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Our MA Social Policy degree equips you to understand a rapidly changing world and promote social justice.
Better understand a world of dynamic identities and race and gender inequalities within our societies. We offer a suite of optional modules that examine a broad range of social issues and divisions.
This course will run over 12 months in a full-time mode and 24 months in a part-time mode.
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The 21st Century has seen rapid social changes in social policy and welfare. Our Social Policy MA equips students with the tools to understand these changes and challenges they bring to society.
for Social Policy (The Complete University Guide 2025)
for 4* research in Social Policy (REF 2021)
Our MA Social Policy course focuses on the transformation of our societies to increase human well-being, promote sustainable forms of living and encourages you to evaluate alternative forms of social organisation.
The course comprises of a series of 2 taught core modules and a Dissertation project (100 credits) complemented by optional modules (80 credits).
The modules listed for this programme are regularly reviewed to ensure they are up-to-date and informed by the latest research and teaching methods.
Any optional module information listed for this programme is intended to be indicative, and the availability of optional modules may vary from year to year. Where a module is no longer available, we will let you know as soon as we can and help you to make other choices.
The following must be taken:
Module Title | Credits | Semester |
---|---|---|
Dissertation | 60 | Full Term |
Philosophies of Welfare: creating new societies? | 20 | Semester 2 |
Poverty, Wealth & Inequality | 20 | Semester 1 |
Students must also choose 80 credits from the list below or other CoSS modules with the School’s agreement:
Module Title | Credits | Semester |
---|---|---|
Applied Qualitative and Quantitative Data Analysis | 20 | Semester 2 |
Climate Justice and Social Policy | 20 | Semester 1 |
Communicating Science in Diverse, Unequal and Polarised Societies | 20 | Semester 1 |
Crime and Justice in a Globalised World | 20 | Semester 1 |
Crime and Social Harm | 20 | Semester 2 |
Financial Wellbeing and Inclusion: a Social Policy Perspective | 20 | Semester 2 |
Gendering Migration and Diaspora | 20 | Semester 2 |
Global Policy Institutions and Networks | 20 | Semester 1 |
Globalisation, International Migration and Citizenship | 20 | Semester 2 |
Migration, Superdiversity, Policy and Practice | 20 | Semester 1 |
Policy Evaluation | 20 | Semester 2 |
Policy Futures: Theories and Concepts in International Policymaking | 20 | Semester 1 |
Sociology of race and racism | 20 | Semester 1 |
Transforming Identities | 20 | Semester 2 |
Transforming Societies | 20 | Semester 1 |
To gain a place at Birmingham you will need to meet our general entry requirements, as well as those specific to your course. Your application will be reviewed by the course’s Admissions Tutor, who will decide whether your application should receive an offer.
If you are an international student, you will need to demonstrate you have a suitable level of English proficiency, usually through the form of an IELTS or equivalent qualification.
For this course we require IELTS 6.5 with no less than 6.0 in any band, which is equivalent to:
Improve your knowledge of spoken and written English in preparation for studying at Birmingham with our pre-sessional English courses. If you have a conditional offer, you can take one of these courses as an alternative to retaking IELTS or other similar qualifications.
in a relevant subject
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.
Full-time
To help with the cost of studies, this loan is available to all UK students. You can use this loan towards fees, maintenance or other costs at your own discretion. It’s available for all full-time, part-time and distance learning Masters programmes, as long as you don’t already have a Masters qualification (or equivalent).If you’re a student from Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, you can apply for Masters loans from your country’s government.
To help you afford your studies, we’ve put more than £33 million into student support and scholarships. We also offer a range of advice on searching for funding and managing your finances.
We want to welcome the brightest talent to our postgraduate community. That’s why our Birmingham Masters Scholarships award £3,000 to more than 300 students each year.
To apply for a postgraduate programme, you will need to submit your application and supporting documents online.
Select whether you are a UK student or an international student for relevant application deadlines.
Application deadline for UK and non visa requiring applicants. We will close applications as soon as the programme is full. Early applications are encouraged.
We have put together some helpful information on the taught programme application process and supporting documents. Please read this information carefully before completing your application.
Social policy is an applied social science that equips you with social research skills, substantive knowledge of social issues, and policy analysis techniques.
The MA Social Policy programme is ideal for professionals in health, housing, and social services, or those pursuing careers in these fields. It also suits students with relevant undergraduate degrees in social science or humanities, now looking to study social policy at the postgraduate level.
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