What's your thought on LSE?

[kimkegaard]

Is LSE Msc one-year degree recognized in America? Would I be on par with SIPA, SFS, SAIS graduates when I am job hunting?

[Cornell07]

If I had to posit a guess, I would say "No, it does not stack up against American two year programs". LSE offers the most purely academic curriculum of any school, which essentially entails writing 6 modestly sized research papers (30-40 pages) and attending a few guided reading seminars. It is my impression that the program is largely self-taught. Do not expect to do crisis simulations, policy memos, or any of the other trainings that are entailed within other American two year programs. Even Yale offers all of the above.

Furthermore, one year programs seem to not carry very much gravitas in academia. For example, if you ever wanted to apply to a PhD program and you hoped to place out of the Masters degree portion of a PhD program, you will not be able to do so because most programs require a TWO year masters to qualify for advanced standing. Still, having a masters from LSE would not hurt you as it shows that you can do graduate level work and perform substantive research.

[fall09]

I got my BSc from LSE and while this is not the same as an MA, there are some common points that may help you. First, LSE is very well recognised in the US and has served as a door opener on many occasions. Second, there is a considerable discrepancy between MA programmes (in the IR or public policy/affairs fields) in Europe and the US in that European MA's tend to be more theoretical than the US ones. So while I would highly recommend an MA at LSE if you are looking for a more theoretical degree similar to the IR MA at Yale, I wouldn't if you are looking for a more practical programme comparable to the MA at Georgetown's SFS. Third, if you are worried about the fact that it is a one-year programme, I wouldn't. The programmes are very rigorous and I frequently hear from people expressing their disappointed with the academic depth in comparable US programmes, but again, this is likely to be down to the difference in the nature and focus of the programmes.

[junebug62]

Anecdotal, but I know of two people who got a State Department job and another foreign policy position with an MsC from LSE. I've seen it on several people's resumes as well. People know what it is and you can get a job. Maybe that won't make it super easy for you with a convenient on campus job fair, recruitment session, or US-centric student network, but it is no door closed in your face.

In my opinion, "practical" means I can and will learn it on the job anyway, so why should I learn it in school? But others may like to point to specific examples of applicable class exercises/coursework, particularly if they are switching to a new career or just starting out. So there are good arguments for both sides. Do what you like. If you have the drive/personality/intelligence, you can still get jobs.

[stilesg57]

If I had to posit a guess, I would say "No, it does not stack up against American two year programs"

I would agree, except for what I've seen abroad. Here in China, LSE, Oxford, and Cambridge are the three "known" schools outside America, and LSE is considered very highly amongst both private and public sector employees here. Also, an undergrad friend of mine turned their MSc in IR at LSE into a fully funded PhD program Justice and PoliSci at UC Berkeley. I think in the American business and non-profit sectors LSE is a secondary school, but pretty much everywhere else in the WORLD it is considered a top-notch degree, even ahead of many American university programs that like to consider themselves "stronger and more prestigious" than the Brits. Just an observation: from what I've seen in my current position (in which I'm the lone American and there 7 British Crown and former Colony university students/graduates), I'd say LSE is a fine place to go!