The learning experience

Summer School programmes are based on typical LSE undergraduate courses and are taught to the same high standard. Our faculty are experts in their fields and teach with enthusiasm and contemporary relevance.

You will study under lecturers who are actively involved in research, with many having connections that go beyond the university, influencing government policy and the strategies of the world’s top companies. 

At LSE you will be given the chance to study alongside students from a range of backgrounds and cultures. You will gain a variety of insights and opinions, and have the opportunity to form friendships and networks that span the globe.

Each course is carefully designed by faculty members to provide you with an authentic experience of LSE teaching, with comprehensive study materials and an intensive curriculum.

• We offer three sessions over the course of nine weeks, with each session lasting three weeks. You will be able to choose one course per session, but you may enrol on as many sessions as you like.
• A high level of engagement will be essential during your time at Summer School and you will receive 36 hours of lectures and 18 hours of tutorial classes, which are usually no larger than 20 students. You will also be expected to spend two to three hours per day in self-guided study.
• Your lectures will take place either in the morning (10am - 1pm) or afternoon (2pm - 5pm), at the same time each day. You will have the opportunity to discuss ideas with your peers and lecturers and improve critical understanding of your chosen subject with the help of one and a half hour tutorial sessions, during the following afternoon or morning.

Summer School encourages you to take what you learn from lectures and seminars to inform debate and expand your understanding outside class and with your peers.

Credit and certification

Each Summer School course is equivalent to one course from an undergraduate degree. Generally, our courses would receive 3-4 credits in the US and Chinese systems and 7.5 ECTS in the European system.

If you wish to receive credit for Summer School courses, you will need to contact either your Study Abroad Office or the office in your university that deals with external credit. We strongly advise you to do this before you apply, as your home institution will decide how much credit is awarded for your participation. The Summer School office will be happy to provide any necessary information to your Study Abroad Office or academic advisors.

Assessment

Assessment is not a compulsory part of your time at the LSE Summer School. However, if you wish to gain credit, you will be assessed and receive a grade ranging from A+ to F, based on the results of either two formal examinations or a combination of formal examination and assessed work. Examinations are two hours in length and are conducted under standardised LSE examination regulations. Should you choose to be assessed, you will be able to request a certificate that will include your name, course(s) and grade(s).

If you choose not to be assessed, there is the option of an Attendance Certificate, which requires that you attend at least 75% of your seminar classes. The Attendance Certificate will state your name and your courses, and confirm your attendance without stating a grade.

If you fail to attend 75% of your classes, you will be able to request a certificate that details your registration for the course but does not award you for your attendance or participation in exams. If you have sat the final examination, you will receive a graded certificate and will not be able to request an attendance certificate. 

After your time at the LSE Summer School has come to an end, you will automatically receive an electronic transcript. Please note that credits are not printed on this document. Students can request to receive a certificate stipulating their attendance or their attained grade.

Learn more about teaching and assessment at Summer School.

Read our Exam regulations document (PDF)

We have a range of facilities that will be available for you to use to make the most of your study time, including:

• The LSE’s historic and comprehensive British Library of Social and Economic Science.
• The Saw Swee Hock Student Centre, equipped with computers, printers and study spaces.
• A great deal of green spaces within close walking distance.
• Access to lecture notes, comprehensive learning materials and assessment details via LSE’s online Moodle system.