Are you interested in real world issues such as poverty, health, crime and education? Do you want to make a difference? As a social policy student, you examine global societal issues and the policy response to them. You gain an understanding of social justice, public policy and welfare and how these impact on an individual's wellbeing and independence.
The School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research is one of the best in the country for teaching and research. Our academics are internationally recognised for their expertise in social policy.
In your first year, you explore the nature of social challenges such as ageing, neglect, crime, health, education, employment and homelessness. As your understanding develops, you study how social and public policies are devised and directed towards alleviating social problems. You can also choose optional modules on criminology, modern culture or sociology.
In your second and final years, you extend your knowledge about the purposes and use of social and public policy and the role of government. You develop your research and analytic skills and explore the nature of welfare systems in different countries and how this impacts on social inequality.
The varied expertise in the School means we are able to offer optional modules that include explorations of childhood, family, environmentalism, gender, political change, crime, race, violence and work, among others. This means that you can choose to study areas of particular interest to you or that relate directly to your career choice.
Throughout your degree, our academics challenge you to develop your own opinions and ideas, and encourage you to become an independent thinker. We offer high levels of support and our staff are friendly and accessible.
You can choose to spend a year or a term abroad at one of our partner institutions. You don’t have to make a decision before you enrol at Kent but certain conditions apply. See Course structure for full details.
The Social Studies Society is run by Kent students for anyone with an interest in criminology, sociology, law, social policy, economics and politics.
There are events available throughout the year for students from the School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research. These may include:
The social life at Kent is amazing! There are sports, fitness, academic and other societies.
Isobel Holden - Social Policy BA
Please also see our general entry requirements.
BBB
The University will not necessarily make conditional offers to all Access candidates but will continue to assess them on an individual basis.
If we make you an offer, you will need to obtain/pass the overall Access to Higher Education Diploma and may also be required to obtain a proportion of the total level 3 credits and/or credits in particular subjects at merit grade or above.
Distinction, Distinction, Merit in Health and Social Care or Public Services.
34 points overall or 15 at HL
Pass all components of the University of Kent International Foundation Programme with a 60% overall average.
International students should visit our International Student website for further specific information. International fee-paying students who require a Student visa cannot study part-time due to visa restrictions.
Please see our English language entry requirements web page.
If you need to improve your English language standard as a condition of your offer, you can attend one of our pre-sessional courses in English for Academic Purposes before starting your degree programme. You attend these courses before starting your degree programme.
Duration: 3 years full-time (4 with a year abroad), 6 years part-time (7 with a year abroad)
The following modules are indicative of those offered on this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.
On most programmes, you study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also be able to take ‘elective’ modules from other programmes so you can customise your programme and explore other subjects that interest you.
Going abroad as part of your degree is an amazing experience and a chance to develop personally, academically and professionally. You experience a different culture, gain a new academic perspective, establish international contacts and enhance your employability.
The year abroad takes place between Stages 2 and 3 at one of our partner universities. Places and destination are subject to availability, language and degree programme. For a full list, please see Go Abroad.
To be eligible for the year abroad all students must obtain an average of 60% in the first and second years of their degree. In addition, those students studying on a Tier 4 visa must ensure they comply with the prevailing UKVI visa regulations governing course changes that are applicable to their individual circumstances.
You are expected to adhere to any academic progression requirements in Stages 1 and 2 to proceed to the year abroad. The year abroad is assessed on a pass/fail basis and will not count towards your final degree classification.
The 2021/22 annual tuition fees for this programme are:
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
For students continuing on this programme, fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.*
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
Fees for Home undergraduates are £1,385.
Fees for Home undergraduates are £1,385.
Students studying abroad for less than one academic year will pay full fees according to their fee status.
Find out more about accommodation and living costs, plus general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
We have a range of subject-specific awards and scholarships for academic, sporting and musical achievement.
Search scholarshipsKent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. See our funding page for more details.
You may be eligible for government finance to help pay for the costs of studying. See the Government's student finance website.
Scholarships are available for excellence in academic performance, sport and music and are awarded on merit. For further information on the range of awards available and to make an application see our scholarships website.
At Kent we recognise, encourage and reward excellence. We have created the Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence.
The scholarship will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of A*AA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications (including BTEC and IB) as specified on our scholarships pages.
We use a variety of teaching methods, including lectures, case study analysis, group projects and presentations, and individual and group tutorials. Many module convenors also offer additional ‘clinic’ hours to help with the preparation of coursework and for exams.
Assessment is by a mixture of coursework and examinations; to view details for individual modules click the 'read more' link within each module listed in the course structure.
For a student studying full time, each academic year of the programme will comprise 1200 learning hours which include both direct contact hours and private study hours. The precise breakdown of hours will be subject dependent and will vary according to modules. Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.
Methods of assessment will vary according to subject specialism and individual modules. Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.
The programme aims to:
You gain knowledge and understanding of:
You develop intellectual abilities in:
You gain subject-specific skills in:
You gain transferable skills that enable you to:
Social Policy at Kent was ranked 4th in The Guardian University Guide 2020 and 7th in The Times Good University Guide 2020.
Social Policy at Kent was ranked 3rd for research intensity in The Complete University Guide 2021.
Our Social Policy graduates are highly sought after and have gone on to enjoy careers in areas as diverse as:
Many of our graduates choose to go on to further study at Master’s and PhD level.
The School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research has its own employability team who work with businesses to maximise opportunities for our students. We also hold an Employability Month every February and run networking events throughout the year to help you develop your skills and contacts.
The School has excellent links with local outside agencies, such as the probation and youth justice services, the police and social services.
The University has a friendly Careers and Employability Service which can give you advice on how to:
As well as your subject-specific knowledge, you also develop the key transferable skills graduate employers look for. These include:
You can also gain additional skills by signing up for our Kent Extra activities, such as learning a new language or volunteering.
If you choose to take the year abroad option, you further increase your skills by gaining experience of living and studying in a different culture and developing an international perspective.
This course page is for the 2021/22 academic year. Please visit the current online prospectus for a list of undergraduate courses we offer.
T: +44 (0)1227 768896
T: +44 (0)1227 823254
E: internationalstudent@kent.ac.uk
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