LIS: What it's really like

If you want a unique degree focused on big questions rather than narrow disciplines, LIS might be the place for you.

LIS at a glance:

Ed Fidoe, Chief Executive at LIS, explains what makes LIS an exciting place to study - and how to put together a strong application.
 

What is LIS?

LIS - short for London Interdisciplinary School - is a brand new university located in Whitechapel, East London. In fact, in 2020 LIS became the first new provider to secure degree awarding powers without emerging from an earlier institution or being validated by another provider for over 50 years! This means that LIS is able to start from scratch in terms of deciding what learning looks like.

At LIS there is a single course: a Bachelors of Arts and Science in Interdisciplinary Problems & Methods. 

Why apply to LIS?

At most universities, you’ll focus on one discipline, and after you decide on your degree course, there are limited opportunities to try other things. At LIS, you instead focus on a complex problem that interests you - for example, climate change, artificial intelligence, or global education access - and take classes in any discipline that will help you tackle that question, from history and art to science and technology. This means that if you’re passionate about a range of subjects and don’t want to just settle on one thing for three years, LIS gives you space to explore. 

LIS is also strongly connected to employer organisations. Conversations with real businesses in the working world help inform how our faculty shape the curriculum at LIS. These relationships also lead to opportunities for students: every year, there’s an option to undertake at least five weeks of paid internships at a range of organisations, from fast-growth start-ups to large corporations and government bodies. 

Who isn’t the right fit for LIS?

If you know that you want to focus on a single subject then you should choose a degree that specialises in this subject area. At LIS we focus on combining disiplines.

LIS is also brand new, and a new institution has some upsides - you’ll get loads of individual attention, and you’ll have the distinction of being among the first to graduate from an all-new institution - but there can be difficult times as well, and LIS students will need to be prepared for things to not always go smoothly as systems and processes continue to get worked out. 

Any application tips? 

[updated: 2024] LIS used to offer its own application system, but you can now apply through UCAS.

Everyone who applies to LIS will be invited to an interview with a faculty member, which allows for a greater opportunity to learn about what interests and motivates you, and also for your interviewer to understand your approach to problem-solving. Don’t panic, though: by design, it’s not an interview you need to try to prepare for – just be yourself! 

LIS does look at your grades, but there’s no minimum bar. Basically, LIS wants to put together a full picture of who you are, where you come from, and what drives you, and that’s what an offer will ultimately be based on. 

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