Welcome to the country page for Japan, which contains information about studying at LSE specifically for Japanese students. Details of the number of Japanese students at the School can be found in our statistics on students|.
Contact us
Staff in the Student Recruitment Office are delighted to answer any questions you might have about applying to and studying at LSE. Please feel free to e-mail us at stu.rec@lse.ac.uk| or call 0044 20 7955 6613.
Meet LSE
The Student Recruitment Office makes regular overseas visits to schools and colleges and to host counselling sessions for prospective students and applicants. Details of forthcoming overseas trips can be found on our LSE visits you page|.
Entrance requirements
Undergraduate
The school leaving certificate is not acceptable as an entry qualification for LSE. Applicants from Japan would be expected to offer, either instead or in addition, one of the following:
*Applicants to whom we make an offer on the basis of an undergraduate degree are normally expected to obtain not less than good upper second class marks, i.e. at least 60% overall, but higher marks in specific subjects may also be necessary. Applicants applying on the basis of a foundation course or university studies may be asked to sit the LSE Entrance Examination|.
Please see the individual undergraduate degree programme descriptions| for specific course requirements, especially for quantitative programmes, where the advanced study of Maths up to school-leaving age is often required. All undergraduate applications to LSE must be made through UCAS| (the central admissions service for UK universities). Information about how to apply can be found here| and on the UCAS website. You should apply between 1 September and 15 January only. The closing date for applications is 15 January in the year that you hope to start at LSE.
Graduate School
To be considered for a place on a postgraduate programme we require a bachelor's degree (Gakushi, 4-6 years) from a prestigious university with an overall mark of 76%, B+ or a GPA of 3.3. Other universities are considered and applicants will be assessed on individual merit. The masters degree (Hakushi) is acceptable for entry to a research degree.
This is our general minimum requirement; however, some programmes have specific requirements in terms of degree result required and subject background. Many of our quantitative programmes also require that a GRE or GMAT score is submitted. Please see the individual graduate degree programme descriptions| for specific course requirements and information about the application process.
English Language Requirements
If English is not your first language, you may be required to provide evidence of English language ability. The most common qualifications are the IELTS| or TOEFL| tests. You do not need to have the required marks when you apply, but they would form a condition of any offer that you received, and would have to be achieved before your arrival at LSE. In each case we require the test of English for Academic Purposes. Your test should be no more than two years old by 1 October in the year you intend to start your programme. Other tests may be acceptable if you have already taken them, but conditions attached to offers will be set as required scores in either the IELTS or TOEFL. If you are entering the UK on a student visa (tier 4), your language test scores must meet not just LSE's requirements, but also those of the UK Border Authority (UKBA). UKBA's requirements underwent a recent change and our requirements have also been amended in line with these where applicable at graduate level.
Undergraduate
The required marks are 7.0 in IELTS (in each of the four components) or 107 in the internet-based TOEFL (with minimum marks of 25 in each of the four components) For full details click here|.
Postgraduate
If your previous degree has not been taught entirely in English, you will usually be required to provide evidence of your English language ability. There are standard and higher requirements, and you must check which applies to your programme. The Law Department has its own requirement. For full details click here|.
Standard: 6.5 in IELTS (at least 5.5 in each section) or 100 in the internet-based TOEFL test (at least 17 in listening and writing, 18 in reading and 20 in speaking)
Higher: 7.0 in IELTS (at least 5.5 in each section) or 107 in the internet-based TOEFL test (at least 17 in listening and writing, 18 in reading and 20 in speaking)
Law Department: 7.5 overall in IELTS (at least 7.0 in listening and writing and 5.5 in reading and speaking) or 109 in the internet-based TOEFL test (with listening and writing not lower than 24, 18 in reading and 20 in speaking)
Financial aid
LSE awards over £12 million in scholarships and bursaries each year, through the Undergraduate Support Scheme| and Graduate Support Scheme| and through a range of specific awards for students of particular nationalities or studying for particular degrees. Please find more information at the following links:
Societies
The Students' Union represents LSE students and aims to ensure that your time at the School is not just about studying but is also as enjoyable as possible. The Union organises entertainment and funds over 150 student societies covering a wide range of interests. These societies add a huge amount to students’ experience of LSE and of London. The variety of societies and activities change with the interests and initiative of each new group of students; an A-Z listing of the current student societies can be found on the Students' Union website|.
Japan Society
The LSE Japan Society aims to introduce Japanese culture to all LSE students, both Japanese and non-Japanese, and provide them with opportunities to meet in a friendly, cosy atmosphere.
For further information contact: su.soc.japan@lse.ac.uk|
Email a student / Email an alum
Our Email a student| service allows you to put your questions about student life at LSE to current students from your home country or those who are studying your programme of interest.
Our Email an alum| service allows you to contact former LSE students from around the world to learn more about their experience of coming to London and to ask about the difference their time at LSE has made to them.
Alumni
LSE has a global network of over 92,000 alumni in over 190 countries around the world. Alumni groups have been set up in over 70 countries allowing alumni to meet up with each other and stay in touch with the School just about wherever they are in the world. You are more than welcome to contact these alumni groups by visiting Houghton Street Online|, the LSE online alumni community.
The main alumni contact in Japan is Yumi Inada who can be contacted by email at the following address yumi.inada@dentsu.co.jp|.
Employment opportunities and voluntary work
All European Economic Area (EEA) and Swiss national students are free to work in the UK without restrictions.
Most other international students on programmes of more than 6 months duration will be given a passport stamp that permits them to work part-time during the term (up to 20 hours a week) and any number of hours during the vacations. However, you should check before you apply for work that you do have this permission, and you should bear in mind that LSE recommends students work no more than 15 hours a week during term time. You should also note that to meet Immigration Rules for students, you have to show that you have enough money to support yourself during your studies without needing to work.
For comprehensive advice on working in the UK, please go to the UKCISA website|.
LSE itself employs many students on a part-time basis, for example, in the Students' Union shop and café. There are also voluntary positions, further details of which can be found on the Volunteer Centre website|.
The LSE Careers Service provides information on opportunities for term time and vacation placements and internships, in addition to advice on employment opportunities after graduation. For further information please see the Careers Service web pages.
You can follow the LSE Careers Service on Twitter| and learn more about the opportunities available to you as an LSE student.
Useful Links
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Information for new LSE students
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Statistics on Students - See where LSE students come from.
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The British Council - The British Government's international organisation for educational and cultural relations. Their website contains information and advice for those interested in studying in the UK, and contact details of all of their offices around the world.
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Education UK - Produced by the British Council to help international students interested in studying for a UK course or qualification.
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UKCISA - Homepage of The UK Council for International Student Affairs.
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UCAS - The central applications service used by all UK universities for undergraduate admissions.
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UK Border Agency - The official British Government website for visa services.