THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2025/2026

Timetable information in the Course Catalogue may be subject to change.

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DRPS : DPTs :  School of Social and Political Science DPTs
Jump to: Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4

Year 1 Academic year: 2025/26, Starting in: September

Compulsory courses

You must take these courses

Course options

Group A

Select exactly 20 credits in this group.

Level 7 and 8 courses in Schedules A to Q, S, T, W and Y

Select between 0 and 20 credits from Level 7 and 8 courses in Schedules A to Q, S, T, W and Y
AND

Challenge Courses: Engaging with complex problems through interdisciplinary collaboration

Select between 0 and 20 credits of the following courses
Notes:
Challenge Courses are designed to bring together students from different degree programmes to explore the complex issues facing the world today through interdisciplinary collaboration and creative thinking.

Working with each other and expert academics, students will gain new perspectives and develop important life skills highly valued by employers, such as teamwork, problem-solving and adaptability.

Year 2 Academic year: 2025/26, Starting in: August

Notes:
Students who are planning on spending their Junior Year Abroad must successfully progress to honours before they can proceed on their exchange. It is compulsory to have passed 240 credits by June before the JYA in September.

Students intending to transfer to single honours Politics must take Introduction to Political Data Analysis.

Compulsory courses

You must take these courses

Course options

Group A

Select exactly 60 credits in this group.

Politics Year 2 Optional Courses

Select between 0 and 60 credits of the following courses
AND

Level 7 and 8 courses in Schedules A to Q, S, T, W and Y

Select between 0 and 80 credits from Level 7 and 8 courses in Schedules A to Q, S, T, W and Y
AND

Challenge Courses: Engaging with complex problems through interdisciplinary collaboration

Select between 0 and 20 credits of the following courses
Notes:
Challenge Courses are designed to bring together students from different degree programmes to explore the complex issues facing the world today through interdisciplinary collaboration and creative thinking.

Working with each other and expert academics, students will gain new perspectives and develop important life skills highly valued by employers, such as teamwork, problem-solving and adaptability.

Year 3 Academic year: 2025/26, Starting in: August

Notes:
Students who are planning on spending their Junior Year Abroad must successfully progress to honours before they can proceed on their JYA.

Required Year 3 Dissertation Preparation Courses:

Students must take one of the following preparation courses in Year 3, as they are compulsory prerequisites for enrolling in the corresponding dissertation.

Imagining Anthropological Research (SCAN10037) must be taken in Year 3 (even if on a year abroad) by students planning to undertake the Social Anthropology Dissertation.

Students intending to write the Dissertation in Politics and International Relations must take Research Design in Politics and International Relations (PLIT10106) in Year 3 or 4. It is strongly encouraged taking Research Design in Politics and International Relations in Year 3.

There are no compulsory courses in this year of this programme.

Course options

Group A

Select exactly 20 credits in this group.

Imagining Anthropological Research

Select exactly 0 credits of the following courses
Notes:
Imagining Anthropological Research (SCAN10037) must be taken in Year 3 (even if on a year abroad) by students planning to undertake the Social Anthropology Dissertation.
AND

3rd Year Core courses Social Anthropology

Select exactly 20 credits of the following courses
AND

Group B

Select exactly 100 credits in this group.

Social Anthropology Honours Electives - Level 10

Select between 20 and 60 credits of the following courses
Notes:
Students wishing to take Culture and Power (SCAN10030) are encouraged to do so in Year 4.
AND

Research Design in Politics and International Relations

Select between 0 and 20 credits of the following courses
Notes:
Students intending to write the Dissertation in Politics and International Relations must take Research Design in Politics and International Relations (PLIT10106) in Year 3 or 4. It is strongly encouraged taking Research Design in Politics and International Relations in Year 3.
AND

Politics and International Relations Years 3 and 4 Honours Electives

Select between 40 and 80 credits of the following courses

Year 4 Academic year: 2025/26, Starting in: August

Notes:
Students taking the Social Anthropology Dissertation must have taken Imagining Anthropological Research (SCAN10037) in Year 3.

Students intending to write the Dissertation in Politics and International Relations and who have not taken Research Design in Politics and International Relations (PLIT10106) in Year 3 must take it in Year 4.

There are no compulsory courses in this year of this programme.

Course options

4TH YEAR DISSERTATIONS- Social Anthropology and Politics (MA)- Level 10

Select exactly 40 credits of the following courses
Notes:
Students taking the Social Anthropology Dissertation are expected to use the summer vacation of their third year on research for their dissertation.
AND

Social Anthropology Honours Electives - Level 10

Select exactly 40 credits of the following courses
AND

Politics and International Relations Years 3 and 4 Honours Electives

Select exactly 40 credits of the following courses

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