This popular joint degree programme provides a grounding in both Social Policy and Economics, two subjects which complement and enrich each other.Year 1- You will take Social Policy & Society, which revolves around three main themes: social needs, social problems and social rights, and how different debates about welfare have been influenced by these themes. You will study Politics of the Welfare State, which examines social policy as a political issue in the UK. It introduces you to the politics of the area that constitutes one of the largest sets of government expenditure. You will be confronted with debates about the different ways of delivering welfare and the interplay between the state and the private sector. You can choose option courses from other academic areas and will also take the course Fundamentals of Social Policy, which provides the key subject-specific learning skills you'll use in your further years of study. Year 2- You will take European Social Policy, which compares different approaches to social policy in various European countries. You will also take Evidence, Politics and Policy as well as further Fundamentals courses, which will equip you with analytical skills needed to engage with controversial policy issues in public debate. You will also study other compulsory courses appropriate to your programme and will select one option course. Year 3- You can study option courses that cover areas such as family policy, labour market policies, social inequalities, criminal justice, health policy and education policy. You will also take at least one course on research methods. Year 4- You will continue to take social policy courses and will complete an individual research project. This may involve collecting and analysing data and information from sources such as the European Commission, UK Government, Scottish Government, local authorities and voluntary organisations.