Social and Political Sciences

Social and political sciences is a discipline that brings together the study of society and political life in an integrated framework, recognising that politics cannot be understood without the social contexts that shape it, and that social life is always pervaded by political structures and contests over power. Drawing on sociology, political science, economics, and cultural studies, the field examines how institutions work, how inequalities are produced and reproduced, how social movements organise, and how political systems shape the societies they govern.

At Birkbeck College, which has a long and distinguished tradition of delivering university education to adult and mature students who study mainly in the evenings, this part-time programme is designed for people who are managing work and other responsibilities alongside their studies. Birkbeck's approach brings together rigorous academic standards with a genuine understanding of what it means to study as an adult, and the student community reflects the extraordinary diversity of London. You will engage with sociological and political theory, empirical research methods, and contemporary debates about democracy, inequality, globalisation, and social change.

Graduates of social and political sciences programmes work in policy, public service, journalism, research, the voluntary sector, international organisations, local government, trade unions, NGOs, and political parties. The discipline's analytical breadth means its graduates can operate effectively across a wide range of contexts where understanding social and political dynamics matters. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in sociology, political science, social policy, or related fields.

The Birkbeck route into higher education is particularly valued by graduates who bring professional experience into academic work and go on to combine both throughout their careers.