UCL OR LSE for Politics+IR?

1

Title is pretty much the question. A few forms are out there on the difference between the two unis, but they're all 7+ years old from what I've seen. My main questions are:

How much do these unis differ in terms of prestige/employer recognition internationally? Is there a big difference between them in that regard?

How different is the workload between the two unis? Is LSE significantly harder than UCL?

How different are the social scenes between the two universities, really? LSE has a reputation for the students being very competitive, while UCL is a lot more friendly and supportive - would you say that that's true? How much does it affect the experience?

Any insight is much appreciated.

Reply 1

Anonymous #1

Original post by gabri313

Title is pretty much the question. A few forms are out there on the difference between the two unis, but they're all 7+ years old from what I've seen. My main questions are:

How much do these unis differ in terms of prestige/employer recognition internationally? Is there a big difference between them in that regard?

How different is the workload between the two unis? Is LSE significantly harder than UCL?

How different are the social scenes between the two universities, really? LSE has a reputation for the students being very competitive, while UCL is a lot more friendly and supportive - would you say that that's true? How much does it affect the experience?

Any insight is much appreciated.

1. for pol + ir, not much of a difference. however, lse is harder to get into with odds of 1:27, so for that reason they have a slightly better international reputation. it is called the london school of economics and POLITICAL science :smile:

2. yes, lse is harder than ucl, no argument there

3. i've heard it's true but i'm not sure - you'd have to ask current students!

Reply 2

Anonymous #2

Original post by gabri313

Title is pretty much the question. A few forms are out there on the difference between the two unis, but they're all 7+ years old from what I've seen. My main questions are:
How much do these unis differ in terms of prestige/employer recognition internationally? Is there a big difference between them in that regard?
How different is the workload between the two unis? Is LSE significantly harder than UCL?
How different are the social scenes between the two universities, really? LSE has a reputation for the students being very competitive, while UCL is a lot more friendly and supportive - would you say that that's true? How much does it affect the experience?
Any insight is much appreciated.

Though LSE has a lower acceptance rate than UCL I definitely wouldn't say that the LSE course is more difficult than UCL for PIR. In terms of difficulty level they are pretty much identical: getting a 1st/2:1 requires very similar levels of work and academic rigour, meaning they are equally respected by employers. LSE does place greater emphasis on career prospects generally, thus you'd find the students and university are more focused at helping students achieve internships etc.

In terms of the 'quality' of students, LSE and UCL are very similar. Both enrol students that are typically top of their former classes and both are world renowned in this discipline. I'd say if you'd prefer a more competitive environment LSE is the right option for you but if you'd prefer a more diverse and supportive community UCL is the superior option.

I cannot speak for everyone but the people who I know have studied at UCL compared to LSE are more socially adept and interested in socialising/ more well rounded individuals for lack of better words. In UCL I feel you tend to find a more diverse range of interests in the student populus, which I feel is a factor influencing the better social life in UCL. Of course this varies from year to year, though I find this has been the general consensus for a while now.

To summarise, considering that neither Oxford nor Cambridge provide a Politics and IR course, both unis (alongside KCL) are the best in this field. Generally students should consider which atmosphere they would thrive in given that these unis are pretty much identical in all other aspects. LSE also tends to have more scholarship options for PIR students, whilst it seems UCL provides their access students with a lot more support internally.

These are the main differences I have found, hope this helps!

UCL OR LSE for Politics+IR?

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