The LSE’s Foray Into Management

The LSE

LOOKING TO ATTRACT MORE U.S. STUDENTS

Part of Pepper’s remit is to use his professional network to find placements for second-year management students who undertake a business project. Last year’s students worked within a predictably wide variety of companies from the likes of Deloitte, through to London start-ups and charities. “It’s a bit like what would happen if you take a top undergrad and put them into a company – in the first six months they’ll do super work but with rough edges. We are trying to give students that experience so they learn lessons here before starting work.”

And as an institution the LSE is renowned for finding students placements with major London financial and consultancy firms, scoring highly in student satisfaction surveys for having good relations with industry. In a recent Business Insider poll, the LSE was rated the best non-US business school by technology professionals, and eighth worldwide.

Traditionally, LSE graduates fare exceptionally well in the job market, and Deloitte, PwC, Barclays, JP Morgan and EY are top employers of its management graduates. This year it ranks third in the U.K. behind Oxford and Cambridge according to the Complete University Guide and top among London universities. As an institution, it is renowned for hard workers and high achievers – the borrowing rate for the university library is four times the national average.

GOOD JOB PLACEMENT NUMBERS

Some 87.5% of masters in management graduates had found work or further study six months after graduation with 37% going to consulting or banking and finance, on an average salary overall of £39,000, or $63,300. Whilst high, LBS, however, boasts even better stats – with 95% of masters in management graduates employed within three months of completion and consulting and finance accounting for more than 70%, with an overall average salary slightly below the LSE’s at £33,000.

Half of the LSE’s students are postgraduates, and only a third of students – undergraduates included – are from the U.K. – the department of management houses some 69 nationalities among 1,400 students, and masters programmes are 80-95% international. But the department says it would still like to attract more U.S. students.

As a relatively young department, and with students younger than most MBA students, creating lasting networks is more of a challenge. “One reason people go to business school is to fill their books with contacts which they shamelessly use for the rest of their lives,” says Pepper. “And that’s easier when you are dealing with mid-career established business people. It’s more difficult in our case when relationships have to last longer and you don’t know who’s going to be a great success – but we know how important these peer groups are and we’re helping students build upon it. Our alumni network is just beginning to develop.”