A three-year BSc, V300
Delivered by the Department of Economic History, with 12 units over three years plus LSE100.
Undergraduate · LSE Economic History
LSE Economic History: a distinct discipline, with no Mathematics requirement
LSE's BSc Economic History is taught by one of the largest groups of economic historians in the world. It is not Economics with some history: it asks how economies developed in social, political and cultural contexts, using both quantitative and qualitative evidence. Its entry rule is unusual for LSE's economics-related degrees: either Economics or History is required, and Mathematics is not.
Official information · last verified for 2027 entry
What LSE asks for in Economic History
Taken from LSE's BSc Economic History programme page and read on 31 October 2026. For a normal 2028-entry application, made in 2027, every requirement below is last verified for the previous cycle and may change; LSE's 2028-entry requirements and dates are awaiting publication.
AAA with Economics or History
The standard A-level requirement is AAA including Economics or History; the contextual offer is AAB. The IB requirement is 38 points with 766 at higher level.
Either subject will do
LSE says there is no set subject combination, but either Economics or History is required.
A final-year research project
The final year involves three economic history courses and a 10,000-word research project.
A specialist department
LSE describes the department as one of only a few of its kind in the world.
Official sources
Read on 31 October 2026 on LSE's BSc Economic History programme page, which describes 2027 entry. LSE's general entry requirements, the fees pages and the 2028-entry values were not read, and the page lists no additional admissions test or interview so none is stated and are not stated.
The discipline
Economic history is not history with numbers or economics with dates
LSE says the degree looks at the historical development of economies in social, political and cultural contexts, drawing on quantitative and qualitative perspectives and applying concepts from across the social sciences to real-world questions. The first year combines two introductory economic history courses with introductory micro and macroeconomics and an outside option; the second adds research methods; the final year ends with a long research project.
Is it the right degree?
Economic History against Economics and its joint degrees
LSE teaches several degrees that share economic history teaching, with different balances.
Choose Economic History if
your question is why economies developed as they did, and you want historical evidence at the centre.
Choose Economics and Economic History if
you want a more economics-heavy balance and have A-level Mathematics. Avandy's guide to it explains the difference.
Choose Economics if
you want economic theory and mathematics first. Avandy's LSE Economics guide covers it.
Entry rules
Economics or History, and no Mathematics requirement
The standard A-level requirement is AAA including Economics or History; the contextual offer is AAB. LSE says the majority of applicants will have studied Economics or History in some form, and it also considers applicants with Mathematics, Further Mathematics and an essay-writing subject. The IB requirement is 38 points with 766 at higher level including Economics or History. The page lists no additional test or interview. This page states no scores.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not LSE's.
Do you like asking why, using evidence from the past?
That is the discipline's core.
Are you comfortable writing long essays and a dissertation?
The final year includes a 10,000-word project.
Do you have Economics or History?
One of them is required.
Planning for 2028 entry
Planning for 2028 entry: what carries over and what is awaiting publication
Applying for 2028 entry means applying in 2027, under rules LSE has not yet published for that cycle. Each item below carries one of two labels. Last verified for 2027 entry means LSE published it for the previous cycle and it may change. Awaiting publication for 2028 entry means LSE has not yet published it.
Grades, subject requirements and the subject-mix guidance: last verified for 2027 entry
These are the best guide to what to prepare. LSE has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
The UCAS deadline and the 2028-entry requirements: awaiting publication for 2028 entry
Check LSE's programme page for the 2028-entry values when they appear.
What to do now
Confirm the required subjects, read the programme's course structure and plan your preparation around it.
Support
Independent support with course choice and preparation
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with the London School of Economics and Political Science or any of its colleges or departments. Preparation sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the actual requirements of each course. Support here means course-fit advice, subject mentoring and ethical preparation; Avandy gives no scores or probabilities and does not write applications. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
What does LSE Economic History require?
AAA including Economics or History, or IB 38 points with 766 at higher level including Economics or History, in LSE's wording for 2027 entry.
Do I need A-level Mathematics?
The page says either Economics or History is required, and it does not list Mathematics as required.
How long is the degree?
Three years: 12 units plus LSE100.
How does it differ from Economics?
It centres on the historical development of economies using quantitative and qualitative evidence, with introductory economics alongside.
Is there an admissions test or interview?
The page lists none, so this guide states none.
Are these the rules for 2028 entry?
No. They are LSE's wording for the 2027 application cycle. Check the programme page again when LSE publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Talk to us about LSE Economic History
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their Economics or History, their interest in evidence from the past and how this degree compares with Economics, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.