Universities United Kingdom London School of Economics Courses MSc Comparative Politics

MSc Comparative Politics
at London School of Economics

London, United Kingdom

Tuition Fee £ 24,456
Country Rank-
Duration12 Months
Score IELTS: 7 TOEFL: 100

Program Overview

Comparative politics is the comparative study of political systems. The MSc Comparative Politics looks for sophisticated analytical answers to basic political questions: Why are some countries democratic while others are not? Why are some countries torn by ethnic conflict? Do constitutions matter?

The programme is methodologically eclectic yet rigorous, with an emphasis on historical approaches. It offers courses in the fields of democracy and democratisation, nationalism and ethnicity, comparative political economy and political institutions, popular politics, and politics of the developing world as well as a wide range of country- and area-specific options. Regional foci include Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, India, China and South-East Asia. You can choose a specialism allowing you to develop deeper expertise on any of these subject areas within comparative politics.

The programme is good preparation for further research work or for a career in media, political consultancy, international organisations, public administration or the private sector.

Course Content
You will take assessed courses with a total value of four units, with most courses accounting for a half unit. All students are required to take the compulsory comparative politics course (half unit) and write a 10,000-word dissertation (one unit). You can choose a specialism, allowing you delve deeper into a particular subject area within comparative politics. The topic of your dissertation should broadly relate to the theme of your chosen specialism. Part-time students may take up to four courses in their first year.

(* denotes a half unit)

Introduction to Comparative Politics*
Examines the theoretical and methodological underpinnings of comparative politics.

Dissertation
An independent research project of 10,000 words on an approved topic of your choice.

Specialisms
In addition to the core course and the dissertation, you will take courses to the value of two and a half units. Your course choice will depend on your chosen specialism. If you choose not to specialise, you will take courses from any of the specialisms, or from an approved list.
- Democracy and Democratisation
- Nationalism and Ethnic Politics
- Comparative Political Economy
- Popular Politics
- Politics of the Developing World

Entry Requirement

Qualification	Requirement	Validity
Bellerbys Academic English Skills (AES)	A minimum score of 70%	Forever
Botswana GCSE (BGCSE) English Language	Grade B or above plus proof of education in the medium of English during five most recent years of study (prior to year of entry)	Forever
Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE)	185 points overall and a minimum of 185 points in each component (in one exam sitting only)	Forever
Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE)	185 points overall and a minimum of 185 points in each component (in one exam sitting only)	Forever
European Baccalaureate English at L1 or L2	8.0 for all programmes	Forever
French Baccalaureate (International Option) taught in English only	Any grade if academic requirements met	Forever
GCSE English Language (if taken in the UK before the age of 18)	Grade B/6 or above	Forever
HKDSE English (Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education)	Grade 5**	Forever
IGCSE English (Language) as a first language	Grade B/6 with the following notes Pearson/Edexcel English Language A with Speaking and Listening component or five years education in English Pearson/Edexcel English Language B has no Speaking and Listening component and is only acceptable with five years education in English Cambridge CIE First Language English with Merit (or Grade 2) in the Speaking and Listening test or five years education in English Oxford AQA/IGCSE English Language with Merit in Speaking and Listening or five years education in English	Forever
International Baccalaureate English A + Literature English A + Language & Literature English A + Literature & Performance	Higher Level: any grade Standard Level: at least 6	Forever
International Baccalaureate English B	7 points at Higher Level	Forever
IELTS (International English Language Testing Service) Academic	7.0 overall and 7.0 in each component (in one exam sitting only)	2 years prior to start of your programme (1 September)
National 5 English Language	Grade B or above	Forever
O-level English 1119 UCLES (SPM2) 1120 Brunei 1123 1125 Mauritius A 1128 Singapore (SINO)	Grade B or above	Forever
O-level English (other than those specified above)	Grade B or above plus proof of education in the medium of English during five most recent years of study (prior to year of entry)	Forever
Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic (including PTEA Online)	69 overall with 69 in each component (in one exam sitting only)	2 years prior to start of your programme (1 September)
Singapore Integrated Programme (IP) Secondary 4 English Language	Grade B or above	Forever
Singapore Integrated Programme (IP) National University of Singapore (NUS) Language in Society (EL4101)	Grade B or above	Forever
TOEFL iBT (including Home and Paper Editions)	100 overall, with a minimum of: 27 in Writing 25 in Reading 24 in Listening 24 in Speaking (in one exam sitting only)	2 years prior to start of your programme (1 September)
Trinity College London Integrated Skills in English	Level III overall with distinction in each component (in one exam sitting only)	2 years prior to start of your programme (1 September)

Fees & Scholarships
Every graduate student is charged a fee for their programme.

The fee covers registration and examination fees payable to the School, lectures, classes and individual supervision, lectures given at other colleges under intercollegiate arrangements and, under current arrangements, membership of the Students' Union. It does not cover living costs or travel or fieldwork.

Tuition fees 2022/23 for MSc Comparative Politics
Home students: £24,456
Overseas students: £24,456
Career Prospect
Quick Careers Facts for the Department of Government
Median salary of our PG students six months after graduating: £30,000

Top 5 sectors our students work in:
- Public administration and defence
- Management consultancy activities
- Scientific research and development
- Extraterritorial organisations
- Legal and accounting activities
The data was collected as part of the Graduate Outcomes survey, which is administered by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). Graduates from 2017-18 were the first group to be asked to respond to Graduate Outcomes. Median salaries are calculated for respondents who are paid in UK pounds sterling.

Graduates from our MSc have gone on to successful careers in politics, media, NGOs, Foreign Service, finance and academia.

Cost Of Studying At London School of Economics

Interest rates as low as 8.9% ^*

250K+

Students Assisted

800Cr+

Loan Amount Disbursed

5000+

Loans Sanctioned

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MSc Comparative Politics at London School of Economics