London School of Economics (LSE) is one of the departments of the University of London. The school was founded in 1895, almost 60 years after the founding of the university. At the moment, about 7.5 thousand students are studying in it, representing more than 140 countries from around the world. Approximately 60% of students are studying in the bachelor's cycle and 40% in the master's. About three quarters of the students of the school are non-residents of any state of the United Kingdom.

The teaching staff consists of more than 1000 teachers. A distinctive feature of the institution is that almost half of the teachers are foreigners. The school reads 20 faculties.

History of the London School of Economics and Political Science

The LSE was established in 1895, and the decision to open it was taken a year earlier. The founders are Graham Wallace, George Bernard Shaw, and Sidney and Beatrice Webb. Initially, the school was not a department, but at the beginning of the twentieth century, it was decided that it would become part of it. The LSE became the faculty of economics at the university. So far, it is the only training and research institute of its kind in the United Kingdom.

The school was built in the center of the capital of Great Britain and began to develop rapidly. In 1920, by decree of King George V, construction began on the Old Building on Hagton Street. After the war, the London School of Economics began to expand and become an increasingly popular and reputable educational institution in the UK and the world.

Approximately one third of all heads of state studied or taught at this school. In 1989, the first Summer School of Economics was opened in London, and 15 years later - in the capital of the People's Republic of China.

Leaders

The first director of the London School of Economics was William Huyns. He held this position for 8 years, and in 1903 he was replaced by Sir Halford Mackinder. Prior to the LSE, he was a teacher of geography at

In 1908, William Pember Reeves was appointed head of the school. In 1919, the position of director passed to the economist Sir William Beveridge. In 1937 he became a Fellow of the British Academy and retired from his post. Sir Alexander Carr-Saunders became the new director. The current leader is Greg Calhoun, who succeeded Professor Judith Rees in 2012.

Summer school

Studying at the London School of Economics is a dream for many students from all over the world. Every year, about five thousand young people head to the capital of Great Britain in order to try their hand at one of the most famous universities in the United Kingdom.

In summer courses, the duration of which is from 3 to 6 weeks, training is conducted in the following areas:

  1. English language.
  2. Jurisprudence.
  3. Management.
  4. Accounting.
  5. Economy.
  6. International relationships.

Summer school admission

For admission, you must provide a certificate of passing the IELTS or TOEFL tests. The minimum score for all components must be at least 7. It is also necessary to send a diploma from a higher educational institution and an extract from the disciplines that the student studied at his/her home university to the admission committee.

The Summer Courses at London and Political Science take place in two sessions. The first session starts on July 8 and lasts until July 26, and the second session is held from July 29 to August 16. The cost for three weeks is £1,825. If a student wants to take part in two sessions at once, he will be given a discount. Instead of £3,650, the price for two sessions will be £3,100.

London School of Economics: how to apply?

Tuition fees at the LSE range from 17,000 to 30,000 pounds. In order to enter the school, the applicant is required to provide a large package of documents to the selection committee:

  1. Motivation letter.
  2. Recommendations from teachers.
  3. IELTS Exam Certificate.
  4. Bachelor's or specialist's degree.

The minimum score for sections in the international IELTS test must be 6.0. There are situations when at the time of submission of the package of documents the applicant does not have the results of the exam. In such cases, it is allowed to send the certificate later. If an applicant has not completed their studies at a higher educational institution of their country, then an academic transcript from the university must be submitted to the LSE.

Students in their reviews of London and Political Science note the fact that in some cases the admissions committee may require you to provide a certificate of passing the GMAT exam. Almost always, this document is mandatory for admission to the MBA.

The package of documents must be sent to the selection committee before January 15. The introductory campaign starts on September 1st. The deadline date is subject to change. Before admission, a foreign student is required to take language courses.

For almost two years, students have paid great attention to theoretical training. From the beginning of the third year of undergraduate studies, students move on to practice.

Residence

University students have the opportunity to stay in private apartments on campus or off campus. The school has eleven dormitories, which are located in different parts of the capital of England. In total, up to 3.5 thousand students can live in them. Also, students of the school have the opportunity to live in residences with students of the University of London.

The cost of meals is not included in the price of accommodation. On average, a year for the needs of students, not related to the payment of housing, it takes from 9 to 12 thousand pounds per person.

School Awards and Achievements

According to research by many consulting companies, the London School of Economics and Political Science is one of the world's leading institutions of higher education for research. She is also a member of CEMS, the Association of Commonwealth Universities, G5 and other organizations with a worldwide reputation.

A study by the consulting company QS showed that the LSE is among the top 50 higher education institutions in the world. In 2013, the school was ranked second among universities in the United Kingdom. It has a research laboratory with about 300 hundreds of scientists and technical staff.

42 members of the House of Lords and 31 members studied at the London School of Economics. Also, 34 leaders of other states studied there.

Currently, Nelson Mandela, George Soros and Bill Clinton are giving lectures at the LSE, which can be attended by all students of the educational institution. The Financial Markets Research Group was founded in 1987 by Mervyn King.

The university has a number of partners around the world. The most famous of these are in New York, the University of Peking, the University of Paris, the National University of Singapore, and the Moscow Higher School of Economics.

Advantages

The teaching staff of the school is one of the strongest in the world. A large number of international students study at the LSE. The university has a developed infrastructure. The campus has everything you need for effective learning.

One of the main advantages of the London School of Economics and Political Science is its location. It is located in the center of the capital of the United Kingdom.

Getting a school diploma is a guarantee of future successful employment. All LSE graduates find a job within a few graduations from the moment they graduate.

A university diploma for a foreign student is an excellent chance to legally stay and work in the United Kingdom.

The research activity of the school was rated 2.96 points out of three. In terms of the quality of education, the LSE received a score of 4.04 out of 5. It is also one of the universities that are very difficult to enter. According to this parameter, the school scored 537 points out of 614 possible.

Nobel laureates

A total of sixteen students and employees of the school became Nobel Prize winners. For the first time this achievement was submitted in 1925 to one of the founders of the educational institution, Bernard Shaw. He became a laureate in the field of literature.

25 years later, Bunch received the Peace Prize, and at the same time, Russell became the second recipient in the field of literature. Philip Noel-Baker was awarded the Peace Prize in 1959.

The first recipient in economics was John Hicks in 1972 for his contributions to equilibrium theory. Two years later, another prize was received by an economist. In 1977, James Mead received the prize for his contribution to the development of international trade, and two years later, Arthur Lewis became the Nobel laureate for his research in the field of economic development.

Christopher Pissarides is the latest Nobel Prize winner. He received an economics award in 2010 for market research. At the time of receiving the award, Pissarides was the principal of the school.

The idea of ​​​​founding the London School of Economics (London School Of Economics - as it is commonly called shortly, and even shorter - LSE) was visited in 1894 at breakfast by several representatives of the Fabian club (named after the Roman politician Maximus Fabius), among whom was famous English writer George Bernard Shaw.

And since then (until today), the school has clearly been lucky for celebrities - both among students and among teachers. For example, at different times, classes were taught by the British Prime Minister in 1945-1951. Clement Attlee, the philosophers Karl Popper and Bertrand Russell, and the economist Friedrich von Hayek. And among the graduates and students, the "stars" were even brighter - these were American President John F. Kennedy, and businessmen David Rockefeller and George Soros, and the legend of world rock and roll Mick Jagger and many others.

In addition, the organization of public lectures by prominent celebrities is practiced here, among which were Margaret Thatcher, Bill Clinton, Nelson Mandela, Gerhard Schroeder, Dmitry Medvedev, Angelina Jolie and others.

And of course, despite the name, it was originally a higher educational institution. True, from 1900 to 2008 it was part of the University of London (as a faculty of economics), but since 2008 it has been a completely independent university.

Achievements

It is quite obvious that the London School of Economics quickly reached the heights of world prestige in education, and is still holding on to them. So right now she:

  • 6th in Europe (THE, 2016);
  • 3rd in the UK (Complete University Guide - several years in a row);
  • 2nd in the world and 1st outside the US for MBAs
  • released about 30 rulers of various states and 120 influential politicians (for the entire period of existence);
  • was the first to introduce social psychology, sociology, anthropology, criminology and international relations into teaching practice;
  • “supplies” personnel to the IMF and the World Bank.

In addition, 16 Nobel laureates worked or studied here in those or other years. And a considerable number of her pupils even before graduation are offered prestigious jobs in large international corporations and structures. Therefore, the competition here is the highest in terms of GB (even higher than in Oxbridge) - 15-20 people per seat.

Composition of students, educational system, educational infrastructure

And quite naturally, the LSE is the most international educational institution in the UK. Students from foggy Albion are clearly a minority here - 34%. And 66% are foreigners. 18% of them are from EU countries, and 48% (almost half) are from the rest of the planet. That is, training here in practice introduces the everyday habits of various peoples, which instills tolerance and respect for those who are different from you.
In accordance with the full name, all social disciplines are taught at the university. And he specializes in them, being the only educational institution of this kind in the United Kingdom. Within this framework, 26 departments and institutes work, offering education in almost two hundred (in total) programs:

  • bachelor's degree (including the only bachelor's program in economic history in Britain);
  • preparation for a master's degree (valuable in themselves);
  • magistracy
  • doctoral studies

At the same time, there are fewer bachelors here than masters, which is very unusual and suggests that this is more of a scientific organization than a classic youth alma mater.
And since all programs in one way or another relate to the field of social science, there is much in common between them - and students of the 1st and 2nd courses are also taught at least one subject that is not related to their module. This contributes both to the expansion and deepening of their horizons and level of knowledge. Strongest Directions:

  • economic development,
  • politics and government,
  • communications and media.

Students and teachers are greatly assisted in their studies by the local Library of Economics and Political Sciences with the world's largest collection of literature on social disciplines. Its fund is about 4.7 million printed and 20,000 electronic publications, incl. the largest Russian-language collection of scientific papers on social problems outside of Russia. Every day it serves 6.5 thousand students + annually (thanks to the site) - 12,000 online users. The total length of all the shelves of this book depository is 50 km, and books are taken home from here 5 times more often than the average for the rest of the country.

In case of financial difficulties and / or academic success, scholarships are awarded (up to £ 26 thousand annually), as well as one-time grants (from 2 to 25 thousand pounds sterling).

student life

LSE is located in the center of the English capital, close to the City and Westminster. Therefore, problems with finding what to do in your free time do not arise here in principle. However, on campus after graduation is not at all boring. The Student Council literally organizes various events every day. Many of them are held in the second university library, named after the most famous of the founders - Bernard Shaw. Exciting performances are also held at the Peacock Theater and the Main Lecture Hall (by the way, in its “stage” role it is even included in the London Theater Society).

But besides this, the choice of hobbies and entertainment is huge - among 40 sports clubs and 200 communities, everyone will surely find something for themselves. For example, a whole media holding operates here - the weekly newspaper "Bober" (this animal is depicted on the coat of arms of the school as a symbol of hard work and insight), the radio station "Pulse!" and the Svobodny TV channel. Sports competitions, excursions, etc. are also constantly organized. Extracurricular activity is welcomed in every possible way and has a positive effect on the academic and professional positions of students.

Residence

The university owns 11 dormitories in different districts of the capital, located both next to the educational buildings and within a 45-minute drive, and in total they accommodate about 3,500 people. In addition, there are 8 more residences co-owned with the University of London.

Depending on solvency, we offer:

  • apartments/studios with separate shower, toilet and kitchen;
  • rooms for one or three persons with separate bathrooms (they are present in most cases), but common (for several rooms) restroom, kitchen and relaxation area.

Many rooms offer stunning views and sights of London.

A London School of Economics student shares the story of how the one-year Foundation program at University College London prepared him for university.

Admission to the London School of Economics

I entered London School of Economics (LSE) to "mathematics/economics". I chose the university because of the big name and good reputation. For employment in England LSE much better Cambridge University and University of Oxford.

The LSE has an internal exam. It is held in March, but the deadline for submitting documents is mid-January. The further scheme of admission is as follows: you write a three-hour exam and after a while you receive an offer. I've been waiting for mine for two weeks.

The LSE turns down a lot of people. Of the 35 people who applied, only 10 went to the exam. And only four received a job offer.

To LSE from UCL

The Foundation program helped me to enter the LSE. I passed it in University College London (UCL). The program is aimed at the exam, for a good result. It allows you to get used to the learning system itself. As a rule, Foundation graduates in the first year of the university show much better results, because they are adapted to the educational system and know what to do.

Foundation is a big and right step. Youyou study two compulsory subjects - English and ARM (Academic Research and Methods) and two additional ones - I chose mathematics and economics. Thanks to strong teachers, there are no problems with learning.

In the second and third semesters, you write a big project, the load on subjects increases, IELTS lessons appear. Twice a year, the university gives reading weeks, for which you need to read all the articles and books on the compulsory and additional curriculum and repeat the material covered. If you allocate time correctly, you can do everything, so it is important to learn time management.

UCL selects for Foundation of the best students , so few people fail the program.

Life in London

UCL is an urban university in London. It consists of many buildings. There is no main beautiful campus or atmospheric library. I lived in a hostel where everyone was very friendly. I have developed a good relationship with the guys from the course.

A large number of social programs are available for Foundation students. You can get free admission to the theater or to the musical. And in England, everyone is very kind, smiling and suggesting the way on the street. That's what I really like here: people treat each other like human beings.

The school has been in existence since 1895. The school began its activities as a branch of the University of London. The founders of the London school of economics and political science were active public figures and fighters for the active development of science Graham Wallace, Sidney Webb, Bernard Shaw, and Beatrice Webb.

The modern London School of Economics and Political Science consists of nineteen research centers and over 20 departments. The school has a convenient location. It is located in the old quarter, which does not tire of flickering in the ratings of the best places to live in the British capital.

Graduates of this educational institution are considered valuable employees. Large banks, international economic organizations, famous law firms are interested in them.

Amazing teachers ─ that's what else the London school of economics and political science can rightly be proud of. They are selected according to strict criteria: the future employee must have at least 5 years of practical experience in the specialty, the basics of which he will teach. Sometimes you can see real celebrities in lecture halls. Like Bill Clinton and George Soros.

And if a student wants to replenish his knowledge base without the help of teachers, he can go to the library of the London School of Economics and Political Science. One of the most extensive collections of books on politics, economics, and philosophy in Europe is stored here.

Faculties of the educational institution

The main scientific directions that are cultivated in the school are sociology, economics, and political sciences.

The London school of economics and political science has faculties:

  • Information and Communication
  • Anthropological
  • Scientific research
  • Historical
  • Philosophical
  • Geographical
  • Institute for Gender Studies.

In addition to social disciplines, students during their studies at the faculties at the London school of economics and political science focus on the study of economics, law, political science, and accounting.

The reason for the presence of such diverse subjects in the schedule is the orientation of the school towards multidisciplinary education.

How to enter the school?

Every year, the educational institution recruits about 4 thousand students. The competition for admission is quite high, and the requirements for applicants are serious and strict.

When applying for undergraduate programs, you must:

  • Leave an application on the UCAS website (accepted from September to mid-January).
  • Provide a document confirming a high level of English proficiency (IELTS ─ not lower than 7, iBT─ from 107 points).
  • Get an A-level certificate in advance (average score ─ not lower than 3.0).
  • Compose a motivation letter in English (you need to reasonably and interestingly state the reason why you want to study here).
  • Provide letters of recommendation from teachers from the previous educational institution.

Future undergraduates need:

  • Pass the GRE or GMAT test (if the future specialty is related to physics and mathematics).
  • Provide a diploma of completion of the undergraduate program.
  • Bring an IELTS or TOEFL language certificate with a score of at least 7 and 107 respectively.

Notable alumni of the school

Among the former students of the educational institution there are laureates of prestigious awards, parliamentarians, businessmen, presidents.

For example, the London School of Economics and Political Science was the beginning of the career of the famous economist and Nobel Prize winner John Hicks, the active developer of the foundations of modern international trade James Mead. The economist Paul Krugman also studied here and received a Nobel for his successful study of trade patterns and economic geography.

Tuition expenses

A bachelor's student must expect to spend £17,000 a year. The fee for a year of study in a master's program varies from 18 to 24 thousand euros.

But bachelor students who choose to study at the London school of economics and political science are very lucky. After all, the educational institution gives them the opportunity to receive a scholarship in the amount of 26 thousand euros. One of the main criteria for choosing students who are entitled to it is good academic performance. School students are not prohibited from working during their free time.

Residence

Each freshman is given a place in a student hostel. Students live in small cozy houses, which are located near the main building of the institution.

Rest and free time

At the London School of Economics and Political Science, there are many opportunities to have a great free time. You can visit the swimming pool, gym, play tennis or go to the fitness club. There are many such sites in modern sports complexes of the school. The school also has fields for playing football and rugby.

Fans of shopping and vibrant cultural events will not be bored either, because the school's convenient location in the city center allows you to attend drama and ballet performances, concerts, and exhibitions.

As part of the University of London, the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE for short) was founded in 1895 by Beatrice and Sidney Webb. Today it is one of the world's leading centers for economic education and research. The School of London is consistently ranked among the top three universities in the UK, along with Oxford and Cambridge.

In addition to teaching, the School conducts extensive scientific work. There are 19 research centers here, and according to the results of the UK Research Assessment Exercise, the School ranks second among 200 universities and colleges in the UK.

The special pride of the school is its famous library - the British Library of Political and Economic Sciences, which has the largest collection of books on economic topics. The library collection contains more than 5 million different publications.

Organizationally it includes 21 departments (faculties), including Economic Theory, History of Economics, Accounting and Finance, Management, Anthropology.

7.5 thousand people study at the London School of Economics, 34% - British, 18% - from the EU, 48% - from other countries of the world. And in autumn 2007 the number of foreign students increased to 75%. A large number of foreign students is explained by the traditional exchange policy with various universities around the world. In Russia, the London School of Economics is implementing a joint program with the Moscow Institute of Economics and Finance with the support of the Higher School of Economics.

Entry requirements: secondary education (A-level, GCSE); UCAS form is accepted from September 1 to January 15; level of knowledge of English is not lower: IELTS - 6.5-7.0, TOEFL 603/627.
Tuition for the 2006-2007 academic year for undergraduate programs: 11.5 thousand pounds; living expenses amount to at least 9 (12) thousand pounds for 9 (12) months of residence. There is also a one-year language training program for foreign students - English for Academic Purposes.

The rector is Sir Howard Davies. The teaching staff is about 340 teachers. In addition, the college has an employment system in the desired specialty, but usually talented students are offered a job even before the official graduation from the School.

Faculties: Finance and Accounting; anthropology; economic history; economy; geography and environment; management; industrial relations; information systems; international history; international relations; rights; mathematics; media and public relations; operational research; philosophy; logic and scientific method; public policy; social psychology; sociology; statistics. It is practiced to obtain two specialties at the same time.
In addition, since 1989, the LSE has been holding a three-week summer school in London and Beijing, more than 2.5 thousand people from 80 countries take part in it. It is intended for students, graduate students and young professionals in the fields of law, economics, accounting, business and international relations.

Among the graduates of the school, 28 former and current heads of state, 30 members of parliament studied or taught here. No less than 13 LSE graduates have become Nobel laureates, 5 of them in the field of economics (John Hicks, Arthur Lewis, John Meade, Alfred von Hayek and Ronald Coase).

History in facts:

05.10.2007 A group of scientists led by Professor Mike Murphy from the London School of Economics came to the conclusion that marriage is beneficial not only in personal terms, but also for the health of spouses and their children. Married people are much better fed, have better health, can count on more support from their families and, as a result, live much longer than the unmarried, divorced, widowed, and even living in a common-law marriage. Even children living with two parents are much healthier and usually receive a better education. Scientists made this dependence after monitoring the indicators of statistics on the health status of residents of the UK. Single mothers and widowed men are characterized by poor health - they have the largest number of acute and chronic diseases. When comparing the two groups of people, the mortality rate was lower in the one that included married men and married women. Professor Murphy explains this by saying that "marriages are more common in more prosperous countries than in poor and economically underdeveloped ones."