A three-year BSc, L400
Delivered by the Department of Social Policy, with 12 units over three years plus LSE100.
Undergraduate · LSE International Social and Public Policy
LSE International Social and Public Policy: welfare, poverty and policy across countries
LSE's BSc International Social and Public Policy, taught in the Department of Social Policy, asks how states respond to poverty, welfare, migration and gender inequality in different kinds of society. It is a stand-alone degree with no fixed subject requirements and a third-year dissertation. LSE teaches two related versions, with Economics and with Politics, which are separate programmes with their own rules.
Official information · last verified for 2027 entry
What LSE asks for in International Social and Public Policy
Taken from LSE's BSc International Social and Public Policy 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.
AAB, no fixed subjects
The standard A-level requirement is AAB, and LSE says there is no set subject combination, although at least two traditional academic subjects are preferred.
IB 37 with 666
The IB requirement is 37 points overall with 666 at higher level.
Four perspectives
Students study each topic from social, political, demographic and economic perspectives.
A third-year dissertation
The programme culminates in a dissertation; a Development specialism leads to a dissertation on international development.
Official sources
Read on 31 October 2026 on LSE's BSc International Social and Public Policy programme page, which describes 2027 entry. LSE's general entry requirements, the fees pages, the specialism 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 degree
Social policy with an international frame
LSE says students look at how social policies are formulated and implemented in industrialised societies, transition economies and the Global South, and explore the role of states and other institutions. The programme introduces social policy before moving to advanced and specialist topics, and ends with a third-year dissertation.
Is it the right degree?
The plain version against the related ones
LSE's programme finder lists three versions of this degree.
Choose the plain degree if
you want social policy in its own right, with the widest range of options.
Choose the version with Economics if
you have A-level Mathematics and want economic analysis built in. Avandy's guide to it covers the difference.
Choose Sociology or Politics if
your interest is society or government more broadly. Avandy's LSE Politics and Sociology guides cover them.
Entry rules
AAB, and no Mathematics requirement
The standard A-level requirement is AAB, with no set subject combination, though at least two traditional academic subjects are preferred. LSE says taking Mathematics, Further Mathematics and one other subject may be viewed as a less competitive combination than a broader mix. The IB requirement is 37 points overall with 666 at higher level. 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.
Are poverty, welfare and migration your questions?
They are the programme's stated focus.
Do you want an international comparison?
Policy in industrialised, transition and Global South contexts is compared.
Does a dissertation appeal?
It is the third-year centrepiece.
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 International Social and Public Policy require?
AAB at A level with no set subjects, or IB 37 points with 666 at higher level, in LSE's wording for 2027 entry.
Do I need Mathematics or Economics?
The page sets no required subjects.
What is the Development specialism?
A specialism in which the dissertation is on a topic related to international development.
How does it differ from the versions with Economics or Politics?
They are separate programmes with their own requirements; the version with Economics requires A-level Mathematics.
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 International Social and Public Policy
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their interest in poverty, welfare and migration, their subject mix and how this degree compares with Politics or Sociology, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.