The General Course at LSE (the
London School of Economics and Political Science
The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is a public university, public research university located in London, England and a constituent college of the federal University of London. Founded in 1895 by Fabian Society members Sidn ...
) has been in operation since 1910 and is a full 'Study Year Abroad'. Today, the General Course offers a fully integrated year of
undergraduate
Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-le ...
study to around 300 students of more than 40 nationalities drawn from over 130 universities. It is considered one of the most prestigious and competitive study abroad programs in the world and there are no exchange agreements with any institution and each applicant is judged solely on their own merits. Successful applicants demonstrate excellence in the social sciences and are usually within the top 10% of the class at their home institution.
Notable alumni of the General Course include
David Rockefeller
David Rockefeller (June 12, 1915 – March 20, 2017) was an American investment banker who served as chairman and chief executive of Chase Manhattan Corporation. He was the oldest living member of the third generation of the Rockefeller family, ...
, U.S Supreme Court Justice
Anthony Kennedy
Anthony McLeod Kennedy (born July 23, 1936) is an American lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1988 until his retirement in 2018. He was nominated to the court in 1987 by Preside ...
and U.S. President
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...
.
Students must have completed at least two years of
university
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase ''universitas magistrorum et scholarium'', which ...
level study prior to joining LSE, and enroll in mid to upper level courses alongside 2nd and 3rd year undergraduates and some graduate students. LSE Undergraduate programs are normally 3 years in duration, as full-time students must declare a course of study upon entry from secondary school. While most General Course students attend during their second to last year of undergraduate study, some choose to attend in their final year of undergraduate study. Each year, applications are considered from January until 31 July or when slots are filled. All students on the General Course are guaranteed a place in university accommodation and have access to a calendar of subsidized social activities to explore London and Europe for a world-class study abroad experience.
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London School of Economics
1910 introductions