The MSc in Philosophy of Economics and the Social Sciences offers a unique opportunity to pursue a critical understanding of the methods of economics and other social sciences, alongside ethical questions about the use of science in policy, the economy, and civil society.The LSE is widely recognised as the world’s leading social science university, and our department excels at philosophical research that is continuous with the social and natural sciences and is socially relevant. Teachers on the programme conduct pathbreaking research at the intersection of philosophy and a range of social sciences, including behavioural science, cognitive science, economics, health policy, data science, and politics. Courses that you can take as part of the degree address a wide range of questions in the field, including:What forms of explanation and understanding are possible in the social sciences, and how secure and objective is the knowledge they provide?What are the strengths and weaknesses of common methods in economics and parts of political science, eg, modelling individuals as perfectly rational individuals who maximize the expected satisfaction of their preferences?How do they compare with other social sciences methods, such as those that focus on understanding people’s outlook, cultural identity, and the norms they wish to follow?What is the nature of social categories such as gender and race, and what roles do these categories play in shaping the social world and structuring human lives? Should we rethink these categories?How should we morally evaluate societies, both in terms of the distribution of opportunities and well-being they provide and in terms of the nature of the interpersonal relationships they engender?What are the merits and drawbacks of key forms of social organization, including markets, democratic deliberation, and top down hierarchies? How are these forms of social organization, and their impacts, changing due to new technologies, including Artificial Intelligence?What should the role of social sciences and the expertise they provide be in public debate and policy-making? How should scientific uncertainty and disagreement be handled in the public forum?Graduate destinations:Past programme graduates have gone on to a wide variety of careers, ranging from law, forming their own start-up, working in the City and working at Google. We have a very good record of students entering excellent PhD programmes.