MA in Political Science
Course Overview
The MA in Political Science at LSLPE is a 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 is a research-informed political-science Master's covering research design, quantitative and qualitative methods, formal theory and applied policy analysis. Modules trace how political-science method is used inside Whitehall analytical services, the leading UK think tanks and the international-affairs community.
By graduation you will have designed and executed a piece of original applied research, produced Whitehall-standard briefings, run a large-N regression analysis on political data, and completed a dissertation, capstone or sponsor consulting project of around 15,000 words for a government department, think tank or campaign body.
Key Features
- UK Level 7 MA with dissertation, capstone or sponsor consulting project.
- Reading list aligned with Political Studies Association (PSA), British International Studies Association (BISA) and Institute for Government (IfG) publication conventions.
- Senior seminars run in a case-room and select-committee tradition.
- Applied labs in R and Stata for political-science quantitative work.
- Live-client sponsor projects with Whitehall, think-tank or campaign partners.
- Structured articulation into MPhil and PhD routes at partner universities.
What You Will Learn
- Design a political-science research project at MA standard.
- Apply quantitative and qualitative research methods to political data.
- Interpret formal-theory and rational-choice results.
- Draft a Whitehall-standard briefing at senior seminar standard.
- Run regression, matching and text-analysis models on political data.
- Read comparative-politics and IR literatures at MA standard.
- Prepare an MA-standard dissertation of around 15,000 words.
- Present findings at senior-seminar standard.
Who This Course Is For
- Working analysts in Whitehall, think tanks or public-affairs consultancies.
- Bachelor's graduates progressing to senior political-science practice.
- Career-changers from journalism or campaigning into policy analysis.
- International applicants preparing for senior public-service or multilateral roles.
- Aspiring parliamentary researchers and think-tank associates.
Career Pathways
- Political Analyst
- Parliamentary Researcher
- Policy Adviser
- Think Tank Researcher
- Public Affairs Consultant
- Election Analyst
- Government Relations Manager
- Strategic Intelligence Analyst
The LSLPE careers service links MA in Political Science students with Whitehall analytical services, IfG and Chatham House-adjacent think tanks and City public-affairs consultancies.
Entry Requirements
- A UK Bachelor's degree (2:2 or above) or equivalent international qualification in a relevant discipline.
- 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 political analysis or public policy are considered on portfolio.
- One academic and one professional reference.
- A 500-word research proposal or professional practice statement.
Why Study at LSLPE
LSLPE reads political science inside a school where the legal and economic dimensions of political outcomes are taught alongside the discipline's own methods. The MA sits in small senior-seminar cohorts led by staff drawn from academic, Whitehall and think-tank practice.
Central London puts Parliament, Whitehall, IfG, Chatham House and the LSE-adjacent research cluster within a short tube ride of every seminar. Three parallel study modes let senior practitioners complete the MA without leaving employment, and the careers service refreshes curriculum alignment annually against PSA and BISA guidance.
Apply for MA in Political Science
Places are offered on rolling intakes. Enrol on an LSLPE Master's programme, dissertation, capstone or sponsor project supervised by practising barristers, policy advisers and City economists. Enrol Now.
