Program Overview

Introduction to the LSE-Columbia University Double MA Degree in International and World History

The LSE-Columbia University Double MA Degree in International and World History is a two-year program that allows students to explore the forces reshaping the world, including migration, trade, technological revolutions, diseases, environmental change, wars, and diplomacy. This program is designed for students who want to analyze large-scale historical processes, pursue empirical research, and produce their own comparative and cross-cultural histories.

Key Information

• Study mode: Full-time
• Programme availability: Open to home and overseas students
• Academic year: 2026/27
• Start date: September 2026 at Columbia University, New York
• Location: Houghton Street, London, and New York City
• Application deadline: 15 January 2026 (early/priority deadline) and 12 March 2026 (final deadline)

Overview

The program begins with Approaches to International and Global History, which introduces the conceptual possibilities of International and World History. Students will also take the year-long MA/MSc Research Skills and Methods, a series of practical workshops that help develop their dissertation topic and begin their research. At LSE, students will enroll in the final compulsory course, a year-long Dissertation Workshop, designed to help them write their dissertation and think about their career after the program.

Entry Requirements

• Upper second-class honors degree (2:1) or equivalent in any discipline
• English language requirements: Higher
• Competition for places at LSE is strong, and meeting the minimum entry requirements does not guarantee an offer of a place

Programme Content

• Year 1: At Columbia University, students complete 30 graduate credits, including the core components of the program: Approaches to International and Global History and Research Skills and Methods in International and Global History
• Year 2: At LSE, students complete three full units in addition to the dissertation, with at least two units chosen from international history and economic history course offerings

Dissertation

• The dissertation is the single most important component of the MA/MSc program, an original scholarly work based on detailed empirical research and analysis
• Students take the year-long Dissertation Workshop, which provides a specialized forum for discussion and debate on what it means to write history and to be an historian

Why Study with Us

• The Department of International History is world-renowned in its field, offering a unique perspective on the history of relations between states, peoples, and cultures
• Students have the opportunity to develop lifelong contacts on both sides of the Atlantic, using Columbia and LSE as launching pads for their professional careers

Your Application

• We welcome applicants from all academic and professional backgrounds
• Students are selected for admission based on a comprehensive review of their academic and professional pursuits, as well as their unique interests and life experiences

Fees and Funding

• The table of fees shows the latest tuition fees for all programs
• Tuition fees cover registration and examination fees payable to the School, lectures, classes, and individual supervision
• LSE offers some needs-based awards for this program, including the Graduate Support Scheme

Learning and Assessment

• Contact hours and independent study: At LSE, students take a number of courses, often including half-unit courses and full-unit courses, with an average of 20-30 contact hours in total for half-unit courses and 40-60 contact hours in total for full-unit courses
• Teaching methods: LSE employs a rich variety of teaching staff with a range of experience and status
• Assessment: All taught courses are required to include formative coursework, which is unassessed, and summative assessment, which counts towards the course mark and the degree award

Graduate Destinations

• The MA/MSc program provides graduates with the opportunity to develop lifelong contacts on both sides of the Atlantic, using Columbia and LSE as launching pads for their professional careers
• Approximately 25% of alumni choose to pursue a PhD and a career in academia, while others apply the insights gained to a career outside of academia, including government, intergovernmental organizations, foundations, NGOs, education, consulting, journalism, business, and academia

Related Programs

• MSc History of International Relations
• MSc Theory and History of International Relations
• MSc International and Asian History
• MSc Empires, Colonialism and Globalisation
• LSE-PKU Double Degree in MSc International Affairs
• MSc Sociology
• LSE-Sciences Po Double Degree in European Studies
• MSc Political Science (Conflict Studies and Comparative Politics)
• MSc Culture and Conflict in a Global Europe
• MSc Political Science (Global Politics)