Politics and Social Policy

Our Politics and Social Policy degree prepares you to drive change and shape the future, by exploring how power and politics shape our world, and the scope for achieving social justice.

You will tackle essential concepts and theories, applying them to real social and political challenges. Explore how systems operate, how needs and priorities emerge, and how these challenges are debated and addressed. Topics include British and European politics and public policy, inequality and social justice, democracy and international conflict, and competing social priorities, such as health, education and housing.

As a student on our Politics and Social Policy course you will build essential skills for work in the world beyond study. Throughout the programme, you will sharpen research, analysis, communication, and ethical reasoning. These are transferable skills that will open doors in any career, including the very wide array of relevant subjects.

Based in the School of Social Sciences, you will benefit from being part of a lively and diverse environment, with a strong reputation for its research and teaching.

Social Policy at Swansea is ranked:

• 1st in the UK* and 100% overall satisfaction** (NSS 2025)
• 5th in the UK for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2026)

Based on the average positivity score for questions 1 - 26 NSS 2025
*Q28, NSS 2025 and 5th in Uk for student satisfaction

Politics at Swansea is ranked:

• 8th in the UK Social Policy (Daily Mail University Guide 2026)
• 17th in the UK for Student Satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2026)

In Year 1, you will typically study areas including: Introducing Social Policy; Politics and the People; Introduction to Politics; An Introduction to American History and Politics; The History of Social Policy; The Politics and Philosophy of Social Policy

In Year 2, you will typically study areas including: The State and Political Institutions; Devolution, Policy Making and Social Change; Poverty and Social Justice; British Politics and Public Policy; Contemporary Moral Controversies; The History of Political Thought; The Colour Line: Race and Racism in World Politics; Health Policy; Housing Policy, Homes and Homelessness; and Investigating Gender

In Year 3, you will typically study areas including: Study Abroad Placement; Principles of Social Policy; Principles of Social Policy; Social Movements, Social Policy and Social Change; Probation and Community Justice: Policy, Practice and Partnerships; Race and Nation; Senedd Cymru/The Welsh Parliament. You will complete a dissertation in your final year.

We are proud to provide an outstanding educational experience, using the most effective learning and teaching approaches, carefully tailored to suit the specific needs of your course. Apart from a small number of online-only courses, most of our courses consist of in-person, on-campus teaching, enabling full engagement with your lecturers and fellow students.

Practical skills sessions, lab work seminars, and workshops predominantly take place in person, allowing for group working and demonstrations. We also operate virtual labs and Simulated Learning Environments which will facilitate greater access to training opportunities in the future. However, our approach also includes the use of some online learning to support and enhance traditional face-to-face teaching.

Online learning may take place ‘live’ using software such as Zoom, allowing you to interact with the lecturer and other students and to ask questions. Lecture recordings also allow for more flexibility to revisit material, to revise for assessments and to enhance learning outside of the classroom. Some modules have extra resources in Canvas, such as videos, slides and quizzes enabling further flexible study.

This course may offer some modules taught through the medium of Welsh or bilingually for students who consider themselves to be fluent Welsh speakers. For more details on the provision available see the Welsh Provision expander below.