Have some thoughts about applying to LSE, but have no idea which degree programme to apply to? Or are you in love with both history and international relations but you can’t decide between the two? Well, BSc International Relations and History may be a good fit for you. As a second-year student, here are my three personal reasons why you should invest your next three years studying this programme.
A balanced programme that mutually complements both IR and History
As the name suggests, the programme consists of both international relations and history courses at a 50:50 ratio. While you can choose to take courses outside of the departments – what we call “outside options” – in years 1 and 3, you should take two international relations and two history courses in Year 2. I know, this may or may not be your cup of tea. I found this to be an advantage, as I wanted to have an equally balanced background in both subjects throughout my three years. Furthermore, having a consistent history background can aid your studies of the international relations courses, given that a lot of case studies in your international relations readings have historical backgrounds. If your history courses can serve as your additional background knowledge, you will realise the clear connections between the past and the present: they truly speak to each other!
For instance, take Global Transformation, one of the key international relations concepts in understanding the eurocentric international order shaped by imperialism. (You get to study this in your first-year compulsory international relations course IR100). If you take HY113: From Empire to Independence – together with IR100, you get to dig deeper into how different countries resisted the Western-centric international order through decolonisation and non-aligned movements, just to name a few. As you may observe in this example, the development of international relations can also provide an additional perspective on the historical trend. If you wish to work in a career where both history and international relations matter (such as international organisations or serving as a diplomat), this programme should give you a strong academic background.
Wider opportunities ahead
Since international relations and history are two interlinked, yet distinct subjects, it provides you with a broader range of academic experiences. If you’re uncertain about what career you want to pursue after your degree here, taking a joint degree may be a good choice. To clarify, here goes my personal experience. In my first year, I used to serve as an assistant editor of The Webster Review of International History, the student-run history journal published here at LSE, aspiring to become an historian. Then, I somehow got interested in Korean diplomacy after writing a policy memo for my summative assessment in one of my international relationsc courses. In the Summer of 2023, I had the privilege to be selected as a participant in a two-week-long diplomacy workshop at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in South Korea. To distinguish myself from other strong applicants, I presented my interest in diplomatic and international history, and how these factors are interlinked with forming contemporary South Korean diplomatic strategy with other countries. Such a career shift (from history research to hands-on work in international relations) is supported with this degree.
Flexibility in writing a dissertation
If you’re a BA History student, a dissertation is a compulsory element in Year 3. However, if you’re doing international relations and history, a dissertation is optional and only in the subject of history. This is an advantage if research is not your forte, as you can take a content-based course instead of writing a dissertation.
If like me, you want to write a dissertation anyway, you’ll get plenty of support from your home department – the Department of International History. The staff is approachable through office hours (even if they are not teaching the courses that you’re currently taking), and the department offers workshops to both second and third-year students who are on their journey to writing a dissertation.
