Master's · LSE Finance and Economics
LSE's MSc Finance and Economics is a 10-month, full-time course for 2027/28, taught jointly by the Department of Finance and the Department of Economics. Its page asks for a 2:1 in a quantitative subject with at least a year of calculus and a semester of linear algebra, but also says most accepted students in previous years held first-class degrees. The GMAT or GRE is required without a full three-year UK degree, and admissions are rolling.
2027-28 entry · Official information
Taken from the LSE graduate programme page for the MSc Finance and Economics (application code LN43, academic year 2027/28) and read on 2 November 2026. The page describes 2027-28 entry; confirm every date and rule on the page before you rely on it.
The entry requirement is a 2:1 or international equivalent in a quantitative subject such as economics, maths, physics, engineering or finance. The page also says most students accepted in previous years had obtained first-class honours degrees or equivalent.
Studies should typically include at least a year of calculus and a semester of linear algebra. Applicants are assessed primarily on quantitative preparation, not on degree title alone.
Required for all applicants without a full three-year UK undergraduate degree, and recommended for UK graduates who did not achieve, or are not expected to achieve, a first. Scores must show strong performance in the quantitative segment.
Applications are considered on a rolling basis and close once the programme is full. To be considered for funding, applicants must submit by the funding deadline.
A compulsory pre-sessional programme runs in August and September 2027, including the Introductory Course in Mathematics and Statistics.
STEM applicants may be offered a fully funded place at the LSE Summer School to develop microeconomics and/or econometrics knowledge before the programme starts.
Official sources
Read on 2 November 2026 on the LSE graduate programme page for the MSc Finance and Economics (application code LN43, academic year 2027/28), which describes 2027-28 entry. The country-specific entry table, the English language requirements page, the supporting-documents page, the funding deadlines and the scholarship terms were not read and are not stated.
Fit
The page welcomes applicants from a broad range of disciplines and assesses candidates primarily on the strength of their quantitative preparation, not on degree title alone.
Students with these backgrounds are encouraged to apply. The page names economics, maths, physics, engineering and finance as quantitative subjects.
You may be offered a fully funded place at the LSE Summer School to develop microeconomics and/or econometrics knowledge. Compare your transcript with the core courses, which include Financial Economics, Financial Econometrics and Microeconomics.
The 2:1 is the stated minimum, but the page says admission is very competitive and most accepted students in previous years held firsts. A GRE or GMAT is recommended for UK graduates who did not achieve, or are not expected to achieve, a first.
Decision
This course is taught jointly by two departments, and its core pairs financial economics and econometrics with microeconomics and a finance-focused macroeconomics course. The readings below are Avandy's judgment (heuristic), not LSE's.
Students choose two half-unit options from a range offered within the Department of Finance, such as Advanced Financial Economics, Fixed Income Securities and Credit Markets, Portfolio Management and Big Data and Finance. Check the current list in the School Calendar.
The LSE MSc Economics has a different core and, for non-UK economics graduates, a GRE rule of its own. Compare the two course lists against the work you want to do.
Because admission is described as very competitive and rolling, treat the GMAT or GRE as a way to show quantitative strength if your degree title does not, and apply early rather than at the end of your preparation.
Application
The page lists five items: academic achievement, an academic statement of purpose, two academic references, a CV and the GRE or GMAT.
It is not a prerequisite, but applicants with some professional experience should include it.
Applications close once the programme is full, and there is no fixed deadline. Funding consideration requires submission by the funding deadline, which this guide does not state.
Build the file around quantitative evidence: the calculus and linear algebra courses, any econometrics or statistics, and a test score that matches the page's expectation of strong quantitative performance.
Planning
The page describes the 2027/28 academic year, and the rules here belong to that year.
Check the calculus and linear algebra against the page, decide whether the GRE or GMAT is required for you or worth taking, and prepare the statement and two academic references. Re-read the page before submitting, because LSE says programmes can change.
Support
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with the London School of Economics and Political Science or any of its departments. Support sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the published requirements of each course. No outcome is promised.
Questions
A 2:1 or international equivalent in a quantitative subject such as economics, maths, physics, engineering or finance, with at least a year of calculus and a semester of linear algebra.
Yes if you do not have a full three-year UK undergraduate degree. It is recommended for UK graduates who did not achieve, or are not expected to achieve, a first.
There is no fixed deadline. Applications are considered on a rolling basis and close once the programme is full, but funding consideration needs submission by the funding deadline.
No. The page says it is not a pre-requisite, but applicants with some professional experience should include it.
The page says admission is very competitive and that in previous years most accepted students had first-class degrees or equivalent.
Students and families
Tell us about your degree, your grades, your relevant experience and the master's courses you are weighing. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare the application.
