Having reached the end of my master’s degree experience in the Department of Geography at LSE, apart from my dissertation component, I’m going to give a short breakdown of the top 3 reasons why I chose the institution and the department in particular:

Reputation

The Department is ranked 2nd in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022, the highest among all of LSE’s departments and it has held this place since 2018. A great addition to use as a selling point in your CV, interview or even around your social circle. There’s not much else to say here.

Research and Networking Opportunities

Another one defined by the numbers, LSE was rated 1st in the UK for quality of published research (output) in the latest government-sponsored Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021). Hence, there is no doubt you will be learning from an excellent and diverse range of faculty experts. With this comes the bonus of a high source of funding and platforms for you to share your research on a wider, global scale.

What’s more, the internationally renowned Grantham Research Institute provides many networks with institutions and researchers worldwide alongside events that run throughout the year with high-profile speakers like the recent John Kerry talk on climate with Lord Stern. The central location of London also makes it an unmatched aspect in terms of breadth of opportunities in comparison to other UK institutions.

Career prospects

Sustainability is such a pressing issue, particularly for underdeveloped countries where capital markets are still immature and Environmental, Social and Governance reporting remains a low priority but also for densely populated cities where lifestyles lead to intense pressure on scarce natural resources. Hence, there exists rising demand for great minds to participate in the global fight against climate change which has been propelled through many “Green Economy” pledges of governments worldwide.

Check out the full list of undergraduate and graduate courses here.