International Social and Public Policy BSc (Hons)

The BSc International Social and Public Policy course aims to provide a thorough understanding of how policies are formulated and implemented in industrialised societies, transition economies and the developing world. The Department takes a comparative, international and contemporary perspective: investigating the changing role of states, the non-profit sector, the market and informal providers like families and communities in producing social welfare.

International social and public policy studies real world issues such as poverty, social exclusion and global population change. It is about understanding and addressing social problems in society and examines the formation and implementation of policy, and how this affects people's wellbeing. As a multidisciplinary subject, it draws on theories and expertise from sociology, politics and economics. You will study a broad range of fields from social, economic and political standpoints.

These include health and social care, social security, education, and urban issues as well as cross cutting dimensions like gender, race, international development and the impact of globalisation. You will examine issues such as levels of social security benefits and their eligibility conditions, the nature of private-public partnerships in health service provision, or the mix of local authority schools and academies. The skills you will develop by studying social policy are attractive to a range of employers. Our graduates have found work in a variety of industries including; politics and government, education and teaching, banking and finance, NGOs, charities and international development, as well as journalism, media and publishing, advertising marketing and PR, and accounting and auditing.