MSc Social Policy and Development

The programme is aimed those who have work experience in developing countries and wish to acquire professional skills in the expanding field of social policy and planning. The degree aims to develop an understanding of the theory and methodology of social policy and planning, to allow deeper study in specialist development areas of particular interest to individual students and to strengthen analytical and organisational skills. Course members typically include professionals working in a wide variety of institutions including national and local government, non-governmental organisations, international bilateral and multilateral aid donors and the private sector.

Programme structure

Please refer to the LSE Calendar| to access current course guides, which include preliminary reading lists.  Please note that the current Calendar information is for the 2011/12 academic session and may be subject to change in 2012/13.  Not all options will be available every year and the choice of options may be constrained by timetable limitations. 

Please refer to the Department Index of courses| for information about course suspension, withdrawal and capping (limited places) in 2012/13 as it becomes available.

Compulsory courses

(* half unit)

• Social Policy and Development: Core Concepts*
• Social Development: Policy and Practice*
• Dissertation – Social Policy and Development

Options

(* half unit)

Courses to the value of two full units from the following 

• Urbanisation and Social Policy in the Global South*
• Poverty*
• Complex Emergencies*
• Social Rights and Human Welfare*
• Foundations of Health Policy*
• Demography of the Developing World*
• Basic Education for Social Development*
• Globalisation and Social Policy*
• Health and Population in Developing and Transitional Societies*
• Rural Development and Social Policy*
• Globalisation, Gender and Development
• International Housing and Human Settlements*
• Cities and Social Change in East Asia*
• Development, Diaspora and Migration* 
• Behavioural Public Policy*
• The Economics of European Social Policy*
• The Urban Revolution* 
• Any other option within the Department of Social Policy
• An outside option (with permission)