MPhil/PhD Social Policy

Social policy at LSE is about the development, design, analysis, and evaluation of public policies. We cover a wide range of policy areas including crime, education, migration, population, social disadvantage, inequalities, and social security. The issues underpinning our work are global in application. What determines the needs, rights, and wellbeing of citizens and non-citizens? What is, and what should be, the roles of the state, the family, the market, and civil society?

This programme offers the chance to undertake a substantial piece of work that is of publishable quality and which makes an original contribution to the field of social policy. You will begin on the MPhil, and will need to meet certain requirements to be upgraded to PhD status.

You will be offered supervision in a wide range of specialist topics and will become a member of a vibrant and exciting research community. You will have access to a full collection of UK, US and EU public documents, parliamentary papers and statistical data as well as use of cutting edge networked computer facilities dedicated to research students, in the Social Science Research Laboratory within the Department.

Progression and assessment

You are required to undertake Major Review in the summer term of your first year (second year for part-time students). For Major Review you must submit a 10,000 word document with a detailed proposal for your thesis, your research question(s), a literature review, a description of your methodology, your plans for data collection and analysis and a timetable through to completion. You are interviewed on this document by senior staff who make the decision on upgrading.

Each pre-Major Review student is required to make a presentation on his or her proposed research to the Research Student Seminar prior to the submission of the major review document and to address issues raised by the Doctoral Programme Director.

Careers

Recent doctoral graduates have pursued careers in academia, in the government and public sector, in research, consultancy, education and teaching, NGOs and charities.