Social Policy and Sociology

Social Policy and Sociology is a combination that brings together the applied critical analysis of welfare systems and government policy with the broader scientific study of social life and human behaviour. Social policy examines how governments and other institutions respond to social problems, including inequality, poverty, housing, healthcare, education, eldercare and children's rights, asking how policies are made, who they benefit and how they can be improved. Sociology provides the conceptual and empirical tools to understand the deeper social structures and forces that generate those problems in the first place.

Together they develop a rigorous, politically engaged and practically useful approach to understanding contemporary social challenges.

At Queen's University Belfast this three-year full-time degree develops your knowledge of how policies are made and implemented alongside a broad sociological grounding in the explanation of social life and human behaviour. You will learn to apply core social science concepts to real policy problems, developing the ability to assess whether policies are fit for purpose and how they might be redesigned to better serve their stated aims. The programme engages with issues including gender inequality, ethnic and other inequalities, sustainability and social justice, giving you a genuinely socially engaged education.

Graduates from Social Policy and Sociology degrees go on to careers in social work, public administration, policy research, local government, healthcare management, housing, community development, education and the voluntary sector. Others find roles in research organisations, think tanks, trade unions and international development agencies. The analytical skills, social understanding and policy knowledge the degree develops are valued across all contexts where improving social outcomes is the goal.

Postgraduate study in social policy, sociology, public administration, social work or related social science disciplines is a common route for those wishing to develop further expertise.