you have any questions regarding eligibility, admissions requirements, English language requirements, or the application process, please contact the General Course team directly at gc@lse.ac.uk. The LSE EMFSS Programme Team is only able to advise on credit transfer eligibility.

One academic (not professional) recommendation, written by a university teacher currently familiar with the applicant’s work, preferably in a field they intend to pursue at LSE. The recommendation must be written in, or translated into, English

Applicants are required to provide a short statement answering the following three questions:

  1. Your academic journey so far. Your experiences in your first year of undergraduate study, such as the courses you have taken; subject areas of particular interest; extracurricular activities related to your academic interests, and any challenges you may have faced. (Max 300 words)
  2. Why you have chosen to apply to the General Course and what you hope to gain from it. Discuss your motivation for undertaking a year abroad and how you believe the General Course will help you achieve both your academic and personal/professional ambitions. (Max 300 words)
  3. The courses you would like to study at LSE and why you are interested in them? (Max 300 words)

English language test scores do not form part of the General Course selection process.

However, if you receive an offer of admission, you will need to provide proof of your English proficiency unless you are a national of Canada (whose first language is English) or of Antigua & Barbuda; Australia; The Bahamas; Barbados; Belize; Dominica; Grenada; Guyana; Ireland; Jamaica; New Zealand; St Kitts & Nevis; St Lucia; St Vincent & the Grenadines; Trinidad & Tobago, or the USA, or your degree is taught entirely in English in one of those countries. The English proficiency requirements for IELTS are scores of 7.0 in all four components. You do not need to have obtained the required marks before you apply.

The application form requires applicants to confirm that they have received the approval of their home institution to apply to The General Course. Applicants must also confirm that they are in good-standing at their home institution.

How to apply

Completed applications can be submitted online, free of charge, from January 2027. We operate a rolling admissions process until all the available places are filled and recommend applying before the end of March 2027.

Completed applications must consist of:

  1. The General Course application form.
  2. A transcript showing grades up to and including the first semester of the applicant’s second year of university*. Transcripts must be written in, or translated into, English.
  3. One academic recommendation.

After we have downloaded a completed application, a decision is usually issued within 10 business days.