This course is concerned with real world issues such as poverty, social exclusion and global population change. It draws on theories and expertise from sociology, politics and economics to examine and address societal issues such as individual wellbeing, social justice and social welfare. The BSc Social Policy aims to provide a thorough understanding of how policies are formulated and implemented in industrialised societies, transition economies and the developing world. The Department takes a comparative, international and contemporary perspective: investigating the changing role of states, the non-profit sector, the market and informal providers like families and communities in producing social welfare. You will study a broad range of fields from social, economic and political standpoints. These include health and social care, social security, education, urban and housing issues as well as cross cutting dimensions like gender, race, international development and the impact of globalisation. You will examine issues such as levels of social security benefits and their eligibility conditions, the nature of private-public partnerships in health service provision, or the mix of local authority schools and academies. The Department of Social Policy was ranked second in the world for the subject in the QS World University Rankings. The Department prides itself in being able to offer teaching based on the highest quality empirical research in the field. In the 2014 Research Excellence Framework, (the UK's nationwide assessment of research quality, impact and environment, which is undertaken every six to seven years), the Department was ranked first in the UK for world leading and internationally excellent research and was also awarded the joint highest marks for the non-academic impacts of its work. The skills you will develop by studying social policy are attractive to a range of employers. Our graduates have found work in a variety of industries including; politics and government, education and teaching, banking and finance, NGOs, charities and international development, as well as journalism, media and publishing, advertising marketing and PR, and accounting and auditing.