MA Social Policy

Entry Requirements

• You must hold at least a 2:2 degree in Social Policy or a related discipline such as Economics, Health Studies, History, Politics, or Sociology.
• We’ll also consider your application if you have an honours degree classification of 2:2 or above in other disciplines.
• If you don’t have a professional qualification in social care, or you don’t have a first degree, we’ll ask you to demonstrate your suitability for postgraduate study by submitting an essay of 2000 to 2500 words on a relevant topic.
• We may ask you to attend an online, 45-minute interview to discuss your background and interest in the course.
• You can also explore using our accreditation of prior learning (APL) to claim credits that you can put towards your degree, based on the experience you currently hold.
• If you don’t speak English as a first language you will need to hold a minimum IELTS score of 6.5 or an accepted equivalent.

Module overview

The Making of Social Policy (20 credits)
During this introductory module, you’ll be introduced to several concepts, techniques, and theories employed in developing social policy systems and analysis. You’ll learn how to apply this knowledge to specific social policy issues, and will also dedicate time to researching the various dilemmas and challenges faced by the welfare state.

Poverty and Inequality: Conceptualisation, Investigation and Policy Making in Historical and Contemporary Societies (40 credits)
This module will allow you to develop an in-depth understanding of the contexts within which studies and debates on poverty and social inequality have been conducted. You’ll analyse major investigations into poverty and learn how to identify elements of continuity and change in the study of poverty and social inequality as social phenomena.

Comparing Welfare States (40 credits)
The aim of this module is to help you expand your knowledge of this field by exploring the dynamics of social policy developments from an international point of view. You’ll be encouraged to critically evaluate current international social policy trends and issues by drawing upon case studies and a range of theoretical contributions to social policy analysis.

Introduction to Social Research (20 credits)
The studies you’ll take on will provide an overview of crucial issues and debates associated with the production and evaluation of research for practice in social care. You can look forward to extending your own knowledge and understanding of qualitative and quantitative research processes whilst developing your capacity to act as an independent and critical thinker.

Dissertation (60 credits)
With this final module, you’ll have the opportunity to undertake an in-depth, critical exploration and analysis of an area you are interested in within this field. Your dissertation can be based on the area of specialisation you hope to enter following graduation, or even a challenge that’s present or relevant to your current place of work.