• You will receive a thorough grounding in core social science disciplines used to analyse social policy: sociology; social psychology; politics and economics.
• You will be trained in key transferable skills in different types of research methods and analysis of data and encouraged to develop your own policy analysis skills in your projects.
• You will study core modules designed specifically for this degree programme and choose from a selection of over 20 option modules developed specially by the Department, or choose from a wider range offered by other Departments such as Politics or Sociology.

Our Social Policy programme is suited to you if you are interested in:

• The main pillars of the welfare state in the UK and elsewhere
• The impact of globalisation on key social outcomes such as inequality, poverty, employment and well-being in the UK and other countries
• Why making successful policies in the 21st century is so complex
• How and why patterns of social inequality still persist
• What more could be done to address social problems at home and abroad

What subjects should I have studied before?

Social Policy draws upon many disciplines, if you have previously studied sociology, politics, history, geography or psychology, you may be interested in this degree programme. Similarly, some of our students choose Social Policy because it is a subject they have not studied before, yet appeals to their interests.

Our staff and students

• Why our staff are interested in Social Policy and Applied Social Science
• Our students and graduates

What you'll study

Aims

Our BA Social Policy programme will show you the contribution of social science in the understanding of how contemporary UK society has developed, including the role of welfare state institutions. We also draw upon our specialist expertise in the Department to include international contexts, how different social policies can be compared between countries and what we can learn from them. You will also gain training in social research methods, which are highly transferable skills to a wide range of contexts.

Modules

Examples of module options for Year 2:

• Children, Young People and Social Policy
• Environmental Policy
• Social Inequalities
• Social Psychology of Childhood and Adolescence
• Victimisation and Social Harm
• Understanding Criminal Justice

Examples of option modules for Year 3:

• Child Abuse and Social Policy
• Comparative and International Social Policy
• Demography, Society and Policy
• Disability: Policy and Practice
• Gender, Crime and Justice
• Health and Inequalities
• Housing Policy
• Illicit Drug Use
• Policing and Criminal Justice
• Social Security
• Sustainable Development and Social Inclusion
• The Well-Being of Children and Young People
• Understanding Families and Family Life
• Working in Organisations
• Youth Justice

Dissertation

The third year dissertation is a great opportunity to apply your knowledge and understanding in independent supervised research on a topic of your interest. You will be able to draw upon the University Library's vast online resources, exposing you to the latest thinking in the specific topic you choose, and put into practice the skills you learn from the second year Social Research Methods module. At the end of the third year we hold a Dissertation Conference, where students from across the Social Policy and Applied Social Science programmes can share their work and new-found specialist knowledge.

Previous dissertation titles include:

• The role of policy networks in shaping urban regeneration policy
• Young people’s engagement in the political process
• Is there an East Asian Welfare Model?
• Social housing under New Labour – demand, supply and residualisation

How you'll be taught

Teaching approaches

The teaching methods used in each module are tailored to help you achieve its learning outcomes, but typically feature a mixture of formal lectures and more interactive elements.

• Watch our videos showcasing a sample of our modules

We place great emphasis on small group working and encourage students to interact with staff both inside and outside of the classroom. Whilst your first year lectures will be in larger groups - typically 50 to 100 students - they are supplemented by small group seminars of around 10-15 students. You will be expected to research topics in advance of seminars and often asked to make presentations to the seminar group.

In years 2 and 3, lecture groups are smaller as you will begin to specialise more deeply and so follow varied routes of study. In year 2 lectures will typically be around 30 students and in year 3 a typical lecture group is around 15 students, but in both years groups of under 10 may exist on some modules.

Aside from lectures and discussion based seminars, many modules in years 2 and 3 make use of group based workshops, some make use of scenario based role plays and some involve practical sessions where you analyse data in order to understand a specific issue in more depth.

Some year 2 and 3 modules also make use of outside speakers from policy related organisations: these speakers help to bring cutting-edge knowledge of the latest issues in policy and practice into the classroom.

All modules make use of the virtual learning environment, an online space for resources and activities associated with the module. Some modules will involve tutor driven interactive tasks that students must complete between classroom based sessions, others may simply provide access to resources allowing you to recap lecture slides or undertake further reading.

Modules

Modules vary in length, credit weighting and the way in which they are assessed.

First and second year modules last for the full academic year (three terms), count for 30 credits, usually with some form of assessment part way through the year and a final assessment task in the third term.

Third year option modules are taught in a single term, counting for 20 credits, and are usually assessed by a single piece of work handed in at the start of the term after teaching has finished for the module.

Support

All students are allocated a personal supervisor responsible for supporting you throughout your three years. One-to-one meetings between you and your supervisor are scheduled twice a term.

All members of staff also have weekly office hours during term time that allow any student to make any appointment to discuss issues related to their classes in one-to-one sessions in staff offices.

In the third year every student is allocated an individual member of academic staff as a dissertation supervisor: they will provide one-to-one support on your final year research project (dissertation) throughout the year.

In addition, through the combination of relatively small group sizes and structured opportunities to interact with staff outside of the classroom, we aim to create a supportive environment where staff and students work closely together both inside and outside of timetabled sessions.

How you'll be assessed

Learning is assessed through a wide range of methods, with a strong emphasis on continuous assessment.

The most common form of assessment is through essays, typically around 3,500 words in length. You will be supported in your first year with seminar sessions on writing an academic essay, the style of which will be different from your previous education. Throughout the degree, module leaders will often provide opportunities for additional support, such as workshops, revision sessions or preparation activities. In addition, if you wish for further explanation then you can book an appointment as part of our staff office hours arrangement.

The end of degree dissertation research project is 10,000 words in length. You will be supported with a dissertation supervisor as you specialise on a particular area of the subject you are interested in.

Other assessment methods that might be encountered include presentations, group workshop reports, applied policy reports, data analysis exercises and portfolios of work gathered through the duration of a module. There is only minimal use of closed examinations across the programme as a whole.

Careers and employability

All our degree programmes offer a foundation in the social sciences and a range of specialist modules which develop knowledge of social problems, their social, cultural, political, economic and global contexts, and of interventions that address them. This forms a knowledge base which will equip you to think critically and contribute creatively in a wide range of employment contexts, in the public, private and third sector.

We offer opportunities to develop skills in working independently and in groups, information searching and communication (including evidence-based writing and oral presentations), problem-solving, awareness of inequality and diversity, research (quantitative and qualitative), IT and use of social media. These transferable skills are highly valued by employers and the University Careers Service can offer you guidance on how you can best showcase these skills in interviews.

You will be able to pursue career-related interests, whether related to particular issues or groups (e.g. through following the Children and Young People or Crime and Criminal Justice pathways, or taking specialist modules available to all e.g. on Sustainable Development and Social Inclusion, Environmental Policy, Housing Policy), particular organisational contexts (e.g. a module on Social Enterprise is particularly useful to those interested in working in or setting up a social enterprise), or particular roles (e.g. modules on the Policy Process and Policy Analysis are of particular interest to those interested in policy work).

In addition, our work-based placement (a core part of our Children and Young People or Crime and Criminal Justice pathways and an option to the other programmes) increases understanding of the relationship between policy, implementation and practice in specific contexts, and also develops, and offers useful opportunities to demonstrate to future employers a range of employability skills.

Example career paths

Many of our students use the expertise they gain from their degree to develop careers in the social policy field. Recent examples include:

• Policy research in the House of Commons
• Employment and training research
• Work for specialist charities such as ‘Shelter’
• Work for a local authority

Others go on to develop their skills through:

• Fast-track civil service training
• Housing Management training sponsored by a Housing Association
• Postgraduate training in social work
• Postgraduate research in social policy

Employability

In addition to the University Careers support which provides guidance and opportunities for making you more employable, your personal supervisor will support you in creating an employabilty plan to help you focus on what skills you possess or wish to develop.

Extra-curricular

The Department also offers an optional series of workshops at the end of the Summer Term where students may undertake a group multimedia project, utilising social media to promote awareness of a social policy issue or campaign. This offers a fresh set of creative and communication skills relevant to a number of socially-orientated organisations.

How to apply

Applications for Autumn 2013 start are welcome, until the UCAS deadline of 30 June 2013.

All applications to undergraduate degree courses at York must be made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

• UCAS web site: Course search
• How to apply via UCAS

To use the UCAS course search, choose courses starting in 2013, select search by course code, then select the institution code Y50 The University of York from the drop down menu. You can also use the course codes listed below.

Detailed information regarding our degrees is not available on UCAS and is only available through course profiles on our website.

Help and advice about the application process may be directed to Student Recruitment and Admissions.

Once you have submitted an application

Our Admissions Tutor will look at your application and pay particular attention to your personal statement. In personal statements we are looking for students who have an academic interest in society, perhaps life experiences that are relevant to the degree courses e.g. family circumstances or employment, and have made a contribution to society through, for example, school clubs and volunteering.

For our Applied Social Science and Social Policy programmes (L430, L431, L432, L433) you will NOT be expected to attend an interview. Once accepted, we do invite you to attend a visit day in Spring to give you the opportunity to learn a little more about the subject, our Department and the University. Offer holders will be able to sign up to the visit day through You@York, our dedicated site for accepted applicants to the University.

Entry requirements

Mature students

We welcome applications from mature students and we have a firm commitment to supporting your progression through all our courses. Many mature students have studied successfully in the Department (see our student profiles). An interest in Applied Social Science and Social Policy often arises through life experience, which enriches the course for all students.

We will consider applications individually, and if you do not hold standard entry requirements we have our Extended Degree route with a foundation year leading to study on our Social Policy or Applied Social Science programmes.

Get in touch with us and we'll be happy to discuss your options: spsw-admissions@york.ac.uk or apply straight away through UCAS.