Entry requirements

For entry onto this programme you will normally have an undergraduate degree of at least a 2:1. Applicants with a 2:2 degree classification will be considered on a case by case basis, if you have extensive related work experience. For entry onto this programme you will normally have an undergraduate degree of at least a 2:1. Applicants with a 2:2 degree classification will be considered on a case by case basis, if you have extensive related work experience. International applicants will be required to hold an IELTs 6.5 with no less than 6.0 in each band or equivalent qualification.

Applicants are required to offer a relevant degree subject, and we will consider the following subjects: social policy, sociology, criminology, cultural studies, politics, international relations, generic social science degrees (but excluding Business related degrees), human/social geography, media studies, art history, history and philosophy.

Applicants are required to offer a relevant degree subject, and we will consider the following subjects: social policy, sociology, criminology, cultural studies, politics, international relations, generic social science degrees (but excluding Business related degrees), human/social geography, media studies, art history, history and philosophy.

Months of entry

September

Course content

Social Policy seeks to not only understand the social world, but seeks to change it for the better through practical action.

Human well-being can be delivered through a range of public, private and voluntary institutions.Welfare systems and other public institutions face considerable challenges presented by economic crisis such as an ageing population, increasingly flexible forms of work, migration, and shifting ways of family life. Alongside these fiscal and demographic pressures, rising socio-economic inequality and austerity has begun to reverse a number of key social advancements in terms of health and social mobility, making it a fascinating and critical time to study these issues.

The MA Social Policy will address a range of social problems, such as poverty, homelessness, crime and health inequalities. You will be encouraged to consider the underlying causes and to formulate policy solutions to address specific social problems. The MA Social Policy programme also examines contemporary and comparative developments within social policy so that you will be able to consider the shifting nature of welfare arrangements in a broader political, economic and social context, from both a UK and global perspective.

Inherent to Social Policy as a field of study is a normative focus that seeks to describe the state of a specific society not only in terms of the fulfilment of human needs, but to consider if our societies should be more effectively and justly organised. A key focus for the MA Social Policy programme will be on the ways in which we might transform our societies to increase human well-being and to promote sustainable forms of living, and to encourage you to evaluate alternative forms of social organisation.

Information for international students

International applicants will be required to hold an IELTs 6.5 with no less than 6.0 in each band or equivalent qualification.

Fees and funding

UK students
£10,530
International students
£23,310

Qualification, course duration and attendance options

  • MA
    part time
    24 months
    • Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
    full time
    12 months
    • Campus-based learningis available for this qualification

PT attendance: maximum 2 days per week.

Course contact details

Name
Postgraduate enquiry service
Email
postgraduate@contacts.bham.ac.uk