Module descriptions: BA Social Policy and Applied Social Science degree programmes

First year
Second year
Third year

You can also use the degree comparison table (bottom of linked page) to work out the modules which are core parts of each degree programme.

First year modules

Four compulsory modules introducing broad domains of social policy and applied social science, with specialist study introduced as part of 'Ways of Knowing'. The four modules are taught across the whole academic year.

Introduction to Social Policy

This module provides an introduction to the academic discipline of social policy, its key concepts and analytic frameworks.

It explores trends in the development of social policy around the world with a particular emphasis on high income nations.

Introduction to Sociology and Social Psychology

This module introduces students to the different perspectives and some key theories and concepts in sociology and social psychology.

It illustrates the relevance of these disciplines to the study of social problems and issues e.g. crime, poverty, health as well as particular social groups e.g. children and young people, women and ethnic minorities.

The Politics and Economics of Social Policy

This module introduces the exercise of power, political ideas and policy outcomes in the context of British political institutions.

It also introduces students to key concepts in economics and their application to social policy problems.

Ways of Knowing

This module introduces students to the basics of social research, related philosophical debates about knowledge and ways of knowing and investigating the social world.

It develops the ways in which students use critical analysis by utilising research evidence (both quantitative and qualitative) in providing explanations of social problems.

There are four variants of this module focused on crime and criminal justice, children and young people, social policy and applied social science.

Second year core modules

Four modules are taken which last the whole academic year. There is one core module which all degree programmes undertake, 'Social Research Methods'. Some programmes then have two further core modules, with space for one module of your choice. The BA Applied Social Science allows choice of three option modules.

Children, Young People and Social Policy

This module gives a comprehensive introduction to a wide range of policy issues related to children and young people, especially as they relate to vulnerable groups.

It introduces students to debates about the conceptualisation of childhood and youth as phases in the life course and to research, policy and practice across a range of social institutions which structure how it is experienced.

Comparative Social Policy

This module provides an introduction to the comparative analysis of social policy and explores trends in its development especially in the high income nations.

It introduces key concepts and methodological tools and introduces students to key OECD data resources.

Environmental Policy

This module provides an introduction to the theoretical and practical issues associated with the environment as a major policy problem.

It provides an understanding of how to use social and political perspectives to analyse the making of global, national and local environmental policy and the use of different methodologies to generate evidence and policy.

Social Inequalities

This module provides a critical awareness of the nature of contemporary social divisions and patterns of social inequality, for example in relation to poverty, race, gender, age.

It provides a theoretical overview of how these have been analysed and explained together with a critical awareness of relevant empirical material

Social Psychology of Childhood and Adolescence

This module introduces students to a range of social psychological perspectives on children and young people, including classical theories of child development and theories of psychopathologies.

It also introduces students to different types of research evidence used to understand risk and resilience and the value and limitations of the different types.

Social Research Methods

This module is designed to ensure that students gain ‘hands on’ experience of both qualitative and quantitative methods and an understanding of the philosophical and theoretical underpinnings of social research.

Students use this understanding in the development of a proposal for their own dissertation work.

The Policy Process

This module introduces students to the key issues around how policy is made and implemented.

It provides students with an understanding of key concepts and theories from the policy analysis literature, an opportunity to apply these to ‘real world’ scenarios and encourage students to think more rigorously about the ways in which social policies might be formulated and delivered.

Understanding Crime and Deviance

Crime and deviance are major issues facing society today. This is reflected in the ever-increasing attention paid to offenders and their activities within the media, but also within contemporary political and policy debates.

This module introduces students to core criminology theory, asking questions such as: How is crime defined and measured? Who commits crime? And why do people commit crime.

Understanding Criminal Justice

This module introduces the agencies of the criminal justice system: police, court systems judiciary, prison and probation; and the tensions and problems which exist around how crime is controlled, how offenders should be punished and how risk should be managed.

This module enables students to engage with the rapidly developing field of crime control whilst also gaining in-depth knowledge that will be of relevance and interest to anyone considering a career in the criminal justice field.

Third year option modules

The third year gives you the opportunity to study four option modules: two in depth explorations of topics of your choice in each of the Autumn and Spring terms. You write your dissertation in the Summer term of the third year. The BA Applied Social Science - Children and Young People and BA Applied Social Science - Crime and Criminal Justice have a work-shadowing placement instead of one of the option modules in the Autumn term.

Due to the diverse specialist expertise of our academic staff, we are able to offer a wide range of options specially designed for the Social Policy and Applied Social Science programmes in the Department.

Note: the module options for the third and second year are subject to modification or removal as we update the degree programmes to reflect the latest trends and shifts in social policy.

Child Abuse and Social Policy

This module enables students to acquire a critical understanding of contemporary debates about child abuse, and the forms of intervention which have developed in response.

It introduces students to key concepts and different theoretical approaches to child abuse as it has emerged as a social problem and to develop knowledge of approaches to prevention, protection and prosecution.

Crime and Place: Strategies for Urban Renewal

The city has long been associated with criminal activity and the fear of crime. Theoretical approaches to understanding urban crime range from the spatial to the personal embracing concepts of ‘zoning’ through to ‘community’.

This module introduces students to these aspects of crime and to theories of the city and community as a pre-cursor to exploring responses to crime that are associated with urban spaces.

Comparative and International Social Policy

This module provides an overview of contemporary debates about the alleged merits and failures of welfare states across the globe.

Rather than simply focussing on the British context, one major aim of the module is to discuss these issues in a comparative and international framework that goes beyond the high income countries of the ‘West’.

Thus, the specific circumstances in South-East Asian, Eastern-European, Latin American and African nations are discussed alongside those in Northern America, Western-Europe and the Antipodes.

Demography, Society and Policy

This module provides an introduction to demographic issues and how they interplay with individuals, families and societies. The rationale for and success of policies to influence demographic behaviour in order to meet perceived societal needs is also be evaluated. The module is comparative across developed and less developed societies and is strongly empirically based

Disability: Policy and Practice

This module gives students the opportunity to develop their appreciation of the meaning of disability for different perspectives.

It examines the impact of different definitions upon the experiences of people with a disability and their carers, identifies the historical antecedents of current service delivery, and explores selected issues of contemporary concern. It will also focus upon the policy arena rather than the 'hands-on’ skills required to provide support and care.

Where practicable and appropriate, the module also tries to address the specific interests and experience of module participants

Gender, Crime and Justice

Gender divisions play a part in understanding crime. The law and policies to control crime may also reflect gendered assumptions and impact differently on women and men.

The module explores the relationship between patterns of gender inequality and social constructions of gender on the one hand and patterns of offending and victimisation and the operation of the criminal justice system on the other.

Health and Inequalities

Inequalities in health and well-being constitute a major social problem and are increasingly a focus of public health and other social initiatives.

This module explores the social determinants of health concentrating on factors that underpin population variation across a broad spectrum of health outcomes and behaviour, such as the importance of the early life period, ethnicity, socio-economic status (social class), gender and sexuality, and the influence of the environment and geography

Housing Policy

The module is designed to increase awareness of the development of British housing policy during the 20th century and to evaluate current issues, particularly regarding the interface between social policy, housing and social theory.

Changes in the recent decades to the governance of housing are emphasised throughout the course.

Illicit Drug Use

Illicit drug use is a key contemporary concern for both our country and globally.

This module provides students with a critical understanding of contemporary drug misuse: its causality and its impact – for users, families, communities and the wider society; issues around prevention, treatment and long-term recovery; and related national and international laws and policies.

Policing and Criminal Justice

The police and policing are central to understanding contemporary responses to crime and the fear of crime.

The increasing importance of ‘community’ in modern policing as well as an emphasis on developing international policing methods has extended and fragmented aspects of the traditional police role.

This module explores what the police do; how they do it; and the challenges facing the police in the 21 st century.

Social Security

Social security provides income protection against the risks of unemployment, sickness and disability, lone parenthood and old age. About three out of every ten pounds of public expenditure goes on social security benefits and related tax credits.

This module gives students a deeper knowledge of social security policy and examines the extent to which social security policy has moved away from the assumption of the male breadwinner model of the family towards one based upon activation.

Staffing Public Sector Services

Human resource management with its focus upon all aspects of staffing services is a crucial element in the delivery of public provision and is constantly at the forefront of debates about the quality of state services.

This module considers current staffing agendas in key services, and associated occupations, that are the responsibility of four central government departments dealing with education, health, work and pensions, and police and prison offices.

Sustainable Development and Social Inclusion

This module considers the complex relationships between a number of key social and environmental problems.

It encourages students to think beyond the traditional boundaries of social policy and to consider how the environmental effects of human activities result in changes that alter the extent to which others can meet their needs, now and in the future.

Understanding Families and Family Life

This module gives students an appreciation of the complexity and fluidity of family life and to raises debate about what we mean by ‘the family’, what we think ‘the family’ is for and how it is organised in terms of welfare and resource sharing.

It considers two main areas of family life, partnering and parenting. The role of the state and social policy and its impact on parents working lives will also be considered.

Well Being of Children and Young People

This module focuses on outcomes. How can we measure the well-being of children and young people? How does well-being vary by income, age, gender, ethnicity, family type? How does the well-being of children and young people in the UK compare with other countries?

The module introduces students to the main sources of evidence on the well-being of children and young people.

Working in Organisations

This module introduces students to the core skills that are necessary to work in a statutory, charitable or not-for-profit welfare agency.

It requires students to address the practical aspects of setting up, funding and managing a small welfare organisation and will provide them with the skills to achieve these aims.

Youth Justice

Young people who break the law have been the target of specific government policy since the beginning of the twentieth century.

This module helps students understand why they are the focus of government scrutiny and intervention, explores what shapes society’s response to them and evaluates how effectively such policy is delivered.

Note on the use of module information

The modules and module details listed above and on other pages of this site, are indicative only and may be subject to change. The information is provided to help inform application choices and does not form part of any contract. The availability of the modules is not guaranteed and the University reserves the right to modify the programme/modules in unforeseen circumstances, or where processes of academic development, based on feedback from staff, students, external examiners or professional bodies, requires a change to be made. Students will be notified of any substantive changes at the first available opportunity.

Social Policy and Social Work