Comparative Social Policy (Taught)

The information provided on this page was correct at the time of publication (November 2025). For complete and up-to-date information about this course, please visit the relevant University of Oxford course page via www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/ucas.

The MSc/Mphil in Comparative Social Policy is a taught course analysing welfare systems across OECD countries, with emphasis on health, education, labour, and family policy, supported by training in comparative and analytical research methods.

The comparative element is a key part of this course, and is one feature that makes the course at Oxford unique.

The central aim of the course is to provide high-quality graduate level research training in social policy, taking a comparative perspective, learning especially from the most highly-developed welfare states. More specific aims are to develop your capacity to:

• analyse, interpret and review the major concepts, theoretical approaches and historical and contemporary issues in social policy and welfare state development in a range of OECD countries;

• analyse and compare specific areas of social policy (for example income support, health or labour market) in different countries, drawing on both empirical data and broader theoretical literature; and

• undertake quantitative and qualitative reviews as part of the research methods paper, to understand the major issues involved in research design and technical analysis in social policy related research.

For the full descriptions, please visit the relevant University of Oxford course page via www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/ucas