Support during your studies

As well as formal contact time, as part of your studies at LSE you'll need to spend a large amount of time studying independently. This could include reading and writing essays, projects and other course work assignments, and research.

To support you with this, we have a range of services to turn to for advice and to help you make the most of your time at the School.

Find out more about what studying your undergraduate degree at LSE involves

Find out more about what studying your graduate degree at LSE involves

Teachers and academic mentors

For guidance about a particular class, you can turn to your class teacher and/or the teacher responsible for each course who guides the class teachers.

You will also have an academic mentor, who receives regular reports from class teachers and meets with you during the course of the year to discuss your academic progress. The academic mentor is also there to help you with any academic, administrative or personal questions  and point you in the direction of the most appropriate service at LSE.

In addition, each department has a Departmental Tutor responsible for the day to day running of undergraduate studies in the department.

All members of academic staff set aside specified times (office hours) when they are free to see any student to discuss any academic issue.

Find out more about academic support services. 

LSE Disability and Wellbeing Service

We're committed to enabling all students to achieve their full potential in an environment characterised by dignity and mutual respect, and we aim to ensure that all individuals are treated equitably.

The School's Disability and Wellbeing Service provides a free, confidential service to all students and is a first point of contact for all disabled students, prospective and current. Specialist advisers are available to see students on a one-off or ongoing basis and cover a range of conditions.

Prospective students are encouraged to make early contact with the DWS and, where possible, to make a preliminary visit to the School. UK students may be eligible for a Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) to fund disability-related costs of study.

LSE Careers offers tailored services for students with disabilities or neurodiverse conditions including a dedicated careers consultant specialising in disability and employment, and longer, flexible appointments to accommodate individual needs. They also offer advice on recruitment processes, disclosure, reasonable adjustments to recruitment processes and the workplace environment, legal issues and other disability careers topics.

The Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Office serves as a vital resource and leader in promoting and furthering LSE’s commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion for all members of its community. 

The EDI Office provides the delivery of services for students, academic staff, professional services staff, and senior management to support diversity, inclusiveness, equal access, equitable treatment, and multicultural understanding and competency. For example, EDI has set up the Safe Contacts Scheme with 39 trained staff volunteers across departments and divisions who provide a signposting service for any students who might want to report or discuss incidents of bullying and harassment of any form. Learn more about how EDI affects students and support services available here. 

Feel free to get in touch with EDI by emailing edi@lse.ac.uk, if you have any concerns or questions regarding equity, diversity, and inclusion at LSE.

The Faith Centre is home to LSE's diverse religious activities, transformational interfaith leadership programmes and a space for prayer, worship and reflection for all staff and students.

The Financial Support Office team administer School funds and a variety of scholarships, studentships, prizes and awards.

IT help offer support 24 hours a day to assist with all of your technology queries.

The Language Centre specialises in offering modern language courses targeted to the needs of students and practitioners in the social sciences.

They offer a range of courses and support including English language support during your studies, proofreading and translation, English and modern foreign language courses.

Once you have graduated you will become part of the LSE alumni community, which is a global network of 155,000 change makers, leaders and influencers. LSE Alumni are committed to engaging you in your lifelong relationship with the School, and to providing you with access to the network, the School's intellectual capital, volunteering opportunities and the resources you need to enhance your lives and careers beyond your degree years on campus.

It’s never too early or too late to think about your career. Whether you have a clear idea of what you want to do after your studies or haven’t started thinking about it yet, LSE Careers can help. 

We cater our services to match the LSE student makeup including undergraduates and graduates, UK and international students, and people with previous job experience or looking to change careers. No matter what your career interests, LSE Careers can support you. Our services, events, and resources cover finding part-time work; career planning and deciding on a career; enhancing employability skills; gaining work experience; volunteering; researching employers, sectors and roles; strengthening CVs, cover letters, and applications; improving interview and assessment centre technique and more.

At LSE Careers, we champion equal opportunities and offer a range of student diversity initiatives. We've bespoke services for students with disabilities and PhD students, including dedicated careers consultants. We're also in the process of creating an offering of targeted careers support for students from lower income households and you can sign up to hear more about this specific support.

Once enrolled as an LSE student and registered on campus you can book careers events, including fairs and seminars, and one-to-one appointments to discuss career options and review your applications.

LSE's Library, the British Library of Political and Economic Science, founded in 1896, is the major international library of the social sciences. It stays open late, has lots of excellent resources and it’s a great place to study. As an LSE student, you’ll have access to a number of other academic libraries in Greater London and nationwide.

LSE LIFE Video

Your time at LSE will be busy. So it's important that you make the most of it - whether that means discovering your own "best" ways to study, focusing on how you can apply what you are learning, or thinking about where your studies might lead you in the future.

LSE LIFE can help you with this. The LSE LIFE team, together with advisers and specialists from Careers, the Library, the Language Centre, and others can offer you:

• a space where you can meet students from other programmes and departments
• one-to-one advice and group workshops where you can get hands-on practice of reading, academic writing, critical thinking and communication skills
• special events to explore how to make the most of your time at LSE and prepare for the working world

The LSE Nursery is currently closed, while we explore long-term childcare solutions that suit the changing needs of our community as the way we work and study evolves. 

In the meantime, we will continue to provide access to local, quality childcare through an interim partnership scheme with three nurseries near to LSE’s campus. 

The Students' Union Advice Service offers all LSE students free, independent and confidential advice on academic and housing matters. It also administers a hardship and childcare fund for students who find themselves in unforeseen financial hardship.

Peer Supporters are trained student volunteers who help their peers by offering a non-judgmental, confidential listening space to any LSE student. No issue is too big or small to bring to a peer supporter. They will listen, and if you wish, can help you explore options for how to move forward.

The PhD Academy has a common room, teaching room and advice hub for PhD students to meet, access specialist centralised services and take part in interdisciplinary events, training and other development activities.

We host weekly surgeries from LSE Careers, the Financial Support Office (FSO), International Student Visa and Advice Team, the Language Centre and Methodology for PhD Students.

Our Residences team team can support you whilst living in LSE accommodation and can also help you find private accommodation after first year. Each hall of residence has its own team of wardens, peer supporters and a student committee who are there to provide practical advice, pastoral support and organise a programme of social activities. 

Sardinia House Dental Practice offers some discounted private dental services to LSE students. 

St Philips Medical Centre is based in Pethwick-Lawrence House. It provides NHS Primary Care services to registered patients.

LSE Student Counselling Service

The LSE Student Counselling Service aims to enable students to cope more effectively with any personal or study difficulties that may be affecting them while at LSE.

The service is free of charge, and sessions can be booked in advance with our professionally qualified and experienced counsellors, and there is also a daily drop-in service.

The Student Services Centre, based in the ground floor of the Old Building, is a useful central point for all queries relating to your studies, including academic and pastoral care. We can signpost and refer to the most appropriate services or teams; as well as talk to you about your options and explain processes if you're having any difficulties.