Social Policy and Politics

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

Social policy

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

We cover a wide variety 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 with the knowledge 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.

Politics

Politics studies the theory and practice of how societies are governed.

How do our political institutions create collective rules? Who has the power to make these rules, and what are the consequences of political decisions?

What is the nature of a just society, and how do we get there?

Drawing on the expertise of leading academics and researchers in the field, you will explore the origins and present-day contexts of societal conflicts about power, participation, and resources.

You will not only study the processes of governance at the local, national, and international level, but also the morality of political action, and the limits of freedom and justice.

Why Edinburgh?

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

We work closely with:

* governments

* non-governmental organisations (NGOs)

* third sector and interest representation groups

* international organisations

* other external actors

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 other's understanding as well.