Social Policy and Criminology

The MSc in Social Policy and Criminology at the London School of Economics and Political Science offers an in-depth exploration of the interconnected fields of social policy and criminology, equipping students with critical analytical skills and a comprehensive understanding of social justice issues. Designed for those interested in exploring the social factors that influence crime, punishment, and social inequalities, this programme provides a multidisciplinary approach that combines theoretical frameworks with empirical research methods. Students will examine topics such as the welfare state, social exclusion, crime prevention, penal policies, and human rights, gaining insights into how social structures and policies impact individual and group behavior. Throughout the course, students have the opportunity to analyze contemporary challenges faced by societies globally and develop innovative approaches to addressing social and criminal justice issues. The programme includes core modules on social theory, research methods, and policy analysis, complemented by specialized electives that allow students to tailor their learning to specific interests within the fields of social policy and criminology. The programme also emphasizes practical skills, encouraging engagement with real-world policy debates, internships, and research projects. Graduates will be well-prepared for careers in government, non-governmental organizations, research institutions, or further academic study, bringing informed perspectives to the development, analysis, and evaluation of social and criminal justice policies. With its world-renowned faculty and vibrant academic community, the MSc in Social Policy and Criminology offers an intellectually rigorous environment for students committed to understanding and improving the societal structures that influence people's lives.

Detailed Course Facts

• EUR 3847 Year (EEA)
• EUR 16632 Year (Non-EEA)

Home UK/EU £3,375 for the first year. Non-UK/EU £14,592 for the first year.

• English

Course Content

First year:

• Foundations of Social Policy
• Crime and Society
• One social policy option
• One outside option
• LSE100 (Lent Term only)

Second year:

• Criminological Perspectives
• Principles of Social Policies
• Research Methods for Social Policy
• Either one outside option or one social policy option
• LSE100 (Michaelmas Term only)

Third year:

• Comparative and International Social Policy
• Crime Control: Ideas and Controversies
• One social policy option
• Either a long essay on an approved topic or one outside option

First year

There are two compulsory courses. Foundations of Social Policy provides a framework for understanding the policy making process by examining changes in social welfare provision in response to particular social issues over the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, in comparison with other developed countries. Crime and Society offers an introduction to the main institutions of the criminal justice system and the policy context within which they operate.

You choose your third course from the range of options offered in social policy and your fourth option from the wide range available in other departments.

Second year

There are three compulsory courses. Criminological Perspectives examines the major theoretical perspectives that inform our understanding of crime and the research that contributes to their formation and testing. Principles of Social Policy examines the ends and means of social policies with reference to statutory and non statutory forms of provision within a comparative framework. Research Methods for Social Policy provides a comprehensive introduction to methods of social research in social policy.

You may choose your fourth course either from the range of options offered in social policy, including Psychology of Crime and Criminal Justice, or from the available courses in other departments.

Third year

There are two compulsory courses. Comparative and International Social Policy examines the distinct challenges of welfare provision faced by countries at different stages of economic development. Criminal Justice Policy provides a critical understanding of criminal justice policy and its implementation, with particular attention to current debates.

The third course will be an option from the range offered in the social policy options list. The fourth course may be an approved paper selected from the range available in other departments, or alternatively a long essay on an approved relevant topic, providing the opportunity to explore an area that interests you in some depth.

Options

This list shows the range of social policy options available in the second and third years. Some will be taught every year, some in alternate years, depending on demand.

• Sociology and Social Policy
• Population, Economy and Society
• Social Economics and Policy
• Education Policy
• European Social Policy
• Poverty, Social Exclusion and Social Change
• Psychology of Crime and Criminal Justice
• Demographic Description and Analysis
• A long essay on an approved topic

If not already taken

English Language Requirements

IELTS band : 7 CAE score : 80(Grade A) TOEFL paper-based test score : 627 TOEFL iBT® test : 107

To study at this university, you have to speak English. We advice you to

Requirements

Course requirement: GCSE Mathematics, grade C or above

Usual standard offer: A level: grades A B BInternational Baccalaureate: Diploma with 37 points including 6 6 6 at Higher level
Other qualifications are considered.

English language requirements

Although it is not necessary to have the required grade in an acceptable English Language qualification when you make your application to LSE, if you are made an offer of a place and English is not your mother tongue, it is likely that you would be asked to obtain an acceptable English Language qualification as a condition of your offer.

The following qualifications are acceptable to LSE:

• GCSE English Language with a grade B or better.
• International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) English as a First Language with a grade B or better including the Speaking and Listening coursework component (Edexcel) or grade 2 in the optional speaking test (CIE).
• International English Language Testing Service (IELTS) academic test with a score of 7.0 in all four components.
• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a minimum score of 627 in the paper test including 5.5 in writing and 50 in TSE, or 107 in the internet based test with a minimum of 25 out of 30 in each of the four skills.
• Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) with grade B or better.
• Cambridge Advanced Certificate of English (CACE) with a grade A.
• Cambridge English Language (1119) conducted overseas by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate: B4 or better.
• O level (1120 Brunei, 1125 Mauritius A, 1127 Singapore) grade B or better.
• Singapore Integrated Programme (IP) Secondary 4 English Language grade B or better.
• Pearson Test of English (General) with a distinction at level 5 in both the written and the oral test.

Exceptions

If students offer the IGCSE in English as a First Language or O level (other than those specified above) and have been educated in the medium of English during their five most recent years of study (prior to 1 September 2011), then we will accept the qualification as sufficient evidence of English Language proficiency.

Please note that test scores must be achieved from one sitting of the relevant qualification. We will not accept individual component scores from multiple tests

Work Experience

No work experience is required.

Related Scholarships*

• Academic Excellence Scholarship

  "The Academic Excellence Scholarship can provide up to a 50 % reduction in tuition per semester. These scholarships will be renewed if the student maintains superior academic performance during each semester of their 3-year Bachelor programme. The scholarship will be directly applied to the student’s tuition fees."

• Access Bursary

  Bursary for UK students all subjects where the variable tuition fee rate is payable.

• Alumni Bursary

  Alumni Bursary for UK Undergraduate students

* The scholarships shown on this page are suggestions first and foremost. They could be offered by other organisations than London School of Economics and Political Science.

Funding

Financial support for 2011 entry

The School recognises that the cost of living in London may be higher than in your home town or country. Government support, in the form of loans and grants, is available to UK and some EU students, while LSE provides generous financial support, in the form of bursaries and scholarships to UK, EU and overseas students.

Government support

for students from England

Student loan for maintenance

The student loan for maintenance helps students pay living costs during term times and holidays. The maximum loan available for students studying in London and living away from their parents' home is currently £6,928.

Maintenance grants

The means-tested maintenance grant (currently worth up to £2,906) also helps students with living expenses during their time at university. The amount a student is eligible to receive is assessed by Student Finance England. The grant does not have to be repaid.

Special Support Grant

The special support grant replaces the maintenance grant for some students who during the course of the academic year, meet the conditions for being a 'prescribed person' under the income support or housing benefit regulations. Students who are likely to qualify include:

• Single parents
• Other student parents if they have a partner who is also a student
• Students with certain disabilities

Other students may be eligible for the Special Support Grant. You don't necessarily have to receive or even have applied for Income Support or Housing Benefit.

for students from elsewhere in the UK

Different financial support packages are available for students from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Students from these countries should refer to one of the following websites:

Student Finance Wales

www.studentfinancewales.co.uk

Student Awards Agency Scotland

www.saas.gov.uk

Student Finance Northern Ireland

www.studentfinanceni.co.uk

for EU students

Students from the EU are not usually eligible for UK Government financial support. However, EU nationals (or children of EU nationals) who have lived in the UK or islands for three years before the start of their course (ie, since 1 September 2008 for a course starting on 1 September 2011) may now qualify for a student loan and grants.

for overseas students

Students from outside the EU are not eligible to apply for UK Government funds. However, there is a range of funding available for overseas students from external agencies, bodies or your home government, details of which are available from your home government or nearest British Council office (www.britishcouncil.org/learning), or UKCISA (www.ukcisa.org.uk).

LSE financial support

for UK students

LSE Bursary

The LSE Bursary is available for students from low-income backgrounds (from England and Wales) and is worth up to £7,500 over a three-year programme. The value of the LSE Bursary is linked to students' (or their family's) income levels, which will be assessed when calculating the maintenance grant. The maximum LSE Bursary of £2,500 per year is awarded to those students with the lowest residual income. These Bursaries do not have to be repaid.

LSE Discretionary Bursary

The LSE Discretionary Bursary is available for new LSE students (from the UK and the EU) who face exceptional financial needs, including, for example, caring responsibilities, financial need related to disability or an unavoidable requirement to live at home. The value of the award may vary according to need. These Bursaries do not have to be repaid.

LSE Scholarships

Each year LSE awards a number of scholarships - funded by private or corporate donation - to UK applicants to the School. The number, value, eligibility criteria and type of awards vary from year to year. Awards are made on the basis of financial need and academic merit.

Stelios scholarships

Four Stelios scholarships, currently worth £5,444 per year, are available for UK students applying for business subjects at LSE.

Access to Learning funds

Registered UK students from low-income households can apply directly to LSE for Access to Learning funds. These funds are designed for students who may need extra financial support for their course, and are provided by the Government to assist with living expenses.

for EU students

LSE Discretionary Bursary

The LSE discretionary bursary is available to EU students. For information about this bursary and how to apply, please see the section on LSE financial support for UK students.

LSE scholarships

LSE offers a number of undergraduate scholarships of varying amounts each year to EU students.

Stelios scholarships

Six Stelios scholarships, currently worth £5,444 per year, are available for EU students applying for business subjects at LSE.

for overseas students

LSE undergraduate support scheme

The LSE undergraduate support scheme (USS) is designed to help overseas students who do not have the necessary funds to meet all their costs of study. In 2008, the School disbursed nearly £1 million in entrance awards available to self-financing students of all nationalities. This financial aid is available only for study at LSE. If you are made an offer of admission, we will advise you on how to apply to the USS online. This system is able to provide an immediate indication of an applicant's eligibility for assistance. In the first instance, you will be assessed on the basis of your financial circumstances. Awards are renewable for each year of your course. Applications will be considered between the end of February and the middle of August.

LSE scholarships

The School offers a limited number of undergraduate scholarships of varying amounts each year for overseas students.

The MSc Social Policy and Criminology at the London School of Economics and Political Science offers students an in-depth understanding of the complex interactions between social policy and criminal justice systems. This interdisciplinary programme is designed to equip scholars with analytical skills to critically evaluate contemporary social issues, policies, and criminal justice practices. Students will explore key topics such as social inequality, social justice, crime prevention, criminal justice responses, and the role of social policy in shaping social outcomes. The programme emphasizes both theoretical foundations and practical applications, preparing graduates for careers in policy analysis, research, advocacy, and public sector management. Students will have access to LSE’s renowned academic resources, including expert faculty members with extensive research experience in social policy and criminology, as well as opportunities for engagement with policy practitioners and community organizations. The curriculum typically combines core modules covering advanced theories of social and criminal justice, quantitative and qualitative research methods, and policy analysis, along with optional courses allowing specialization in areas like youth justice, refugee policies, or policing. The programme encourages critical thinking and evidence-based policymaking, fostering skills necessary for addressing societal challenges. Assessments usually include written essays, policy reports, research proposals, and seminars, culminating in a dissertation that demonstrates independent research capacity. The diverse student body comprises national and international scholars, creating a dynamic environment for exchange of ideas and perspectives. Graduates of the MSc Social Policy and Criminology are well-prepared for employment across government agencies, non-profit organizations, think tanks, and international institutions, or for pursuing further academic research such as PhDs. The programme is typically one year full-time or two years part-time, with a strong emphasis on interactive learning and real-world relevance.