Complete Admissions Guide
Politics and International Relations at LSE is among the most selective courses in the UK. Get 1-to-1 admissions coaching from Oxford or Cambridge graduates with subject-specific admissions expertise.
Last updated: September 2026
Key Facts
Overview
BSc Politics and International Relations at LSE is a BSc (Hons), full-time, 3-year course with UCAS code L290.
The course is split evenly between politics and international relations, and LSE says students can tailor the programme through options.
The first year covers political science, political theory, international relations and LSE100 before students move into more specialised Government and International Relations choices in Years 2 and 3.
This course suits applicants who want to connect domestic political institutions, political theory, international order, security, foreign policy and political economy rather than treating politics and IR as separate tracks.
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Why study Politics and International Relations at LSE?
LSE’s course page lists 1,100 applications and an intake of 33 for 2025, giving a 33:1 applications-to-intake ratio.
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 | AAA | Government and Politics, History, English, Economics, Sociology, Philosophy, Languages, Mathematics recommended. Critical Thinking, General Studies, Global Perspectives and Research, Knowledge and Enquiry, Project Work, Thinking Skills not accepted.LSE expects at least two full A-levels or equivalent in traditional academic subjects. A broad mix of traditional academic subjects is preferred; Mathematics, Further Mathematics and one other subject may be considered less competitive for this programme than a broader mix. |
| IB Diploma | 38 points overall | Contextual IB offer: 37 points overall, including 765 at higher level. LSE offers are based on the overall IB score and individual Higher Level scores. |
| Advanced Placement (AP) | Five APs at grade 5, taken over a maximum of three years, plus minimum High School Diploma GPA 3.7; alternatively, minimum High School Diploma GPA 3.7 plus ACT 32+ or SAT 1450+. | A broad mix of AP subjects recommended. SAT/ACT: Not required if meeting the AP route; as an alternative route, LSE lists ACT 32+ or SAT 1450+ with minimum High School Diploma GPA 3.7..AP Seminar, AP Capstone and AP Research do not count towards LSE's AP subject requirement. Only one of AP Calculus AB or AP Calculus BC may count towards an offer. AP Languages and Culture courses may be excluded where students have significant prior exposure to that language. |
Section 03
MAY to AUG 2026
Research the course and build subject evidence
Use the official LSE programme page to check the 2027/28 course, entry requirements, subject-combination advice and what selectors say they want to see.
1 SEP 2026
UCAS submission opens
Completed 2027-entry undergraduate applications can be submitted through UCAS from 1 September 2026 once the reference is ready.
SEP to DEC 2026
Finalise the UCAS application
LSE does not interview, so the UCAS form carries the whole selection case: academic record, predicted or achieved grades, subject combination, personal statement, reference and context.
13 JAN 2027
Submit UCAS by the equal-consideration deadline
Applications for this course should reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time on 13 January 2027 to receive guaranteed equal consideration.
JAN to MAY 2027
LSE assesses applications
There is no interview, no course-specific written work, no portfolio and no listed admissions test for this course. Selectors assess the UCAS application holistically.
12 MAY 2027
Latest UCAS decision deadline
For applications submitted by 13 January, universities and colleges have until 12 May 2027 to make decisions through UCAS.
2 JUN 2027
Reply to offers if all decisions arrived by 12 May
If all choices have responded by 12 May 2027, UCAS sets 2 June 2027 as the applicant reply deadline.
30 JUN to 2 JUL 2027
Late application and Clearing cut-off period
UCAS sends applications received by 30 June to universities; after that, applications are normally entered into Clearing, which opens on 2 July 2027.
AUG to SEP 2027
Meet offer conditions and prepare to start
For A-level/AS/Level 3 applicants, AQA’s provisional timetable makes results available to students on 12 August 2027. Other qualification dates, including the May 2027 IB results date, should be checked against the relevant awarding body once confirmed; offer holders should then meet any conditions, follow LSE confirmation instructions and prepare for the course start on 27 September 2027.
MAY to AUG 2026
Research the course and build subject evidence
Use the official LSE programme page to check the 2027/28 course, entry requirements, subject-combination advice and what selectors say they want to see.
1 SEP 2026
UCAS submission opens
Completed 2027-entry undergraduate applications can be submitted through UCAS from 1 September 2026 once the reference is ready.
SEP to DEC 2026
Finalise the UCAS application
LSE does not interview, so the UCAS form carries the whole selection case: academic record, predicted or achieved grades, subject combination, personal statement, reference and context.
13 JAN 2027
Submit UCAS by the equal-consideration deadline
Applications for this course should reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time on 13 January 2027 to receive guaranteed equal consideration.
JAN to MAY 2027
LSE assesses applications
There is no interview, no course-specific written work, no portfolio and no listed admissions test for this course. Selectors assess the UCAS application holistically.
12 MAY 2027
Latest UCAS decision deadline
For applications submitted by 13 January, universities and colleges have until 12 May 2027 to make decisions through UCAS.
2 JUN 2027
Reply to offers if all decisions arrived by 12 May
If all choices have responded by 12 May 2027, UCAS sets 2 June 2027 as the applicant reply deadline.
30 JUN to 2 JUL 2027
Late application and Clearing cut-off period
UCAS sends applications received by 30 June to universities; after that, applications are normally entered into Clearing, which opens on 2 July 2027.
AUG to SEP 2027
Meet offer conditions and prepare to start
For A-level/AS/Level 3 applicants, AQA’s provisional timetable makes results available to students on 12 August 2027. Other qualification dates, including the May 2027 IB results date, should be checked against the relevant awarding body once confirmed; offer holders should then meet any conditions, follow LSE confirmation instructions and prepare for the course start on 27 September 2027.
Section 04
For BSc Politics and International Relations, LSE makes decisions without interviews and without a listed course-specific admissions test.
The UCAS form therefore carries the whole selection case: academic achievement, predicted or achieved grades, subject combination, personal statement, teacher reference and educational circumstances.
In reality, the strongest application will make the politics and international relations fit obvious.
It helps to show that your academic interests match this particular joint programme, not just politics, debate or current affairs in general.
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 05
LSE’s published selection model places particular pressure on the personal statement because this course has no interview and no listed course-level admissions test.
We recommend structuring the statement around two or three intellectual questions: one rooted in politics, one rooted in international relations, and one that connects the two.
A stronger paragraph does not just say that you read about democracy, war or diplomacy. It explains the claim you encountered, the evidence behind it, what you questioned, and how that changed your next piece of reading.
Subject balance matters here. LSE says students’ time is divided equally between politics and international relations, so a statement that only discusses one side leaves the course fit underdeveloped.
Use supercurricular work to show method as well as interest. A mini-study using election data, UN voting records or constitutional comparison is more persuasive than a long list of clubs with no reflection.
Section 06
Projects work best when they produce evidence, not just enthusiasm.
For this course, a useful project should make you define a political problem, gather evidence, compare interpretations and reach a careful judgement.
Section 06
Other activities should support your academic argument, not replace it.
These are support, not substitute.
Structured academic reading:
Keep a reading log that moves beyond summary: define the author’s claim, evidence, assumptions and limitations, then connect it to a contemporary political example.
Policy brief writing:
Practice turning complex evidence into a short recommendation paper with a clear problem definition, trade-offs and implementation risks.
Debate, Model United Nations or mock parliament:
Use these activities to develop argument discipline, but link them to deeper reading rather than presenting them as generic participation.
Data and evidence work:
Build confidence with simple datasets such as election results, World Bank indicators or UN votes; LSE values analytical precision, not just opinion.
Public lectures and current affairs:
Attend or watch lectures from LSE, Chatham House, CFR or similar institutions, then reflect on how expert disagreement changes your view.
Section 06
Competitions are not required, but they can stretch your reading, argument discipline and ability to write under constraints.
None are required; one or two done well beats five half-attempted.
Coaching for these competitions
Section 07
Year
01 / 03
1
Core concepts, theory and disciplinary breadth
Year 1 gives students the core intellectual foundations of both halves of the degree. Students take compulsory politics and international relations courses, LSE100, and one additional option that can broaden the first-year pathway beyond the two home departments.
Year
02 / 03
2
Methods, institutions, theory and policy fields
Year 2 moves from foundations into more specialised government and international relations study. Students choose two government options from an approved list and two international relations courses from a defined set, allowing them to shape the balance between theory, institutions, security, foreign policy and political economy.
Year
03 / 03
3
Specialisation, research depth and final-year choice
The final year is the most flexible stage of the degree. Students choose advanced government and international relations options, may take an outside option, and can either complete a dissertation in Government or International Relations or take further approved coursework options.
Section 08
Start with books that build the language of the subject: The Oxford Handbook of Political Science, Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action, The Globalization of World Politics, The Prince, International Relations and Non-Western Thought.
Use official and policy-focused video sources to connect theory to contemporary examples: LSE, Council on Foreign Relations, Chatham House, Foreign Affairs.
Podcasts are useful when you listen actively, pause to note the claim being made, and connect it to a course theme; good options include LSE iQ, LSE International Relations Podcasts, The Foreign Affairs Interview, CFR Podcasts, Chatham House Podcasts.
Structured courses can help you test whether the subject is still interesting when it becomes analytical rather than conversational; Introducing International Relations, International Relations, CFR Education and Global Affairs Explained as directly relevant routes into international relations and global politics.
We recommend keeping a one-page reading log with columns for claim, evidence, assumption, counterargument and course link.
Section 09
Section 10
LSE describes Politics and International Relations graduates as progressing into the financial sector, central and local government, policy work, teaching, research and IT/digital technology, and its programme page lists a median undergraduate salary of £35,000 fifteen months after graduation (2022/23 Graduate Outcomes data).
This is a broad social-science degree, so the career story should focus on analytical writing, evidence handling, institutional knowledge and policy judgement rather than a single fixed profession.
Section 11
Use contextual information to explain the academic route behind the application, not to apologise for it.
Watch & Learn
Student vlogs, mock interviews, lecture tasters, and admissions advice.
Official LSE overview video for prospective undergraduate IR-related applicants.
LSE public lecture relevant to strategic reasoning and the politics/government side of this joint degree.
LSE video introducing the undergraduate study experience in International Relations.
LSE lecture content introducing international political economy as a field within IR.
Foreign-policy lecture useful for applicants exploring contemporary international relations.
All videos are the property of their respective creators.
Further Reading
Super-curricular reading, websites, and tools recommended by our expert tutors.
