The Student Room Group
Carr Saunders Halls, LSE
London School of Economics
London

Bsc in Int'nl Relations and History

Hello all,

I am seriously considering firming my offer from LSE for this course.

Any input on this course? I cannot seem to find much information from the internet other than the stuff on the LSE website.

Thanks!
Reply 1
International Relations is a good course, although I am a little biased as I'm doing it. London School of Economics are renowned for their course in the United Kingdom and it's a great university to go to if you are confident of getting the grades I would firm it. Out of interest where were your other applications at?
Carr Saunders Halls, LSE
London School of Economics
London
Reply 2
St Andrews rejected me for the exact same course while I got offers from Bristol, Durham and Warwick for similar courses
I'm doing BSc Government and History; so I don't know about IR. History is great though! 1st year undergrad history courses can feel a bit all over the place, as they try to give you a bit of everything. But the history module I picked for this year (HY113) is really interesting; amazing lecturers. The reading lists have plenty on for you to choose from; it's very flexible.
Reply 4
How is that a bachelor of science?
hi advantine! i'm from singapore too doing international relations!!!! are you heading over this sept? i've got similar offers from warwick as well! EPAIS and PAIS! really torn between warwick and lse though, cause of the econnomics part
Reply 6
Original post by Advantine
Hello all,

I am seriously considering firming my offer from LSE for this course.

Any input on this course? I cannot seem to find much information from the internet other than the stuff on the LSE website.

Thanks!


It's a great course. I myself take pure IR, but know many people doing IR and History. The key difference is that when taking pure IR, you have a little more flexibility when it comes to choosing your modules. For IR and History, there are more compulsory modules because you've got to fulfill the requirements of two departments. E.g. for me, I could choose a total of 4 outside options out of 9 (will most probably by 3/9 for a typical IR student as I suspended regulations), but for an IR/History person, I think the maximum you can choose is 2 or 3.

Also, from an IR perspective, going IR/History MAY lock you out of some 3rd year IR courses, depending on how you go about in choosing your modules year on year, and they are in my opinion the most interesting ones out there. But of course you'll make up for that with some amazing history modules. My favourite first year course was a history one. The history department's expertise is in international and European history though, so don't expect a ton of courses on East Asian / African history.

I'd definitely pick LSE over your other UCAS offers, hands down.
Reply 7
thanks for your comments :smile:
firmed it for year of entry in 2013!

@youdrivemelazy 6 more months to ord!!! :biggrin:D
Reply 8
Original post by Advantine
thanks for your comments :smile:
firmed it for year of entry in 2013!

@youdrivemelazy 6 more months to ord!!! :biggrin:D


Congratulations! While other schools may be good for more general politics degrees or history, LSE is hands-down the best outside of the US for IR. I really can't think of another UK school that has as many big names in IR: Barry Buzan, Kim Hutchings, Hedley Bull, Chris Brown, Christopher Coker... Karl Popper if you ever decide to study epistemology as part of your course. The English School was pretty much born there and it's home to a very well respected European IR journal (Millenium). The only other UK school I could think of that has anywhere close to as much history and respect for its IR program is Aberystwyth, which essentially started IR as a distinct social science. They have Milja Kurki, Ken Booth, and Andrew Linklater if you're keeping track of academics... Point being, you made the right choice. I'm just surprised it wasn't easier... :wink:
Original post by aftrglw
Congratulations! While other schools may be good for more general politics degrees or history, LSE is hands-down the best outside of the US for IR. I really can't think of another UK school that has as many big names in IR: Barry Buzan, Kim Hutchings, Hedley Bull, Chris Brown, Christopher Coker... Karl Popper if you ever decide to study epistemology as part of your course. The English School was pretty much born there and it's home to a very well respected European IR journal (Millenium). The only other UK school I could think of that has anywhere close to as much history and respect for its IR program is Aberystwyth, which essentially started IR as a distinct social science. They have Milja Kurki, Ken Booth, and Andrew Linklater if you're keeping track of academics... Point being, you made the right choice. I'm just surprised it wasn't easier... :wink:


I fully agree that the OP clearly made the right choice on LSE over his other options. However, if he had received an IR offer for St Andrews it would have been a very tough choice. It really comes down to what you want to study and your preferred ambiance. If it’s general IR and English School theory, go with the LSE; if it’s critical theory go with Aberystwyth; if it’s security studies go with St Andrews; War Studies (which has significant overlap with IR), then King’s College London is your best bet. The LSE is a small, relatively modern campus, in a major world city. St Andrews is an ancient university in a coastal Scottish town. Also, I’m not sure how important tracking academics is at the undergraduate level. At the LSE undergraduates tend not to get as much interaction with the big names as postgraduates; academics often move around or retire, and over time all of them expire. Your list of LSE faculty is a good example: Barry Buzan (retired), Kim Hutchings (less interaction with undergraduates), Hedley Bull (dead), Chris Brown (less interaction with undergraduates), Chris Coker (less interaction with undergraduates), and Karl Popper (dead).
Reply 10
Original post by War and Peace
I fully agree that the OP clearly made the right choice on LSE over his other options. However, if he had received an IR offer for St Andrews it would have been a very tough choice. It really comes down to what you want to study and your preferred ambiance. If it’s general IR and English School theory, go with the LSE; if it’s critical theory go with Aberystwyth; if it’s security studies go with St Andrews; War Studies (which has significant overlap with IR), then King’s College London is your best bet. The LSE is a small, relatively modern campus, in a major world city. St Andrews is an ancient university in a coastal Scottish town. Also, I’m not sure how important tracking academics is at the undergraduate level. At the LSE undergraduates tend not to get as much interaction with the big names as postgraduates; academics often move around or retire, and over time all of them expire. Your list of LSE faculty is a good example: Barry Buzan (retired), Kim Hutchings (less interaction with undergraduates), Hedley Bull (dead), Chris Brown (less interaction with undergraduates), Chris Coker (less interaction with undergraduates), and Karl Popper (dead).


Buzan is still around sometimes, he was forced to retire and doesn't teach, but you can still get ahold of him if you need him. Obviously, I know Popper and Bull are dead, my point was simply that they're part of what made the program as well known as it is... not that the OP is going to be able to debate the fine points of feminist security theory with Hutchings or positivism with Popper, because obviously he's not (well, I guess he could sign up for Hutching's office hours if he really wanted). Similarly, he won't be able to edit Millenium as far as I know. These things simply filter into the school's reputation, which can be useful after you graduate.

Additionally, you're somewhat overstating the case for St Andrews and KCL... their IR programs aren't comparative, even if you're really interested in security. I think LSE and Aberystwyth still have a better reputation for IR that trumps whatever reputation KCL and St Andrews have for being specialized. Basically, while he should pay attention to location (e.g. don't go to LSE if you don't want to go to uni in a city), if you're talking about reputation LSE and Aberystwyth are just better for IR, period.
Original post by Fynch101
How is that a bachelor of science?


ha yeah came on to this thread to ask the same question. I think too long without real science has left LSE confused.
Original post by aftrglw
Buzan is still around sometimes, he was forced to retire and doesn't teach, but you can still get ahold of him if you need him. Obviously, I know Popper and Bull are dead, my point was simply that they're part of what made the program as well known as it is... not that the OP is going to be able to debate the fine points of feminist security theory with Hutchings or positivism with Popper, because obviously he's not (well, I guess he could sign up for Hutching's office hours if he really wanted). Similarly, he won't be able to edit Millenium as far as I know. These things simply filter into the school's reputation, which can be useful after you graduate.

Additionally, you're somewhat overstating the case for St Andrews and KCL... their IR programs aren't comparative, even if you're really interested in security. I think LSE and Aberystwyth still have a better reputation for IR that trumps whatever reputation KCL and St Andrews have for being specialized. Basically, while he should pay attention to location (e.g. don't go to LSE if you don't want to go to uni in a city), if you're talking about reputation LSE and Aberystwyth are just better for IR, period.


I agree on the location bit, but not on the part about KCL and St Andrews. LSE doesn’t really do much traditional security and for the most part Aberystwyth takes a critical approach. You wouldn’t do the IR program (which isn't their strongest) at KCL to focus on security; you’d do War Studies. St Andrews focuses almost exclusively on security, with some theory, peace studies, and regional studies thrown in for good measure. Also, the LSE is more focused on postgraduates while St Andrews is really concerned with developing undergraduates.

Again, it all depends on your interests and choice of location. LSE, St Andrews, Aberystwyth, KCL, and Oxford have the best IR/ISS programs in the UK so none would be a bad choice. Faculty members at these institutions understand that each specializes in different areas. If you talked to Buzan or other members of the LSE faculty about where to study war or terrorism from a traditional perspective, they would likely suggest going to KCL or St Andrews.
Reply 13
Original post by a.partridge
ha yeah came on to this thread to ask the same question. I think too long without real science has left LSE confused.


Social science subjects are awarded BScs. You'd be surprised to know how much statistics and statistical tools are used in some research areas of IR and government. Whether or not that makes those subjects 'real' science is debatable, but it definitely excludes them from being called humanities.
Original post by kenk
Social science subjects are awarded BScs. You'd be surprised to know how much statistics and statistical tools are used in some research areas of IR and government. Whether or not that makes those subjects 'real' science is debatable, but it definitely excludes them from being called humanities.


In international relations and history?

I know that a lot of statistics are used, just like in science - however using statistics/mathematical methods is not what makes a science so It wouldnt be a very long debate

feynman can explain: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaO69CF5mbY

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