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Can I view a detailed course syllabus/outline before the course starts?
All courses have a detailed course outline on the website. The course outlines will have information on suggested readings and provisional class topics. Students' home institutions may also like to read the course outline when deciding how much credit a Summer School course is worth.
What will my timetable look like?
Typically you will have a three hour lecture and a 90 minute class each day. Your day may start as early as 9 or 10am, and finish as late as 5 or 6pm. Timetables are only established shortly before the beginning of the course and are therefore not available in advance.
Class groups are allocated at random, and you will be notified of your class group only after you have registered on the first day of the course. It is not possible to change your class group or time.
When will I get my timetable?
You will be given your timetable on the first day of the course. A detailed timetable is not available prior to the start of Summer School.
What is the difference between a lecture and a class?
Lectures are usually presented by an academic (the course leader or leaders) and are, in general, a listening and note-taking exercise, as is widely practiced in the UK university system.
Participants on the course will be divided into smaller groups of around 15 to 20 students for 90-minute classes. Classes present an opportunity to work through problem sets or case studies, present papers and discuss them, and to discuss the previous lecture with a class teacher and classmates. In other universities, classes may also be known as tutorials or seminars.
Do I need to do any reading before the course starts?
There are essential preliminary readings for a very small number of courses. Where this applies you will be notified well before the start of the course. Please see course outlines for details.
Do I need to buy the course textbook?
Many of the books on the reading list are available in the LSE Library, however it is unlikely that there will be enough copies of the main text(s) available for everyone to use. We therefore advise students to buy the main text(s) and use the LSE Library for supplementary reading. Students may wish to wait until their first lecture to find out which textbook (if any) they are recommended to buy.
Is there a bookshop on site?
There is a second-hand bookshop, Alpha Books, located near the Saw Swee Hock Student Centre.
Will I receive course materials in advance?
Generally, course materials are distributed at the first lecture. If you have any questions please direct these to the Summer School Office.