Social and Political Thought (MA)

at University of Warwick

Core modules

Politics and Social Theory

This module examines some of the core debates within social and political thought. We will read and discuss extracts from the ‘classics’ of enlightenment political thought juxtaposed alongside poststructuralist, (post) colonial/decolonial and Indigenous texts. Through these juxtaposed readings, we will examine the lively debates and ‘politics’ of social theory. This endeavour will demonstrate the ways in which an enlightenment legacy underpins social theory and its relation to contemporary normative political rationalities and practices of sovereignty, law, democracy, religion, race, gender, and sexuality. Contestations of this legacy from the perspectives of decolonial, postcolonial, poststructural, and queer thought reveals the significance of grappling with social theory towards the praxis of social justice

Capitalism, State and Market

The principal aims of this module are to consider what contemporary capitalism is and how its underlying political economy of neoliberalism operates. We will also use historical and theoretical resources to analyse capitalism in terms of its recurrent and systemic crises. Finally, we will examine the role of crisis in the ongoing restructuring of relations between the state and market.

Dissertation

The dissertation module gives you the opportunity to complete an independent piece of research on a topic of your own choice with the support of your dissertation supervisor, plenary teaching, and other online resources. The aim is for you to creatively use the substantive and methodological training acquired in the earlier part of your course to critically analyse a research topic of sociological relevance.

Optional modules

Optional modules can vary from year to year. Example optional modules may include:

• Mastering Complex Real-World Data
• Qualitative Methods in Social Research
• Quantitative Methods in Social Research
• Gender, Imperialism and International Development
• Gender Analysis and Development Practice
• Cultures of Life, Authority and Power in Modernity
• Market Life: Wealth and Poverty in Global Capitalism
• Social Research for Social Change
• State of the Art of Sociology
• Understanding Social Science
• The Sociology of Urban Life
• Postcolonial Theory and Politics
• Transnational Media Ecologies
• Feminist Pedagogy/Feminist Activism
• Queering Sociology
• Key Problems in Criminal Justice
• Creative Research Methods
• Ethnography and the Anthropological Tradition
• Sociology of End Times
• Social Data Science
• Researching Inequality: Race, Class, Gender in Global Perspective

Read more about our core and optional modules on the Sociology website.Link opens in a new window

General entry requirements
Minimum requirements
2:i undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in a related subject.

English language requirements
You can find out more about our English language requirements. This course requires the following:

Band B
IELTS overall score of 7.0, minimum component scores of two at 6.0/6.5 and the rest at 7.0 or above.
International qualifications

We welcome applications from students with other internationally recognised qualifications.

Additional requirements
Read our departmental advice on applyingLink opens in a new window to ensure your application has the best chance for success.

Tuition fees
Tuition fees are payable for each year of your course at the start of the academic year, or at the start of your course, if later. Academic fees cover the cost of tuition, examinations and registration and some student amenities.

Fee Status Guidance
The University carries out an initial fee status assessment based on information provided in the application and according to the guidance published by UKCISA. Students are classified as either Home or Overseas Fee status and this can determine the tuition fee and eligibility of certain scholarships and financial support.

If you receive an offer, your fee status will be stated with the tuition fee information, however we are awaiting guidance from the UK government regarding fee status for EU, other EEA and Swiss nationals and their family members living in the UK for academic year 2021/22 onwards. We are not able to confirm the fee status for these students until the relevant eligibility criteria have been confirmed. Once we have received further information from the UK government, we will provide you with an update on your fee status and let you know if any additional information is required. If you believe your fee status has been incorrectly classified you can complete a fee status assessment questionnaire (follow the instructions in your offer) and provide the required documentation for this to be reassessed.

The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) provides guidance to UK universities on fees status criteria, you can find the latest guidance on the impact of Brexit on fees and student support on the UKCISA website.

Additional course costs
As well as tuition fees and living expenses, some courses may require you to cover the cost of field trips or costs associated with travel abroad. Information about department specific costs should be considered in conjunction with the more general costs below, such as:

• Core text books
• Printer credits
• Dissertation binding
• Robe hire for your degree ceremony

Your career
Graduates from these courses have gone on to work for employers including: Coventry University, KPMG, Oxfam and Waitrose. They have pursued roles such as: business and financial project management professionals; higher education teaching professionals; IT project and programme managers; legal professionals and research and development managers.

Our department has a dedicated professionally qualified Senior Careers Consultant offering impartial advice and guidance together with workshops and events throughout the year. Previous examples of workshops and events include:

• Make Your Mark - Careers with a degree in Sociology
• Working for More than Profit
• Warwick careers fairs throughout the year
• Your Sociological future: Sociology Alumni Evening
• My Sociological Future- What next? Career planning for undecided Sociology finalists