The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is a social science university.
A specialist university with an international intake, LSE's reach extends from its central London campus to around the world.
The School has one of the largest concentrations of applied economic, financial and social science research of any university in the world. It has 16 research centres, including the Centre for Economic Performance and the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.
A wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in social sciences are taught across 23 academic departments and interdisciplinary institutes and centres.
LSE has established a global network with a small number of high quality universities across the world. There are multi-faceted institutional academic partnerships with Columbia University (New York), Sciences Po (Paris), Peking University (Beijing), the National University of Singapore and the University of Cape Town.
Research
There are currently 16 research centres and numerous smaller units at the School, ranging from large multidisciplinary centres with substantial financial support to small units with more modest resources. Most of LSE's research centres and units are financed by research councils, charitable foundations, industry or commerce. There are three centres funded mainly by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). Others are funded through public or private partnerships.
LSE's Research Lab is the base for more than 260 staff - one of the largest concentrations of applied economic, financial and social researchers anywhere in the world. The Lab includes the Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion, the Centre for Economic Performance, the Financial Markets Group and the Suntory and Toyota International Centres for Economics and Related Disciplines.
Teaching
LSE offers a very wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in the social sciences. Teaching is carried out through academic departments and interdisciplinary institutes and in partnership with internationally-known higher education institutions. Language teaching is provided through the Language Centre, both as a degree option, and to learn or improve a language.
Following a review by a Teaching Task Force, LSE is set to spend an extra £3 million per year to ensure that its teaching continues to be of the highest quality.