London School of Economics and Political Science is a public institution of higher education in London, England. It was established in 1895. This university is also known as LSE. The Motto of this university in English is to understand the causes of things.
LSE is a member institution of the University of London. It is situated in the London Borough of Camden and Westminster near the boundary between Holborn and Covent Garden.
History of London School of Economics and Political Science
Origins
This university was founded by Fabian Society members in 1895 which were Graham Wallas, George Bernard Shaw, Sidney Webb, and Beatrice Webb. It is funded initially by a donation of almost £20,000 from the Estate of Henry Hunt Hutchinson.
Hutchinson and members of the Fabian Society left the money in trust to be put towards advancing its objects in any way. This university records that the proposal to found the school was conceived during a breakfast meeting on 4 August 1894 between Louis Flood, Webbs, and George Bernard Shaw.
20th Century
In 1900, this school joined the University of London. It was known as the Faculty of Economics of the university. In 1901, the degree of B. Sc and D. Sc in the University of London was founded.
The school shifted primarily close to 10 Adelphi Terrace then to Clare Market and Houghton Street increasing speedily over the following years. In 1920, the foundation stone of the Old Building on Houghton Street was laid by King George V, and in 1922, the building was opened.
The academic debate of the 1930s between this university and the University of Cambridge is famous in academic circles and the main figures were Friedrich Hayek from LSE and John Maynard Keynes from the University of Cambridge.
The school runs off from London to the University of Cambridge occupying buildings belonging to Peterhouse during World War II. Four Noble Prizes in Economics Sciences were awarded to Economists linked with the LSE in the 1970s which were:
- John Hicks
- Friedrich Sciences
- James Meade
- Arthur Lewis
21st Century
This university has had a great impact on British politics. The British magazine The Economist stated that the LSE still the poor relations with the University of London and other colleges 20 years before.
Now, it often follows Oxford and Cambridge in league tables of research output and also in teaching quality. At least, it is as well-known abroad as Oxbridge. The school published a report discussing the costs of British government proposals to introduce compulsory ID cards in 2006.
In the early 21st century, LSE academics were also represented on several national and international bodies involving:
- UK Airports Commission
- Independent Police Commission
- Migration Advisory Committee
- UN Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation
- London Finance Commission
- HS2 Limited
- UK Government Infrastructure Commission
In May 2022, Approval of university title was received from the Office for Students.
Former President and Vice Chancellor of the London School of Economics and Political Science
Names |
Years |
William Hewins |
1895-1903 |
Sir Halford Mackinder |
1903-1908 |
The Hon. William Pember Reeves |
1908-1919 |
Lord Beveridge |
1919-1937 |
Sir Alexander Carr-Saunders |
1937-1957 |
Sir Sydney Caine |
1957-1967 |
Sir Walter Adams |
1967-1974 |
Lord Dahrendorf |
1974-1984 |
Indraprasad Gordhanbhai Patel |
1984-1990 |
Sir John Ashworth |
1990-1996 |
Lord Giddens |
1996-2003 |
Sir Howard Davies |
2003-2011 |
Judith Rees |
2011-2012 |
Craig Calhoun |
2012-2016 |
Julia Black |
2016-2017 |
Minouche Shafik |
2017-2023 |
London School of Economics and Political Science President
Formally, Larry Kramer starts his role as the 18th President and Vice-Chancellor of this university in April 2024. Currently, President of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation Larry Kramer is a well-known scholar of constitutional Law and History.
London School of Economics and Political Science Student Enrolled
In the academic year 2021-2022, this university enrolled total of 12,975 students out of which 5,575 are Undergraduate students and 7,400 are Postgraduate students. Also, it has 1,830 academic staff and 2,260 administrative staff in the year 2021-2022.
Admission Requirements/Criteria at the London School of Economics and Political Science
For Postgraduate Admission
Application Fee: 80 GBP
Admission Requirements:
- Bachelor’s Degree equivalent to UK Degree
- GPA
- English Language Proficiency Scores
- IELTS: 7.0
- TOFEL IBT: 100
- PTE: 70
- GMAT: 650
- GRE: 320+
- 2 Academic Letters of Reference
- Statement of Purpose
- Written Work Sample
- Research Proposal
- CV
- Interview
For Undergraduate Admission
Application Fee: 80 GBP
Admission Requirement:
- Higher Secondary School Certificate
- GPA
- English Language Proficiency Scores
- IELTS: 7.0
- TOFEL IBT: 100
- PTE: 70
- Academic References
- Personal Statement
London School of Economics and Political Science Cost of Attendance
Expenses |
Amount (GBP) |
Tuition Fees |
22,340 |
Stay Expenses |
13,200 to 15,600 |
Miscellaneous |
1000 |
Personal Expenses |
1500 |
Total |
38,130 to 40,350 |
London School of Economics and Political Science Campuses and Estate
This university is located at Clare Market and Houghton Street in Westminster. It is surrounded by many important institutions including:
- Royal Courts of Justice
- All four Inns of Courts
- Royal College of Surgeons
- Sir John Soane Museum
- West End
This institution owns 11 student residence halls across London, the Early Years Centre, West End Theatre, the National Health Service medical center, and an extensive sports ground in Berrylands in South London. This university operates the George IV public house.
Also, the union of the students operates the Three Tons bar. The campus has undergone a wide renovation project and a most important fundraising Campaign for LSE has raised more than £100 million since the early 2000s.
Saw Swee Hock Student Centre
This student center is the 1st new campus building in over 40 years. It was named after the Singaporean Statistician and Philanthropist and opened in January 2014 following an architectural design competition managed by RIBA Competitions.
This building provides housing for the students union of LSE, LSE Accommodation Office, and LSE Careers Service as well as events space, bar, gymnasium, learning cafe, dance studio, rooftop terrace, and media center.
Centre Building
The center building of this university is located opposite the British Library of Political and Economics.
It is a 13-storey building with 14 Seminar Rooms seating 20 and 60,234 study spaces, 3 Lecture Theatres, and a 200-seater Auditorium. This building hosts:
- School of Public Policy
- Departments of Government and International Relations
- European Institute
- International Inequalities Institute
Marshall Building
The Marshall Building of this university is situated at 44 Lincoln Inn Fields. In 2022, it was opened and designed by Grafton Architects. This building house:
- Departments of Management
- Accounting
- Finance
- Sports Facilities
- Marshall Institute for Philanthropy and Social Entrepreneurship
Ranking at London School of Economics and Political Science
In 2022, this university is ranked #3rd in the United Kingdom in the Complete University Guide and #5th in the Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide. It is ranked 56th among the universities of the world by QS World University Rankings in 2023 and 37th by Times Higher Education World University Rankings globally.
Academic Departments and Institutes
The research and teaching at this university are managed by a network of independent academic departments founded by the LSE Council. Currently, there are almost 27 academic departments and institutes which are:
- Department of Accounting
- Department of Economic History
- Department of Finance
- Department of Gender Studies
- Department of Anthropology
- Department of Economics
- Department of Geography and Environment
- Department of Health Policy
- Department of International Development
- Department of International Relations
- Department of Government
- Department of International History
- Department of Media and Communications
- Department of Management
- Department of Philosophy, Logic, and Scientific Method
- Department of Mathematics
- Department of Methodology
- Department of Social Policy
- Department of Statistics
- International Inequalities Institute
- Language Centre
- Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science
- European Institute
- School of Public Policy
- Institute of Public Affairs
- Department of Sociology
- Marshall Institute for Philanthropy and Social Entrepreneurship
Finances at London School of Economics and Political Science
As of July 31, 2016, the group of LSE has an endowment of almost £119M. In 2015-2016, it had a total income of £311M with expenses of £307M. Key sources of the university income included £177M from tuition fees and education contacts, £32M from research grants, £25M from funding council grants, and £5.3M from investment income.
London School of Economics and Political Science
Research
According to the Research Excellence Framework in 2021, this university was rated 3rd along with Cambridge in the United Kingdom for its research and as 33rd for its research power.
Research Centers
This school houses several research centers involving:
- Centre for the Analysis of Social Exclusion
- Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy
- Centre for Macroeconomics
- Centre for Economic Performance
- LSE Health and Social Care
- Financial Markets Group
- Grantham Research Institute on Environment
- LSE Cities
- UK Department for International Development
Libraries and Archives at London School of Economics and Political Science
British Library of Political and Economic Science is the main library of LSE. It is situated in Lionel Robbins Building which reopened in 2001. The collections of this library are known for their national and international significance and hold Designation status by the Museums, Libraries, and Archives Council.
This library welcomes almost 1.8 million visits per year by students, staff, and the public. It contains more than 4 million print volumes, 29,000 electronic books, and 60,000 online journals. The Women’s Library is Britain’s main library.
It archives on women and the women’s movement. This library is situated in a purpose-built facility with a reading room and exhibition space in the Lionel Robbins Building. In 2014, this library relocated from London Metropolitan University.
Contact Us
Address
Houghton St, WC2A 2AE London, United Kingdom
Phone No
+44 20 7405 7686
Official Website
LSE.ac.uk
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
What are the popular undergraduate courses at this university?
- Accounting
- Business and Management
- Economics
- English Language
- Finance
- International Relations
- Law and Research Methods
What is the acceptance rate of LSE for International students?
The acceptance rate for international students at this university is almost 9%.
What GPA is required to get admission to this university?
The GPA required at this university to get into is 3.5 or above.
What are the core values at LSE?
- Adaptability
- Being Receptive
- Integrity
- Honesty
- Enthusiastic
- Resilience
- Courage
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