Overview
MSc Economics at LSE is a 10-month full-time graduate taught programme for the 2026/27 academic year. The course begins with an Introductory Course in Mathematics and Statistics in August 2026 before the main taught programme.
The official course name is MSc Economics, and LSE lists application code L1U1 rather than a UCAS course code for this postgraduate programme. The course is built for applicants who already have strong economics training and want a concentrated route into advanced theory, econometrics and applied economic analysis.
The core academic fit is narrow: LSE expects a first-class honours degree in economics or equivalent, with concentration in economics and quantitative subjects. Successful applicants are expected to have strong prior results in advanced calculus, linear algebra, econometrics and statistics, intermediate macroeconomics and intermediate microeconomics.
For 2024, LSE published 936 applications and an intake of 120 for this programme, shown as an 8:1 applications-to-intake ratio. Treat that ratio as a competition indicator rather than an offer rate.
Why study MSc Economics at LSE?
MSc Economics at LSE is best understood as a concentrated, highly quantitative graduate route: ten months of advanced theory, econometrics, mathematical preparation and elective specialisation for applicants who already have strong economics training.
Section 01
Click your country on the map below for country-specific entry guidance — accepted qualifications, expected scores, English-language requirements, and any local context worth knowing before you apply.
International Applicants
Pick a highlighted country to see the admissions-test, score, and English-language requirements that apply for applicants from that country.
Section 02
| Qualification | Typical Offer | Key Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| A-Level | Check the official course page | Use undergraduate-degree preparation instead of A-level tiles for this MSc where possible. |
| IB Diploma | Check the official course page | No IB tile data is supplied by the official graduate course page. |
| Advanced Placement (AP) | Not applicable, this postgraduate MSc uses degree-level entry requirements, not AP offers. | AP is not an entry-route offer for this postgraduate MSc; the official course page uses degree-level requirements and overseas country guidance instead. |
Section 03
MAY to SEP 2025
Prepare the academic evidence
Review whether your degree background fits the one-year MSc Economics route: LSE expects a first-class economics degree or equivalent, with strong economics and quantitative preparation. Line up transcripts, module details, CV, and two academic referees early.
MAY to SEP 2025
Plan GRE if required
GRE is required for applicants without a UK undergraduate degree in economics. LSE states the GRE must be no more than five years old on 1 October 2026 and must include full and percentile scores for all three sections.
8 OCT 2025
Applications open
Applications for LSE graduate entry in 2026/27 opened on 8 October 2025. MSc Economics is a rolling-admissions programme, so early submission is strategically safer than waiting; availability can change as places fill.
OCT 2025 to APR 2026
Submit a complete application
There is no fixed application deadline for MSc Economics, but the course can move from Open to Limited Availability to Closed as places fill. On 2026-05-23, LSE showed Limited availability for Home and Overseas full-time 10-month students. The application is submitted through LSE’s graduate online application system.
AFTER SUBMISSION
Graduate Admissions checks the file
LSE first checks that the application and supporting documents are complete. The Department of Economics reviews the file only once Graduate Admissions has processed the complete application.
ROLLING
Academic selection review
Selectors review academic achievement, statement of academic purpose, two academic references, CV and GRE/GMAT where applicable. The Economics FAQ states that relevant elements are considered using a holistic and contextual approach.
ABOUT 8 WEEKS
Decision expected
LSE advises taught master’s applicants to expect an average of 8 weeks for a decision once the complete application has been received and processed. Timings can vary because admissions are rolling and programme capacity changes during the cycle.
23 APR 2026
Graduate Support Scheme deadline
For 2026 entry, the Graduate Support Scheme application deadline was 5pm GMT on Thursday 23 April 2026. Applicants needed an unconditional or conditional offer by that date to be considered.
AUG 2026
Introductory course begins
The MSc Economics page states that the Introductory Course in Mathematics and Statistics begins in August 2026 before the main programme. This is the practical academic start point for admitted students.
MAY to SEP 2025
Prepare the academic evidence
Review whether your degree background fits the one-year MSc Economics route: LSE expects a first-class economics degree or equivalent, with strong economics and quantitative preparation. Line up transcripts, module details, CV, and two academic referees early.
MAY to SEP 2025
Plan GRE if required
GRE is required for applicants without a UK undergraduate degree in economics. LSE states the GRE must be no more than five years old on 1 October 2026 and must include full and percentile scores for all three sections.
8 OCT 2025
Applications open
Applications for LSE graduate entry in 2026/27 opened on 8 October 2025. MSc Economics is a rolling-admissions programme, so early submission is strategically safer than waiting; availability can change as places fill.
OCT 2025 to APR 2026
Submit a complete application
There is no fixed application deadline for MSc Economics, but the course can move from Open to Limited Availability to Closed as places fill. On 2026-05-23, LSE showed Limited availability for Home and Overseas full-time 10-month students. The application is submitted through LSE’s graduate online application system.
AFTER SUBMISSION
Graduate Admissions checks the file
LSE first checks that the application and supporting documents are complete. The Department of Economics reviews the file only once Graduate Admissions has processed the complete application.
ROLLING
Academic selection review
Selectors review academic achievement, statement of academic purpose, two academic references, CV and GRE/GMAT where applicable. The Economics FAQ states that relevant elements are considered using a holistic and contextual approach.
ABOUT 8 WEEKS
Decision expected
LSE advises taught master’s applicants to expect an average of 8 weeks for a decision once the complete application has been received and processed. Timings can vary because admissions are rolling and programme capacity changes during the cycle.
23 APR 2026
Graduate Support Scheme deadline
For 2026 entry, the Graduate Support Scheme application deadline was 5pm GMT on Thursday 23 April 2026. Applicants needed an unconditional or conditional offer by that date to be considered.
AUG 2026
Introductory course begins
The MSc Economics page states that the Introductory Course in Mathematics and Statistics begins in August 2026 before the main programme. This is the practical academic start point for admitted students.
Section 04
MSc Economics at London School of Economics does not require a written admissions test for 2027 entry. Applications are assessed on academic record, personal statement, submitted written work (where requested), and interview performance.
Always verify on the official Oxford admissions tests page.
Section 05
Interview Invitation
Late Nov
Arrival to Interview
Early Dec
Technical Question
Mid Dec
Decision
Early Jan
Interview Invitation
Late Nov
Arrival to Interview
Early Dec
Technical Question
Mid Dec
Decision
Early Jan
Practise with realistic questions from our free mock interview question bank.
Free Mock Questions →
Section 06
MSc Economics decisions are made from a complete application file rather than from interview performance. LSE’s published evidence list includes academic achievement, the statement of academic purpose, two academic references, CV and GRE or GMAT where applicable.
The strongest part of the file should be the academic record in economics and quantitative modules. LSE’s expected preparation specifically includes advanced calculus, linear algebra, econometrics and statistics, intermediate macroeconomics and intermediate microeconomics.
Use them as a planning framework: prove academic fit first, then make the statement, references, CV and GRE evidence work together.
Our recommendation · weighting of admission factors
Oxbridge Mentors recommendation, drawn from observed offer patterns. London School of Economics does not publish official weightings — exact balance varies by college, course and year.
Section 07
Your statement of academic purpose should explain why MSc Economics is the right route, not simply why economics is interesting. LSE lists the statement as part of the reviewed application file.
We recommend making the first half academic: name the economic questions you are prepared to study, the quantitative tools you have used, and the modules that show readiness for the 10-month MSc. The programme includes macroeconomics, econometrics, microeconomics or advanced microeconomics, an elective unit and an extended essay linked to the elective.
Avoid broad claims about enjoying policy, finance or research. It helps to connect one or two concrete interests to prior coursework, data work, reading or a dissertation, then show how LSE’s structure would let you develop them.
For GRE-required applicants, the statement should not try to explain away a weak quantitative profile. LSE expects strong preparation in economics and quantitative subjects, and the GRE can count as an additional aptitude signal where required.
See a full annotated example with line-by-line expert commentary.
MSc Economics PS Example →Section 08
The best supercurricular project for this course looks like graduate economics in miniature: a clear question, a model or empirical method, and a careful discussion of assumptions.
Reflection matters more than volume. A short project that explains identification, assumptions and robustness is stronger than a long list of disconnected reading.
Suggested project routes include replicating an applied economics paper using public data, building a country macro dashboard from World Bank, IMF or OECD data, or modelling a market and testing predictions against a live case such as housing, energy, digital platforms or labour markets.
Section 08
Other preparation should strengthen the gaps that matter most for a concentrated MSc: mathematics, coding, paper reading and economic communication.
These activities support the application; they do not substitute for the required academic record.
Mathematical preparation:
refresh calculus, constrained optimisation, linear algebra, probability and statistical inference.
Data and coding:
practise cleaning data, estimating regressions and interpreting model output in R, Stata or Python.
Academic reading group:
read one graduate-facing economics paper every fortnight and summarise the research question, method and limitation.
Policy brief writing:
turn technical economics into concise policy memos that separate positive analysis from normative recommendation.
Seminars and public lectures:
use LSE, CEPR, NBER or university economics seminars to test assumptions behind arguments.
Problem-sheet discipline:
use textbook problem sets to build sustained mathematical reasoning.
Section 08
Competitions are not required for MSc Economics admission, but they can stretch your economic writing, data interpretation and mathematical reasoning.
None are required; one or two done well beats five half-attempted.
Section 09
Year
01 / 01
1
Core economic theory, econometrics and elective specialisation
The MSc Economics is a ten-month, full-time graduate programme built around advanced economic theory, econometrics and mathematical methods. Students begin with an Introductory Course in Mathematics and Statistics before taking macroeconomics, econometrics, either microeconomics or advanced microeconomics, one elective unit, and an extended essay linked to the elective.
Section 10
For mathematical preparation, start with Mathematics for Economists, which bridges undergraduate mathematics to optimisation and linear algebra used in graduate economics. For microeconomics, Microeconomic Theory is the graduate reference for formal models and proof-based reasoning.
For macroeconomics, Advanced Macroeconomics covers growth, business cycles, policy and open-economy macro. For econometrics, Econometrics develops asymptotic theory and core estimation methods, while Mostly Harmless Econometrics explains causal empirical strategies.
For video and lecture material, use LSE Department of Economics and LSE for programme-adjacent talks and LSE public material. Marginal Revolution University, MIT OpenCourseWare and Ben Lambert are useful for university-level lecture content, applied econometrics and detailed statistical revision.
For podcasts, LSE Public Lectures and Events gives long-form lectures across economics and policy, while Planet Money and The Indicator from Planet Money connect economic concepts to institutions, markets and data. More or Less: Behind the Stats is useful for evaluating statistical claims, and VoxDevTalks gives research-led development-economics interviews.
For structured revision, use MIT OCW 14.32 Econometrics to refresh regression, identification and inference, and Mastering Econometrics for applied causal questions. MIT OCW 14.01SC Principles of Microeconomics can be used selectively to patch specific microeconomics gaps, but the main preparation standard should remain graduate-facing. LSE Events helps you find policy examples and public lectures to connect theory with live economic questions.
Section 11
LSE presents MSc Economics as a route into economist and research careers across government, central banking, international organisations, economic consulting, finance, the private sector and doctoral study. The official graduate-destinations section lists employers including Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Bank of America, Credit Suisse, NERA Economic Consulting, PwC, Deloitte, Compass Lexecon, McKinsey, IMF, World Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Bundesbank, Bank of England and HM Treasury. LSE also notes that approximately one third of MSc Economics students proceed to PhD programmes at LSE or other leading universities.
Section 12
LSE assesses MSc Economics applications using academic achievement, statement of academic purpose, two academic references, CV and GRE or GMAT where applicable. For this programme, contextual explanation is most useful when it clarifies the academic record that matters for MSc Economics: advanced calculus, linear algebra, econometrics and statistics, intermediate macroeconomics and intermediate microeconomics.
A weaker grade in a central quantitative module should not be ignored. Use the application to explain the context briefly, provide corroborating evidence where possible, and then show recovery through later modules, dissertation work, GRE quantitative performance or clearly documented technical projects.
Applicants from non-economics or mixed quantitative backgrounds should be especially careful. LSE’s route guidance says applicants whose first degree is not in economics should apply to the two-year MSc Economics, while technical-degree applicants with strong quantitative backgrounds may consider MSc Econometrics and Mathematical Economics. That means context can explain a transcript, but it cannot replace the programme’s core economics and quantitative preparation requirement.
Because the programme uses rolling admissions, a strong early application with complete documents is safer than waiting for a notional closing date. Country qualification pages are general equivalence guidance only, and programme selectors may apply a higher practical standard where quantitative preparation is central.
Watch & Learn
Student vlogs, mock interviews, lecture tasters, and admissions advice.
An LSE Alan Walters Lecture on macroeconomic shocks, policy and the UK economy.
An LSE-linked economics lecture useful for thinking about global macroeconomics and economic change.
A concise explanation of what econometrics studies and how it connects data to economic questions.
Joshua Angrist introduces causal econometrics and the empirical credibility revolution.
An LSE public event showing how economic analysis connects to policy and public life.
All videos are the property of their respective creators.
Further Reading
Super-curricular reading, websites, and tools recommended by our expert tutors.
