The Student Room Group

Warwick or LSE? Not such an obvious choice…

I am having another first world problem. I am currently a paralegal wanting to become a human rights/ civil liberties solicitor. I have been accepted by Warwick for LLM in Int Development Law and Human Rights and for Msc in HR at LSE (regrettably not LLM, although at Msc they let you to take some modules from the law school).
I want to do masters to boost up my CV but mainly for my own personal satisfaction and intellectual challenge. I know that having an LLM does not directly translate into better job opportunities, but, as I said it’s one of those things in life that have always been my dream.

Now, I am not sure which uni to choose: Warwick is cheaper (£8k), has a very interesting curriculum, has an advantage of being an LLM and is based in campus outside London with significantly lower costs of living than in the capital. On the other side, LSE has a world-wide reputation, only, I am not certain if it justifies the costs (£15k), obviously much higher living costs and the pain of everyday commuting.
I would be self-funding the course (mostly likely with a bank loan) as I am not eligible for the postgrad SF loan and I was not awarded any scholarship at LSE (Warwick remains to be seen but competition is fierce so I am being realistic it may also be the case).

I would be grateful for any insight, in particular from people who have done either of those two courses and those who can comment on their overall reputation. I feel like my heart is saying Warwick but my ego is saying LSE.

Thank you in advance.
LSE.... opens you up to another world...


Warwick... ugh im not a fan of the overblown valuations. Its just another Russell group, just because they require one letter more at Undergrad on offers doesnt make then that much more elite.

They offer places with same frequency as my uni Nottingham and seem to be risen up on some pestal of superior teaching.

Its not the case.

LSE has a global name synonomous with elite,

You leave this country people will have likely heard very little of Warwick.
Reply 2
My understanding is that Warwick offers LLM which combines Int development and HR which particularly appealed to me. Why do you say i would not be able to live on campus? I thought postgrad students can get on campus accommodation...

I will be going into practice, I've got my LPC almost finished. So I am looking at the reputation of those unis from practitioners' point of view (if, any).
Reply 3
haha that made me laugh
Whilst I appreciate your concerns about my future, please note that in this thread I am not asking for an opinion whether I should go back to uni but which uni to pick, out of two offers. As I have outlined, I am not doing an LLM to boost up my TC chances/ career opportunities but because I want to. Simples. :smile:

And yes, there are firms specialising in HR-related work: Bindmans, Leigh Day, HJA, to name a few.
Reply 4
I suppose we just have to agree to disagree on the matter of LLM and it's usefulness. I think I have made it quite clear I am not looking for an investment or something that directly translates into a TC. I know that an LLM does not and I am ok with that.

If you have any comments about either LSE or Warwick and their LLM programms I am happy to hear them out.
Reply 5
thank you :smile:
Reply 6
What are your specific interests within the field of international human rights? If you have a critical stance, broadly understood, towards HR, LSE is one of the best places in the world to study. This is also the case if you have a particular interest in the relationship between human rights and gender, human rights and economic development, etc.
Reply 7
Original post by bicmark
What are your specific interests within the field of international human rights? If you have a critical stance, broadly understood, towards HR, LSE is one of the best places in the world to study. This is also the case if you have a particular interest in the relationship between human rights and gender, human rights and economic development, etc.


Yes, mainly gender and corporate responsibility. But, having said that, I am very keen to just dive into stuff I never heard of, to broaden my horizons.
I know there is no escape from LSE's reputation. I think I have made that thread mainly to find out more about Warwick tbh :wink:
Reply 8
Original post by 7Anita7
Yes, mainly gender and corporate responsibility. But, having said that, I am very keen to just dive into stuff I never heard of, to broaden my horizons.
I know there is no escape from LSE's reputation. I think I have made that thread mainly to find out more about Warwick tbh :wink:


Makes sense! I was speaking out of experience rather than reputation, though! And I can only say to you that, having somewhat similar interests, I love that place.

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