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Birkbeck, University of London: Social and Political Theory

Institution Birkbeck, University of London View institution profile
Department School of Social Sciences
Web http://www.bbk.ac.uk/
Telephone 0203 907 0700
Study type Taught

Summary

Our MSc Social and Political Theory explores pressing contemporary issues using political theory and sociology. Our focus is on the nature and workings of political power and authority, and we will consider the relationships between states and societies, and the place of politics and power in everyday life.

As well as reading key classical texts of political theory and sociological analysis, we also analyse real-world contemporary problems and address fundamental questions of political power and social order. You will examine how political power originates and operates at an individual, social and political level, its relationship to sovereignty and the state, and how it intersects with issues such as justice and human rights, civil identity, democracy and economics. You will be equipped with the conceptual ideas, theoretical approaches and analytical research skills needed to study politics at postgraduate level.

Your option modules can be drawn from politics, psychosocial studies, and history, classics and archaeology, thus offering you access to psychosocial and historical approaches to theory, politics and the social sciences.

Highlights

  • This Master's degree will enable you to develop an advanced knowledge and understanding of the main ideas and current trends and directions in social and political theory.

  • Birkbeck is a world-renowned centre of original, influential research in politics. We organise a lively programme of seminars and conferences and are home to affiliated research centres, such as the Birkbeck Centre for British Political Life, which run seminars, conferences and other events where some of the world's best scholars present their latest research.

Careers and employability

Graduates can pursue career paths in the media and journalism, local and national government, the diplomatic services, policy research and political lobbying, the voluntary sector, teaching and researching. Possible professions include:

  • political lobbyist

  • diplomatic services operational officer

  • high education lecturer

  • government social research officer

  • charity officer

  • newspaper journalist.

We offer a comprehensive careers service - Careers and Enterprise - your career partner during your time at Birkbeck and beyond. At every stage of your career journey, we empower you to take ownership of your future, helping you to make the connection between your experience, education and future ambitions.

MSc

Birkbeck, part of the University of London, offers nearly 300 taught and research postgraduate programmes across arts and humanities, business and economics, law, science and social science. As an evening teaching specialist, Birkbeck offers its taught postgraduate courses between 6-9pm, with some courses available through distance learning. As with undergraduate courses, postgraduates can study full-time or part-time.

Home to 44 research and specialist institutes, Birkbeck is the sixth largest provider of taught postgrad courses for UK and EU students - some 44% of its 11,000-plus students are on postgrad programmes. Around 90% of its academics are active in research, and …

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