Key information

Discover our master’s in Interdisciplinary Problems and Methods (MASc)

QUALIFICATION

Postgraduate degree (MASc)

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start date

September 2023

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Duration

2 years

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Home Fees

£5,400 / year

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Location

Remote-first

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Time

8-10 hours per week

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Qualitifaction

Master’s degree (MASc)

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start date

September 2023

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Duration

1-year

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home Fees

£10,800 / year

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Location

Campus-first

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Time

Full-time

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Introduction
MASc in Interdisciplinary Problems & Methods

Complex problems require an interdisciplinary approach. Their solutions will not come from a single subject or specialism. At LIS, this interdisciplinary problem-solving is exactly what we do. And our master’s students become experts at it.

The LIS approach

At the heart of our MASc degree you’ll find three things: interdisciplinary methods, complex problems, and the opportunity to work on the things that matter to you.

Careers
Careers and development

Our careers offering for master’s students revolves around three key pillars:

The LIS Network
Graduate masterclasses
One-to-one careers support
Real-world application

“The interesting thing about setting up a business is that it’s a series of problem-solving. What you need is an ability to focus in on a problem, pull back out, and connect the dots across the space. And that’s what the master’s is doing. For me, it’s exactly the kind of thing I wish I had done before I set up my first business.”

Richard Reed

Co-founder, Innocent Drinks

Why interdisciplinarity?

Learn to build on skills and knowledge from across multiple disciplines, unlock your problem-solving potential, and apply it to the real world.

The curriculum

The core of the programme acts as an intense problem-solving bootcamp of sorts, where you’ll learn key qualitative and quantitative skills and methods to help you tackle a range of real-world complex problems.

To gain a degree in the UK you must pass a certain number of credits in each year of the degree. Each module is given a credit, which you are awarded when you pass each module at assessment.

modes of study
Flexible study options

Deciding to study for a master’s is a significant commitment. It’s important to consider the mode of study and pace at which you are expected to complete the programme.

Part-time, remote-first

Designed for people that have other commitments and/or want to continue to work alongside study. For those that don’t want to regularly commute or live in London.

2 years to complete
8-10 hrs per week
2-3 hrs live online workshops per week
On campus intensives once per term

Full-time, campus-first

Designed for those that want an immersive social experience and to complete your master’s in one year. For those that already live in or near London or would like to.

1 year to complete
Full-time
5-10 hrs live classes per week
Flexible self-paced online prep
Your interdisciplinary faculty

She/Her

Emma Ahmed-Rengers
Faculty

Emma was a Lecturer in Law and Data Science at the University of Birmingham before joining LIS. She also previously taught legal theory, political theory, international law, and philosophy of science at the University of Amsterdam. She holds a Master of Law (LLM) from the University of Cambridge and a BSc in Politics, Psychology, Law and Economics (PPLE) from the University of Amsterdam. Emma is currently completing a PhD in Law at the University of Birmingham, focusing on algorithmic regulation.

Rosita Bannert
Faculty

Rosita is a UCL BASc graduate living the polymath life with more than one career. She is a self-taught web engineer who loves building with code as well as traditional materials.

He/Him

Dr James Everest
Lead on Qualitative Methods

James studied languages at Cambridge, then worked for three years in public sector communications, before completing a Masters in English Literature at Queen Mary, University of London, and a PhD in the history of science at UCL. He has taught on the Liberal Arts and Natural Sciences degree programme at the University of Birmingham and the Arts and Sciences programme at UCL.

Dr Ebrahim Patel
Faculty

Ebrahim is an applied mathematician who holds an MMath and PhD from the University of Manchester, both in Mathematics. He is especially interested in the mathematics of complex systems and human behaviour, and the majority of his research and teaching career has been spent at the University of Oxford. Ebrahim co-founded The Bees, an award-winning writing group that promotes the understanding and enjoyment of mathematical techniques.

He/They

Dr Ash Brockwell
Lead on problem-based Learning

Ash is an interdisciplinary educator, writer, and consultant. He holds an MBiochem degree in Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry from the University of Oxford, an MSc in Environmental Anthropology from the University of Kent, and a PhD in Education for Sustainability from Wageningen University and Research Centre in The Netherlands.

Dr Priya Lall
Faculty, Lead on Research Ethics

Priya is a social epidemiologist whose work has promoted social justice causes in developing countries. Some of these causes include access to healthcare for marginalized groups and the provision of water and sanitation. She is a founding member of faculty at LIS and is currently overseeing research ethics. In terms of teaching, her specialities are qualitative research methods, health, politics, gender and environmental change. As a member of LIS, she is keen to challenge and share insights with other learners.

He/Him

Andy Redford
Head of Quality

Andy studied archaeology at the University of Exeter before doing his MA and then PhD in Archaeology at the University of Bradford. Andy's career has included working in a number of universities in the UK, working on projects including the Research Excellence Framework as well as Institutional Review. Andy is a Quality Assurance Agency Reviewer and focuses on quality assurance and governance.

Dr Matthew Brett
Faculty

Matthew trained and practised as a doctor before specializing in neuroscience. He is an open-source software developer and has worked on the basic packages for data analysis in Python, among other projects. His main passion is thinking about new, accessible and revealing ways of doing and teaching data analysis.

She/Her

María Angélica Madero
Lead on Prep Culture and Content Creation

María Angélica is an artist, who has exhibited her work in cities such as Los Angeles, London, and Cali. She is a founding faculty member at the LIS, where she leads in Prep Culture and Content Creation. Additionally, she is an Honorary Professor at El Bosque University in Colombia, where she was Head of Art from 2015 to 2020. She holds an MA in Art from the Slade School of Fine Art, UCL, and an additional MA in Philosophy and Critical Theory from Kingston University.

Dr Bronwyn Tarr
Faculty

Bronwyn is a human behavioural scientist interested in the evolution of social behaviours, particularly music and dance. She completed her DPhil (PhD) at the University of Oxford and has continued her research in evolutionary anthropology and psychology there.

Waqās Ahmed
Faculty

Waqās is founder of the DaVinci Network, author of The Polymath (Wiley 2019) and creator of the Polymath Festival. His research interests center around human diversity and performance. He holds a BSc in Economics (SOAS) and postgraduate degrees in International History (LSE) and Neuroscience (King's College London). His main professional careers have been in diplomatic journalism and visual art.

Lara Kinneir
Faculty

Lara is a designer who trained in architecture and spatial design in Glasgow, Madrid and London. Lara has worked in academia, city regeneration, government policy, design studios, think tanks and global organisations that are focused on the bettering of people and planetary life. Her interests are in social and spatial justice, spatial design, multilateral partnerships and innovative governance.

She/Her

Dr Catalina Pesce
Faculty

Catalina started her academic journey studying Engineering Sciences and Mathematics at the University of Chile, where she also obtained a MSc in Applied Mathematics. She holds a PhD in Mathematics from the University of Oxford and her current research focuses on nonlinear partial differential equations and their applications. She is an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and is keen on helping students develop mathematical thinking skills through active learning.

Dr Anson Cheung
Faculty, Quantitative Methods Lead, Pastoral Lead

Anson is a theoretical physicist with a background in building models in condensed matter theory. He specialises in complex systems with many-body interactions. He received his undergraduate degree and PhD from Cambridge University where he was a research fellow and remains an affiliated lecturer. Keenly interested in the pedagogical development of problem-solving skills at the secondary-tertiary interface, he is a trustee of the British Physics Olympiad, and he has also served in middle management in secondary schools.

Isaiah Wellington-Lynn
Lead on Coaching and Integration

Isaiah is an anthropologist, product designer, and storyteller. He is reading for a PhD at the University of Oxford, holds a BSc in Anthropology from UCL, and was a visiting undergraduate at Harvard. Isaiah's interests include belonging, meritocracy, inclusive product design, sustainable fashion, and social mobility.

Dr Mattia Gallotti
Head of Research and Development

Mattia is a social philosopher with a background in economics and a keen interest in academic governance and innovation. His work is conceptual and the subject is social ontology. Over the years, he has sought to connect and integrate concepts of social philosophy across a range of intellectual discourses and styles, from cognitive science to theology. Before joining LIS as an Associate Professor, Mattia lectured on the philosophy of the social sciences at LSE and he managed a multidisciplinary program on the human mind in the School of Advanced Study at the University of London. As a postdoc, he held fellowships at Columbia University and the Jean Nicod Institute in Paris.

Dr James Carney
Faculty

James is a computational linguist who uses artificial intelligence to understand the relationship between cognition and culture. He is especially interested in the intersection between interpretive, computational, and experimental methods of inquiry. His research has been funded by the Wellcome Trust, the European Commission, and Innovate UK. Previous to coming to LIS, James worked in Brunel University London, Lancaster University, and the University of Oxford (where he held a Junior Research Fellowship). He is also founding director of Texture AI, a data science company that has had the BBC, Google, ITV, Reach PLC, the UK Cabinet Office and other leading organisations as clients.

Prof Carl Gombrich
Academic Lead and Director of Teaching & Learning

Carl is the Lead Academic at LIS and oversees curriculum design, teaching, and learning. He was previously a Professorial Teaching Fellow of Interdisciplinary Education at UCL and is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Fees and funding
Finance

These are the fees for the 2023/24 academic year.

Find out more about our course fees, financing options, and support available through bursaries and grants.

Learn more

Fees
home students
full-time
£10,800 / a year
part-time
£5,400 / a year for two years
International Students
full-time
£18,000 / a year
part-time
£9,000 / a year for two years
How to apply
Applications opened

January 2023

Applications considered on a rolling basis

until we fill places on the course

term begins

September 2023

Applications to our master’s are considered on a rolling basis. We will continue to accept applications until we fill places on the degree. In order to secure a place on the course, we’d encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible.