Visiting Research Student in Statistics

We welcome research students from other universities to spend from one term up to one academic year at LSE as a Visiting Research Student (VRS).

The VRS scheme allows students who are registered as doctoral researcher at other institutions to participate in research activities in the department and the School, to interact with other research students, and to benefit from the expertise of LSE faculty, the training offered by the PhD Academy, and LSE Library facilities. Note that Visiting Research Students don’t have access to any LSE taught courses.

We welcome applications that complement the academic interests of faculty members in the department and we recommend that you investigate their research interests before applying. Once you have found an academic whose research interests are relevant to your own you should contact them directly, outlining your proposed area of research, to see if they’ll agree, in principle, to act as an advisor during your time at LSE.

As a VRS, you won’t be able to take accredited or examined courses or be fully supervised in the same way as an LSE doctoral student. You’ll be able to participate in doctoral workshops and research seminars, interact with other doctoral students, and discuss your research with your nominated advisor. You’re expected to be self-funded.

Because of its emphasis on independent research, the VRS scheme is better suited to students who are at an advanced stage in their doctoral training and research.

The Department of Statistics at LSE is one of the oldest and most distinguished in the UK.

The department has an international reputation for the development of statistical methodology and a long history of pioneering contributions to research and teaching. Many of the world’s most famous and innovative statisticians have been associated with LSE.

Our research spans four main areas – data science, probability in finance and insurance, social statistics, and time series and statistical learning. The department has close links with the Data Science Institute at LSE – an interdisciplinary institute that fosters the study of data science, with a particular emphasis on the social, economic and political contexts.

All aspects of our research were ranked world-leading or internationally excellent in the most recent Research Excellence Framework (2021), submitted jointly with the Department of Mathematics.

The department’s research strengths are reflected in our teaching curriculum. We have a comprehensive range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees and doctoral research opportunities – hosted in a vibrant department with a supportive and friendly community of staff and students.

Our alumni enjoy successful careers in diverse areas, such as banking, accounting, finance, statistics, government and business consulting while others pursue postgraduate study or research. Our alumni frequently return to LSE to share their career experiences with current students.

Learn more about our programmes and research.

Department of Statistics

To apply as a visiting research student, you apply in the same way as for our MPhil/PhD programmes, with the same entry criteria. Find the entry criteria for the MPhil/PhD Statistics.

We welcome applications for research programmes that complement the academic interests of our staff at LSE. For this reason, we recommend that you take a look at our staff research interests before applying.

We carefully consider each application and take into account all the information included on your form, such as your:

• academic achievement (including existing and pending qualifications)
• statement of academic purpose
• references
• CV
• outline research proposal
• sample of written work.

See further information on supporting documents.

You may need to provide evidence of your English language proficiency. See our English language requirements.

Competition for places at LSE is strong. So, even if you meet the minimum entry requirements, this does not guarantee you an offer of a place.

However, please don’t feel deterred from applying – we want to hear from all suitably qualified students. Think carefully about how you can put together the strongest possible application to help you stand out from other students.

For this programme, all students pay the same tuition fees, regardless of their fee status.

For this programme, all students pay the same tuition fees, regardless of their fee status.