Social Policy and Economics MA (Hons)
The University of Edinburgh
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Different course options
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Qualification

Master of Arts (with Honours) - MA (Hons)

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Location

Central area campus

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Study mode

Full Time

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Start date

08-SEP-25

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Duration

4 Years

Course info

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Qualification

Master of Arts (with Honours) - MA (Hons)

Location

Central area campus

Study mode

Full time

Start date

08-SEP-25

Duration

4 Years

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Subjects

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Economics
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Social Policy
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Exam type

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A level
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Scottish Higher
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International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
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England
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Scotland
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Northern Ireland
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Course info

This popular joint degree programme provides a grounding in both social policy and economics, two subjects which complement and enrich each other. **Social policy**Social policy at the University of Edinburgh will enable you to engage with confidence in many of the political debates of our time. We deal with a wide array of policy areas, for example: * health * welfare * labour markets * education * family and childhood We discuss how policies affect our civic culture through studying political ...Read more

This popular joint degree programme provides a grounding in both social policy and economics, two subjects which complement and enrich each other.


Social policy

Social policy at the University of Edinburgh will enable you to engage with confidence in many of the political debates of our time. We deal with a wide array of policy areas, for example: * health * welfare * labour markets * education * family and childhood We discuss how policies affect our civic culture through studying political engagement and citizen participation. Our programme will equip you with the knowledge to understand how policies affect society and the economy. It will also enable you to critically assess how policies are made and what actors and processes influence the policy-making process.


Economics

In economics, you will examine the incentives that shape and reconcile the important decisions made by:* individuals * businesses * governments * societies You will also explore the macroeconomic outcomes that may arise from those decisions, such as: * economic fluctuations * growth * unemployment * crises


Who is the programme for?

Our degrees are for students who are interested in how political actions affect the real lives of people.Our programmes are designed to foster critical thinking about policy to ensure our graduates are able to look beyond news headlines and understand in detail why certain political decisions are taken and what their impact may be.


Why Edinburgh?

You will be taught by staff members who are passionate about conducting research that has strong applications to the world outside of academia. We work closely with: * governments * non-governmental organisations (NGOs) * third sector and interest representation groups * international organisations * other external actors International comparative analyses are one of our main strengths. We place a strong emphasis on providing you with empirical research skills, so that you can become a critical researcher yourself. Take a social policy degree at the University of Edinburgh and you will be challenged to re-evaluate how you look at politics, society and the economy with the ability to improve other's understanding as well.

Key stats

Economics
CUG Subject Ranking
CUG Subject Ranking
Source: Complete University Guide 2025
13th
CUG Ranking
CUG Ranking
Source: Complete University Guide 2025
15th
Economics
Drop-out rate
Drop-out rate
The percentage of students who didn't finish the course.
Calculated by 100% - (% of students continuing course + % of students completed course)
100 - 94 = 6% Drop-out rate Source: UNISTATS, 2019
6%
Employment rate
Employment rate
The percentage of students in full-time work 6 months after finishing their course.
Source: UNISTATS, 2019
85%
Average salary
Average salary
Source: UNISTATS, 2019
Economics graduate salary at this uni
£29,000
UK Economics graduate salary
£26,000
Social Policy
Drop-out rate
Drop-out rate
The percentage of students who didn't finish the course.
Calculated by 100% - (% of students continuing course + % of students completed course)
100 - 85 = 15% Drop-out rate Source: UNISTATS, 2019
15%
Employment rate
Employment rate
The percentage of students in full-time work 6 months after finishing their course.
Source: UNISTATS, 2019
79%
Average salary
Average salary
Source: UNISTATS, 2019
Social Policy graduate salary at this uni
£20,000
UK Social Policy graduate salary
£20,000
What students say
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Amy
31 Mar 22

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Jessica
31 Mar 22

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Modules

Modules (Year 1)
Modules (Year 2)
Modules (Year 3)
Modules (Year 4)
IDP Connect

Entry requirements

Exam type

A level

A level:

AAA Grades / Points required

Scottish Higher:

AAAB Grades / Points required

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme:

37 Grades / Points required

AAA. Required subjects: A levels: Mathematics at B, or AS Mathematics at A. GCSEs: English at C or 4.

AAAB by end of S5 or AAAA by end of S6. BBB must be achieved in one year of S4-S6. Required subjects: Highers: Mathematics at B. Higher Applications of Mathematics is not accepted in place of Higher Mathematics. National 5s: English at C.

37 points with 666 at HL. Required subjects: HL: Mathematics at 5. SL: English at 5 and Mathematics at 6 (if not at HL).

Popular A-level subjects

Economics

Top 5 A-levels taken by students who study this subject at uni.

Mathematics
99%
Economics
80%
Physics
22%
Further Mathematics
18%
Chemistry
16%
HESA

Tuition fees

Students living in

England

£9,250 per year

This information comes from UCAS, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: fees do vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from England

This is the fee you pay if you live within England. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

This is the fee you pay if you live within England. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

£1,820 per year

This information comes from UCAS, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: fees do vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from Scotland

This is the fee you pay if you live within Scotland. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

This is the fee you pay if you live within Scotland. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

£9,250 per year

This information comes from UCAS, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: fees do vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from Wales

This is the fee you pay if you live within Wales. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

This is the fee you pay if you live within Wales. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

£9,250 per year

This information comes from UCAS, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: fees do vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from Northern Ireland

This is the fee you pay if you live within Northern Ireland. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

This is the fee you pay if you live within Northern Ireland. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

£9,250 per year

This information comes from UCAS, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: fees do vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from Channel Islands

This is the fee you pay if you live within Channel Islands. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

This is the fee you pay if you live within Channel Islands. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

£28,000 per year

This information comes from UCAS, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: fees do vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from EU

This is the fee you pay if you live within the European Union. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

This is the fee you pay if you live within the European Union. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

£28,000 per year

This information comes from UCAS, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: fees do vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from International

This is the fee you pay if you are an International student. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

This is the fee you pay if you are an International student. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

UCAS/IDP Connect

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Uni info

The University of Edinburgh
George Square Edinburgh Edinburgh, City Of EH8 9JZ United Kingdom
Nearest train station: Edinburgh Waverley  0.3 miles away
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