Social Policy and Sociology MA (Hons)

Level: Undergraduate

Subject: Social Policy

Year of entry: 2026

Key facts

UCAS Code

LL43

Award

MA (Hons)

Duration of study

4 years

Delivery

Full-time

Study location

Central Area

Start date

September 2026

School

School of Social and Political Science

College

College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

Study abroad

Available

Placement

No

Open days and events

About the degree programme

This popular joint degree programme provides a grounding in both social policy and sociology, two subjects which complement and enrich each other.

Social policy

Social policy at the University of Edinburgh will enable you to engage with confidence in many of the political debates of our time.

We cover a wide range of policy areas, for example:

  • health
  • welfare
  • labour markets
  • education
  • family and childhood

We discuss how policies affect our civic culture through studying political engagement and citizen participation.

Our programme will equip you to understand how policies affect society and the economy. It will also enable you to critically assess how policies are made, and what actors and processes influence the policy-making process.

Sociology

Sociology examines how individual choices are affected by wider social forces and how they can be understood by placing them in their social context.

You will study:

  • the relationship between individuals and groups
  • issues of belonging and identity
  • the social causes of cooperation and conflict
  • the way societies and social institutions are formed and change over time

You will also learn to compare different national contexts and understand contemporary social issues from a global perspective.

We work closely with:

  • governments
  • non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
  • third sector and interest representation groups
  • international organisations
  • other external actors

How long it takes to complete this degree programme

This programme is studied over 4 years.

A key benefit to studying a 4-year degree programme is that you have the flexibility to study a range of subjects, outside your chosen degree programme, in Year 1 and Year 2.

This allows you the opportunity to study other courses that interest you or enhance your degree. By the end of Year 2, you can decide which of these subject areas you want to focus on in the honours years of your programme.

How long it takes to complete our degree programmes

How a joint degree programme works

Our joint honours degrees allow you to gain a disciplinary understanding both in core social policy analyses as well as another subject area.

Programme rankings

  • We are ranked in Europe's top 4 universities for social policy in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025.

Programme benefits

  • We have close relationships with the Scottish and UK governments, as well as European and global institutions. You will have the opportunity to be immersed in a diverse range of contemporary policy developments.
  • International comparative analyses are one of our main strengths. We place a strong emphasis on providing you with empirical research skills, so that you can become a critical researcher yourself.
  • We will challenge you to re-evaluate how you look at politics, society and the economy with the ability to improve others’ understanding as well.

Find your entry requirements

Use the dropdowns to find out your entry requirements.

  1. Select the country where you are studying or where you studied your qualification.
  2. Select the qualification you are studying or studied.
United Kingdom,

Tuition fees for MA (Hons) Social Policy and Sociology

View the tuition fees for one academic year of MA (Hons) Social Policy and Sociology.

Tuition fees for this programme

Accommodation and living costs

You need to cover your accommodation and living costs for the duration of your programme.

We estimate that a single student can potentially spend a maximum of £920 to £2,257 on living costs each month, depending on your accommodation.

This estimate covers the costs of:

  • accommodation
  • food
  • utility bills
  • travel within Edinburgh
  • health and wellbeing costs

See a breakdown of living costs

Scholarships and funding

Funding information

You can find detailed information on financial support available, based on where you are living, in our funding section.

Funding

What you will study

You will take core courses to understand how social policy affects different parts of society. You will also learn how different systems of social policy can result in very different relationships between the state and other actors.

You will learn the foundations of sociology in the Years 1 and 2.

You can gain insights into particular methods of understanding society. But you will apply those to real-world problems that stretch beyond the reach of those disciplines to understand the impact particular decisions have on different parts of society.

This allows you in Years 3 and 4 to take specialisation courses in both disciplines.

On the social policy side of the degree programme you will be able to choose from a range of specific social policy courses (between two and four) that cover particular policy areas or processes. You will also choose specific options from your second discipline (between two and four) in addition to the central methods and approaches courses in both disciplines.

You can usually choose in which subject area you want to write your dissertation project.

Social policy

You will take Social Policy and Society.

In this course we will introduce key ways to analyse how government policies affect society.

We use a variety of important concepts like power and inequality to make sense of societal structures. This allows us to look at the impact of policy on different groups of people (for example, based on class, gender or race).

You will also take Politics of the Welfare State.

This course examines social policy as a political issue in the UK. It introduces you to the politics of welfare, an area that constitutes one of the largest sets of government expenditures.

You will be confronted with debates about the different ways of delivering welfare and the interplay between the state and the private sector.

Sociology

We will introduce you to key sociological ideas by studying the relationship between individuals and groups through examining examples such as:

  • social change
  • drug use
  • race
  • ethnicity
  • gender
Option courses

You can study option courses from other academic areas.

Find Year 1 courses (2024-2025 academic year)

Social policy

You will take Comparative Social Policy: Global Perspectives. In this course, you will compare different approaches to social policy in European and non-European countries.

In addition, you will take the following courses:

  • Research Skills for Social Policy - This course equips you with core research training and provides a forum for subject-specific learning and community-building
  • Evidence, Economy and Social Policy - This course will focus on the economic dimension of social policy, and the (mis)use of underlying evidence
Sociology

You will study how sociologists produce and use theory, and research evidence. You will also study other option courses.

Find Year 2 courses (2024-2025 academic year)

You will select courses that cover a wide variety of policy fields such as:

  • family policy
  • labour market policies
  • social inequalities
  • criminal justice
  • health policy
  • education policy
  • eco-social policy

You will also take courses in qualitative and quantitative research methods, and a course that will enable you to analyse and communicate policies from multiple lenses (economic, political and sociological).

Find Year 3 courses (2024-2025 academic year)

You will continue to take social policy and sociology courses and will complete an individual research project.

This may involve collecting and analysing data and information from sources such as:

  • the European Commission
  • UK Government
  • Scottish Government
  • local authorities
  • voluntary organisations
Find Year 4 courses (2024-2025 academic year)

Study abroad

You may apply to spend Year 3 abroad in one of many institutions where the University has special links, in locations such as:

  • Europe
  • North America
  • Central and South America
  • Australia
  • Asia

We also have a dedicated European exchange scheme with Leuphana University Lüneburg in Germany.

What are my options for going abroad?

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

You will be taught through a combination of:

  • lectures
  • tutorials
  • seminars
  • individual supervision

Assessment

You will be assessed through a wide range of methods that will enable you to develop different academic and practical skills.

Our assessment methods include:

  • traditional academic essays and exams
  • policy analyses and briefs
  • policy blogging
  • analyses of political actors
  • project work
  • seminar engagement

Support for your studies

You will have access to a range of support services if you need them throughout your degree.

We will assign you to a student adviser, and this should be the first person to contact if you need help. They can guide you to other University service teams depending on what support you need.

Support for your studies

Our academic staff

You will be taught by staff members who are passionate about conducting research that has strong applications to the world outside of academia.

Where you will study

Study location

Most of the teaching in this programme takes place in the University's Central Area.

Academic facilities

You will also have access to the University's library and computer facilities.

Career paths

Most of our graduates move into careers in policy or research, within areas such as:

  • government
  • voluntary organisations
  • pressure groups
  • commercial organisations

These programmes also equip you with skills and knowledge that could be applied to a career in teaching, or to the management and delivery of services, whether public or commercial.

Careers Service

Our Careers Service can help you to fully develop your potential and achieve your future goals.

The Careers Service supports you not only while you are studying at the University, but also for up to two years after you finish your studies.

With the Careers Service, you can:

  • access digital resources to help you understand your skills and strengths
  • try different types of experiences and reflect on how and what you develop
  • get help finding work, including part-time jobs, vacation work, internships and graduate jobs
  • attend careers events and practice interviews
  • get information and advice to help you make informed decisions

Visit the Careers Service website

Further study

After you complete your programme, you may want to go onto further study at Edinburgh or a different university. You could progress to:

  • a masters degree
  • a postgraduate diploma or certificate
  • a PhD
  • a second undergraduate degree

Find out about options for further study

Some graduates have gone on to study for professional qualifications in:

  • housing management
  • social work
  • human resource management

How to apply

You must submit a full application through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) before the relevant deadline.

Guidance on applying through UCAS

What you need to apply

As part of your application, you will need:

  • your academic qualifications
  • a personal statement
  • evidence of your English language skills (with relevant qualifications)
  • a reference

How we select

If you have met, or are predicted to meet, all our entry requirements by the relevant deadline, then your application will go into our selection process.

As part of this selection process, we will review all the information you submit in your UCAS application when we decide who to select for this degree programme.

How we select applicants

When to apply

  • 2026 entry UCAS deadline: 14 January 2026 (6:00pm GMT)

This is the deadline for all UK, EU and international applicants to non-medicine and veterinary medicine programmes.

To find out if any degree programmes have spaces after 14 January 2026, search the University of Edinburgh on the UCAS website.

Search degrees that are open on the UCAS website

Key application dates and deadlines

After you apply

After you have applied for your degree programme, we suggest you have a look at the following information to help you prepare for university:

Applying as an international student

As an international student, you apply for this degree programme through UCAS.  

Find out more about applying through UCAS  

Visas and immigration 

If you do not have the right to live in the UK, you will need to apply for and secure a Student visa before the start date of your degree programme.  

Our Student Immigration Service can help you with the Student visa application process. 

Applying for a visa  

Agents  

An education agent is someone who can help you with the application process as an international student. 

We work with education agents around the world and have a list of local offices you can contact.  

Find contact details for an education agent

What our students say

Student testimonials

Hear about what it is like to study with us, and about life in Edinburgh from those who know it best: our students and graduates.

Testimonials from our students and graduates

Check out our student blog

Our team of School of Political Sciences (SPS) student writers share their experiences and thoughts on the things that matter to them on our student blog, for example:

  • writing your first assignment
  • what to do in Edinburgh on the weekend
  • what to expect in Welcome Week
  • living away from home
  • hybrid learning
  • living sustainably

Our SPS student blog

Accommodation

We guarantee an offer of University accommodation for all new, single undergraduate students from outside Edinburgh. To be eligible, you need to meet all criteria and apply for accommodation by 16 August in the year of your entry to the University.

University accommodation website

Accommodation guarantee criteria

If you prefer to live elsewhere, we can offer you advice on finding accommodation in Edinburgh.

Accommodation information from the Edinburgh University Students' Association Advice Place

Societies and clubs

Our societies and sports clubs will help you develop your interests, meet like-minded people, find a new hobby or simply socialise.

Societies

Sports clubs

Additionally, most of the departments in the School of Social and Political Science (SPS) have associated student societies, which are designed to offer you the best chance to develop your interests, network and meet like-minded people.

Edinburgh Political Union

Sustainable Development Association

Sociology Society

Social Anthropology Society

Social Policy Society

Q-Step Society

The city of Edinburgh

Scotland's inspiring capital will form the background to your studies — a city with an irresistible blend of history, natural beauty and modern city life.

Find out more about living in Edinburgh

Health and wellbeing support

You will have access to free health and wellbeing services throughout your time at university if you need them.

The support services we offer include:

  • a student counselling service
  • a health centre (doctor's surgery)
  • support if you're living in University accommodation
  • dedicated help and support if you have a disability or need adjustment

Health and wellbeing support services

Contact us

Contact us through our enquiry team if you have any questions about this programme.

Open days, events and visits

Find out when our next open days will be taking place

Open days, events and visits

Chat to our students on Unibuddy

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Discover Uni data

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It is one of many sources of information which will enable you to make an informed decision on what and where to study.

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Social Policy and Sociology at University of Edinburgh

To see official information about this course and others visit Discover Uni.

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Social Policy and Sociology at University of Edinburgh

To see official information about this course and others visit Discover Uni.

Make an informed choice.

See course info

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