MSc Inequalities and Social Science

at London School of Economics

You will take the core course, and at least one methods course. All students who are expecting to study for PhDs will be strongly encouraged to do additional methods courses.

In addition, you will choose options to the value of one and a half units from an approved list of courses from the contributing departments, all of which have been chosen to showcase the expertise of these departments in the area of inequality.

You will also complete a dissertation of up to 10,000 words on a subject of interest related to the courses. You will choose your topic in conjunction with your academic adviser. It can be empirical or theoretical in its approach, and can be an inter-disciplinary inquiry or a dissertation potentially located in any of the disciplines involved in this MSc.

Atlantic Residential Fellowship students will take an additional course called Leadership and Social Change and are not required to take a methods course.

(* denotes half unit)

Social Scientific Analysis of Inequalities
Considers how the issue of inequality is examined in the disciplines of economics, geography, media and communications, social anthropology, social policy and sociology. 

Either
Introduction to Quantitative Analysis*
Examines the foundations of descriptive statistics and statistical estimation and inference.

Or

Qualitative Research Methods*
Presents the fundamentals of qualitative research methods and prepares you to design, carry out, report, read and evaluate qualitative research projects.

Or

Doing Ethnography*
This interdisciplinary course equips students with a practical understanding of how to do, and to think about, contemporary ethnography.

Dissertation
An independent research project of 10,000 words on a subject of interest related to the courses. 

Minimum entry requirements for MSc Inequalities and Social Science 

• Upper second class honours (2:1) degree or equivalent in any discipline, with social science background and/or work experience in the social policy field advantageous but not essential.
• We expect students to have a strong interest in understanding inequalities of different kinds, and to aim subsequently to apply their knowledge in related fields.
• Competition for places at the School is high. This means that even if you meet the minimum entry requirement, this does not guarantee you an offer of admission.

Every graduate student is charged a fee for their programme.

The fee covers registration and examination fees payable to the School, lectures, classes and individual supervision, lectures given at other colleges under intercollegiate arrangements and, under current arrangements, membership of the Students' Union. It does not cover living costs or travel or fieldwork.

Tuition fees 2022/23 for MSc Inequalities and Social Science 

Home students: £15,816
Overseas students: £24,456

Quick Careers Facts for the Department of Sociology
Median salary of our PG students six months after graduating: £31,500

Top 5 sectors our students work in:

• Public administration and defence
• Architectural and engineering activities
• Education
• Social work activities
• Advertising and market research

The data was collected as part of the Graduate Outcomes survey, which is administered by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). Graduates from 2017-18 were the first group to be asked to respond to Graduate Outcomes. Median salaries are calculated for respondents who are paid in UK pounds sterling.

Students go into a wide variety of fields where inequalities are addressed, including government, NGOs, politics, public administration, the social and health services, advertising, journalism, other areas of the media, law, publishing, industry, personnel and management. Those supported by residential Atlantic Fellowships will already be working in fields where their work relates to inequalities in some form.