FAQs

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The key dates to remember are:

• 20 January 2025 - Early applications deadline for MPA, MPP, MPA-DSPP programmes. You must submit a complete application for admission (including references, documents and application fee) by this date for consideration for SPP scholarships
• 31 January 2025 - Deadline to submit a GFSA form for consideration for SPP scholarships
• 24 April 2025 - Deadline to submit GFSA form for consideration for LSE Graduate Support Scheme (GSS) funding

The key admissions phases, as noted in the above image, are:

• October - January - Submit your application for admission. We accept applications on a rolling basis and applications will close once programmes are full. We receive the peak of our applications in January, so early applications are encouraged. Our double degree programmes have specific application deadlines, check our programme pages for more details.  
• January - May - Submit documents to Graduate Admissions Office. 
• February - July - Apply for LSE accommodation.
• April - June - Offer holder virtual events.
• May - Respond to your offer - We ask that you respond to your offer to confirm whether you will be joining the programme and let us know your circumstances if you require an extension for your decision.   
• May - CAS issuing begins. Exact dates are TBC, but from May onwards, full-time, unconditional offer holders who have accepted their offer and completed the Financial Undertaking Form (FUF) will begin to receive their CAS.
• June - August - Online pre-arrival preparation materials available for all full-time SPP students. Additional online preparation classes for MPP students begin late August (details TBC). 
• September - Programme starts.

You can find the answers to most admissions queries in the Graduate Admissions Knowledge base.

If your query is not answered on our webpages or on the GA knowledge base you can contact our SPP admissions team at spp.admissions@lse.ac.uk or schedule a zoom call. Please quote your LSE ID number and nature of your query in your e mail or booking.

You can find more information about our programmes and curriculum on our study pages.

Applications for our MPA, MPP, MPA in Data Science for Public Policy and LSE/UofT Munk School MPA double degree programmes have an early application deadline of 20 January 2025. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, meaning we will accept applications after this date and the programme will close once it becomes full. We receive a high number of applications early in the admissions cycle (from October to February).

In addition, to be considered for any SPP or LSE funding opportunity, you must have submitted your application and all supporting documents by the funding deadline.

Applications for our MPA double degree with Sciences Po have a closing date of 9 February 2025. Any applications for this programme need to be made via Sciences Po admissions. 

Applications for our MPA double degree with Columbia SIPA have a closing date of 17 March 2025, however we encourage early applications. Applications for this programme need to be made via LSE admissions. 

Our programmes welcome students from a diverse range of academic and professional backgrounds including finance, law, international relations, economics, social sciences, NGOs, business and management.  

We expect applicants to our programmes to have some professional experience or an interest in working in public policy. Applicants for our MPA can join without professional experience, although ideally they would have 1 year experience to benefit.  

Applicants for our Master of Public Policy programme should have a minimum of five years of policy relevant professional experience.  

If applicants have slightly less experience than specified we can consider their application, particularly if their professional experience is highly relevant.  

We assess applications holistically, so professional experience will be assessed alongside the strength of the statement of academic purpose, academic background, and references.  

You can view the entry requirements for each of our programmes by searching the specific programme on the webpage here.

The LSE School of Public Policy offers seven open-enrolment postgraduate degree programmes:

• Master of Public Administration (MPA)
• Master of Public Policy (MPP)
• Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA)
• Master of Public Administration in Data Science for Public Policy (MPA-DSPP)
• MPA/MGA Double Degree with University of Toronto, Munk School of Global Affairs
• MPA/MGA Double Degree with Columbia University, SIPA
• MPP/MPA Double Degree with Science Po, School of Public Affairs

Our programmes are designed with a particular emphasis on economics and focus on both theory and practical application. LSE is a world renowned social sciences institution with a leading School of Public Policy. Our individual programme pages provide all the information you need to compare programmes and decide which is right for you. We recommend you read the programme format, curriculum information, class profiles and student/alumni stories to get a better sense of the differences. You can view our programmes here and compare our degrees here.

A wide range of professional, voluntary and intern experience can be relevant. The list below is a non-exhaustive, merely indicative list of some of the work and organisations that might be considered:

• Work for government agencies
• NGOs/non-profit organisations/some charity work
• Consulting/advisory roles
• Think tanks/lobbying/special-interest organisations
• Civil service roles
• Regulatory/legal/compliance work
• Economist roles
• Analyst roles
• Urban planning
• Education
• Development
• Some finance roles, especially those concerned with central banking, regulation or compliance
• Health services
• Defence
• Transportation
• Environment
• Many business or other private-sector roles can also, of course, be policy-relevant

Please don't be discouraged if your own experience does not feature in the list above. Selectors are open-minded, so make the case for its relevance in your Statement of Academic Purpose.

Regretfully, we cannot give advice on whether your particular experience counts as relevant before you apply. Please be assured that the selection process is holistic, and Selectors are receptive to a very wide range of experience and professional preparedness for the study of public policy.

Your chosen referees should be able to speak about your abilities and suitability for your chosen programme. Where possible, please nominate at least one academic referee; however, if you have been out of education for a while (5+ years), have particularly relevant professional experience, or simply think your employer/past employer know you better, you can nominate them two professional referees. 

Graduate programmes at LSE are demanding and you will need to demonstrate that you have a high level of English language proficiency before you embark on your studies. Find out more about the English language requirements for graduate entry here.

All information and useful links are available on our offer holder webpage (currently being updated for 2024-25 admissions cycle). We will also be sending regular newsletters which will include opportunities to connect with us. Please mark us as a safe sender (spp@lse.ac.uk) to receive our emails.  

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We encourage all offer holders to send your documents at the earliest point that you can and ideally by May to allow adequate processing time. CAS will be issued in May to full-time, unconditional offer holders who have accepted their offer and completed the Financial Undertaking Form (FUF).

You should keep track of your application status online, using your Graduate Applicant Portal. Your Graduate Applicant Portal is updated in real time to exactly match the information we hold in our database so that you can always see the current status of your application and any conditions or tasks for you to complete.

Common tasks are listed on page 8 of your Graduate Offer Welcome Pack. 

Your offer letter will include details about how and when you should accept your offer. We ask that you respond to your offer within six weeks from the date the offer is made. SPP asks that all offer holders confirm their final decision or notify the department of their circumstances for requiring an extension (e.g. time needed to confirm arrangements with your employer or funders) by 31 May. 

However it is important that all offer holders confirm their offer conditions and final decision as soon as possible so that we can plan for pre-arrival preparation materials and welcome arrangements. Our offer holder engagement activities will commence from April.    

You must meet the English conditions stated on your offer letter before you are allowed to register. If you fail to meet the minimum requirements, you should book another test and try to improve your scores.

In some cases academic departments may accept one of a limited number of alternative tests, but you should contact the Graduate Admissions Office to allow us to confirm this with your department.

If you are unable to take an alternative test, or you believe you can provide sufficient alternative evidence that you already hold the required level of English language ability, you may submit a request to waive or lower the English language condition. These will be considered individually and you may still be asked to retake another test unless you are able to provide evidence of exceptional circumstances that will prevent you from fulfilling the condition in time.

We advise offer holders to book tests and submit waivers as soon as possible to avoid delay.

Yes you can join our SPP offer holder LinkedIn group to connect with fellow offer holders. We will also be hosting virtual events to connect our offer holders in due course.

The MPA/MGA double degree with Columbia SIPA has an application deadline of 17 March 2025 for the September 2025 intake. Applications should be made via LSE.

The MPA/MGA double degree with University of Toronto has a rolling application deadline, however we encourage applicants to apply as early as possible as there are limited spaces. Applications should be made via LSE.

The MPP/MPA double degree with Sciences Po has a deadline of 9 February 2025 for September 2025 intake. Applications should be made via Sciences Po.

No. If you want to apply for our double degree programmes with Columbia SIPA, University of Toronto or Sciences Po, you will need to apply directly by selecting the relevant double degree programme title on your application form. 

You cannot be considered for the Columbia SIPA, University of Toronto or Sciences Po double degree programmes by submitting an application to the LSE Master of Public Administration (MPA) programme.

To apply for the Sciences Po double degree programme, you will need to apply via Sciences Po application process.

LSE School of Public Policy also offers three Global Public Policy Network (GPPN) dual degree programmes which MPA students can apply for during their first year of study. The process is outlined on our GPPN dual degree webpages. Our GPPN dual degree partner schools and programmes are:

• The MPP at the Hertie School, Berlin's University of Governance
• The MPP at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKY), National University of Singapore
• The MPP at the Graduate School of Public Policy (GraSPP) at the University of Tokyo

Yes. Our double degree students will receive two degrees, one from each institution.

Yes. Our double degree students will receive invitation for graduation ceremonies from both universities.

Applications to double degrees are assessed on a monthly basis by a joint panel from both institutions. These programmes have a final deadline at which point no further applications will be accepted, but you should apply as early as possible to receive a timely decision. If you are unsuccessful, your second-choice programme will then automatically be considered by LSE and a decision issued within 8 weeks.

We have a range of student financial support reserved especially for SPP students in particular regions and are continuing to grow our scholarship offerings. You can find further details about eligibility and the application process on our SPP financial aid page.

LSE also offer a range of school-wide funding options. The main source of funding is the Graduate Support Scheme (GSS), which is also available for you to apply for by completing the Graduate Financial Support Application (GFSA) on the Graduate Applicant Portal (GAP). You should do so as early as possible (and in advance of the 24 April 2025 deadline).

Applicants that complete a GFSA application will automatically be considered for other (non-SPP specific) financial awards in the late Spring/early Summer.

You can find out more about LSE funding on this page. Information on how to apply can be found here.

All applicants who would like to be considered for any of the SPP scholarship schemes must submit a complete programme application by 20 January 2025.

If you are eligible for an SPP scholarship and want to apply, you must complete the Graduate Financial Support Application (GFSA) by 31 January 2025.

We aim to communicate decisions regarding SPP scholarships by April 2025.

No. Applicants are only eligible to apply for the SPP scholarship awards at the point of admission to the programmes and are not eligible to apply once they are an enrolled student on the programme.

If you are unable to find the GFSA on your applicant portal, try following these steps:

1. Go to the page called "My Programme Choices"
2. Select to view your first choice (e.g. Master of Public Policy)
3. Scroll down to under the "My Documents" section and the form link should be there. It is titled "Graduate Support Scheme".