THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2026/2027

Draft Edition - Due to be published Thursday 9th April 2026

Timetable information in the Course Catalogue may be subject to change.
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Degree Programme Table: Government, Policy and Society MA(Hons) (UTMAHGOVPS1F)

Jump to: Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4

Year 1 Academic year: 2026/27, Starting in: September

Compulsory courses

You must take these courses
Social Policy and Society

Must be passed

SCPL08004 20 credits
Politics of the Welfare State

Must be passed

SCPL08005 20 credits
Understanding Public Policy

Must be passed

SCPL08012 20 credits

Course options

Group A

Select exactly 60 credits in this group.

Social and Political Science Year 1 Electives

Select between 0 and 60 credits of the following courses
Notes:
Please note that some courses listed here might be already listed elsewhere on your DPT, therefore, make sure to check programme requirements when selecting courses.
International Development, Aid and Humanitarianism
AFRI08001 20 credits
Politics in a Changing World: An Introduction for non-specialists
PLIT08012 20 credits
Introduction to British Politics
PLIT08016 20 credits
Empires
SCAN08010 20 credits
Social Anthropology 1B: Anthropology Matters
SCAN08012 20 credits
Introduction to Social Anthropology
SCAN08015 20 credits
Sustainable Development 1a: Introducing Sustainable Development
SCIL08008 20 credits
Invitation to Sociology
SCIL08017 20 credits
Sociology 1b: Individuals and Society
SCIL08018 20 credits
Social Policy and Society
SCPL08004 20 credits
Politics of the Welfare State
SCPL08005 20 credits
Understanding Public Policy
SCPL08012 20 credits
Social Work: Making A Difference
SCWR08003 20 credits
Understanding Race and Colonialism
SSPS08013 20 credits
Technology in Society
STIS08002 20 credits
Science, Nature and Environment
STIS08007 20 credits
AND

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

Select between 0 and 60 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.
Our Changing World
BIME08006 20 credits
Sustainability and Social Responsibility (UG)
EDUA08116 20 credits
Wicked problems: Reason and Rhetoric
EDUA08126 20 credits
Understanding decolonisation in a globalised world
EDUA08127 20 credits
Sustainable Development Goals: History, Progress and Beyond 2030
EFIE08008 20 credits
Living in the Anthropocene
GESC08004 20 credits
Understanding Gender in the Contemporary World
SSPS08012 20 credits
Healthy Eating for People and Planet
VETS08016 20 credits

Year 2 Academic year: 2026/27, 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.

Compulsory courses

You must take these courses
Research Skills for Social Policy

Must be passed

SCPL08015 20 credits
Comparative Social Policy: Global Perspectives

Must be passed

SCPL08014 20 credits
Evidence, Economy, and Social Policy

Must be passed

SCPL08017 20 credits

Course options

Group A

Select exactly 60 credits in this group.

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

Select between 40 and 60 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.
Our Changing World
BIME08006 20 credits
Sustainability and Social Responsibility (UG)
EDUA08116 20 credits
Wicked problems: Reason and Rhetoric
EDUA08126 20 credits
Understanding decolonisation in a globalised world
EDUA08127 20 credits
Sustainable Development Goals: History, Progress and Beyond 2030
EFIE08008 20 credits
Living in the Anthropocene
GESC08004 20 credits
Understanding Gender in the Contemporary World
SSPS08012 20 credits
Healthy Eating for People and Planet
VETS08016 20 credits

Year 3 Academic year: 2026/27, 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.

Year 3 students on a Junior Year Abroad planning to undertake a dissertation in Social Policy must find an approved equivalent to SCPL10040 (Qualitative Research: Principles and Practicalities for Social Policy), confirmed on their Learning Agreement by the Social Policy International Exchange Coordinator. Where no equivalent is available, they will be required to take the course in Year 4 upon their return.

Students who spend their Junior Year Abroad must complete a course comparable to 'Analysing and Communicating Social Policy' (SCPL10045). Where no equivalent is available, you will be required to take this course in Y4.

Students are not required and not allowed to take Doing Survey Research if they have already taken and passed Introduction to Statistics for Social Science or Introduction to Political Data Analysis.

Compulsory courses

You must take these courses
Doing Survey Research
SCIL10063 20 credits
Qualitative Research: Principles and Practicalities for Social Policy
SCPL10040 20 credits
Analysing and communicating Social Policy
SCPL10045 20 credits

Course options

Group A

Select exactly 60 credits in this group.

Government, Policy and Society Years 3 and 4 Honours Electives

Select exactly 60 credits of the following courses
Children's Rights: Policy and Practice
EDUA10204 20 credits
Social Determinants of Health and Public Policy
IPHP10001 20 credits
Global Politics of Public Health
IPHP10002 20 credits
Europe and International Migration
PLIT10068 20 credits
Public Policy: Agenda-Setting
PLIT10100 20 credits
Gender, Power and Representation
PLIT10113 20 credits
The Politics of the UK Constitution
PLIT10119 20 credits
Democracy and contemporary capitalism
PLIT10139 20 credits
Corporate Lobbying and Policymaking in the Global Economy
PLIT10166 20 credits
Politics and communication of environmental risks
PLIT10175 20 credits
The Politics of Economic Expertise
PLIT10179 20 credits
The Political Economy of Digital Capitalism
PLIT10183 20 credits
Globalization
SCIL10067 20 credits
Social Demography
SCIL10097 20 credits
Population Health and Health Policy
SCPL10029 20 credits
Health Systems: Strengthening and Reform
SCPL10030 20 credits
Race, Power, and Social Policy
SCPL10043 20 credits
Understanding sustainable welfare and eco-social policy
SCPL10044 20 credits
Domestic Violence: Concepts, Research and Policy
SCPL10046 20 credits
Advocacy, Lobbying and the Politics of Planetary Health
SCPL10047 20 credits
Policy and Politics in Film
SCPL10048 20 credits
Drug Policy and the Public Good
SHSS10011 20 credits
Contemporary Feminist Debates
SSPS10001 20 credits

Year 4 Academic year: 2026/27, Starting in: August

Notes:
Qualitative Research: Principles and Practicalities for Social Policy (SCPL10040) must be taken in Year 3 or Year 4 by students planning to undertake a dissertation in Social Policy.

Students who spend their Junior Year Abroad must complete a course comparable to 'Analysing and Communicating Social Policy' (SCPL10045). Where no equivalent is available, you will be required to take this course in Y4.

Compulsory courses

You must take these courses
Dissertation (MA Social Policy)
SCPL10012 40 credits

Course options

Group A

Select exactly 80 credits in this group.

Government, Policy and Society Years 3 and 4 Honours Electives

Select exactly 80 credits of the following courses
Children's Rights: Policy and Practice
EDUA10204 20 credits
Social Determinants of Health and Public Policy
IPHP10001 20 credits
Global Politics of Public Health
IPHP10002 20 credits
Europe and International Migration
PLIT10068 20 credits
Public Policy: Agenda-Setting
PLIT10100 20 credits
Gender, Power and Representation
PLIT10113 20 credits
The Politics of the UK Constitution
PLIT10119 20 credits
Democracy and contemporary capitalism
PLIT10139 20 credits
Corporate Lobbying and Policymaking in the Global Economy
PLIT10166 20 credits
Politics and communication of environmental risks
PLIT10175 20 credits
The Politics of Economic Expertise
PLIT10179 20 credits
The Political Economy of Digital Capitalism
PLIT10183 20 credits
Globalization
SCIL10067 20 credits
Social Demography
SCIL10097 20 credits
Population Health and Health Policy
SCPL10029 20 credits
Health Systems: Strengthening and Reform
SCPL10030 20 credits
Race, Power, and Social Policy
SCPL10043 20 credits
Understanding sustainable welfare and eco-social policy
SCPL10044 20 credits
Domestic Violence: Concepts, Research and Policy
SCPL10046 20 credits
Advocacy, Lobbying and the Politics of Planetary Health
SCPL10047 20 credits
Policy and Politics in Film
SCPL10048 20 credits
Drug Policy and the Public Good
SHSS10011 20 credits
Contemporary Feminist Debates
SSPS10001 20 credits
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