Inequalities and Social Science

Entry requirements

Upper second class honours (2:1) degree or equivalent in any discipline, with social science background and/or work experience in the social policy field advantageous but not essential.

We expect students to have a strong interest in understanding inequalities of different kinds, and to aim subsequently to apply their knowledge in related fields.

Months of entry

September

Course content

About this MSc programme

The MSc Inequalities and Social Science is a comprehensive and wide-ranging programme, providing an introduction to a range of interdisciplinary approaches to the social scientific analysis of inequality.

As a result of dramatic economic and social changes over recent years, the study of inequality has rapidly developed as one of the most important areas of interdisciplinary social scientific study. This programme is associated with the LSE's International Inequalities Institute and includes expertise from leading academics in the Departments of Sociology, Anthropology, Economics, Geography, Government, Law, Social Policy, Media and Communications, Gender, and Statistics.

The programme will enable you to develop theoretical awareness of different conceptions of the meaning of inequality and its various dimensions in a fully international context. It will introduce you to the political economy of inequality and the role of political institutions in combating inequality, as well as different methods for the measurement of inequality, both quantitative and qualitative. It will provide you with the skills to go on to conduct research in the area of inequalities.

A limited number of fully-funded places on the MSc are available to successful applicants of the Atlantic Fellows for Social and Economic Equity Programme (AFSEE), which is an innovative fellowship programme that brings together policy-makers, activists and practitioners from around the world to explore and challenge the root causes of inequality. AFSEE Fellows will receive a (generous) living stipend and their tuition fees for the MSc in Inequalities and Social Science entirely paid for.

Department of Sociology

Established in 1904, the Department of Sociology at LSE is committed to empirically rich, conceptually sophisticated, and socially and politically relevant research and scholarship.

As a Department, we seek to produce sociology that is public-facing, fully engaged with London as a global city, and with major contemporary debates in the intersection between economy, politics and society – with issues such as financialisation, inequality, migration, urban ecology, and climate change.

Information for international students

LSE is an international community, with over 140 nationalities represented amongst its student body. We celebrate this diversity through everything we do.

If you are applying to LSE from outside of the UK then take a look at our Information for International students.

Fees and funding

Fees

Every graduate student is charged a fee for their programme. Visit the website for more information about the fees.

Funding

The School recognises that the cost of living in London may be higher than in your home town or country, and we provide generous scholarships each year to home and overseas students.

This programme is eligible for needs-based awards from LSE, including the Graduate Support Scheme, Master's Awards, and Anniversary Scholarships.

Selection for any funding opportunity is based on receipt of an application for a place – including all ancillary documents, before the funding deadline.

In addition to our needs-based awards, LSE also makes available scholarships for students from specific regions of the world and awards for students studying specific subject areas.

Find out more about financial support.

Applicants may be eligible for Atlantic Residential Fellowships, which covers tuition fees (including overseas fees) and stipends for up 10 Fellows.