Request to take a GV capped course

First of all, don't panic-if you are a Government Department student and interested in a Government Department capped course, there is a very good chance you will be accepted. For most capped Government courses, most students who request a place are given one. Furthermore, if the Graduate Course Guide says the course you are interested in is guaranteed for your MSc Programme, you will definitely receive a place.  

The following Government department courses are capped

• GV465
• GV4A2
• GV4A5  
• GV4C6
• GV4C7
• GV4D3
• GV4E3
• GV4E8

For GV465 the deadline for applying is 5pm on Wednesday 5th October.  For all other GV capped courses the deadline for applying is 5pm on Friday 7th October, and you will receive a response by 5pm on Monday 10th October.  Please note that other departments may have different deadlines.

 

What is a capped course?

A capped course is a course on which student numbers are limited. If a course is capped, you must request a place on that course. After you select a capped course you should write your reasons for wanting to take the course in the statement in support of your course choices box.  The Graduate Course Guide| in the School Calendar will tell you if a course is capped. If in doubt, ask your supervisor for help/ clarification or come to speak to one of the MSc administrators in CON 3.18 during the office opening hours (Monday to Friday 10:30-12:30 and 1:30-3:30).

Does the timing of my request matter?

Acceptance onto a capped course is based on multiple factors, including one or more of the following variables: which MSc Programme you are on (some courses give priority to students in certain programmes), what other courses you are taking, and what you put down as your "reasons for wanting to take the course". However some teachers also take the timeliness of your request into account (i.e., the sooner you apply after the opening time the better). If the course you are interested in is one such course, it will say so in the course description in the Graduate Course Guide|.

How are decisions made as to who is given a place on a GV capped course?

Decisions are made by the academic/s in charge of a course as to which students will be given a place on a GV capped course. Please note that administrative staff in H318 have no control over the decisions, so unfortunately contacting them regarding your application will not be useful to you. The decisions are made on the basis of several different factors, potentially including your course programme, the other courses you have signed up for, and the reasons that you put down for wanting to take the course. In some cases timeliness of your application may be relevant. (Please see the previous question for an explanation of time-relevance).

I may not hear back about whether I am accepted into a course until Monday 10th of October. What do I do in the meantime?

Please note that if the capped course you have applied for is guaranteed for your MSc Programme, you can assume your acceptance and disregard the following.  All others should attend the lecture for the course you are interested in, but also attend the lectures for a back-up course (or have a back-up course in mind if your capped course is Lent Term), in case you are not accepted onto your first choice. If you are not accepted onto your first choice, then register for your second choice. If your second choice is also capped, submit a capped course request for that course as well. If you are accepted onto both, you can choose your preference and only register for one.

The teacher in charge of my capped course emailed me and told me I was accepted onto the course. What do I do now?

You need to accept (or decline) the offer on the graduate course choice system on LSE For You within 2 working days of receiving the e-mail.  If you don't respond within 2 working days the offer will expire and the place will be offered to another student.

 

It is past the capped course request form deadline, and I didn't submit a request for a capped course I want to take. Is there any way I can still submit a request to be put on the course?

You may email Sue Sharkey at Gov.MSc_Admin@lse.ac.uk| to find out if the course you are interested in is already full, and if it is not, she will instruct you on how to submit a late request.

Please note an exception for GV465 (Professor Bose's course): These two courses are always full after the capped course request deadline, and unfortunately therefore a late request will under no circumstances be accepted for these two courses.

I have been put on a waiting list for a Lent Term course. What do I do about course registration until I know in January if a space has opened up for me on the course?

If you are told by the teacher in charge of a Lent Term course that you are on their waiting list, choose a back-up Lent Term course, and register for it. Once the Lent Term starts, begin attending the lectures for both the capped course and your back-up course.