Social Policy and Planning

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This programme is based in the Department of Social Policy and offers the following benefits:

* Study in a department which has achieved the highest rating in the UK (5*) for the quality of its research.
* A comparative, international and multi-disciplinary environment.
* Links to leading research groups based in the department specialising in social exclusion, health and social care, education, and criminology.
* A high quality student body from many countries with diverse experience.

Applicants with a good first degree from within any subject background will be considered. A social science background and/or work experience in the social policy field are advantageous, but not essential.

This is a flexible programme allowing students to tailor their degree to their own areas of interest. For instance it includes courses related to housing that were previously taught under the MSc in Housing and Regeneration (no longer available).

A key component of the MSc is a long essay (dissertation) of up to 10,000 words on a topic individually selected, to be prepared in conjunction with a personal supervisor. This offers the opportunity to pursue an area in depth, often related to past or future career interests.

Compulsory courses
(* half unit)

* Social Policy: Goals and Issues*
* Social Policy: Organisation and Innovation*
* Dissertation

Options
Courses to the value of two full units chosen from the following (subject to availability):

* Urban Policy and Planning*
* Criminal Justice Policy
* European Social Policy
* Financing Health Care*
* Social Security Policies*
* Social Exclusion, Inequalities and the 'Underclass' Debate*
* Social Policy Research
* Gender and Social Policy: Theory and Practice*
* Gender and European Welfare States*
* Child Rights, Child Poverty and Development
* Ethnicity, 'Race' and Social Policy*
* Education Policy, Reform and Financing*
* Globalisation and Social Policy*
* Measuring Health System Performance*
* Social Rights and Human Welfare*
* Crime and Society: Concepts and Method
* The Third Sector*
* International Housing and Human Settlements*
* Behavioural Public Policy*
* Housing, Neighbourhoods and Communities*
* The Economics of European Social Policy*
* Welfare Analysis and Measurement
* Politics of Social Policy: Welfare and Work in Comparative Perspective*
* A further full or half unit course from another MSc programme (with permission)

Minimum entry requirement: 2:1 in any discipline, with social science background and/or work experience in the social policy field advantageous but not essentialEnglish language requirements * TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) with a minimum score of 627 in the paper test or 107 in the internet based test * IELTS (International English Language Testing System) with a minimum score of 7.0 English Language Requirements IELTS band: 7 CAE score: (read more) Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) is part of the Cambridge English suite and is targeted at a high level (IETLS 6.5-8.0). It is an international English language exam set at the right level for academic and professional success. Developed by Cambridge English Language Assessment - part of the University of Cambridge - it helps you stand out from the crowd as a high achiever. 80 (Grade A) TOEFL paper-based test score : 627 TOEFL iBT® test: 107 IMPORTANT NOTE: Since April 2014 the ETS tests (including TOEFL and TOEIC) are no longer accepted for Tier 4 visa applications to the United Kingdom. The university might still accept these tests to admit you to the university, but if you require a Tier 4 visa to enter the UK and begin your degree programme, these tests will not be sufficient to obtain your Visa. The IELTS test is most widely accepted by universities and is also accepted for Tier 4 visas to the UK- learn more.

Fee reductions and rewards
LSE undergraduates starting taught postgraduate study at the School are eligible for a fee reduction in the region of ten per cent of the fee. These reductions are available for UK, EU and non-EU students. The School offers a range of rewards for early payment of fees for all self-financed students.

Scholarships for study at LSE

LSE makes available over £12 million annually in financial support for its students via a range of scholarships, bursaries and award schemes, details of which can be found on these pages. LSE's world class programmes attract a consistently high calibre of applicants, many of whom seek financial support from the School, so there is always much competition for our awards. Securing the necessary funds to attend LSE can be a difficult and time consuming process so you should start to think about it as early as possible. Please be aware that the School will be unable to offer you any financial assistance if you knowingly register under funded. The relevant link on the left will take you to the awards available for your chosen level of study.

The School would like to thank the many donors who have contributed to the New Futures Fund, which provides funds for a number of discretionary scholarships.

Diploma, LLM, MA, MSc and MSc (Research) programmes

There are a range of awards available for study at this level. Approximately 19% of taught masters offer holders are successful in obtaining some form of financial support from the School. The value of support ranges in value from 10% of the tuition fee to a full fees and maintenance award.

Graduate Support Scheme

LSE's major financial support scheme for study at taught masters level is the Graduate Support Scheme (GSS). This scheme is open to all applicants, with the exception of those undertaking specific modular or executive programmes such as the MSc in Finance (Part time) or the MSc in Health Economics, Policy and Management. Around £2 million is available annually in the form of awards from the Graduate Support Scheme. The Scheme is designed to help students who do not have sufficient funds to meet all their costs of study. GSS awards range in value from £3,000 to a maximum of £10,000, and have an average value of £6,000. Application to the Graduate Support Scheme is via the LSE Graduate Financial Support Application form. This form will be made available to you once you have submitted an application for admission to the School. The form will then be available until 27 April 2011.

Awards

If you complete the LSE Graduate Financial Support Application form, and are made an offer of admission by 27 April 2011, you will also be automatically considered for any other awards being offered by LSE, for which you are eligible, with the exception of Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funding where there are separate, department led processes in place. AHRC and ESRC funding is relevant to Home UK and Home EU applicants only, and there are also subject restrictions in place. We offer a range of awards based on different criteria such as a specific programme of study, nationality, or country of permanent domicile. In addition, a number of external organisations offer funding to support postgraduate study. We recommend that applicants follow up as many avenues as possible to find funding. Please be aware that if you accept funding from an external source, it is your responsibility to check the terms of the award. Some awards are accompanied by specific terms and conditions which you should be sure you able to meet before accepting the award. Information about other Awards offered by LSE or external organisations. Please take some time to look at all the other awards available to support your study at LSE. The details of these awards are updated each October, but new LSE awards may become available during the course of the admissions cycle. We will only write to successful applicants for these awards. Selection for these awards will take place between May and July 2011 and all successful applicants will be notified by 31 July 2011.