Explore the mechanisms of policymaking to understand the key dilemmas and challenges around social rights, equality and the distribution of resources.
On this course, you’ll learn about the social and political underpinnings of key policies affecting our lives. Understand the implications social policy has for questions of identity, political organisation, social justice and human rights.
You'll learn about the origins and transformations of the institution of the state and how it interacts with the economy and third sector in the UK and beyond. You'll relate these changes to societal, technological and economic developments in Britain and around the world.
Your first year will introduce you to social policy, sociology, and research methods, where you'll explore how social issues become constructed as policy problems. You'll learn about the major social, political and economic factors shaping equality and welfare in 21st century Britain.
In your second year you'll focus on key policy areas such as the family, poverty, social inequality and analysis of the policy process. You'll be able to choose from a range of social science options and explore international perspectives on social policy including European perspectives and examples from further afield. This will help you locate social policy debates critically within global policy challenges.
In your final year you’ll carry out a year-long, supervised dissertation in social policy, explore policy evaluation and study social protection and welfare reform, alongside options that allow you to undertake advanced analysis of specific policy areas.
Study in an enriched learning environment
You’ll learn from committed academics with expertise across the social sciences. Their international collaborations and research activities inform teaching and contribute to your learning experience.
Our researchers have specialisms in:
children and families
health
international development
justice and rights
migration
policy design and analysis
poverty
violence and crime
Prepare for your future
Those who study our social sciences degrees have excellent graduate prospects with diverse options. Our graduates have worked as social and policy researchers, civil servants, international consultants, journalists, and in multiple government, charity sector and business-related roles.
Our recent graduates have gone on to work for:
Amazon
BBC Worldwide
Goldman Sachs
Guide Dogs
Parliamentary Research Service
Course Details - Modules
Modules are not listed for this Course.
Course Details – Assessment Method
Assessment Methods are not listed for this Course.
Course Details – Professional Bodies
Professional Bodies are not listed for this Course.
How to Apply
26 January This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.
Application Codes
Course code:
L404
Institution code:
B16
Campus Name:
Main Site
Campus code:
Points of Entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
Year 1
Entry Requirements for Advanced Entry (Year 2 and Beyond)
Entry Requirements for Advanced Entry are not listed for this Course.
International applicants
Standard Qualification Requirements
Desirable A level subjects
Preference for at least one humanities subject such as History, Religious Studies, Geography, Sociology, Politics, Government and Politics, Philosophy or Psychology.
Alternative A level offer
ABB plus one of the following:
grade A in an EPQ
grade B in the Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate
grade M1 in Cambridge Pre-U Global Perspectives
grade B in a Core Mathematics qualification
grade B in AS level Mathematics or Statistics
Typical offer: Pass the Access to HE Diploma, with at least 33 credits achieved at Distinction and 6 credits achieved at Merit or above. This must include at least 9 credits achieved at Distinction in an essay-based subject.
AB in two Advanced Highers.
We make offers based on Advanced Highers. You will typically be expected to have completed five Scottish Highers and your grades in these will be considered as part of your application. We prefer applicants who have achieved at least AAABB in their Highers.
D*DD in the BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (QCF).
We prefer the above qualifications to be in a relevant subject area and are unable to consider qualifications in Public Services.
35 points overall and 6, 6, 5 in three Higher Level subjects.
DDD in a BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (RQF)
We prefer the above qualifications to be in a relevant subject area and are unable to consider qualifications in Public Services.
D*DD in the Cambridge Technical Level 3 Extended Diploma.
We prefer the above qualifications to be in a relevant subject area and we prefer you to have taken optional units in Sociology and Public Health.
Cambridge Pre-U alternative offer
D3, M1, M1 plus one of the following:
grade A in an EPQ
grade B in the Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge
grade M1 in Cambridge Pre-U Global Perspectives
grade B in a Core Mathematics qualification
GCSE Mathematics grade C or 4 plus GCSE English grade C or 4 (or equivalent from English language category B).
For further information and English Language equivalents, please see: https://www.bath.ac.uk/corporate-information/english-language-requirements-for-uk-qualifications-category-b/
Please click the following link to find out more about qualification requirements for this course
Minimum Qualification Requirements
Minimum Further Information are not listed for this Course.
English language requirements
Test
Grade
AdditionalDetails
English Language Entry Requirement Information are not listed for this Course.
Unistats information
Student satisfaction :
91%
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs):
65%
Go onto work and study:
95%
Fees and funding
Additional Fee Information
Tuition fees can be found on our web pages and are liable to increase annually. UK and Islands fees are regulated by the UK government and are subject to parliamentary approval. For all other fees, you should budget for an increase of up to 5% for every further year of study.
For information on tuition fees visit our web pages: http://www.bath.ac.uk/topics/tuition-fees/
For information about our scholarships and bursaries visit:
https://www.bath.ac.uk/topics/undergraduate-scholarships-bursaries-and-other-funding/
Provider information
Claverton Down
Address2 are not listed for this Course.
Address3 are not listed for this Course.
Bath
BA2 7AY
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