Why Choose Lincoln
Options to study abroad for a year at partner institutions
Buddy scheme to help you settle in
Conduct research projects alongside our expert academic team
3-4 Years
Brayford Pool
L400
Creating effective social policies is key to tackling the big issues we face in society today such as poverty, health inequality, and unemployment.
This course enables you to explore how social problems arise, how governments react, and the impact this has on citizens and communities.
The BA (Hons) Social Policy degree draws on a range of social science disciplines in addition to its core focus. These include sociology, politics, philosophy, economics, and law. You can use these approaches to examine welfare, poverty, and inequality, tackling difficult and often controversial topics, including current issues in the news.
Options to study abroad for a year at partner institutions
Buddy scheme to help you settle in
Conduct research projects alongside our expert academic team
The first year introduces core concepts that provide a platform from which to scrutinise social policy issues in detail. You can examine social problems and policies in the UK and internationally, and how to conduct and apply social science research.
In the second and third years, you'll be able to build on these foundations by choosing from a range of optional modules. These modules, which often reflect staff research expertise, provide an insight into topics such as education, law, ethics, work, crime, human rights, race and racism, and the making and implementation of policies.
Modules can include Social Issues and Social Justice; Key Social Science Concepts; Debating Welfare States; Comparative Politics and Policy; Ideology into Practice; and Analysing the Policy Process.
† Some courses may offer optional modules. The availability of optional modules may vary from year to year and will be subject to minimum student numbers being achieved. This means that the availability of specific optional modules cannot be guaranteed. Optional module selection may also be affected by staff availability.
We want you to have all the information you need to make an informed decision on where and what you want to study. In addition to the information provided on this course page, our What You Need to Know page offers explanations on key topics including programme validation/revalidation, additional costs, contact hours, and our return to face-to-face teaching.
The assessment strategy adopted within the Social Policy programme is designed to test and enhance your knowledge, skills, and abilities, and prepare you for the demands of work.
Assessments aim to test your attainments of learning outcomes that demonstrate and encourage not only your knowledge base but also the development of transferable skills across the course.
The course aims to develop written communication skills through essays and examinations, oral communication skills through presentations, literature searching and review through essays, examinations and presentations, and computer literacy skills through the use of electronic resources.
The way you're assessed may vary for each module. Examples of assessment methods that may be used include coursework, such as written assignments, reports or dissertations; practical exams, such as presentations, performances or observations; and written exams, such as formal examinations or in-class tests.
The University of Lincoln's policy is to ensure that staff return assessments to students promptly.
You'll have the option to undertake voluntary, competitive work placements, providing experience of a professional policy environment, and a chance to observe how policy is set by central government and executed by local authorities. You'll be responsible for covering travel, accommodation, and general living costs during these placements.
We're proud of our wide-ranging international connections and the unique opportunities those offer to our students. The University’s partner institutions in the USA, Sweden, Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands offer you the chance to study abroad during the third year of study, before returning to Lincoln for the final year. The initiative enables you to experience your subject from a different perspective and to explore different societies and cultures. Spaces are limited and are allocated competitively, subject to academic criteria. During the year abroad, you won't need to pay a tuition fee to either the University of Lincoln or host university, but you'll be responsible for travel, accommodation, and general living costs. Where applicable, you'd also need to cover visa costs.
The optional Social Engagement module allows you to undertake a field trip that encourages you to undertake one or more external activities relevant to the course to critically reflect on the experience, how it relates to wider institutional structures, and your personal development. This may involve undertaking voluntary work or mentoring within a service-providing organisation.
All travel, accommodation, and general living expenses associated with the experience will need to be covered by your and the experience is required to consist of a minimum of 30 hours.
During your studies, you can also make the most of the University's Great Central Warehouse Library, which is home to more than 260,000 printed books and approximately 750,000 electronic books and journals, alongside databases and specialist collections. The Library has a range of different spaces for shared and individual learning.
The various challenges surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic means that social policy has never been a more important academic discipline and area of study. Our academic team have a range of unique specialisms and are able to address contemporary issues such as the global pandemic. Individual specialisms seek to understand the dynamics of policy making and change in ways that are both conceptual and applied. You can find out more about staff research groups online: www.lincoln.ac.uk/socialsciences/research/.
A diverse range of careers are open to Social Policy graduates. They may include roles in local government and the public sector, in policy development within parliament, lobbying or research with think tanks, or in the charity and not-for-profit sectors. Some graduates continue on to postgraduate study or professional training.
96 UCAS Tariff points from a minimum of 2 A Levels.
International Baccalaureate: Pass Diploma from a minimum of 2 Higher Level subjects.
BTEC Extended Diploma: Merit, Merit, Merit or equivalent.
T Level: Pass (A*-C)
Access to Higher Education Diploma: 45 Level 3 credits with a minimum of 96 UCAS Tariff points.
Applicants will also need at least three GCSEs at grade 4 or above, which must include English. Equivalent Level 2 qualifications may also be considered.
The University accepts a wide range of qualifications as the basis for entry and do accept a combination of qualifications which may include A Levels, BTECs, EPQ etc.
We will also consider applicants with extensive and relevant work experience and will give special individual consideration to those who do not meet the standard entry qualifications.
We also consider applicants with extensive and relevant work experience and will give special individual consideration to those who do not meet the standard entry qualifications.
Non UK Qualifications:
If you have studied outside of the UK, and are unsure whether your qualification meets the above requirements, please visit our country pages for information on equivalent qualifications.
https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/studywithus/internationalstudents/entryrequirementsandyourcountry/
EU and Overseas students will be required to demonstrate English language proficiency equivalent to IELTS 6.0 overall, with a minimum of 5.5 in each element. For information regarding other English language qualifications we accept, please visit the English Requirements page.
If you do not meet the above IELTS requirements, you may be able to take part in one of our Pre-sessional English and Academic Study Skills courses.
If you would like further information about entry requirements, or would like to discuss whether the qualifications you are currently studying are acceptable, please contact the Admissions team on 01522 886097, or email admissions@lincoln.ac.uk
Going to university is a life-changing step and it's important to understand the costs involved and the funding options available before you start. A full breakdown of the fees associated with this programme can be found on our course fees pages.
For eligible undergraduate students going to university for the first time, scholarships and bursaries are available to help cover costs. To help support students from outside of the UK, we are also delighted to offer a number of international scholarships which range from £1,000 up to the value of 50 per cent of tuition fees. For full details and information about eligibility, visit our scholarships and bursaries pages.
The best way to find out what it is really like to live and learn at Lincoln is to visit us in person. We offer a range of opportunities across the year to help you to get a real feel for what it might be like to study here.
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