Frequently asked questions

Applicants should normally possess at least an upper second class honours degree in a mathematically based subject from a UK university, or an equivalent qualification from overseas. Candidates with degrees in scientific, engineering or social science subjects will be considered, provided that they have a strong background in the concepts and techniques of mathematics, including experience in rigorous mathematical proofs. Prior knowledge of computational mathematics and social science applications is not required.

Further information on the the LSE's minimum entry requirements for master's degrees can be found here.

If you have more specific queries that are not addressed on this page or elsewhere on the LSE website, contact the Student Marketing and Recruitment office.

No. This is because the very large number of enquiries we receive every year. You can address your queries to administrative staff in the Department, and the School's Graduate Admissions or Student Marketing and Recruitment teams.

Applications open in October each year, for admission the following September. 

Full details about the application process are available on the Graduate Admissions pages. Ensure that you send your application and any related material to Graduate Admissions - sending material directly to the Department will only delay it.

There are no official application deadlines for this course, but you are advised to apply as early as possible because competition for places is fierce. We are only able to make a certain number of offers, and late applicants may be placed on a waiting list.

You can check whether a degree programme is still open for applications on this page.

No. However, you might need to check whether your alternative degree choice, if you have selected one, requires a GRE/GMAT score.

No, work experience is not a requirement for this degree. However, relevant experience may strengthen your application, provided you already meet the minimum academic requirements.

If your first language is not English, or if the language of instruction of your previous degree(s) was not English, we ask you to provide evidence of your command of English. Please consult the relevant Graduate Admissions pages for further information.

If you have successfully completed a degree taught in English, then you are not required to submit an IELTS or TOEFL score.

No, we do not interview applicants for this degree.

All applicants will be given access to the Graduate Application Tracker.

The MSc in Mathematics and Computation is a 12 month programme, beginning in September.

The academic year consists of three terms. Autumn Term Term (Sep–Dec) and Winter Term (Jan–Mar) are both 11 weeks long, and Spring Term (Apr–Jun) last 7 weeks. The majority of teaching normally takes place in Autumn and Winter Terms, with only revision lectures and exams in Spring Term. Term dates can be found here.

Courses run by the Department of Mathematics will usually consist of two hour-long lectures and one hour-long class/seminar per week during the two main teaching terms. Lectures and classes are spread over the week, and are taught in various teaching rooms at the School. Timetabling of courses run by other departments is not under our control, and it is possible that some teaching clashes may occur.

Students on the MSc Mathematics and Computation programme are required to take courses to the value of 4.0 units.

One unit is the dissertation (MA498), which is compulsory and must be taken within the Department of Mathematics. In addition, all students are required to take 4 half-units of mathematics courses. This leaves you with the chance to take 1.0 units of options outside the Department, if you wish. This can take the form of two half-units or one full-unit.

Please see the Programme Regulations for more details. 

Further information on each course is available here.

Students have until the end of the third week of the first term (Autumn Term) to finalize their options. Courses are selected online using LSE for You (LFY). Instructions and tutorials are provided online, but the process will also be explained at Orientation. Each student's Academic Mentor and the Programme Director will then access these initial course choices to approve them (or not—if they are not felt to be suitable to the requirements of the degree). 

When a student would like to take a course option outside the Department, they may need to ask the permission of the lecturer on that course as certain restrictions may apply. Students also require the approval of the Programme Director if these outside options are not explicitly stated in the Programme Regulations. 

Further information is available on the Graduate Course Choice page.

Yes, a supervised dissertation in mathematics (MA498) is a central part of the programme.

The Department sends out information packs to successful applicants in August. This will include information on course content, timetabling and recommended preparatory reading, along with some resources to help you prepare for the Python programming element of the core courses.

Keen students might want to look at an online introduction to Python, such as the online tutorial or one of the many other resources available online or in print.

The Department also offers an MSc in Financial Mathematics and MSc in Operations Research & Analytics.

No, this course is only available to full-time students.

For up-to-date information on fees and further details, consult the School's Fees pages.

A small number of awards are available from the School as part of the Graduate Support Scheme.

Full details of all scholarships and funding available from the School and from external bodies can be found on the Financial Support website.

Not directly, but LSE Careers can provide advice and support to students seeking internships, part-time/vacation work, and full-time positions after completing their studies.

Our graduates have gone on to employment in a variety of areas, but the banking and finance sector is particularly well represented. We also believe our MSc programmes are good preparation for a PhD in our Department, or for a PhD in many other mathematics or economics departments.

Specific destinations of former students include AIG, Amazon, Boston Consulting Group, Deutsche Bank, eBench.com, Ematiqa, GE Healthcare, Goldman Sachs, Google, EY, HSBC,JP Morgan, KPMG, LEK Consulting, Mantis Partners, National Grid, Oxford University Press, PwC, Santander, Standard Bank Group, and Standard Chartered.