Social Policy
Single and Joint Honours available:
- BSc Econ Social Policy (L402)
- BSc Econ Education and Social Policy (XL34)
- BSc Econ Social Policy and Sociology (LL34)
- BSc Econ Social Policy and Criminology (ML94)
Social Policy is concerned primarily with the study of social problems, such as poverty, housing, ageing, crime and delinquency, health and deprivation; and with ways of tackling them through state welfare agencies and voluntary activity. Social Policy can be studied either as a single degree scheme or as a half degree in combination with either Education, Criminology, Sociology. In each case, students will gain a critical understanding of the problems of managing the provision of social welfare in an industrial society.
In year one, students will take introductory courses that develop a systematic understanding of the welfare state's foundation and the major theoretical perspectives that explain its growth and change. In years two and three, these ideas are developed through more specialised modules that address key policy debates in the modern welfare state such as social security, housing, health and education. In all courses you will be encouraged to develop independent and critical views of your own, as well as interpret theory, evidence and policy. The Social Policy schemes therefore offer students the opportunity to obtain an excellent grounding in social policy debates and theories whilst also developing more specialist areas of expertise.
The School is one of the largest centres of social science research in the UK, with over half of all its research activity rated as either "world leading"or "internationally excellent" in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise. The School was ranked by the RAE at the top of UK universities for ‘Research Power’. This is a measure which combines research excellence and research capacity.