MA in Interdisciplinary Political Studies
Course Overview
The MA in Interdisciplinary Political Studies at LSLPE is a research-informed UK Level 7 Master's degree running one year full-time or two years part-time across on-campus, online and distance routes. The programme treats political questions as inherently interdisciplinary: they cannot be answered by political science alone, and require the tools of law, economics, sociology and area studies. It is aligned with the guidance of the Political Studies Association and the British International Studies Association, and closes with a substantial dissertation.
By graduation you will have produced a portfolio of Chatham House-style briefs on cross-cutting political questions, contributed to seminars in the select-committee tradition, delivered a mixed-methods research paper for peer review, and defended a 12,000 to 15,000 word dissertation to a supervisor drawn from Whitehall alumni networks or the think-tank ecosystem.
Key Features
- Weekly seminars taught by tutors drawn from political science, law, economics and area studies.
- Curriculum aligned with Political Studies Association (PSA) and British International Studies Association (BISA) guidance.
- Supervised dissertation with academic and, where relevant, practitioner co-supervisor.
- Cross-disciplinary methods stream covering quantitative, qualitative and mixed designs.
- Guest seminars with Chatham House-adjacent researchers and IfG analysts.
- Careers day links to think tanks, government departments and international bodies.
What You Will Learn
- Contemporary political theory and its application to policy debates.
- Comparative politics and area studies for the UK, EU, US and beyond.
- Political economy at senior level, drawing on both PSA and RES traditions.
- Public and constitutional law dimensions of political questions.
- Quantitative political-science methods including regression and causal inference.
- Qualitative methods including interviewing, coding and process tracing.
- Public-facing writing for policy audiences.
- Dissertation design, ethics approval and defence.
Who This Course Is For
- Policy officers and civil servants moving into senior grades or research tracks.
- Think-tank staff progressing to fellow or senior researcher status.
- Journalists and campaigners building rigorous methods evidence.
- International applicants working across political systems.
- Graduates preparing for doctoral research in political science or interdisciplinary studies.
Career Pathways
- Policy Adviser inside a Whitehall department or executive agency.
- Political Analyst at a think tank or research house.
- Think Tank Researcher at the IFS, IfG, ODI or a comparable body.
- Public Affairs Consultant advising City or NGO clients on political exposure.
- International Affairs Officer at an international body.
- Global Affairs Analyst in a research institute or intelligence practice.
- Political Communications Officer inside a campaign or advocacy body.
The LSLPE careers service runs at least one careers day each academic year connecting MA students with Whitehall recruiters, think-tank principals and international body hiring managers.
Entry Requirements
- A UK Bachelor's degree (2:2 or above) or equivalent international qualification in politics, law, economics or a cognate social science.
- IELTS 6.5 overall (no band below 6.0) for non-native English speakers.
- Applicants without a Bachelor's degree but with 5+ years of senior professional experience in policy, government or research are considered on portfolio.
- One academic and one professional reference.
- A 500-word research proposal or professional practice statement for the MA in Interdisciplinary Political Studies.
Why Study at LSLPE
LSLPE is a specialist division of Harold International College of London that reads politics, law and economics as three interlocking disciplines. The MA in Interdisciplinary Political Studies sits at their meeting point and is delivered in small, tutor-visible cohorts using the case-room and select-committee tradition.
Central London places Parliament, Whitehall, the Institute for Government, Chatham House and the LSE-adjacent think-tank ecosystem within a short tube ride of every classroom. Online and distance students join the same weekly seminar structure with named programme-tutor support.
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