The skills of political analysis which you will learn will be an invaluable part of your educational experience. A distinctive feature of the Social Policy half-degree is the mandatory Social Research Methods module in all three years of the programme. This familiarises you with the investigative skills associated with the social sciences. In addition, you will look afresh at the society around you and at 'common-sense' understandings of why things are as they are and how they could be. You will choose at least three Social Policy modules in years 1 and 3, and 4 in Year 2.
Assessment is by a mixture of examinations and coursework in both half-degrees.
Assessment is more diversified in Social Policy, where Practicals, Group Presentations and Role Plays are part of the assessment in some modules. In addition, in Year 3 of your programme you will write a project in one of the two disciplines. They study normally during the day alongside the full-time students, taking on average four modules per year. Also, each year a few Social Policy modules are available in the evening. By this route, part-time students can achieve an Honours degree in six years, an ordinary degree in five years, and a Diploma in Higher Education in four years.