Course summary

The MSc in Health & Social Policy offers you the opportunity to develop and extend your knowledge and understanding of how key health and social policies and outcomes intersect, while also providing advanced training in research methods. It aims to improve your knowledge and understanding of the factors which shape people's health and wellbeing, and the ways in which different societies and governments have intervened to shape these relationships. This integrative approach to health and social policy is inspired by recent policy efforts to develop whole-of-government and systems approaches that focus on understanding cross-policy links - efforts that are, in turn, informed by evidence demonstrating such approaches are more cost-effective. There is strong focus on combining postgraduate level research methods training with study of research challenges from a policy perspective. The programme includes opportunities for students to undertake a placement-based dissertation module, examining advocacy and research challenges in partnership with non-governmental organisations (NGO), policy bodies, or academic research teams. Ranked 3rd in the UK for Social Policy (Times Good University Guide 2023)