Help! LSE or UCL for American postgrad? So confused!
I hope that somebody may be able to kindly offer me advice. I have offers from UCL and LSE and can't decide which to accept. I will be studying International Migration. At UCL it is called "Global Migration" and at LSE it is "International Migration and Public Policy". The program is brand new at LSE, and only a few years old at UCL. Price is about the same, as is housing....
I like the idea of studying at UCL because of the diversity in terms of subjects taught at the University. However, I am afraid that rejecting an offer from LSE may be a bad idea considering how well-known it is/prestige. In the U.S. I have the impression that LSE is better known. I know both schools are supposed to be amazing however I am unable to make this decision. Any advice or sharing of personal experiences would be greatly appreciated!
I like the idea of studying at UCL because of the diversity in terms of subjects taught at the University. However, I am afraid that rejecting an offer from LSE may be a bad idea considering how well-known it is/prestige. In the U.S. I have the impression that LSE is better known. I know both schools are supposed to be amazing however I am unable to make this decision. Any advice or sharing of personal experiences would be greatly appreciated!
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Original post by amysarah
I hope that somebody may be able to kindly offer me advice. I have offers from UCL and LSE and can't decide which to accept. I will be studying International Migration. At UCL it is called "Global Migration" and at LSE it is "International Migration and Public Policy". The program is brand new at LSE, and only a few years old at UCL. Price is about the same, as is housing....
I like the idea of studying at UCL because of the diversity in terms of subjects taught at the University. However, I am afraid that rejecting an offer from LSE may be a bad idea considering how well-known it is/prestige. In the U.S. I have the impression that LSE is better known. I know both schools are supposed to be amazing however I am unable to make this decision. Any advice or sharing of personal experiences would be greatly appreciated!
I like the idea of studying at UCL because of the diversity in terms of subjects taught at the University. However, I am afraid that rejecting an offer from LSE may be a bad idea considering how well-known it is/prestige. In the U.S. I have the impression that LSE is better known. I know both schools are supposed to be amazing however I am unable to make this decision. Any advice or sharing of personal experiences would be greatly appreciated!
They are more or less identical, separated by about 1/2 a mile of one road in north/central London. Look at the staff in each faculty/university and go with the one that has the staff that are most engaged in the area of the subject you most want to work in after the degree.
The prestige of a university depends on the environment you are testing it in. The US layman on UK universities might just have heard of LSE and not UCL, but what a small slither, considering most US laymen couldn't point to the UK on a map! So if you are talking about prestige as measured by US academia, then most will know of both LSE and UCL, and they will more likely be measuring prestige by the location of key staff. Hence if you choose the dept with the staff specialising in the area you want to work in, chances are that is what your future peers will rate as the more prestigious anyway.
No-one knows which universities you turned down unless you tell them, and what a strange question for anyone to ask anyway! Do you really think that is a useful consideration?
Original post by threeportdrift
They are more or less identical, separated by about 1/2 a mile of one road in north/central London. Look at the staff in each faculty/university and go with the one that has the staff that are most engaged in the area of the subject you most want to work in after the degree.
The prestige of a university depends on the environment you are testing it in. The US layman on UK universities might just have heard of LSE and not UCL, but what a small slither, considering most US laymen couldn't point to the UK on a map! So if you are talking about prestige as measured by US academia, then most will know of both LSE and UCL, and they will more likely be measuring prestige by the location of key staff. Hence if you choose the dept with the staff specialising in the area you want to work in, chances are that is what your future peers will rate as the more prestigious anyway.
No-one knows which universities you turned down unless you tell them, and what a strange question for anyone to ask anyway! Do you really think that is a useful consideration?
The prestige of a university depends on the environment you are testing it in. The US layman on UK universities might just have heard of LSE and not UCL, but what a small slither, considering most US laymen couldn't point to the UK on a map! So if you are talking about prestige as measured by US academia, then most will know of both LSE and UCL, and they will more likely be measuring prestige by the location of key staff. Hence if you choose the dept with the staff specialising in the area you want to work in, chances are that is what your future peers will rate as the more prestigious anyway.
No-one knows which universities you turned down unless you tell them, and what a strange question for anyone to ask anyway! Do you really think that is a useful consideration?
Thank you very much for taking the time to write. It's just a lot of money and I want to make sure that I don't have any regrets after I make my decision. Professors at both Universities seem incredible. In the field, I am sure all are well respected.... Thanks again for your help and I am sure there is not one right or wrong way to go with this. Unfortunately living so far away I can't visit easily, so I will just have to choose!
Original post by amysarah
Thank you very much for taking the time to write. It's just a lot of money and I want to make sure that I don't have any regrets after I make my decision. Professors at both Universities seem incredible. In the field, I am sure all are well respected.... Thanks again for your help and I am sure there is not one right or wrong way to go with this. Unfortunately living so far away I can't visit easily, so I will just have to choose!
Well in terms of location, they are virtually in the same place.
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/locations/ucl-maps
This shows UCL, and LSE is almost immediately of the bottom right of the first UCL map. Birckbeck and SOAS are in between.
I suspect that LSE students live a little further out of their site than UCL students do. Unless in halls, there is little affordable accommodation around LSE, the nearest is probably Camden, which is the area immediately to the north of UCL.
From memory, LSE has less of a campus feel than UCL, which has the main courtyard, portico etc at the heart of its estate. However, that may well not be much of a consideration. They are both close enough that there is little or nothing to choose between them on location.
LSE's prestige tends to be based more upon it's finance and economics courses. UCL makes a lot out of its branding as London's Global University, though I'm not sure that it is more international than LSE.
You should explore your subject website and staff in depth, then look at the university websites and get a feel for the style and substance between the two places. Then make a decision based on gut instinct. With offers from both, you really are in a win-win situation and are unlikely to lose by choosing one over the other.
The average Joe in the US hasn't heard of either LSE or UCL. In fact, the only universities he may have heard of outside of the US are Oxford and Cambridge due to their history and famous scholarships programs including Rhodes and Gates. All academics on the other hand know and respect both schools as essentially the next best universities after Oxbridge outside of the US. The recruitment prospects at these schools are as good as can be. In fact, the London location gives UCL and LSE graduates a slight advantage over Oxbridge grads when it comes to finding a job if I remember correctly.
For migration studies I would probably go for UCL. Although in an ideal world for refugee studies/migration studies I'd have probably opted for QEH at Oxford uni. Both however are great unis and I don't think you'd go far wrong with either. UCL have Dwyer on the books atm I think too don't they? not to mention the migration institution which I believe she was/is a director of? I could be wrong.
Anyway, personally I'd probably go for UCL. What aspects of migration are you interested in? Personally I was always more interested in migration/diaspora and transnational identity construction + geopolitics, in which case UCL would probably be the better course for my specific interests. What I am trying to say here is, check out what work goes on in each, see what tickles your pickle then choose accordingly. It all depends what interests you, not me, at the end of the day.
hope that rambling answer helps in some way.
Anyway, personally I'd probably go for UCL. What aspects of migration are you interested in? Personally I was always more interested in migration/diaspora and transnational identity construction + geopolitics, in which case UCL would probably be the better course for my specific interests. What I am trying to say here is, check out what work goes on in each, see what tickles your pickle then choose accordingly. It all depends what interests you, not me, at the end of the day.
hope that rambling answer helps in some way.
Yeah, I might face similar problem since I got offer from LSE and applied to UCL. If UCL gives me an offer, it might be a tough choice. However, I am leaning towards UCL.
In World university rankings UCL is almost always higher than LSE.
In British university rankings, LSE is almost always higher than UCL.
UCL is a real university (in traditional sense of the word), and it covers wide range of programs, from economics to psychology, from mathematics to physics. LSE, on the other hand, only does social science and is excellent in economics, finance and related fields, but barely in anything else. It really is more of a business school than a university. Therefore, unless you plan to work in an investment bank or do economic research, you are better off with UCL.
In World university rankings UCL is almost always higher than LSE.
In British university rankings, LSE is almost always higher than UCL.
UCL is a real university (in traditional sense of the word), and it covers wide range of programs, from economics to psychology, from mathematics to physics. LSE, on the other hand, only does social science and is excellent in economics, finance and related fields, but barely in anything else. It really is more of a business school than a university. Therefore, unless you plan to work in an investment bank or do economic research, you are better off with UCL.
I don't mean to undermine you or anything Jan, but LSE isn't just banking/finance. Its history is heavily embroiled with the Fabians, traditionally it was associated with liberal thinking and progressive social science research. It still remains strong in law, politics, sociology, anthropology and geography amongst others. It seems to have this connotation as a business school these days, whereas in reality i'm not so sure it gives it all the credit it deserves. Anyway, that said, I know exactly what you're getting at and agree, it is a very specialist institution nevertheless.
UCL is a great uni anyway. I have quite a few friends who attended UCL (in this department) and loved it, so really can't say much against it. Likewise I thought LSE was a great uni, top notch facilities and to this day remains my library of choice for all things social science.
The reason in this context I would probably take UCL however, is because of it's geography department... it's great. Likewise Durham (although they don't offer much in non research Postgrad study) and Oxford have great departments for geography, and migration in particular.
UCL is a great uni anyway. I have quite a few friends who attended UCL (in this department) and loved it, so really can't say much against it. Likewise I thought LSE was a great uni, top notch facilities and to this day remains my library of choice for all things social science.
The reason in this context I would probably take UCL however, is because of it's geography department... it's great. Likewise Durham (although they don't offer much in non research Postgrad study) and Oxford have great departments for geography, and migration in particular.
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by janjanmmm
Yeah, I might face similar problem since I got offer from LSE and applied to UCL. If UCL gives me an offer, it might be a tough choice. However, I am leaning towards UCL.
In World university rankings UCL is almost always higher than LSE.
In British university rankings, LSE is almost always higher than UCL.
UCL is a real university (in traditional sense of the word), and it covers wide range of programs, from economics to psychology, from mathematics to physics. LSE, on the other hand, only does social science and is excellent in economics, finance and related fields, but barely in anything else. It really is more of a business school than a university. Therefore, unless you plan to work in an investment bank or do economic research, you are better off with UCL.
In World university rankings UCL is almost always higher than LSE.
In British university rankings, LSE is almost always higher than UCL.
UCL is a real university (in traditional sense of the word), and it covers wide range of programs, from economics to psychology, from mathematics to physics. LSE, on the other hand, only does social science and is excellent in economics, finance and related fields, but barely in anything else. It really is more of a business school than a university. Therefore, unless you plan to work in an investment bank or do economic research, you are better off with UCL.
Original post by Hanshen
I don't mean to undermine you or anything Jan, but LSE isn't just banking/finance. Its history is heavily embroiled with the Fabians, traditionally it was associated with liberal thinking and progressive social science research. It still remains strong in law, politics, sociology, anthropology and geography amongst others. It seems to have this connotation as a business school these days, whereas in reality i'm not so sure it gives it all the credit it deserves. Anyway, that said, I know exactly what you're getting at and agree, it is a very specialist institution nevertheless.
UCL is certainly a good uni, but I lean more towards Hanshen's perspective here. The reason LSE does not do so well in the international rankings is that the methodology penalises the narrower focus of the school. But it is not a "business school" - it is a social sciences school. Yes, they have a good record placing people in IBs etc. But they also have a top-class reputation in politics and related subjects, which is hardly "business school" ish.
Personally, if I was doing anything related to either economics or politics, and if funding wasn't an issue, and particularly if I was not planning to stay in the UK, unless there was a particular niche UCL was known for (in the vein that eg Kings College is known for War Studies), I would choose LSE.
Ghost6, your help is deeply appreciated. I think you are right about the London location as advantageous. Hopefully I will be able to volunteer while in the program. At Oxford or Cambridge it would be much more difficult to work with refugees in my "free" time. Thank you so much again for your help.
Thank you so much again for your help.It is interesting because UCL has the degree out of the Geography department, and the other is out of the Government department (LSE). I am very curious to know where you studied Hanshen. I am interested in going on to work immediately after, not teach or research. I would like to work with the International Organization for Migration in the Mediterranean (hopefully in Italy where I used to live) or else with the Office of Refugee Resettlement with the U.S. government. Or any other resettlement agency would be great. I may go on to study law after, however the only reason I would do this would be to study International Refugee Law.
Thank you, Hanshen, for your really helpful comments regarding my dilemma.
Thank you, Hanshen, for your really helpful comments regarding my dilemma.
i have studied at both (msc european studies at lse and llm european law at ucl) and if i had the choice now i would probably go to ucl all else (and especially the quality of the programme) being equal.
lse is on a much smaller site and doesn't really have the feel of a campus university if that's what you are used to. ucl is a bit more spread out. and personally i prefer bloomsbury to holborn as an area of london.
lse is on a much smaller site and doesn't really have the feel of a campus university if that's what you are used to. ucl is a bit more spread out. and personally i prefer bloomsbury to holborn as an area of london.
Original post by amysarah
I hope that somebody may be able to kindly offer me advice. I have offers from UCL and LSE and can't decide which to accept. I will be studying International Migration. At UCL it is called "Global Migration" and at LSE it is "International Migration and Public Policy". The program is brand new at LSE, and only a few years old at UCL. Price is about the same, as is housing....
I like the idea of studying at UCL because of the diversity in terms of subjects taught at the University. However, I am afraid that rejecting an offer from LSE may be a bad idea considering how well-known it is/prestige. In the U.S. I have the impression that LSE is better known. I know both schools are supposed to be amazing however I am unable to make this decision. Any advice or sharing of personal experiences would be greatly appreciated!
I like the idea of studying at UCL because of the diversity in terms of subjects taught at the University. However, I am afraid that rejecting an offer from LSE may be a bad idea considering how well-known it is/prestige. In the U.S. I have the impression that LSE is better known. I know both schools are supposed to be amazing however I am unable to make this decision. Any advice or sharing of personal experiences would be greatly appreciated!
Firstly, I believe that due to UCL's more global student body and emphasis on international awareness your course will get a boost (personal experience as international student). Also UCL has very high emphasis on its postgrad curriculum+the place is a wonderful mix of classroom and non conventional learning.
I am in the same position. Waiting to hear back from LSE, but pretty sure I have convinced myself to go to UCL. Accepted to the MSc in International Public Policy and waiting to hear from LSE on MSc in Government and Politics in the EU. Kind of different programs, but I would use both in NGO work. From what I have read here UCL seems like the place to go. Does anyone know any specifics/first-hand knowledge of the IPP program?
Original post by janjanmmm
Yeah, I might face similar problem since I got offer from LSE and applied to UCL. If UCL gives me an offer, it might be a tough choice. However, I am leaning towards UCL.
In World university rankings UCL is almost always higher than LSE.
In British university rankings, LSE is almost always higher than UCL.
UCL is a real university (in traditional sense of the word), and it covers wide range of programs, from economics to psychology, from mathematics to physics. LSE, on the other hand, only does social science and is excellent in economics, finance and related fields, but barely in anything else. It really is more of a business school than a university. Therefore, unless you plan to work in an investment bank or do economic research, you are better off with UCL.
In World university rankings UCL is almost always higher than LSE.
In British university rankings, LSE is almost always higher than UCL.
UCL is a real university (in traditional sense of the word), and it covers wide range of programs, from economics to psychology, from mathematics to physics. LSE, on the other hand, only does social science and is excellent in economics, finance and related fields, but barely in anything else. It really is more of a business school than a university. Therefore, unless you plan to work in an investment bank or do economic research, you are better off with UCL.
I'm trying to moderate my response, LSE IS NOT A BUSINESS SCHOOL, and the fact that you think that shows only one thing, you know nothing about the school at all.
I'm a alum of LSE and currently studying at UCL, both are great, LSE has more international students, basically you can not go wrong with either.
Original post by mgarthwaite1330
I'm trying to moderate my response, LSE IS NOT A BUSINESS SCHOOL, and the fact that you think that shows only one thing, you know nothing about the school at all.
I'm a alum of LSE and currently studying at UCL, both are great, LSE has more international students, basically you can not go wrong with either.
I'm a alum of LSE and currently studying at UCL, both are great, LSE has more international students, basically you can not go wrong with either.
I did not say it was a business school, I said it was "more of a business school" (than university in a traditional sense of a word).
Read before you comment.
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by warlock
It really is a win-win situation for you.
However, you have my vote for LSE. I think it edges UCL by a small margin. Having spent some time in the US myself, that is what my 'hunch' is telling me.
Out of curiosity, why opt for a UK postgrad degree?
However, you have my vote for LSE. I think it edges UCL by a small margin. Having spent some time in the US myself, that is what my 'hunch' is telling me.
Out of curiosity, why opt for a UK postgrad degree?
Thank you for your note and advice. I am going to go with LSE also because now I have been granted some outside funding by attending LSE. I decided to study in the U.K. because in my field, there are no Masters programs in the U.S which offer this degree (at least to my knowledge). There are universities that offer certificate programs, but I have not found any Masters. And I love Europe,, so it works out very well! I am also interested in E.U. migration policy, so it makes sense to study in Europe.
Thank you again for your help! I am really looking forward to London...
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