Social Policy and Social Research

Social policy and social research are disciplines that examine how societies organise welfare, distribute resources, and respond to social problems, and how we gather and evaluate the evidence needed to understand those processes. Social policy looks at the design and impact of systems such as healthcare, housing, education, social care, and income support, asking who benefits, who is excluded, and how policy choices reflect and reinforce social inequalities. Social research provides the methodological foundation for answering those questions rigorously, through surveys, interviews, documentary analysis, and the interpretation of large datasets.

At the University of Bedfordshire, this three-year full-time programme develops both bodies of knowledge alongside each other. You will engage with theories of welfare and social justice, the history and current structure of the UK welfare state, the politics of social policy, and the comparative experience of other countries. Alongside this, you will develop practical skills in research design, data collection and analysis, and the ethical conduct of social inquiry.

The combination prepares you to engage critically with evidence about social conditions and to produce research that can inform policy and practice. The programme develops your analytical and communication skills in ways that are directly relevant to careers in the public, voluntary, and policy sectors.

Graduates from social policy and social research programmes go on to careers in government, local authorities, the NHS, housing organisations, charities, think tanks, and research institutes. Roles in policy analysis, programme evaluation, social research, community development, and public service management are all accessible to graduates with this combination of skills. Many go on to postgraduate study in social policy, social research, public administration, or social work, and some pursue research careers in universities or public sector research bodies.

The analytical rigour and policy literacy the degree develops are valued across any field that involves making or evaluating decisions that affect people's lives.