WELCOME

TO LSE
DEPARTMENT OF
MATHEMATICS

MSc Operations Research and Analytics Handbook

Key dates

Term dates and School closures – Academic Year 2018/19

Michaelmas Term (MT) The School will also be closed for English public
Thursday 27 September – Friday 14 December 2018 holidays*. In 2018/19 these will be:
(teaching begins on Monday 1 October 2018)
Christmas Closure
Friday 21 December 2018 – Tuesday 1 January 2019

Lent Term (LT) Easter Closure

Monday 14 January – Friday 29 March 2019 Thursday 18 April – Wednesday 24 April 2019
(for departments with courses that will be examined
May Bank Holiday
in January, examinations will be held in week 0 –
Monday 6 May 2019
Monday 7 January – Friday 11 January)
Spring Bank Holiday
Monday 27 May 2019
Summer Term (ST)
Summer Bank Holiday
Monday 29 April – Friday 14 June 2019
Monday 26 August 2019

Undergraduate and 12-month master’s programmes

*S
 ome facilities, such as the Library, may open on
may have a Reading Week during week 6 of MT and
some of these dates. The School will issue updates
LT. Please consult with your lecturer for the course.
throughout the year.
Campus map

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Cowdray House Portugal Street COW Queens House Lincoln’ s Inn Fields QUE
CLM ClementPortugal
King’s Chambers HouseStreet MAR The Marshall
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Sardinia House Sardinia Saw Swee Hock SAR
1 Kingsway 1KW Saw Swee Hock Student Centre Sheffield Street SAW
COL Columbia House (44 Lincoln’s Inn Fields) Student Centre
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COW Cowdray House LRB Lionel5LFRobbins Building, STC St Clement’s
5 Lincoln’s Inn Fields Tower Two Clement’s Inn TW2
KGS King’s Chambers
32 Lincoln’s Inn Fields Library
32Land The Womens Library
Tower Three Clement’TW1
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35 Lincoln’s Inn Fields
1KW 1 Kingsway NAB New 35L
Academic Building TW2 Tower Two
50 Lincoln’s Inn Fields Portsmouth Street 50L
KSW 20 Kingsway
Lionel Robbins Building, Library OLD Old Building
LRB TW3 Tower Three
and LSE Research Lab Portugal Street
LAK Lakatos Building PAR Parish Hall

LSE LSE Building No Cycle Hire

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lse.ac.uk/Mathematics Department of Mathematics
The London School of Economics
and Political Science
Houghton Street
London WC2A 2AE
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7955 7732

This information can be made available

in alternative formats, on request.
Please contact, [email protected]
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a School of the University of
London. It is a charity and is incorporated in England as a company limited by guarantee
under the Companies Acts (Reg no 70527).

The School seeks to ensure that people are treated equitably, regardless of age,
disability, race, nationality, ethnic or national origin, gender, religion, sexual
orientation or personal circumstances.

Design: LSE Design Unit (lse.ac.uk/designunit)

Photography: Nigel Stead, LSE School Photographer, cover: istock.
Section One: Contents

Welcome from the Head of Department 2

Key Staff 3

About the Department of Mathematics 5

Research Interests of Academic Staff 6

Studying and Academic Support 9

Programme Structure 12

Assessment 15

Personal and Professional Development 20

Library and IT Services 23

Useful Information 24

Jargon Buster 25

Section Two information relating to the School can be found from Page 27

1
Welcome from the Head of
Department

Welcome to the LSE community as a member of The Department’s research and teaching are
the Department of Mathematics. You are joining shaped to a large extent by its position within
a vibrant intellectual community comprising LSE, a lively and stimulating place to work. We
world-leading faculty, excellent students and embrace the School’s ethos of research-led
high-achieving alumni. By taking advantage of teaching, and view research and teaching as
the rich and diverse learning environment at LSE complementary activities, each enhancing the
you will further develop your talents and other. Our aim is to be excellent both in teaching
advance your knowledge for the pursuit of and research, in a way that reflects our location
organisational success and social betterment. within a social sciences institution, engaging
with other parts of LSE.
The Department has grown rapidly in recent
years, with new and exciting developments in Our website provides an overview of research
research, and the introduction of new teaching areas, news and events and a full section for our
programmes and modules. We have a current student members of the Department of
supportive and friendly environment for staff Mathematics. If you have any questions, or need
and students. more information, please consult our website or
contact us on [email protected]

Professor Martin Anthony

Head of Department

2
Key Staff

Dr Katerina Papadaki ([email protected]) is the Programme Director for this

course. For any academic queries she will be your main contact.

Room: COL.2.05

Dr Giacomo Zambelli ([email protected]) is the Deputy Programme Director for

this course. He can also answer any academic queries.

Room: COL.2.06

Rebecca Batey ([email protected]) is the MSc Programmes Manager. She will be

your first point of call for any non-academic queries.

Room: COL.4.01

Professor Martin Anthony ([email protected]) is the Head of the Department. He

is responsible for all academic activities, students, staff and programmes offered by
the department.

Room: COL.3.13

Other Professional Services Staff you may need to know are:

Kate Barker – Department Manager Sarah Massey – Department Administrator:
Jackie Everid – Undergraduate Programmes Communications & Student Support
Manager Edward Perrin – Department Administrator:
Enfale Farooq – Research Manager Finance, Projects & Facilities

Please check the departmental website for a full list of academic staff, their research interests, office
hours and contact details:

lse.ac.uk/Mathematics/people
lse.ac.uk/Mathematics/Current-Students/Office-hours

3
 NAME ROOM EMAIL

Dr Peter Allen COL 4.15 [email protected]

Professor Martin Anthony COL 3.14 [email protected]
Dr Tuğkan Batu COL 4.04 [email protected]
Dr Julia Böttcher COL 4.03 [email protected]
Professor Graham Brightwell COL 3.03 [email protected]
Dr Christoph Czichowsky COL 3.11 [email protected]
Dr Albina Danilova COL 4.09 [email protected]
Dr Paul Dütting COL 3.08 [email protected]
Dr Pavel Gapeev COL 4.10 [email protected]
Professor Olivier Gossner COL 2.04 [email protected]
Professor Jan van den Heuvel COL 3.07 [email protected]
Dr Rachel Kirsch COL.2.08 [email protected]
Dr Ioannis Kouletsis COL 4.13 [email protected]
Dr Andrew Lewis-Pye COL 3.12 [email protected]
Dr Arne Lokka COL 4.08 [email protected]

Professor Adam Ostaszewski COL 4.06 [email protected]

Dr Katerina Papadaki COL 2.05 [email protected]
Dr Johannes Ruf COL 3.06 [email protected]
Professor Amol Sasane COL 4.05 [email protected]
Dr Robert Simon COL 4.07 [email protected]
Professor Jozef Skokan COL 3.04 [email protected]
Professor Greg Sorkin COL 2.07 [email protected]
Professor Bernhard von Stengel COL 4.12 [email protected]
Professor Konrad Swanepoel COL 3.09 [email protected]
Dr László Végh COL 2.02 [email protected]
Dr Luitgard Veraart COL 4.11 [email protected]
Dr Victor Verdugo COL.2.08 [email protected]
Dr James Ward COL 4.14 [email protected]
Dr Giacomo Zambelli COL 2.06 [email protected]
Professor Mihail Zervos COL 4.02 [email protected]

4
About the Department of
Mathematics

The Department of Mathematics is internationally recognised for its teaching and research. Located
within a world-class social science institution, the Department aims to be a leading centre for
Mathematics in the Social Sciences. The Department's growth trajectory reflects the increasing impact
that mathematical theory and mathematical techniques are having on subjects such as economics and
finance, and on many other areas of the social sciences.
The Department offers seven degree programmes, ranging from undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD.
The Department is also involved in the BSc Business Mathematics and Statistics degree, which is run by
the Statistics Department.

Department Office Postal address:

Department of Mathematics
The Department’s main office can be found on
The London School of Economics and Political
the 4th floor of Columbia House. The team are Science
available to assist with general enquiries as well Houghton Street
as student support, submission of coursework London
WC2A 2AE
and other non-academic queries.

Email: [email protected] The opening hours of the Reception Desk are

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7955 7732 as follows:
Term time: 10:00 – 12:00 and 14:00 – 16:00

Email
The School will use your LSE email address to communicate with you so you should check it regularly.
The email program Microsoft Outlook is available on all student PCs on the LSE network. You can also
access email off-campus using webmail and remote desktop or, on the move, using email clients for
laptops and mobile phones. For instructions on how to do this visit:
lse.ac.uk/intranet/LSEServices/itservices/remote/home.aspx

You can get a lot of emails in term time. So that you are clear which is important and which is optional
information (promotion, events etc.), we will send you optional information from the generic email
address [email protected] . If you get an email from your Programme Manager or Academic Mentor
it is important information for you and you should read (and respond as appropriate).

5
Research Interests of
Academic Staff

Dr Peter Allen Dr Christoph Czichowsky

Extremal combinatorics (especially graphs and Financial mathematics, stochastic analysis,
uniform hypergraphs), asymptotic enumeration, stochastic optimal control; portfolio
Ramsey theory and random discrete structures. optimization, mathematical structure of
financial markets and optimal investment
strategies, markets with transaction costs,
Professor Martin Anthony market frictions, mean-variance hedging.
Mathematical aspects of machine learning,
particularly probabilistic modelling of learning Dr Albina Danilova
and discrete mathematical problems in the
theory of learning, data mining and artificial Stochastic calculus and financial mathematics,
neural networks; Boolean function classes and in particular: filtering, enlargement of filtrations
their representations. and stochastic control and optimisation;
derivatives pricing and hedging in incomplete
markets and/or under asymmetric information,
Dr Tugkan Batu utility maximization and equilibrium.

Algorithms and theory of computation. In

particular, randomised computation, (sublinear)
Dr Paul Dütting
algorithms on massive data sets, property Algorithms, Game Theory, and Mechanism
testing, statistical testing, and streaming Design.
algorithms.

Professor Norman Biggs Dr Pavel Gapeev

Algebraic graph theory, the frequency Stochastic calculus, optimal stopping and free-
assignment problem, and graph-theoretical boundary problems, pricing of American
models in finance. options, sequential testing and disorder
detection problems, interest rate and credit risk
models, illiquidity markets, stochastic impulse
Dr Julia Böttcher control and optimisation, Gaussian processes.
Extremal combinatorics, random discrete
structures, Ramsey theory, algorithmic and
structural graph theory, graph colouring. Professor Olivier Gossner
Game theory, economics of information,
bounded rationality and complexity.
Professor Graham Brightwell
Combinatorics in general, especially finite
partially ordered sets, probabilistic methods, Professor Jan van den Heuvel
and algorithmic aspects. Graph and matroid theory; applications and
algorithmic aspects of graph theory;
mathematical aspects of frequency assignment
problems; mathematical aspects of networks;
discrete mathematics in general.

6
Dr Rachel Kirsch Professor Jozef Skokan
Combinatorics and graph theory, especially Extremal set theory, probabilistic combinatorics,
enumerative extremal graph theory and quasi-random structures, discrete geometry,
combinatorics on words. graph theory, topics in theoretical computer
science, combinatorial games, and
mathematical modelling of natural phenomena.
Dr Andrew Lewis-Pye
Logic, computability, algorithms, randomness, Professor Gregory Sorkin
game theory, agent based models, networks.
Combinatorial optimization, Phase transitions
in random structures including random graphs
and random formulae, Average-case analysis of
Dr Arne Lokka
algorithms, Exponential-time algorithms, Graph
Probability and financial mathematics, with theory, combinatorics, and the probabilistic
special emphasis on hedging and pricing of method, Applications in operations research,
derivatives, utility maximization and market auctions, biology, physics, and other areas.
equilibrium, real investment decisions under
uncertainty.
Professor Bernhard von Stengel
Game theory (efficient computation of
Professor Adam Ostaszewski equilibria, theory of online algorithms),
Mathematical finance, in particular real options extensive form games, correlated equilibria,
and accounting theory, including corporate pivoting algorithms in linear programming
disclosure policy. Bargaining theory. and linear complementarity, polytope theory.

Dr Katerina Papadaki Professor Konrad Swanepoel

Approximate dynamic programming
Combinatorial and discrete geometry; axiomatic
algorithms; cooperative game theory; discrete
geometry; finite geometries; geometry of finite-
optimization; network games; network
dimensional Normed Spaces; geometric
optimization; patrolling games; reoptimization;
shortest networks, such as Steiner Minimal
robust optimization; routing; scheduling;
Trees and the Fermat-Torricelli Problem;
shortest path tree games; stochastic dynamic
extremal combinatorics.
programming; stochastic programming;
transportation; wireless network problems.
Dr Lázló Végh
Dr Johannes Ruf Combinatorial optimisation related to
connectivity, flows, matchings and matroids,
The modelling of dynamic systems that arise in
and also applications to areas such as
finance and economics
mathematical economics, algorithmic game
theory and network design.

Dr Amol Sasane
Mathematical control theory, Operator theory Dr Luitgard Veraart
and Complex analysis. Financial mathematics, particularly, optimal
investment problems, stochastic volatility
models, pricing of derivatives, risk management
Dr Robert Simon in financial markets.
Game theory (stochastic games, games of
incomplete information), shellability (simplicial
complexes), matroids.

7
Dr Victor Verdugo Professor Mihail Zervos
Approximation algorithms, convex Stochastic analysis, stochastic control and
optimization techniques for hard optimisation, optimal stopping problems,
combinatorial problems, online selection valuation of investment decisions and
problems, social networks, algorithmic investments in real assets, options of
aspects of representation American type, derivative pricing in
incomplete markets, weather derivatives.

Dr Giacomo Zambelli
Combinatorial optimisation; integer
programming; mathematical programming;
operations research.

8
Studying and Academic
Support

Your Academic Mentor

At the start of term all students will be assigned an Academic Mentor. Your Academic Mentor will:
Provide you with academic guidance and feedback on your progress and performance.
Discuss any academic problems you may be experiencing.
Provide pastoral support on non- academic issues and refer you, as necessary, to the appropriate
support agencies within the School.
Meet with you regularly and maintain regular contact with you outside of meetings via email and other
appropriate methods.
Likely be one of the people that will write reference letters for you in future, so it is important that they
get to know you well.

During Welcome Week, you must see your Mentor to discuss and agree your choice of courses. After this
initial meeting, you should arrange to see your Mentor at least once or twice in each term.

Mentors will be able to discuss with and advise you regarding a range of academic and pastoral issues.
These can include academic progress; course choices; deferral; examinations; and personal
circumstances. Academic Mentors are also one of the first faculty points of contact for you if you are
facing difficulties with your studies. Academic Mentors will treat all information you give them with the
appropriate level of confidentiality, although sometimes it may be necessary for your Mentor to discuss
information with other relevant members of staff.

Note that your Academic Mentor is not responsible for assisting you with administrative problems. If
something is wrong with your registration, timetable, etc., you should contact the Student Services Centre
or the MSc Programmes Manager in the Departmental Office (COL 4.01).

Programme Director
The Programme Director for the MSc in Operations Research and Analytics for this year is Dr Katerina
Papadaki, with Dr Giacomo Zambelli as the Deputy Director.
The Programme Director is in overall charge of the tutorial system, and is also responsible for monitoring
the progress of students. He has to approve all course choices, as well as any special arrangement
requests. In most cases you should consult your Academic Mentor before seeing the Programme
Director.

If you have difficulties communicating with your Academic Mentor, you can contact the Programme
Director to discuss the situation further. In exceptional circumstances, where you feel the Programme
Director is unable to help, you are welcome to instead consult the Head of Department or even LSE’s
Senior Student Adviser.

9
Lectures, Seminars and Classes
Courses in Mathematics taught by the Department of Mathematics are taught by means of lectures,
seminars and classes. For each course there are usually two lectures per week during the two main
teaching terms (most half-unit courses run for one term/11 weeks of teaching). For each course, you will
also be assigned to a class or seminar once a week and presided over by a class teacher. Classes
normally start in week two of the term. Teaching arrangements on courses run by other departments
may be different.

Attendance, Interruption, Deferral and Withdrawal

According to School regulations, attendance at classes/seminars is mandatory and registers will be
taken (Visa holders should note that the School is required to report non-attendance to the UK Border
Agency, so please take this seriously).
If you experience any difficulties during your time at LSE, you should make sure that you keep in regular
contact with your Academic Mentor. They will be able to help signpost you to appropriate services within
the School or that you receive the support to enable you to continue studying successfully. If you are
unable to attend a class/seminar, you must notify the class teacher.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Representatives

The School’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion is one of its six strategic priorities and one
of the core principles set out in the School’s Ethics Code. The Department of Mathematics’ equality
officer is Dr Albina Danilova and Dr Luitgard Veraart. For more information please see here:
lse.ac.uk/Mathematics/EDI

Staff-Student Liaison Committee (SSLC)

At the start of the year you will be asked if you would like to represent your Year on the Staff Student
Liaison Committee (SSLC). These are important committees as they provide a forum for feedback from
students on their programmes and for discussion of issues which affect the student community as a
whole. The role of an SSLC representative is therefore central to ensuring that courses and programmes
in the School work efficiently; those elected or chosen as a representative will be given training.
The SSLC also elects one representative to attend the relevant School-level Students’ Consultative
Forum. More information on the Consultative Forum can be found here:
lse.ac.uk/studentRepresentation/home.aspx

Postgraduate Study Room

The Department of Mathematics has a study room that is available to you. This room is COL.2.09 (on the
2nd floor of Columbia House) and is available 07:00-00:00 on weekdays, and 08:00-22:00 on weekends.
You will need your ID card for access to the building and to the room.

Presentation Ceremonies
The Graduation Ceremony for MSc Operations Research and Analytics students normally takes place in
November. The ceremonies are held on campus in the Peacock Theatre. The Student Services Centre
emails invitations, which include details of the ticket booking process, are emailed to eligible
undergraduate and taught postgraduate students 5-6 months before the ceremonies are scheduled to
take place. The ceremony itself usually lasts 60-80 minutes and is immediately followed by an on-
campus drinks reception. For more information, including the dates of future ceremonies and details of
the School’s overseas ceremonies, please see here: lse.ac.uk/ceremonies

10
11
Programme Structure

Students must take three compulsory courses (Papers 1, 2, 3), options to the value of 1.5 units and a
project or dissertation as shown.

Paper Course number and title

1 MA423 Fundamentals of Operations Research (H)
2 MA424 Modelling in Operations Research (H)
3 ST447 Data Analysis and Statistical Methods (H)
4 One course from the following:
MA407 Algorithms and Computation (H)
MA421 Advanced Algorithms (H)
MA427 Mathematical Optimisation (H)
MA428 Combinatorial Optimisation (H)
MA429 Algorithmic Techniques for Data Mining (H)
MA430 Efficient Algorithms for Hard Optimisation Problems (H) (unavailable 2018/9)

5 One course from the following:

MG401 Operations Management for Management Consultancy (H) (unavailable 2018/9)
MG405 Behavioural Decision Science (H) (unavailable 2018/9)
MG409 Auctions and Game Theory (H) * (unavailable 2018/9)
MG422 Thinking Strategically (H) *
MG481 Innovating Organisational Information Technology (H)
MG4B3 International Marketing: A Strategic Approach (H)
Any other MG4** or MA4** course, with approval of the Programme Director subject to
availability

6 One course from the following:

Another course from the list under Paper 4 above
MA402 Game Theory I (H) *
MA408 Discrete Mathematics and Graph Theory (H)
MA409 Continuous Time Optimisation (H)
MA410 Information, Communication and Cryptography (H)
MA431 Advanced Topics in Operations Research and Applicable Mathematics (H)
(unavailable 2018/9)
ST409 Stochastic Processes (H)
ST422 Time Series (H)
ST444 Statistical Computing (H)
Another MSc-level course, with approval from Programme Director and the teacher for the
course

Notes:
• A student may be exempted from a course specified in Paper 1, 2, or 3, at the discretion of the
Programme Director and upon supplying satisfactory evidence to the course convenor of previous study
of the course's content. A student shall replace such a course with another module, chosen subject to
approval of the Programme Director.
• * Students may choose at most one the following three optional courses as part of this programme:
MG409, MG422, MA402.

12
2018/19 Timetable outline
The table below indicates which terms the courses that form the MSc in Operations Research & Analytics
fall under during the 2017/18 academic year. You will see that most courses only take place in a single
term; a few courses run over both terms.

Michaelmas Term Lent Term

Paper 1, 2, and 3

MA423 Fundamentals of Operations Research

MA424 Modelling in Operations Research

ST447 Data Analysis & Statistical Methods

Paper 4

MA407 Algorithms and Computation

MA421 Advanced Algorithms

MA427 Mathematical Optimisation

MA428 Combinatorial Optimisation *

MA429 Algorithmic Techniques for Data Mining

Paper 5

MG422 Thinking Strategically

MG481 Innovating Organisational Information

Technology
MG4B3 International Marketing : A Strategic
Approach
Paper 6

MA402 Game Theory I

MA408 Discrete Mathematics and Graph Theory

MA409 Continuous Time Optimisation

MA410 Information, Communication and

Cryptography
ST409 Stochastic Processes

ST422 Time Series

ST444 Statistical Computing

Paper 7

MA425 Project in Operations Research & Analytics

MA426 Dissertation in Operations Research & Analytics

* Course may be moved to Michaelmas Term

13
Timetables
Details about provisional timetables can be found on the School’s website lse.ac.uk/timetables/
At the moment this covers only lectures, as class timetables will not be available until the first week of
term.

Choosing Your Courses

There are many places where you can get information about the content of the courses available to MSc
Operations Research and Analytics students. The official course guides can be online in the LSE Calendar:
lse.ac.uk/resources/calendar/Default
Once you have decided what courses to take, you should enter your selection online in LSE For You:
lfy.lse.ac.uk . Your selection will need the approval of your Academic Mentor. If you want to choose a
course outside those listed in the regulations for your degree, you will also need the approval of the
Programme Director. Until your choices have been approved, you won’t be officially registered for a
course, and you won’t be assigned a class for the course. Most lecturers will use the first lecture of their
course to give an introduction and a general overview.
Please note that course choices must have been made by the start of Week 3 (15 th October) by midday.
If you wish to amend your course choice after the online system has been switched off, you will need to
request this via a ‘late course change’ form, which is available from the Student Services Centre.
Seminar and class registration for postgraduate students is coordinated by the Department teaching the
course. Therefore if you have any queries, please contact them directly.
For more information on timetables, please see this link:
lse.ac.uk/intranet/students/registrationTimetablesAssessment/Registration/home.aspx

14
Assessment

This section is about the various forms of assessment that you might encounter during your studies for
the MSc programme.
Formative assessment takes please on all courses, but does not count towards your final results. In
mathematics courses, this will usually take the form of ‘exercises’.
Summative assessment can take several different formats, and does count towards your final results.
Most MSc courses are primarily assessed by an unseen written exam in the Summer Term. A half
unit course is usually assessed by a two-hour exam and a full unit course by a three-hour exam.
A number of courses include assessed coursework as part of the final assessment, in addition to the
exam. Assessed coursework may come in a variety of formats, and you are advised to check the course
guide for each course to see what format the assessment takes.

Assessed Coursework
In some courses, you will be set one or more pieces of coursework, project or assignments as part of the
summative assessment of that course. The lecturer responsible for the course will tell you the nature of
any assessed coursework at the beginning of teaching. They will also mention roughly when the
coursework will be set, and the due date for coursework submission.
Assessed coursework is marked according to the same strict procedures as the formal written
examinations in Summer Term. It therefore involves a second Examiner as well as the Department’s
External Examiner. The marking of coursework is done anonymously. This means that coursework must
be handed in formally to the Mathematics Departmental Office, and not to the lecturer of the course. You
will be required by the Office to complete a submissions sheet and sign a plagiarism statement for each
piece of coursework you are handing in. The Office will then pass on your work identified only by your
Examination Candidate Number.
Therefore, please remember not to write your name or Student ID Number on any piece of assessed
coursework you are submitting – only your Examination Candidate Number (5 digits). The Departmental
Office will keep a record of Candidate Numbers and names to ensure that a proper record is kept of the
submission of coursework.

Examinations
Most of the courses you will take as part of your degree will be in mathematics. Other subjects have their
own traditions and arrangements for assessment, and students are directed to the appropriate
Departments to find more about these.
Mathematics courses at LSE are assessed primarily by means of written, unseen, closed- book
examinations, although occasionally some courses include a specified amount of assessed coursework.
The Department of Mathematics has general guidelines on assessment criteria, which provides broad
descriptions of the meaning of marks awarded on our examinations (see links below). Those unfamiliar
with the UK system might also find the information here to be useful:
lse.ac.uk/maths/Courses/Exam_guidance.aspx
lse.ac.uk/intranet/LSEServices/TQARO/Calendar/RegulationsForTaughtMasters_InOrAfter2009-
10.pdf.
Also informative is the national ‘QAA Subject Benchmark Statement for Mathematics, Statistics and
Operational Research’, available at: qaa.ac.uk/en/Publications/Documents/SBS-Mathematics-15.pdf.

15
Whilst primarily aimed at undergraduate courses (these set out the expectations for any undergraduate
degree course in the UK in these subjects) much of what they say will also apply at graduate level.

Coursework
There are specific assessment criteria for dissertation and extended pieces of assessed coursework.
Smaller pieces of assessed coursework are likely to resemble homework exercises in style and nature,
and one purpose of the marking and grading of these earlier in the course is to inform students about
what is expected from them in assessed coursework, as well as examinations.
Coursework will be assessed on accuracy and understanding of the material. It is LSE Policy that
students should be given some feedback on assessed coursework; this will often be in the nature of
‘collective feedback’, i.e. indications of common errors and parts of questions that were answered
particularly well or badly. The exact format of such feedback is at the discretion of the lecturer for that
course.

Penalties for Late Submission of Coursework and Plagiarism

The School has a clear and strict policy on the late submission of any assessed coursework that counts
towards your final degree marks. This information is laid out in paragraphs of the Regulations for Taught
Masters Degrees, which can be found on the following link:
lse.ac.uk/intranet/LSEServices/TQARO/Calendar/RegulationsForTaughtMasters_InOrAfter2009-
10.pdf.
Regarding plagarisiam and citations, please see Section 2 for the School’s notes on plagiarism. The LSE
Library offers classes and an online guide in citing and referencing. EndNote is installed on LSE
computers and is available to buy from the IT Helpdesk on the 1st floor of the Library.
For guidance from within the Department of Mathematics, refer to Section 4 of Professor Bernhard von
Stengel’s dissertation guide: tiny.cc/lsemathsdissertationguide/

16
Assessment Criteria
The Department also has the following general guidelines on assessment criteria, which provides broad
descriptions of the meaning of marks awarded on our examinations.

Mark (%) Grade Descriptor Characteristics

1-9 Bad Fail  Nothing presented or completely incorrect information or
answers contain nothing at all of relevance
 No evidence of understanding
 No competence in core basic techniques of the subject
10-19 Bad Fail  Very little information or information that is almost entirely
incorrect or irrelevant
 Very little evidence of understanding
 Very little competence in core basic techniques of the
subject
20-29 Fail  Little understanding evidence
 Very limited competence in core basic techniques of the
subject
30-39 Fail  Some understanding evident, but no ability to grapple with
anything other than a limited range of very routine
questions
 Limited competence in core basic techniques of the
subject or competence only in a small part of the material
40-49 Fail  An acceptable demonstration of a basic understanding of
and competence in the subject
 Some knowledge of, and application of, relevant methods
and techniques
 A basic range of information and knowledge deployed, with
some areas of inaccuracy
50-59 Pass  A sound understanding of the subject
 Knowledge of, and some application of, relevant methods
and techniques
 A stand, and largely accurate, range of information and
knowledge deployed
 May demonstrate ability to grapple with standard
problems, but limited capacity to solve more unusual or
demanding questions involving application of significant
understanding of the subject
60-69 Merit  A clear understanding of the subject
 Competent application of relevant methods and techniques
 Wide and accurate range of information and knowledge
deployed
 Some capacity to solve more unusual or demanding
questions involving application of significant understanding
of the subject

17
 70-79 Distinction  A thorough understanding of the subject
 Deft application of relevant methods and techniques
 Extensive range and consistent accuracy of information
and knowledge
 A significant capacity to solve more unusual or demanding
questions, involving application of thorough understanding
of the subject and its methods
80-89 Distinction  A deep understanding of the subject
 Mastery of relevant methods and techniques
 Highly extensive range and consistent accuracy of
information and knowledge
 An impressive ability to solve more unusual or demanding
questions involving application of deep understanding of
the subject and its methods
90-100 Distinction  A comprehensive and deep understanding of the subject
 Mastery of relevant methods and techniques and an ability
to deploy them with flair
 Very extensive range and consistent accuracy of
information and knowledge
 An outstanding ability to solve unusual and demanding
questions involving application of deep and comprehensive
understanding of the subject and its methods

Feedback
Lecturers are available in their office hours to discuss coursework. Class teachers are on hand to answer
queries throughout the term and also hold office hours for this purpose. They can offer assistance with
queries and give feedback on how you progress. Class teachers and Academic Mentors also give specific
written feedback on LSE for You at the end of Michaelmas and Lent term. Submitting all your homework
for marking is also an excellent way of ensuring you get regular feedback.

What is feedback?
It is part of learning – providing your with ideas and information about how to improve your work
It is a dialogue – between you and all those other people you come across in your learning, who help you
develop and understand ideas.
It is a joint responsibility – you need to be an active player, not a passive recipient!

How can feedback help you?

It helps you improve the particular assignment you are working on.
It gives you useful pointers for subsequent work.
It helps you understand the criteria that will be used to assess you in exams and coursework, where the
grade counts towards your degree result.
It motivates you to reach your potential.

18
How is feedback provided?
You will get feedback on all sorts of work:
Problem sets
Mock exams, ‘exam type’ assignment and tests
Your contributions to class discussions
Your participation in Moodle discussion forums
Questions you raise in lectures or online
Class presentations
Course essays
Group projects
Your work overall throughout the term

Feedback comes in many different forms:

Written comments on work you’ve handed in
Direct oral feedback from your class teacher
Group feedback from your lecturer
Information feedback from discussion with
fellow students and teachers
Online feedback

Feedback comes from a variety of sources

Your class teachers and lecturers
Your Academic Mentor
Fellow students on your courses/programme
Fellow students in your Hall/housing/neighbourhood

Useful Links
The following links contain information that you will find particularly useful, as well as being course
specific:

MSc Operations Research and Analytics Programme Regulations:

lse.ac.uk/resources/calendar/programmeRegulations/taughtMasters/2017_MScOperationsResearch&Analytics

Scheme for the Award of a Taught Master’s Degree:

lse.ac.uk/intranet/LSEServices/TQARO/Calendar/SchemeTaughtMasters.pdf

Department of Mathematics Website:

lse.ac.uk/Mathematics

19
Personal and Professional
Development

There are many ways in which LSE supports the personal development and wellbeing of students – both
on and off campus.
In terms of events, there are lectures and group based workshops across the year on topics such as
stress management, overcoming perfectionism and coping with personal difficulties. You can find more
information on the links below:
lse.ac.uk/counselling
info.lse.ac.uk/staff/divisions/Teaching-and-Learning-Centre

Student Wellbeing Service: One to One Support

LSE’s Student Counselling Service offers bookable one-to-one appointments and daily drop in sessions.
The Peer Support Scheme enable students to talk with fellow students if they have any personal worries:
lse.ac.uk/peersupport/
The Disability and Wellbeing Service provides advice to disabled students, makes LSE Inclusion Plans
and helps with Individual Examination Adjustments: lse.ac.uk/disability/

Language Centre Courses

English Language Support
If English is not your first language, the Language Centre is on hand to give you advice and support
throughout your time at LSE. The support is free and starts as soon as your main programme starts.
There are specific classes for academic units and information sessions are held during the first days
of term to advise you on the most appropriate classes to take. Please see this link for more information
on the English for Academic Purposes (EAP) In-Sessional Support Programme: lse.ac.uk/languages/

Foreign Language Courses

The Language Centre offers a number of extracurricular language courses. Courses usually run from
October through to April and registration begins in September. Details can be found via the link below:
lse.ac.uk/language/ModernForeignLanguages/Certificate/MFLCertificateHome.aspx
MSc Mathematics students wishing to pursue one of these courses can apply for financial support by
contacting Ed Perrin. Funding is given on a first-come-first-served basis in Week One.

20
Women in Mathematics Seminar Series
The London Mathematical Society for some years has run “Women in Mathematics” seminars and events
to help promote the careers of women in mathematics and to provide support, advice and networking
opportunities. The Department of Mathematics will be supporting its staff and students in a similar way
by running a termly lunchtime academic and professional development seminar series which focuses on
issues of particular interest to women in Mathematics. For each seminar we invite a prominent female
mathematician to introduce their area of research or career to our students and discuss other issues of
relevance to the group. While our female UG, MSc, PhD students and academic staff are especially
encouraged to attend these seminars, everybody is welcome.
These seminars will be held on Wednesday afternoons when there is no timetabled teaching. Look out
for an invitation from your Programme Manager confirming the dates and times to book your place.

LSE Careers
LSE Careers works closely with postgraduate students from the Department of Mathematics. They are a
very active service offering a wide range of seminars, employer presentations, fairs and face-to-face
appointments to help you at every stage of the career planning process; from deciding what you want to
do to preparing for interviews and settling into your first job. As your course only lasts a year, it’s best to
get started on your career planning almost as soon as you arrive to increase your understanding of
different career areas and to maximize the opportunities open to you. The very popular Banking and
Finance and Consultancy careers fairs all take place in the first few weeks of term so make sure you
register so you don’t miss out!
LSE Careers also work with the Department to offer events specifically for Mathematicians. These include
the very popular ‘What can you do with an LSE Mathematics degree?’ panel and networking lunch, and
‘Meet the Alumni’— a careers networking evening specifically for MSc students. There are also employer
led workshops covering specialised occupational areas and application processes, including technical
finance interviews and psychometric testing.
LSE attracts top recruiters from many sectors who use our vacancy board to advertise hundreds of
internships, voluntary, part-time and graduate positions. You can access the vacancy board, book
appointments and attend events through LSE CareerHub at careers.lse.ac.uk. The LSE Careers website
and blog are also full of tips, advice and information about every stage of the career process, from CV
writing to interviews, and information about a wide range of employment sectors (including banking,
finance, accountancy, actuarial and consultancy) and international careers: info.lse.ac.uk/current-
students/careers/
LSE Careers also maintains a website where you can find out what LSE graduates from Mathematics
have gone on to do: info.lse.ac.uk/Current-Students/Careers/What-graduates-do/.

LSE Volunteer Centre

The LSE Volunteer Centre is also based within LSE Careers and is here to help you develop new skills and
new friendships while making an impact through volunteering. We advertise volunteering opportunities
at different charities across London and internationally, with positions ranging from one-off opportunities
to part time internships with charities. You can find out more, as well as tips and advice about
volunteering, on the LSE Volunteer Centre website: lse.ac.uk/volunteercentre

Advisers to Students
The School has specialist students’ advisers, who are available to discuss issues of concern to current
students in the School and to offer advice and support to students with personal problems. For
information the scheme, please contact the Advice Team in the Student Services Centre:
[email protected]

21
Academic Awards and Prizes
The Department of Mathematics likes to celebrate the achievements of its students, both academic
achievements and community focused. The following prizes are available to be won by MSc Operations
Research and Analytics students during their time at LSE.

John Ying Wah Gibson Prize Fund

The fund is named in memory of John Ying Wah Gibson, a BSc Mathematics and Economics graduate
from 2009, who passed away whilst running the Singapore Marathon in December 2016. John is
remembered as a dedicated student who made excellent contributions to his cohort, in particular in
offering support to his fellow students. The fund compromises of two awards, which are The John Ying
Wah Gibson Citizenship Prize and The John Ying Wah Gibson Voluntary Work Award, which students can
apply for or nominate other students for. These prizes are open to all Mathematics student over
undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
More information can be found here: lse.ac.uk/Mathematics/Current-Students/Prizes/John-Ying-
Wah-Gibson-Prize

22
Library and IT Services

LSE Library
Your LSE Student Card is also your Library Card. No additional registration with the Library is required,
but you will need your PIN to borrow books. You can set this up on LSE For You.
To search the Library catalogue, please use this link: catalogue.lse.ac.uk/
Information on how to use Library services, as well as information on Clive Wilson - our Academic Support
Librarian - can be found on the links below:
lse.ac.uk/library/usingTheLibrary/
lse.ac.uk/Library/Learning-support/Academic-Support-Librarians/

IT Services
The LSE has a growing number of computers in computer classrooms, open access computer areas and
computer rooms in student residential halls. All public computer rooms and areas have printing facilities,
though the opening hours vary. These are all available to you in various buildings and areas across LSE,
but you can also access the LSE Network from your own laptop/computer. Information on this can be
found here: lse.ac.uk/intranet/LSEServices/IMT/guides/connectingToLseNetwork.aspx
For information on the School’s rules and regulations for IT use, please see this link:
lse.ac.uk/intranet/LSEServices/policies/
The Student IT Help Desk is available on the first floor of the Library. You can visit them in person or email
[email protected] for any IT support issues.
For more information on the Information Management and Technology office, please see the link:
lse.ac.uk/imt/

23
Useful Information

Location of Departments

Finance Old Building – 3rd Floor 020 7955 7736 [email protected]

Language Centre 20 Kingsway – Ground 020 7955 6713 [email protected]
Floor
Mathematics Columbia House – 2nd, 3rd 020 7655 7732 [email protected]
and 4th Floors
Management New Academic Building – 020 7106 1203 [email protected]
3rd Floor
Statistics Columbia House – 5th, 6th 020 7955 7650/6879 [email protected]
and 7th Floors

Important Telephone Numbers

Accommodation Office 020 7955 7531

Careers Office 020 7955 7135
Crime Reporting/Campus Security 020 7955 6200
Fees Office 020 7955 7765
Financial Support Office 020 7955 6609
IT Information and Help Desk 020 7107 5000
Library Enquiries 020 7955 7229
London Nightline (18:00-08:00) 020 7631 0101
LSE LIFE 020 7852 3580
Mathematics Main Office 020 7955 7732
Student Counselling Service 020 7852 3627
Student Services Centre 020 7955 6167
St Philips Medical Centre 020 7611 5131
Students’ Union – Advice and Counselling 020 7955 7158

See also: lse.ac.uk/directory/staff/department.htm

24
Jargon Buster

Formative Assessment
Formative assessment is non-assessed, and is designed to prepare you for the summative/assessed
piece of coursework that you will complete later in the course. The purpose is to provide you with an
opportunity for feedback on your work. All courses include some kind of formative assessment and you
will be given full information about the piece(s) of work by the course leader.

Summative Assessment
Summative assessment counts towards your final degree award. It may take the form of a written
examination, an essay, presentation or a combination of two or three of these modes of assessment.
The details of the summative assessment will be provided by your course leader.

Michaelmas Term
Otherwise known as Autumn Term, first semester or Fall Term, this is the first part of the academic year
starting in September and finishing in December. You may see it written like this, or as MT on some of
your course documents.

Lent Term
Lent Term is also known as Spring Term or second semester, and falls after the Christmas Break and the
New Year. This usually lasts until the Easter Break, after which it is Summer Term.

The School
This may seem obvious, but if a member of staff says “the School” this is referring to LSE as a whole
institution. Similarly, they may call it the university or just say LSE. All other names will refer to
departments or divisions, which all form part of the wider School.

Director
Some other higher education institutions have Chancellors, Vice Chancellors or Presidents. Our
equivalent here at LSE is a Director. Our Director is Dame Minouche Shafik who started with us in
September 2017.

Programmes and Courses

At LSE, the term “programme” refers to your degree (e.g. MSc Applicable Mathematics), whereas
‘courses’ refer to the modules you take (e.g. MA417: Computational Methods in Finance).

Capped and Controlled Courses

Many graduate courses are designated as ‘controlled access’ due to limited places and/or prerequisites
that are required in order to study the course.

25
26
Section Two: Contents

Course Selection and Timetables 28

Key Information 31

Student Services Centre 33

Student Representation 35

Quality Assurance 35

LSE Services to Support You with Your 36

Studies and in Your Career

Your Wellbeing and Health 38

Fees and Finance 39

Results and Classification 40

Exams and Assessments 41

Plagiarism 42

Codes and Charters 43

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion 44

LSE Catering Outlets 45

Systems and Online Resources 46

27
Course Selection and
Timetables

Your programme comprises a number of courses, which are usually worth half (0.5) or a full (1.0) unit.
The number of courses you will take each years varies by programme but can be found at
lse.ac.uk/calendar. You will need to select all of your courses, including any compulsory ones, in LSE for
You.

How to select your courses

1. Find the courses you’d like to take
Go to lse.ac.uk/findcourses to access the tools and information to help you decide which courses
you want to take this academic year. Make sure that you identify a few back-up courses in case
your first choice is not available.
You should make sure that you attend any departmental course selection meetings and seek
advice from your Academic Mentor or Supervisor before finalising your course selections.
The LSE calendar is the place to check for programme regulations detailing which courses you are
permitted to take. It also provides course guides for every course at LSE, including student
feedback. You can find the calendar online at lse.ac.uk/calendar.
LSE Course Finder is a tool to help you choose which courses to take within your programme
regulations. Course Finder allows you to browse available courses by unit value, keyword,
department and assessment type. You can build a shortlist of courses and compare the lecture
timetables for that shortlist. Course Finder is available from late August.
You may also with to look at course content on Moodle and check the teaching timetable to detect
potential classes.
Some departments have controlled access courses which means that places are limited. Different
departments use different methods to allocate places, you can find more information about this at
lse.ac.uk/courseSelection. If a controlled access course is compulsory for your programme you
will need to select it but will be given a place automatically.

2. Select your courses in LSE for You

You will need to select your courses using LSE for You:
 Log into LSE for You using your LSE username and password
 Navigate to ”Graduate Course Choice” in the menu and select “Graduate Course Choice
– Student”
 Click on the “select or drop | accept of decline offers | withdraw requests” button
 Select the courses that you’d like to take from the available options. Compulsory courses
will already have been ticked for you. If you are a part-time student you should untick the
courses you are not taking this year.
 If a course that you wish to take is not listed then type the course code (e.g. AB456) in
the box at the bottom and click “Fetch”

28
  If you have chosen a non-compulsory controlled access course you will be asked to enter
a statement in support of your application if required. Not all courses need a statement; you
can find out if a statement is required by visiting lse.ac.uk/courseSelection.
 You will also be given the opportunity to enter a supporting statement in support of your
overall course choices. You are strongly recommended to complete this if your selection falls
outside the regulations for your programme.
 You will be returned to the “Graduate Course Choice – Student” summary page and
automatically registered for any non-controlled access courses and any controlled access
courses that are compulsory for your programme.
 Wait for any requests to take controlled access courses to be considered by the teaching
department(s). You will be notified at your LSE email when they make a decision. If you are
offered a place act quickly because the offer will expire after 48 hours

3. Check your timetable and Moodle enrolments

Lectures will appear on your timetable as soon as you have successfully registered for the course.
Some departments allocate students to seminars, and some departments allow students to sign
up for seminars themselves. You can see which method is used for each of your courses in the
Seminar Sign Up system in LSE for You. You will only be able to access Seminar Sign Up for a
particular course once you have successfully registered for the course and once the department
has made the course available for Seminar Sign Up.
You will automatically be given access to the Moodle page for your courses a few hours after
selecting your courses on LSE for You. If you change courses you will not be removed from the old
course on Moodle automatically so you will need to do this manually.

When to select courses

The postgraduate course selection system will open for browsing at the beginning of Welcome so that
you can practice using the system (but remember that no changes will be saved!). It will open properly
on the Friday before teaching starts. Course selections need to be made by the beginning of Week 3 of
Michaelmas Term. You will be able to make changes to Lent Term half unit courses in early Lent Term.
For the exact dates visit lse.ac.uk/courseSelection.
Graduate Course Choice opens for browsing at 10am on 24 th September, and it opens fully on 28th
September. GCC closes at 5pm on 15th October. For Lent Term course changes, you must complete this
between 14th-25th January.

Changing seminar
You should either use Seminar Sign Up if it is enabled for your courses or contact the department
responsible for teaching the course.

Can’t see your timetable?

If you can’t see a course on your timetable after the relevant publication date there are three common
reasons:
 You have not registered / re-registered for this academic year
 You have not selected the course in LSE for You
 Your seminar has been not yet been allocated by the relevant department

29
Access guide to LSE buildings
AccessAble have produced detailed access guides to the LSE campus and route maps between key
locations.

Getting help
There is more detailed information, contact details and answers to frequently asked questions online at
lse.ac.uk/courseSelection.

30
Key Information

Registration
It is important that you are fully registered with LSE during your time here. When you register for the first
time you will need to attend in person, show us various documents and collect your LSE Card. Usually
you can re-register for subsequent years of study online but sometimes we may need to see you in person
again. For more information visit lse.ac.uk/registration.

Your LSE Card

Your LSE card provides access to buildings and acts as your Library card. It is important that you keep it
safe and never share it with anybody else. If your LSE card is lost, stolen or damaged visit
lse.ac.uk/studentIdCards to find out how to get a replacement.

Inclusion Plans
If you have a disability, long-term medical or mental health condition you are advised to apply for an
Inclusion Plan (IP) as soon possible. The sooner that you let the Disability and Wellbeing Service (DWS)
know about your condition the sooner they can work with you to put appropriate support in place.
Advisers in DWS can potentially set up one-to-one learning support, mentoring and help you access
assistive technology designed to remove barriers to studying. To find out how to apply for an Inclusion
Plan visit lse.ac.uk/inclusionPlans.

Student Status Documentation

A certificate of registration provides proof to organistations, such as council tax offices, embassies and
banks, that you are registered as a current student at LSE. For more information about what a certificate
of registration shows visit lse.ac.uk/studentletters. You can obtain a certificate of registration from the
Student Services Centre during our opening hours (normally 11am to 4pm, Monday to Friday). Your
department will not be able to produce a certificate of registration for you. If you are planning to use this
document to open a bank account you will need to specify which bank it needs to be addressed to.
The Student Services Centre also offer a range of other documents to prove your student status including
certificates of course choice and intermediate transcripts. Some can be produced immediately and
others need to be ordered in advance. For more information about the options available please visit
lse.ac.uk/studentStatusDocuments.

Interruption
You can take a year-long break in your studies (which we call an interruption) with approval from your
department. You are usually required to return at the start of either Michaelmas Term or Lent as
appropriate. Summer Term interruptions are not possible. For more information visit
lse.ac.uk/interruptions.

31
Programme Transfer
You can request to transfer from your current programme to another programme at the same level
according to the School’s regulations. There are usually restrictions or conditions on transferring
programmes, and sometimes transfers are not possible. All transfer requests are considered by, and
require approval from, both your current and new academic department and the School before being
authorised. For more information visit lse.ac.uk/programmeTransfers.

Change of Mode of Study

If you are studying a Masters programme, and your circumstances change, meaning that you need to
adjust your study from full-time to part-time, you will need to seek authorisation from your academic
department. Changing from full-time to part-time study is generally acceptable, and your course selection
will be amended according to programme regulations. Your fees will also be amended. Changing from
part-time to full-time may not always be possible and requests will be considered on a case-by-case
basis. It is not normally possible to study an undergraduate programme on a part-time basis. For more
information visit lse.ac.uk/changeMode.

Withdrawal
Withdrawing means that you are leaving your programme permanently. Before withdrawing you may
want to consider interruption so that you have some time to consider your options. For more information
visit lse.ac.uk/withdrawal.

Regulations
You should familiarise yourself with the LSE regulations, policies and procedures that cover many
aspects of student life.
Some of the regulations explain the organisation and conduct of your academic study. These include
information about the structure of your programmes, assessment and graduation and what to do if you
face exceptional circumstances.
You can find links to the Regulations for First Degrees; Regulations for Diplomas; Regulations for Taught
Masters Degrees; Appeals Regulations; and Regulations on assessment offences other than plagiarism
in the LSE Calendar at lse.ac.uk/calendar.
You can find a full A-Z listing of all of LSE’s policies and procedures online at lse.ac.uk/policies.

32
Student Services Centre

The Student Services Centre (SSC) is located on the ground floor of the Old Building and can provide
advice and information about:
 Certificates of Registration (for bank accounts, travel, council tax etc.)
 Course selection and class changes
 Exams and assessment
 Results
 Graduation
 Support for new arrivals
 Registration (registration for new students normally takes place in Clement
House)
 Transcripts and Degree Certificates
 LSE cards

The SSC is normally open between 11am and 4pm, Monday to Friday. For the most up to date opening
hours visit lse.ac.uk/ssc.
The SSC also hosts a series of specialist drop-in sessions covering:
 Financial support
 Fees
 Graduate admissions
 International student visa advice
These sessions run for an hour at various times during the week so be sure to check when the next
session is running. In most cases you will need to sign up to attend a session.
To find out more about the Student Services Centre visit lse.ac.uk/ssc, follow our page on the Student
Hub and follow @lse_ssc on Twitter.

What If…
The SSC have developed a series of answers to common “What if…” questions. These cover a broad range
of topics including what to do if you’re unwell during an exam; become pregnant; change your name; are
not happy with your marks or want to change degree programme.
You can find these questions and answers at info.lse.ac.uk/current-students/what-if

Advice Team
The SSC has a dedicate Advice Team that can provide advice on academic matters (particularly around
non-progression, interruption, withdrawal, regulations and exams). If you are not sure who to contact
about a query or question then the Advice Team will be happy to help. You can contact the advice team
at [email protected] or by phone on 020 7955 6167.

33
International Student Visa Advice Team (ISVAT)
ISVAT provide detailed immigration advice for international students on their website which is updated
whenever the immigration rules change. The best way to contact ISVAT is to use the query form at
lse.ac.uk/isvat or to attend one of their drop-in sessions.
ISVAT also manage student exchanges to USC Berkley and through the Erasmus+ scheme. For more
information about this visit lse.ac.uk/erasmus.

34
Student Representation

Staff Student Liaison Committees and Student Consultative Fora

At the start of the year you will be asked by your department if you would like to represent your
programme on the Staff Student Liaison Committee (SSLC). These are important committees because
they provide a forum for feedback on your programme and also a space to discuss issues which affect
the student community.
The role of an SSLC representative is central to ensuring that courses and programmes at LSE work
effectively. Training will be provided for all SSLC representatives. These forums are a great way for
students to make their voice heard at LSE.
Each SSLC also elects one representative to attend the relevant Consultative Fora which are School-level
forums. Here representatives from around LSE will discuss matters that impact on students.

Student Only Forums

The forums allow the Director to “feel the pulse” of LSE’s students and give you the chance to voice your
concerns and raise suggestions. Look out for details of where and when forums will be happening.

Quality Assurance

Quality Assurance Strategy

LSE’s approach to assuring the quality of our teaching is set out in the Strategy for Managing Academic
Standards which can be found online at lse.ac.uk/tqaro.
As an awarding body LSE must be in a position to assure the standards of its degrees. At the same time,
we believe that the design of quality assurance should respect different departmental cultures and
academic histories. The strategy sets out broad principles and processes for assuring academic
standards and for enhancing the quality of educational provision. The strategy is managed by the
Teaching Quality Assurance and Review Office (TQARO).

Student Teaching Surveys

In both Michaelmas Term and Lent Term TQARO conducts surveys to assess students’ opinions of
teaching. Results relating to courses are made available through the course guides in the Calendar.
Teaching scores are made available to teachers, Heads of Departments, the Director of the Teaching and
Learning Centre and the Pro Director (Education). In addition to producing reports for individual teachers
TQARO produce aggregated quantitative data for departments and School-wide bodies. The results can
be found online at lse.ac.uk/tqaro.

35
LSE Services to Support You
with Your Studies and in Your
Career

LSE LIFE
LSE LIFE is the place to develop the skills you’ll need to reach your goals at LSE, whether it concerns your
academic work or other personal or professional pursuits. LSE LIFE is here to help you find your own
ways to study and learn, think about where your studies might lead you, and make the most of your time
at LSE.
LSE LIFE offers:
 Hands-on practical workshops where you can get advice on key areas of
university work, including effective reading, academic writing , critical thinking,
managing your dissertation research, and organising your time.
 Workshops related to how to adapt to new or difficult situations, including the
development of skills for leadership, study/work/life balance, and preparing for the
working world
 Drop-in sessions from our partners around LSE covering areas like CV writing,
English language advice, finding and referencing academic sources and statistics
support.
 A space to meet and work together with students from other courses and
departments.
 Special events to take advantage of what LSE and London have to offer.

Find out more at lse.ac.uk/lselife, check out workshop materials and other resources on Moodle or just
drop by – LSE LIFE is on the ground floor of the Library.

LSE Library
LSE Library holds one of the most important social science collections in the world and has all the
material that you need for your studies and research.
Most items are split into collections to help you find what you are looking for:
 The course collection is located on the first floor, holding multiple copies of
essential textbooks for your courses. It will have most of your required readings.
 The main collection is housed across three floors, holding wider items for social
sciences research.

You can use Library Search to find books and other materials for your studies via lse.ac.uk/library. Once
you’ve found what you need, write down its location to help you find it in the Library. To borrow books,
use your LSE card and the self-service machines on the ground floor. Taught students can borrow up to
20 books at any one time. You can renew your books online by logging into your Library account at
lse.ac.uk/library. If you do not return books on time, you will be unable to borrow any more until your
overdue item is returned or renewed.

36
Academic Support Librarians provide subject expertise and personalised support. They also host
workshops to help you identify, find, manage and evaluate the information needed for your studies and
research. You can find out who your Academic Support Librarian is at
lse.ac.uk/academicSupportLibrarian. Subject Guides are useful online introductions to finding resources,
read yours at lse.ac.uk/library/subjectGuides.

Language Centre
Whether you are an international student looking for additional support with your English, interested in
taking a Language Centre course, or want to learn or improve a language the Language Centre can help.
If English is not your first language, the English Insessional Support Programme can offer help and advice
throughout your degree. You can attend an English for Academic Purposes information session to see
what support is available for you. You can also register for your “academic cluster” in the Language Centre
which groups together students from the same department with similar support needs.
You may be eligible to take a language, literature or linguistics course as part of your degree, As an LSE
student you can also sign up for an extracurricular ‘MFL Certificate Course’ at a discounted rate. As part
of the LSE Language Policy, if you are a UK-EU undergraduate and you do not have foreign language at
GCSE Grade C (or equivalent); you are eligible to take an MFL certificate course for free!
For more information visit lse.ac.uk/languages

LSE Careers
LSE Careers is here to help guide and support you throughout your time at LSE. We provide a range of
careers services and events both online and in one-to-one appointments. We have a jobs board and offer
bespoke services for students with disabilities.
There is lots of information and support at lse.ac.uk/careers including:
 Information about the services offered by LSE Careers and how to access them
 Support with your career options and insight into employment sectors and
recruitment processes
 CV, cover letter and application form advice and examples
 Details of what graduates have gone on to do

LSE CareerHub, our online careers portal, allows you to:

 Search for jobs and opportunities
 Book one-to-one discussions to talk about your career options and get your
applications checked
 Explore upcoming events including seminars, careers fairs and employer
presentations
You can log into Career Hub at careers.lse.ac.uk.

The LSE Volunteer Centre is part of LSE Careers and is here to help you develop new skills and new
friendships while making an impact through volunteering. The Volunteer Centre advertise volunteering
opportunities within LSE, at different charities across London and internationally. Positions range from
one-off opportunities to part-time internships with charities. The annual Volunteering Fair takes place at
the beginning of Michaelmas Term and is a great opportunity to meet a wide range of charities and get
a feel for their work. You can find out more, as well as get tips and advice about volunteering at
lse.ac.uk/volunteerCentre or by following @LSEVolunteering.

37
Your Wellbeing and Health

Student Wellbeing Service (SWS)

SWS brings together two key student facing services; the Disability and Wellbeing Service (DWS) and the
Student Counselling Service (SCS). SWS also facilitates the Peer Supporter Scheme. SWS aims to provide
you with a single integrated source of help and assistance.
SCS provides a professional, free and confidential service to help you with any problems that you may be
experiencing. You can speak to them about academic stresses, as well as personal and emotional
difficulties. Visit lse.ac.uk/counselling to book an individual appointment, read about drop-in
appointments or find out about groups and workshops.
DWS is the first point of contact for students with disabilities, long term medical and mental health
conditions, and Specific Learning Difficulties such as dyslexia. DWS can create an Inclusion Plan with
you, which is a way of putting in place agreed “reasonable adjustments” to support your studies. Visit
lse.ac.uk/disability to find out more.
Peer Supporters give you the opportunity to talk to fellow students about anything that is worrying you.
Peer Supporters are trained to offer confidential emotional support, help and reassurance. You can find
out more about the scheme and arrange a chat with a Peer Supporter at lse.ac.uk/peerSupport

Health Care in the UK

You are likely to need to access medical care while you are at LSE, even if this is just for routine
appointments. In the UK most health care is provided through the National Health Service (NHS).
You are typically eligible for free treatment on the NHS if you fall into one of the following categories:
 You are a UK resident
 You have a Tier 4 visa and have paid the immigration health surcharge
 You are an EU/EEA student with a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)
This list is not exhaustive and was correct at the time of print. The UK Council for International Student
Affairs maintains an up-to-date listing on their website - www.ukcisa.org.uk.
If you are unfamiliar with the NHS search for “NHS Services explained” to find out more. You are usually
required to register with a local General Practitioner’s (GP) surgery before you can book an appointment.
You should register as soon as possible and not wait until you are unwell. The nearest GP surgery is St.
Philips Medical Centre who are based on the second floor of Tower 3. This surgery will register most LSE
students. For more information about the services offered and how to register please visit
www.stphilipsmedicalcentre.co.uk or call 020 7611 5131.
As well as dispensing medicines, pharmacies can also offer advice on common health problems. You do
not need to make an appointment, just visit a pharmacy and ask to speak to the duty pharmacists. In an
emergency you should dial 999 to call an ambulance. You can also visit your nearest accident and
emergency (A&E) department at your local hospital or visit an Urgent Care Centre.
There is lots more information about Health Care, including details about dentists and opticians, available
at lse.ac.uk/studentHealth.

38
LSE Faith Centre
The Faith Centre is open to students of all faiths and none. It is a space for prayer, worship and quiet
reflection.
The Faith Centre provides a space for student faith societies to meet and worship. The Faith Centre
produces a Religion and Belief Guide each year which provides information and contact details for faith
groups, you can collect a copy from the Faith Centre reception on the second floor of the Saw Swee Hock
Student Centre.
The Faith Centre host a range of wellbeing activities including Mindfulness, Yoga, Ashtanga Aoga and
Tai Chi. Class details can be found online at lse.ac.uk/faithCentre. The Cave in the Faith Centre is available
to all LSE staff and students who need a quiet place for reflection. This space cannot be booked but is
open throughout the week.
The Faith Centre runs three acclaimed interfaith leadership programmes which are your chance to
explore, question and challenge religious differences and provide a unique opportunity to build
relationships and challenge assumptions across faiths. Find out more by visiting the “Programmes” page
at lse.ac.uk/faithCentre.
The Faith Centre Director and Chaplain to the LSE, Reverend Dr James Walters, can be contacted on
[email protected] for confidential support regardless of religious affiliation. Contact details for our
team of Associate Chaplains can be found at lse.ac.uk/faithCentre.

Fees and Finance

Fees
All administration around your fees is handled by the Fees, Income and Credit Control Team.
LSE offers two options for payment of fees. You can either pay them in full prior to registration or by
payment plan. If you have not paid your fees in full before you register you will be placed on a termly
payment plan. You are expected to pay one third of your fees by:
 28 October 2018
 28 January 2019
 28 April 2019
If you do not know your fees please visit lse.ac.uk/tableoffees
Visit lse.ac.uk/feepayments to find out about the different payment methods available. Unfortunately, it
is not possible for you to pay in person.
The Finance Hub is your one stop shop for fee administration, visit financehub.lse.ac.uk to:
 View your tuition fees
 Make payments
 Submit and track enquiries
 Present forms for confirmation and completion
 Request invoices and receipts
The Fees Office also run drop-ins in the Student Services Centre.

39
Financial Support Office (FSO)
FSO are responsible for the administration and awarding of scholarships, bursaries, studentships and
School prizes.
FSO can also provide information about funds such as the Student Support fund and the LSE Access
fund. You can find out more about FSO and download application forms at lse.ac.uk/financialsupport.
FSO hold drop-in sessions in the Student Services Centre, can be contacted by phone on 020 7955 6609
or by email at [email protected].

Cheque Collection
Some payments are made using cheques.
If you are asked to collect a cheque then you can collect it from the Student Services Centre during normal
opening hours (usual 11am to 4pm, Monday to Friday). You do not need to wait for a drop-in session.

Results and Classification

Results
Final results are released using LSE for You once the relevant School Board of Examiners has ratified
them. Results are not released to students that have debts owing to the School. Provisional exam results
are also made available, in LSE for You for students taking January exams and for students on 12 month
masters programmes. For more information on how and when results are released visit lse.ac.uk/results.

Classification Schemes
Degrees are awarded according to the classification scheme applicable to the year in which you started
your programme. These scheme are applied by the Boards of Examiners when they meet in July and
November each year. You can find the classification schemes at lse.ac.uk/calendar

Transcripts
Continuing students can request intermediate transcripts at the Student Services Centre immediately
after ratified results have been published. Final transcripts are made available electronically within a
system called Digitary which allows them to be easily shared. For more information about final
transcripts please visit lse.ac.uk/transcripts.

Degree Certificate
Your degree certificate will be available for collection at Graduation or can be posted to you. For more
information please visit lse.ac.uk/degreecertificates.

40
Exams and Assessments

Candidate Numbers
Your candidate number is a unique five digit number that ensures that your work is marked anonymously.
It is different to your student number and will change every year. Candidate numbers can be accessed in
early Michaelmas Term using LSE for You. This is different to your student number which is nine digits.

Exam Timetables
Course by course exam timetables will be available online at lse.ac.uk/exams. For January exams the
timetable is usually available towards the end of Michaelmas term, for summer exams it is usually
available in Lent Term. Closer to each exam season you will also be given access to a personal exam
timetable in LSE for You which shows your room and seat number.

Exam Procedures
Exam Procedures for Candidates is the must-read document for anybody taking exams at LSE. It contains all the
information that you need to know and is updated each year. The document is less than ten pages and covers topics
ranging from candidate numbers to permitted materials to what to do if things go wrong. You can download your
copy at lse.ac.uk/exams.
You may only use a calculator in an exam if this is permitted by the relevant academic department. If you are
permitted a calculator, it must be from the Casio fx-83 or fx-85 range. If you bring an alternative model it will be
removed by invigilators.

Individual Exam Adjustments

Individual Exam Adjustments (IEAs) can be made if you have a documented medical, physical or mental
health condition and/or a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia or dyspraxia. The purpose of IEAs
is to provide an environment that gives all students an equal opportunity in exams. These adjustments
are confidential and will not be listed on your degree certificate or transcript. In most cases you should
apply for IEAs as part of getting your Inclusion Plan in place. However there is a different process for
applying for IEAs for short-term, unexpected, conditions. For more information visit lse.ac.uk/iea.

Deferral
If you have received the teaching for a course but have difficulties in the lead up to, or during, the
assessment or exam then you can seek to defer the assessment or exam, in exceptional circumstances.
You will need permission from the Chair of your Sub-Board of Examiners to do this. For more information
visit lse.ac.uk/deferral.

41
Exceptional Circumstances
If you miss an assessment that you did not defer, or experience difficulties that you feel may have had
an impact on your performance on an assessment you did attempt, you should submit an Exceptional
Circumstances Form. This will allow you to alert the Sub-Board of Examiners to the circumstances under
which you completed the assessment or exams. For more information visit
lse.ac.uk/exceptionalCircumstances.

Fit to Sit Policy

By entering an exam room, or submitting an assessment, LSE considers that you have declared yourself
fit to sit. If you have experienced disruption to your studies (illness, injury or personal difficulties for
example) you must think carefully about whether you should attempt the assessment or whether you
should consider deferring the assessment or exam.

Plagiarism

The work you submit for assessment must be your own. If you attempt to pass off the work of others as
your own, whether deliberately or not, you are committing plagiarism. If you are found to have committed
an assessment offence (such as plagiarism or exam misconduct) you could be expelled from the School.
Any quotation from the published or unpublished works of other persons, including other candidates,
must be clearly identified as such. Quotes must be placed inside quotation marks and a full reference to
sources must be provided in proper form. A series of short quotations for several different sources, if not
clearly identified as such, constitutes plagiarism just as much as a single unacknowledged long quotation
from a single source. All paraphrased material must also be clearly and properly acknowledged.
Any written work you produce (for classes, seminars, exams, dissertations, essays and computer
progammes) must solely by your own. You must not employ a “ghost writer” to write parts or all of the
work, whether in draft or as a final version, on your behalf. For further information and the School’s
statement on Editorial Help visit lse.ac.uk/calendar. Any breach of the Statement will be treated in the
same way as plagiarism.
You should also be aware that a piece of work may only be submitted for assessment once (either to LSE
or elsewhere). Submitting the same piece of work twice (regardless of which institution you submit it to)
will be regarded as the offence of “self-plagiarism” and will also be treated in the same way as plagiarism.
Examiners are vigilant for cases of plagiarism and the School uses plagiarism detection software to
identify plagiarised text. Work contained plagiarism may be referred to the Regulations on Assessment
Offences: Plagiarism which may result in the application of severe penalties.
If you are unsure about the academic referencing conventions used by the School you should seek
guidance from your department, Academic Mentor, LSE LIFE or the Library as soon as possible.
The Regulations on Assessment Offences: Plagiarism can be found at lse.ac.uk/calendar.

42
Codes and Charters

LSE Academic Code

LSE has introduced a new Academic Code that sets out what we are doing to deliver a consistent student
experience across the School and clarifies what students can expect from their LSE education.
The Academic Code brings together key principles that underpin students' education into a School-wide
policy. Developed in partnership with LSE Students’ Union, it sets the baseline to build on teaching
standards, academic support, and assessment and feedback - areas that students have told us matter
the most to them.
The code covers teaching; assessment and feedback; academic support and student voice. To find out
more search online for “LSE Academic Code”.

The Student Charter

Our Student Charter, written by students and staff, sets out how LSE’s mission and ethos are reflected in
the education you can expect to receive at the School, and in the diverse, equitable and inclusive
community that we all contribute to and value.
The charter covers
 Your education – what an LSE education is and how you can make the most of
it
 Our community – what it means to be part of the LSE community and how to
contribute
 Your future, our future – how to inspire future generations of LSE students.

You can find out more about the charter, and read the full version online, just search “LSE Student
Charter”.

Codes of Good Practice

The Codes of Good Practice explain the basic obligations and responsibilities of staff and students.
They set out what you can expect from your department in relation to the teaching and learning
experience. The codes cover areas like the roles and responsibilities of Academic Mentors and
Departmental Tutors; the structure of teaching at LSE; examinations and assessments. The codes also
lay out your responsibilities ie, what LSE expects of you. You can find the codes of practice at
lse.ac.uk/calendar.

The Ethics Code

The Ethics Code details the principles by which the whole LSE community are expected to act.
The School expects the highest possible ethical standards from all staff, students and governors. The
Ethics Code sets out the School’s commitment to the ethics principles of Responsibility and
Accountability; Integrity; Intellectual Freedom, Equality of Respect and Opportunity, Collegiality and
Sustainability. You can find the code, guidance and link to the online ethics module “Ethics at LSE” at
lse.ac.uk/ethics.
43
Research Ethics
If you conduct research you should refer to the Research Ethics Policy and procedures.
Search online for “LSE Research Ethics and Guidance” to find resources on policy, procedure, informed
consent, safety, training and support. You will also find the Code of Research Conduct and its associated
procedures.
If you have any questions regarding research ethics or research conduct please email
[email protected].

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

To uphold the School’s commitment to equality of respect and opportunity, as set out in the Ethics Code,
we will treat all people with dignity and respect, and ensure that no-one will be treated less favourably
because of their role at the School, age, sex, disability, gender identity, race, religion or belief, sexual
orientation, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, and social and economic
background. In practice, this means we expect you to:
 Treat all members of the School community fairly and with respect
 Act courageously and openly, with respect for the knowledge and experience of
others
 Play your part in creating an environment that enables all members of the
School community to achieve their full potential in an environment characterised
by equality of respect and opportunity
 Actively oppose all forms of discrimination and harassment, including
challenging and/or reporting unacceptable behaviour. Details of how to report
bullying and harassment are available online at lse.ac.uk/reportit

For further advice or information, please visit lse.ac.uk/equityDiversityInclusion, see our blog, and follow
us on Twitter @EDI_LSE.

44
LSE Catering Outlets

At LSE, we have a wide range of restaurants, cafes and bars for you to visit during your studies with us.
The main restaurants are LSE Garrick and the Fourth Floor Restaurant. Our cafes and bars are:

The Bean Counter

Café 54
George IV Pub
Plaza Cafe

info.lse.ac.uk/current-students/estates-Division/Facilities-Guide/Food-and-Drink

45
Systems and Online Resources

Need IT help?
 Visit the IT help desk on the first floor of the Library
 Email [email protected]
 Call 020 7107 5000.
The help desk is open seven days a week during term time and offers a range of services including a
laptop surgery.

LSE for You

LSE for You is a web portal which gives you access to a range of services. You can access LSE for You
at lse.ac.uk/lseforyou.
LSE for You allows you to:
 View and update your term time (contact) and home (permanent) address
 Reset your IT password
 Access your candidate number
 View your results
 Select your courses

Moodle
Moodle is LSE’s virtual learning environment.
Moodle provides a range of teaching resources, activities, assignments, information and/or discussions
for your course. Moodle is managed by your course leader so how it is used will vary from course to
course. You can access Moodle by visiting moodle.lse.ac.uk

Email
LSE will use your LSE email address to communicate with you so check it regularly.
Microsoft Outlook is available on all public PCs. You can also access your email off-campus using
webmail (mail.lse.ac.uk) or on the move using clients for laptops and mobile phones. For help setting up
email on your device search “LSE mobile email setup”.

Training and Development System

The Training and Development System allows you to book a place on many of the personal development
opportunities offered around LSE.
You can access the Training and Development System at apps.lse.ac.uk/training-system and login using
your LSE username

46