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Entry requirements

Application for admission to the General Course may be made by students in any country outside the United Kingdom, studying in-person at any institution, who meet our minimum entry criteria for length of study, average or cumulative grade and academic background. 

Please ensure you have the permission of your home institution to apply, and confirm that you meet each of the following requirements before starting your application:

Length of study

Applicants should have completed at least two years of in-person university-level study, to include the year immediately preceding entry to the programme, at an institution located outside the United Kingdom by the time they begin studying on the General Course.

However, we will also consider, on a case-by-case basis, applications from students who have directly entered the second year of university on the basis of A-levels or the International Baccalaureate Diploma, with grades that fulfil LSE’s requirements for entry to an undergraduate degree programme. Students who have directly entered their second year on the basis of Advanced Placement exams will not normally be considered for a place.  

Students undertaking a degree through the University of London International Programmes with LSE as the lead college are eligible for entry to the General Course after just one year of in-person study. You must have achieved a minimum of 60% across 3 modules, and a pass in the fourth module.

Average or cumulative grade

We positively welcome good applicants from universities in any country (except the UK), and will consider applications from students at institutions using any grading scale.

In general, we are looking for students who are in the top 10-15% of their class. If your country's entry requirements are not listed below, please consult the graduate entry requirements listed on these country pages. Your grades should meet or exceed the requirements for graduate study at LSE. 

Brazil

Studying towards the Licenciado or Bacharel with a minimum overall/average mark of 8/10. Where a national rating system is used we require an average of B+ (closer to A than B).

China

Studying towards a Bachelor's degree with an overall mark of 85 per cent from applicants who have attended one of the top 35 universities in China, with all other applicants required to obtain a mark of at least 90 per cent.

France

Studying towards the Licence or Diplôme, or at a Grande Ecole with average grades of 13.5/20.

Germany

Studying towards a Bachelor’s degree from a recognised Universität or Fachhochschule with a minimum overall grade of 2.0 (German grading system).

Hong Kong

Studying towards a Bachelor's (honours) degree at a 2:1 classification level or GPA of 3.3/4.0.

India

Studying towards a Bachelor's degree with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 3.3/4, 5/7, 6/8, 7/9 or 7.5/10. Where there is only a percentage grade available, we require 65 per cent.

Japan

Studying towards a Bachelor's degree (Gakushi, four-six years) from a highly regarded institution with an overall mark of 80%, a GPA of 3.5/4, or A, with the majority of the marks attained at grade A. Applicants from other institutions can be considered with a mark of 89% or an overall A or a GPA of 3.9/4.

Norway

Studying towards a bachelor's degree with grades of B/Very Good.

Singapore

Studying towards a Bachelor’s (honours) degree from a highly regarded institution (or bachelor's if studying at Singapore Management University and Singapore University of Technology and Design) with an overall average of a 2:1, a GPA of 3.5/4.0 or CAP of 4.0/5.0.

Switzerland

Studying towards a Bachelor's degree, Diplom/Diplome, Lizentiat/Licence or Staatsdiplom/Diplôme d'Etat/Diploma di Stato. We require grades of 5/6, 8/10, 2/5. For German-based degrees, please see the Germany entry.

USA

USA:  Applicants who wish to study quantitative subjects, such as Economics, Finance, Mathematics and Statistics, should have a minimum cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.5/4.0, or equivalent. 

Applicants who wish to study only qualitative subjects, such as Geography, Government or Sociology, should have a minimum cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.3/4.0, or equivalent.

Academic Background

We look in detail at each applicant's recent university academic record, at what subjects have been studied and the level of success in those studies. We are primarily interested in a student's academic work in social science subjects and will be especially interested in the quality of work in the fields which they might wish to pursue at LSE.

English proficiency

Please visit our Undergraduate English Language requirements page for acceptable tests and exemptions.

Applicants who are made a conditional offer of admission based on the provision of an acceptable English language test score must submit official evidence by 31 July 2024.