FAQs about postgraduate study in PBS

We currently have five MSc programmes in the Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science at LSE.

MSc Behavioural Science

MSc Organisational and Social Psychology

MSc Societal and Environmental Psychology (formerly MSc Psychology of Economic Life)

MSc Social and Cultural Psychology

MSc Social and Public Communication

We also have an Executive MSc in Behavioural Science, which is aimed at working professionals and therefore follows a different structure from our other taught programmes. 

Both the Executive MSc Behavioural Science and the full-time MSc Behavioural Science will give students a rigorous grounding in behavioural science.

The Executive MSc programme is aimed at working professionals with teaching delivered during three two-week intensive blocks, whereas the full-time version is delivered with weekly teaching over a standard academic year.  The Executive programme is designed for mid to high level professionals looking to pivot into behavioural science roles.

You can read a full list of FAQs on the Executive MSc Behavioural Science here.

LSE's Virtual Graduate Open Events for prospective postgraduate students are a series of live online sessions delivered by our academic departments, student support services, current LSE students and the Graduate Admissions team.

If you would like to know about open days in general at LSE, please see the Visit LSE webpages.

If you would like to apply then the best place to go is the prospectus page for your chosen programme and begin your application. Simply visit the LSE Prospectus page and search for the programme and year of entry.

You will also be in close contact with the LSE Graduate Admissions Office (GAO). You can find their contact details here.

Information for international students, including the application process and fee status can be found on the LSE International Students web pages.

English Language requirements can be found on the LSE Entry Requirements pages.

For all our programmes we encourage students with a strong background in social sciences, most notably Psychology and/or Economics, to apply. We accept students from a wide range of backgrounds. If you have relevant work experience or have completed any extra-curricular activities that highlight your skills, please be sure to mention these.

You do not need to have completed your degree in order to apply.

It is important to note that our programmes are academically rigorous and admission is very competitive. As such, your application will be assessed as a whole including your transcript, references, personal statement etc, and against the strength of other applicants.

LSE have a number of guides to take you through the application process, including information about supporting documents. You can find those on the LSE How to Apply web page.

Should you be offered a place, it would be conditional upon meeting certain academic requirements. 

Unfortunately, we are not able to provide eligibility assessments at this stage. Should you apply to the programme, we will holistically look over the documents you provide alongside your application form in great detail. As long as you meet the minimum entry requirements, you will be considered. That being said, if you do not meet the minimum requirement but have relevant experience, we will consider your application - your personal statement in this instance will be important.

Full-time 

If you decide to study full-time, you will be registered at LSE for a period of 12 months.  During this time you will be enrolled on a mix of compulsory, semi-compulsory, and optional courses to the value of four units.

The regulations of your chosen programme, which define the courses that you will engage with, can be found on the LSE Programme Regulations page here.

Part-time

We welcome students from all backgrounds which also means that the part time study option is available to professionals. A small number of students choose to take our MSc’s part-time over two years.

This works best when the student is self-employed, or has a very high degree of flexibility around their working hours. This is because teaching can take place on weekdays, typically between 9am and 6pm.

However, we cannot confirm timetables for each year until late August and your hours may vary each week.  Most lectures are recorded and posted online but we expect students, at a minimum, to attend seminars.

Part time students are expected to engage with timetabled teaching from between 30 to 40 hours a term, with extra hours need for independent study and group work. This usually means being on campus twice a week, per term.

You are required to complete four units over your two years of study. This may look something like:

Year 1

Term 1: Core course (1 unit)
Term 2: Two optional courses of your choice up to the value of 1 unit combined (at least one must be from PBS)

*timetabling dependent on which courses you choose

Year 2

Term 1: Methodology Course (1 unit)
Term 2: Dissertation (PB410) (1 unit)

During the summer, the School updates the portfolio of courses that each department will offer for the following year. The current list can be found here, but please note that it is subject to change. The process of how courses of are selected will be outlined during Welcome.

There is also the opportunity to audit courses at LSE. Auditing is the process in which you engage with course material, such as lectures and readings, but you are not officially enrolled on the course, therefore you do not attend seminars or submit assessments. To audit a course you just need to email the course lead to ask for permission. 

It may be possible to take options from outside the Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science. Any course taken outside of your programme regulations will require permission from your Academic Mentor and the Course Teacher.

Chris Roberts, Programme Manager: pbs.msc@lse.ac.uk.

for enquiries about MSc Organisational and Social Psychology, MSc Social and Cultural Psychology and MSc Social and Public Communication.

Will Stubbs, Programme Manager: pbs.msc@lse.ac.uk.

for enquiries about MSc Behavioural Science and MSc Psychology of Economic Life.

Find out more about applications, entry requirements, open days and more on the LSE Prospective Students website.

Visit the LSE Graduate Applications website (for information on the application process, current processing times, financial support and more).

Contact Graduate Admissions 

Visit the LSE Offer Holders website (including information about visas and immigration, accommodation, events and more).

Access the Graduate Offer Holder pack