LSE vs Sciences Po / University of Toronto

Hi!

I'm trying to decide between
1. LSE MSc International Political Economy (1 yr)
2. Dual Degree with Sciences Po (International Economic Policy - 1 yr) and the University of Toronto (Global Affairs - 1 yr) (2yrs total)

My background is in Investment Banking in Canada. Interested in moving towards a career at the OECD, World Bank, UN etc.

Although LSE ranks higher than Sciences Po in most areas I'm concerned that I won't be as competitive without having an internship during my degree. Also not sure if I should have a 2 year masters given that my background is in Investment Banking not policy or global affairs.

Hoping for some help!

Cheers

Reply 1

alleycat393

21

Original post by EvanF1

Hi!

I'm trying to decide between
1. LSE MSc International Political Economy (1 yr)
2. Dual Degree with Sciences Po (International Economic Policy - 1 yr) and the University of Toronto (Global Affairs - 1 yr) (2yrs total)

My background is in Investment Banking in Canada. Interested in moving towards a career at the OECD, World Bank, UN etc.

Although LSE ranks higher than Sciences Po in most areas I'm concerned that I won't be as competitive without having an internship during my degree. Also not sure if I should have a 2 year masters given that my background is in Investment Banking not policy or global affairs.

Hoping for some help!

Cheers

The length of a degree is not necessarily a great indicator as it will depend on how it's structured. Rankings mean little. What is the content like? Where do grads end up and what are the links with the field like? An internship will always give you an edge.

Reply 2

Jgradschool

16

Original post by EvanF1

Hi!

I'm trying to decide between
1. LSE MSc International Political Economy (1 yr)
2. Dual Degree with Sciences Po (International Economic Policy - 1 yr) and the University of Toronto (Global Affairs - 1 yr) (2yrs total)

My background is in Investment Banking in Canada. Interested in moving towards a career at the OECD, World Bank, UN etc.

Although LSE ranks higher than Sciences Po in most areas I'm concerned that I won't be as competitive without having an internship during my degree. Also not sure if I should have a 2 year masters given that my background is in Investment Banking not policy or global affairs.

Hoping for some help!

Cheers

These are very different degrees. The Sciences Po will equip you with another language as well as thematic and regional specializations; it`s built specifically to aid people in pursuing careers at large international organizations.

LSE has an amazing careers department and reach. They network like no other. You`ll be able to land an internship without a doubt. However, the IPE degree is less flexible; you won`t be able to cover as many topics or get a deep specialization.

The benefit of LSE is that you`ll finish in one year and you`ll be able to pursue opportunities quickly, while the benefit of Sciences Po is that you`ll get the comprehensive package to set you up for a career. It depends on how competitive you think you`ll be as an applicant. With a background in IB and assuming you know a second language, I think you could go to LSE and be as competitive of an applicant as someone that did the two years at Sciences Po.

Also, if you could low key hook me up with an internship, that`d be great #thirst

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 3

EvanF1

OP

2

Original post by Jgradschool

These are very different degrees. The Sciences Po will equip you with another language as well as thematic and regional specializations; it`s built specifically to aid people in pursuing careers at large international organizations.

LSE has an amazing careers department and reach. They network like no other. You`ll be able to land an internship without a doubt. However, the IPE degree is less flexible; you won`t be able to cover as many topics or get a deep specialization.

The benefit of LSE is that you`ll finish in one year and you`ll be able to pursue opportunities quickly, while the benefit of Sciences Po is that you`ll get the comprehensive package to set you up for a career. It depends on how competitive you think you`ll be as an applicant. With a background in IB and assuming you know a second language, I think you could go to LSE and be as competitive of an applicant as someone that did the two years at Sciences Po.

Also, if you could low key hook me up with an internship, that`d be great #thirst

Thanks for this. My concern with LSE is that because it is a 1 yr program that I won't be able to do an internship. It looks like most international organizations only take interns that are still in school and will be graduating the following year. Tough deciding if I need the internship that Sciences Po / Toronto Dual Degree will give me. Or if I should choose the more well known name ie. LSE

Reply 4

bulletrain

6

Hi Evan, congrats on the offers! May I ask when did you apply/receive ID for LSE and got an offer? I haven't seen many people getting an offer for IPE here, I applied for the same course and waiting to hear the news. Thx a lot.

Reply 5

EvanF1

OP

2

Hi bulletrain,

I received my offer in late January and applied in November. Best of luck! Let me know if you're accepted.

Any thoughts on the two programs I've listed? Why did you decide to apply to LSE IPE?

Original post by bulletrain

Hi Evan, congrats on the offers! May I ask when did you apply/receive ID for LSE and got an offer? I haven't seen many people getting an offer for IPE here, I applied for the same course and waiting to hear the news. Thx a lot.

Reply 6

bulletrain

6

Original post by EvanF1

Hi bulletrain,

I received my offer in late January and applied in November. Best of luck! Let me know if you're accepted.

Any thoughts on the two programs I've listed? Why did you decide to apply to LSE IPE?

Thank you, will do! Well, I chose IPE at LSE because I like the courses, it lasts 1 year and I want to continue to work in Europe. I have a lot of work experience so for me an internship is not an issue. If I was younger and had no experience, I would have taken a 2 year master, and I really like the dual degree LSE-Sciences Po has (IPE from LSE and International Economic Policy from Sciences Po). I think University of Toronto with LSE can give the advantage of tapping into career resources at both continents (Europe and Americas) so this is where I see the biggest advantage there while the benefit of doing one year at LSE will probably be less costly and less time consuming so you can quickly move into your career. Overall, I think it is a though choice for you but it really depends on what you want and how it fits your future goals and which school will help you to get there - I think maybe that could be a good guidance.

LSE vs Sciences Po / University of Toronto

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