Subject guides / Social Policy
Social Policy
Also appears in programme titles as: Social Policy and Development · Comparative Social Policy
What a social policy degree actually is
How societies handle poverty, inequality, care, housing and welfare — that is social policy, the discipline behind the welfare state and its reform. In a development context it becomes social protection: cash transfers, safety nets, the fastest-growing anti-poverty toolkit in the Global South.
LSE is the field's historic home (two international-social-policy MScs, including the development stream); Oxford and Edinburgh add comparative routes; Lund the Nordic welfare-state perspective from inside the model itself.
What you study — and the bar to entry
Comparative welfare systems, social-protection design and evaluation, the politics of redistribution, and policy analysis methods. Entry is broad across social sciences; the development streams (LSE's in particular) read practitioner experience generously. Quantitative demand is moderate — enough statistics to evaluate a programme, not econometrics-grade.
Where it leads
Social-protection teams at the World Bank, ILO and UNICEF, ministries of social affairs and welfare agencies, anti-poverty NGOs and think tanks, and research. Social protection specifically is a global boom — every developing country is building or reforming cash-transfer systems, and the people who can design and evaluate them are scarce.
Who it suits — and who it does not
A good fit if you are…
- Development practitioners specialising into social protection — a high-demand, fundable profile
- Civil servants in social ministries formalising reform experience
- Social scientists targeting inequality and welfare policy
Probably not the right degree if…
- Applicants who want macro-development economics — that is the development-economics guide
- Those seeking social-work practice qualification — a different professional route
- Anyone expecting ideology over evidence — the field runs on programme evaluation
Where to study it: the programme map
Five verified programmes: LSE's two international-social-policy MScs (general and development streams), Oxford and Edinburgh comparative routes, and Lund's Nordic welfare programme.
| University | Official programme title | Length | Tuition (intl) | Experience |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London School of Economics and Political ScienceUnited Kingdom | MSc International Social and Public Policy | 12 mo | GBP 30,750 | — |
| London School of Economics and Political ScienceUnited Kingdom | MSc International Social and Public Policy (Development) | 12 mo | GBP 30,750 | — |
| Lund UniversitySweden | Welfare Policies and Management MSc | 24 mo | — | — |
| University of EdinburghUnited Kingdom | MSc Comparative Public Policy | 12 mo | — | — |
| University of OxfordUnited Kingdom | MSc in Comparative Social Policy | — | — | — |
Every row verified against the official programme page; oldest verification 16 Jul 2026. Nothing here is a paid placement.
Application strategy and funding routes
LSE's international social and public policy MScs (both £30,750, one-year, Chevening-compatible) are the field default — pick the development stream for social-protection careers. Oxford and Edinburgh add comparative one-year options; Lund the two-year Nordic view (Swedish Institute). A social-protection narrative — naming your country's cash-transfer or safety-net gap — is among the most concrete and fundable pitches in the whole catalogue.
Which scholarship funds which programme
Computed from each scheme's published rules (destination, level, course length) — not a guarantee; list-based schemes still require checking the official list.
- London School of Economics and Political Science
- London School of Economics and Political Science
- Lund University — study destination outside the scheme
- University of Edinburgh
- University of Oxford — course length not on file
- London School of Economics and Political Science
- London School of Economics and Political Science
- Lund University — study destination outside the scheme
- University of Edinburgh
- University of Oxford
Frequently asked questions
Social policy vs public policy — which guide?
Social policy is the specialism in welfare, poverty and social protection; public policy (the MPP guide) is the general craft of governing. If your interest is safety nets, cash transfers and inequality, stay here.
What is "social protection" and why does it matter?
It is the design of cash transfers, pensions and safety nets — the anti-poverty toolkit the Global South is scaling fastest. It is where the jobs and the scholarship narratives concentrate in this field.
Which scholarships fit?
Chevening/Commonwealth for the UK rows; Swedish Institute for Lund. LSE's development stream aligns tightly with Commonwealth and Chevening development priorities.
Related fields
Sources
Official programme pages (linked per row above) · official scholarship rules and participating-programme lists · university admission regulations. Every data row records its source URL and verification date; stale rows are re-checked or removed.
Global Study Prep is independent and not affiliated with any university or scholarship programme. Programme details change — always confirm on the official page before applying.