MSc Regulation

The MSc Regulation is based in the LSE Law School and the Department of Government and offers you the chance to study regulation within a systematic framework.

Regulatory growth and reform has been an international "policy boom" in recent years. Governments have increasingly used regulation in preference to other policy instruments. Transnational regulation – often involving a diversity of non-state actors – has become a defining feature of the international economy. Regulation therefore plays a central role in the contemporary understanding of law and public policy. As a field of study, regulation requires a multidisciplinary approach. Legal, political and economic issues are intertwined and each has to be understood to make sense of the overall process.

The programme takes a distinctive multidisciplinary approach, which concentrates on institutional issues and behaviour in regulation – regulatory bureaucracies, interest groups, legislators and courts – in addition to the economic aspects of regulation. We aim to bring together the contrasting North American and European perspectives on regulation, and to juxtapose experience of regulatory practice with theoretical ideas about how regulation works.

• R Baldwin, M Cave and M Lodge Understanding Regulation (Oxford University Press, 2012)
• M Lodge and K Wegrich, Managing Regulation, (Palgrave, 2012)

You'll take a compulsory course on Law and Politics of Regulation and then have the opportunity to specialise through your choice of options and your dissertation topic. If you take two full courses (or equivalent) or a full course and a dissertation in one of the following specialisms: Environmental Regulation, Financial and Commercial Regulation, Social Regulation, Utilities Regulation and Government and Law, you may have this specialism included in your degree title, for example, MSc Regulation (Environmental Regulation).

The Department of Government is an internationally renowned centre for teaching and research on politics and government.

Within our department, we have 850 undergraduates, postgraduates and research students and more than 40 faculty staff – who come from 80 countries.

Our research focuses on six main areas:

• comparative politics
• conflict studies
• political behaviour and political psychology
• political economy and institutional analysis
• political theory
• public policy and public administration.

The department’s work covers national, sub-national and global politics – with a strong emphasis on public-facing research.

Teaching within the department draws on these strengths and our central role in a prestigious social science institution. As a student, you’ll learn from internationally renowned academics and study in the heart of London, close to the UK’s political heartland in Westminster and the Houses of Parliament.

Our students gain the knowledge and skills to become sharp-minded critical thinkers who apply diverse analytical perspectives to political issues and conflicts around the globe. We encourage students to reflect on what it means to be responsible for addressing urgent public problems and engage in these issues in practical ways to prepare for their future careers. Our graduates find fulfilling roles in government, financial and professional services, teaching and research.

Learn more about our programmes, research, public events and people.

Department of Government

We welcome applications from all suitably qualified prospective students. At LSE, we want to recruit students with the best academic merit, potential and motivation, irrespective of background.

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

• academic achievement (including predicted and achieved grades)
• statement of academic purpose
• two academic references
• CV.

See further information on supporting documents.

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

Applications for this programme are considered on a rolling basis. This means that applications will close once the programme is full.

There is no fixed deadline. However, if you’d like to be considered for any funding opportunities, you must submit your application (and all supporting documents) by the funding deadline. See the fees and funding section below for more details.

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.

All taught courses are required to include formative coursework which is unassessed. It's designed to help prepare you for summative assessment which counts towards the course mark and to the degree award. LSE uses a range of formative assessment, such as essays, problem sets, case studies, reports, quizzes, mock exams and many others. Summative assessment may be conducted during the course or by final examination at the end of the course (which in some cases may be offered online). An indication of the formative coursework and summative assessment for each course can be found in the relevant course guide.

Graduates from the MSc Regulation have gone on to successful careers in politics and government, regulatory bodies, international organisations, law, finance and other regulated services, the media, non-governmental organisations and academia.

Further information on graduate destinations for this programme

From CV workshops through to careers fairs, LSE offers lots of information and support to help you make that all-important step from education into work.

Many of the UK’s top employers give careers presentations at the School during the year and there are numerous workshops covering topics such as job hunting, managing interviews, writing a cover letter and using LinkedIn.

See LSE Careers for further details.