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Social Policy and Intervention

Research programmes

DPhil in Social Policy

Course Code | 003220 

DPhil in Social Intervention

Course Code | 003231 

The Department has an active and expanding research programme including work on:

  • Social deprivation
  • Poverty, disadvantage and inequality
  • The family and family policy
  • Parenting and childcare
  • Demography and population ageing
  • Social security and welfare reform
  • The politics of the welfare state
  • Child mental health
  • Anti-social behaviour
  • Sleep problems
  • HIV prevention and children affected by AIDS
  • Health and health care
  • Social policy in South Africa
  • Social policy in developing countries
  • Self-help and brief psychological interventions

How to Apply

The deadlines for the DPhil courses listed above are 24 January 2014 and 14 March 2014.

The DPhil in Social Intervention also uses a deadline of 22 November 2013.

Studentship applications should be submitted by the January deadline.

The standard set of materials you should send with any application to a research course comprises:

In addition to the standard documents above, applicants to the DPhil programmes in Social Policy and Social Intervention should provide two (2) relevant academic essays or other writing samples from their most recent qualification of 2,000 words each, or 2,000-word extracts of longer work.

Please follow the detailed instructions in the Application Guide, and consult the Social Policy and Intervention website for any additional guidance.

Taught programmes

MSc in Comparative Social Policy

Course Code | 002660 

This course is designed to provide training for those seeking immediate professional careers and for those wishing to prepare for doctoral work.

  • Length of programme: Twelve months
  • Core and optional courses:
    • There are two compulsory papers, one in Methods of Social Research and one in Comparative Social Policy/Welfare States.
    • Option papers cover such topics as Demography and Population; Educational Policy; Health and Health Care; Labour Market Policy; Poverty and Social Exclusion, Social Policy and Social Development and Social Security.
  • Programme specification External link

MPhil in Comparative Social Policy

Course Code | 002650 

The MPhil in Comparative Social Policy includes all of the courses included in the MSc degree, together with an additional option course and a substantial research project in the second year.  The MPhil thesis is 30,000 words and includes significant fieldwork and/or original analysis. MPhil students also join one of the Student Research Groups that are convened by members of academic staff, which normally meet fortnightly during term.

In addition, in their second year, students will have the opportunity to be involved in the Oxford Berkeley Collaboration.

  • Length of programme: Twenty-two months
  • Core and optional courses:
    • There are two compulsory papers, one in Methods of Social Research and one in Comparative Social Policy/Welfare States.
    • Option papers vary from year to year and may cover such topics as Demography and Population; Educational Policy; Labour Market Policy; Health and Health Care; Poverty and Social Exclusion, Social Policy and Social Development and Social Security.
  • Programme specification External link

MSc in Evidence-Based Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation

Course Code | 002913

This course is for those wishing to study policy evaluation and the effectiveness of interventions for psychosocial and social problems.

  • Length of programme: Twelve months
  • Core and optional courses:
    • There are two compulsory papers, one in Methods of Social Intervention Research and one in Social Interventions and Policy Evaluations
    • Option papers vary from year to year and may cover such topics as Children and Families, Community Analysis, Mental Health, and HIV/AIDS Prevention
  • Programme specification External link

MPhil in Evidence-Based Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation

Course Code | 002912

The MPhil in Evidence-Based Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation includes all of the courses included in the MSc degree, together with an additional option course and a substantial research project in the second year.  The MPhil thesis is 30,000 words and includes significant fieldwork and/or original analysis. MPhil students also join one of the Student Research Groups that are convened by members of academic staff, which normally meet fortnightly during term.

In addition, in their second year, students will have the opportunity to be involved in the Oxford Berkeley Collaboration.

  • Length of programme: Twenty-two months
  • Core and optional courses:
    • There are two compulsory papers, one in Methods of Social Research and one in Social Interventions and Policy Evaluations
    • Option papers cover such topics as Children and Families, Community Analysis, Mental Health, Criminology and HIV/AIDS Prevention.
  • Programme specification External link

How to Apply

The deadlines for the MPhil and MSc in Comparative Social Policy are 24 January 2014 and 14 March 2014.

The deadlines for the MPhil and MSc in Evidence-Based Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation are 22 November 2013, 24 January 2014 and 14 March 2014.

Studentship applications should be submitted by the January deadline.

The standard set of materials you should send with any application to a taught course comprises:

In addition to the standard documents above, applicants to the MPhil or MSc courses above should provide two (2) relevant academic essays or other writing samples from their most recent qualification of 2,000 words each, or 2,000-word extracts of longer work(s).

Please follow the detailed instructions in the Application Guide, and consult the Social Policy and Intervention website for any additional guidance.

Academic resources

  • Bodleian Social Science Library and other University and college libraries
  • Language Centre
  • Weblearn, a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) which provides information on course content and learning resources

Graduate destinations

  • Academic careers (national and international)
  • Doctoral research with International agencies such as UN, WHO, World Bank
  • OECD National and local government
  • Social research organisations/NGOs
  • Social work
  • Social policy
  • Psychology (various fields)
  • Health
  • Education 
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www.spi.ox.ac.uk

+44 (0) 1865 270326
info@spi.ox.ac.uk

 

 

 

 

Main areas of research interests

Research interests on the SPI website External link

 

Selection criteria

Selection criteria on the SPI website External link


English language requirements

Higher level


Funding/awards

 

Each year, SPI will award two ESRC studentships open to applicants from EU member states 

 

The department also offers two further scholarships, the Barnett Scholarship and the Centenary Scholarship, on a competitive basis

 

For more information, please see the SPI funding webpage or contact info@spi.ox.ac.uk

 

Number of applicants
2012/13
Research degrees

56

Taught degrees
167

 

Number of places available
2013/14
Research degrees  

13 (SP), 3 (SI)

Taught degrees   

26 (CSP), 22 (EBSI)

 

Statement of Provision