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The University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NZ, T +44 (0)1227 764000
MA International Social Policy
Overview
Directors: Dr Jeremy Kendall and Professor Peter Taylor-Gooby
Email:P.F.Taylor-Gooby@kent.ac.uk or J.Kendall@kent.ac.uk
This programme, led by Jeremy Kendal and Peter Taylor-Gooby, will give you a clear and confident understanding of welfare state policies in developed and developing countries. The programme equips students with:
- Advanced understanding of current debates, theories and concepts relevant to international social policy
- Country-specific as well as cross-national empirical and theoretical knowledge of current challenges and processes of transformation of welfare systems.
- An understanding of, and capacity to think critically about, the key policy contributions of, and roles fulfilled by, the State, the market, and civil society as a significant policy actors in welfare and broader public service system functioning and development
- Skills in research design and data collection in areas relevant to, or forming part of, social policy.
- Familiarity with using the primary and secondary data needed to develop research in international social policy
Still unsure if this is for you?
Expertise
We offer a Unique combination of multi-disciplinary civil society expertise, with detailed theoretical and empirical knowledge of charities, philanthropy and social movements.
Learning environment
The School involves an exceptional mix of proven teaching commitment and leading edge international research in a friendly and stimulating intellectual environment.
Location
Our location combines a beautiful semi-rural campus setting, while being conveniently located for access to London, Brussels, Paris and other major urban centres
The course has been taken by a range of students from a substantial number of countries (representing every continent) who wish to improve their knowledge and understanding of the welfare state and to prepare themselves for careers in the civil service, in universities or in the voluntary sector.
The programme
The courses lasts 12 months full-time, 24 months part-time. The core modules are:
- International Social Policy and Key Issues in Comparative Social Policy and
- Design Philosophy and Ethics of Social Enquiry
Students write a dissertation of 15,000 words on a subject of their choice supported by an academic supervisor.
Students can choose from the School’s extensive list of optional modules, which includes:
- Organized Civil Society
- Using Qualitative and Secondary Data
- Quantitative Analysis and Techniques of Data Analysis
- Social and Political Movements.
- Human Rights in a World of States
- International Migration Issues and Perspectives
- Environmental Politics
- Terrorism and Modern Society
and other topics.
(Options are subject to availability.)
Assessment:
Modules combine various forms of coursework; a research dissertation also acts as a modular component of the course in its own right.
Entry requirements
A 2.1 or higher university degree (GPA equivalent 3.25) in a social science discipline. Applicants must have an excellent command of English.
The University requires all non-native speakers of English to produce evidence of proficiency in written and spoken English. We require a minimum score in one of the following:
- 6.5 in International English Language Test (IELTS)
- 600 in paper-based or 250 computer-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
- 'B' in the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English
- 'A' in the Cambridge Advanced Certificate in English