MPhil in Evidence-Based Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation
About the course
The MPhil in Evidence-Based Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation (EBSIPE) is a taught course focused on evaluating social policies and interventions using advanced research methods, with topics like poverty, mental health, and violence prevention.
The course emphasises concepts and research methods for evaluating interventions and policies, as well as the advanced study of evidence-based practice and policy in areas such as child and family services, education, violence and injury prevention, mental health, substance use, HIV prevention, poverty reduction and other social issues.
The MPhil is designed for students with a specific interest in designing social interventions and understanding the effectiveness of social policies. It prepares students for a career in, for example, policy and programme evaluation, development, or public policy. Applicants with a professional background, such as those in evaluation, public health or policy consulting, will enhance their research skills and develop a major piece of research in a world-class environment.
This course aims to develop your critical analysis, problem solving and research skills in the field of evidence-based interventions and policies for social issues, You will learn skills in evaluation, quantitative, qualitative and systematic review methods and in the critical analysis and appraisal of evidence. These skills will enable you to be both a critical consumer of research, and to carry out evaluations and other research designs. Your studies will consider evidence-based practice and policy in relation to, for example, children and families, parenting programmes, poverty and inequality, mental health, substance use, violence and injury prevention. Through the MPhil thesis, you will also design and conduct an independent piece of research.
Course structure
An overview of the course structure is provided below. Details of the compulsory and optional elements of the course are provided in the Course components section of this page.
The MPhil has the following major components:
- Pathway A Social Intervention or Pathway B Policy Evaluation
- Research methods course (both pathways)
- Two specialist options (both pathways)
- MPhil thesis (both pathways).
During the first and second terms, the majority of learning is classroom-based, complemented by independent reading, tutorials, and formative and summative assessments. The third term involves largely self-directed study for remaining summative assessments, exam revision, and further development of the MPhil thesis. In the third term, additional teaching sessions are typically offered on an optional basis to support students in preparing for exams and with using various methodologies for thesis projects.
In subsequent terms, you will work on your thesis research and follow a largely self-directed schedule based on remaining training needs/interests identified with your supervisor, enrol in a second specialist option course, and are encouraged to fully participate in regular seminars, colloquia, and research group meetings offered by the department.
EBSIPE MPhil students will belong to the Centre of Evidence-based Intervention research group that gives an opportunity to explore topics around social intervention and policy evaluation in more depth. In their second year MPhil students will have the opportunity to present their thesis-project in the research group.
Attendance
The course is full-time and requires attendance in Oxford. Full-time students are subject to the University's Residence requirements.
Resources to support your study
As a graduate student, you will have access to the University's wide range of resources including libraries, museums, galleries, digital resources and IT services.
The Bodleian Libraries is the largest library system in the UK. It includes the main Bodleian Library and libraries across Oxford, including major research libraries and faculty, department and institute libraries. Together, the Libraries hold more than 13 million printed items, provide access to e-journals, and contain outstanding special collections including rare books and manuscripts, classical papyri, maps, music, art and printed ephemera.
The University's IT Services is available to all students to support with core university IT systems and tools, as well as many other services and facilities. IT Services also offers a range of IT learning courses for students to support with learning and research, as well as guidance on what technology to bring with you as a new student at Oxford.
The department’s research methods hub provides research students with specialist support on qualitative and quantitative research methods, as well as tailored training. A range of methods-training seminars and workshops are also offered through the Social Sciences Division.
The department provides a computer and workspace room for masters' students and has its own IT provision and specialist IT support staff. Students are able to book meeting spaces and lecture rooms to organise study groups.
The department has a common room open to both staff and students. The department runs several seminar series during the year providing the opportunity to hear external expert speakers. In addition, there is a colloquium at which members of the department present and discuss their research, creating an excellent environment for staff and students to learn more about each other’s’ ideas or receive input on their own research.
Supervision
You will be matched to a supervisor at the start of the first term. You will meet with your supervisor to discuss your progress in the course and your thesis. The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Department of Social Policy and Intervention and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Under exceptional circumstances a supervisor may be found outside the Department of Social Policy and Intervention.
In the case of students who require specific help to adjust to an academic programme or to a new range of skills, the supervisor will work with them to ensure that they have additional support.
Assessment
You will be assessed by a series of assessments throughout the year using a combination of examinations and/or submitted coursework assignments (summative assessments). All students complete a thesis which is undertaken throughout the duration of the course.
Graduate destinations
Recent graduates from the MPhil programme have gone on to influential positions in government, non-governmental and international organisations, such as the World Bank, J-PAL, World Health Organisation and UN agencies, or work in think tanks or research organisations. Graduates also study for doctorates in a range of high quality universities and go on to pursue academic careers in world-leading research universities.
Doctoral study
We encourage applicants to consider whether they would be potentially interested in continuing on to pursue a DPhil. If doctoral study following the masters course is something you are considering, please see the further guidance on particular funding competitions for MSc/MPhil+DPhil study.
Changes to this course
The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. The safety of students, staff and visitors is paramount and major changes to delivery or services may have to be made if a pandemic, epidemic or local health emergency occurs. In addition, in certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.
Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include illness, sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.
For further information please see our page on changes to courses and the provisions of the student contract regarding changes to courses.
Course components
Pathway selection
You will need to select one of two available pathways, to be taken over two terms.
Pathway A
Social Intervention, covering evidence-based methods to evaluate social interventions, theories underlying interventions, ethical issues, and applying research in practice and policy, including the challenges of implementing programmes in the real world.
Pathway B
Policy Evaluation, introducing you to social policy analysis, policy formation, and the relationship between evidence and policy, and to different research methods for evaluating policies, eg quasi- experimental designs, natural experiments.
You may be able to change your choice of pathway in the first week of the course.
Compulsory study
Research methods course
You will also take the research methods course. This course, taken over two terms, trains you to critically consume and produce research for policies and social interventions. The course is made up of four modules which all students complete:
- Evaluation methods. A module that covers multiple evaluation methods including randomised controlled trials, and quasi-experimental designs
- Systematic reviews, A module on the design and conduct of systematic reviews, including evidence synthesis, meta-analysis, qualitative synthesis, and critical appraisal
- Quantitative analysis. A module on statistical methods for intervention and evaluation research including applied workshops using the statistical software R and RStudio
- Qualitative methods. A module on how to design, conduct and analyse qualitative research
MPhil thesis
You will write a research thesis to acquire expert knowledge in your area of interest, to apply the research methods, and contribute to new scientific knowledge.
Options
You will take two one-term specialist courses from a list of options which may include:
- Promoting the Welfare of Children and Families
- Addressing Health Inequalities through Social Policy
- Understanding and Preventing Interpersonal Violence
- Community Analysis and Large-Scale Interventions.
The set of options offered each year will vary depending on student interest and staff availability.
Entry requirements for entry in 2026-27
Proven and potential academic excellence
The requirements described below are specific to this course and apply only in the year of entry that is shown. You can use our guidance to help you evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive.
We know that contextual factors can make it difficult for candidates to demonstrate their full potential. This course is taking part in an initiative to use contextual data to help us to better understand your achievements in the context of your individual background. For further details, please refer to the information about improving access to graduate study in the How to apply section of this page.
Please be aware that any studentships that are linked to this course may have different or additional requirements and you should read any studentship information carefully before applying. Contextual data may also be used in the assessment of studentships.
Degree-level qualifications
As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve the following UK qualifications or their equivalent:
- a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours.
There is no requirement on subject area and students from a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds are considered.
For applicants with a bachelor's degree from the USA, the minimum overall GPA that is normally required to meet the undergraduate-level requirement is 3.5 out of 4.0, or 4.0 out of 5.0.
If your degree is not from the UK or another country specified above, visit our International Qualifications page for guidance on the qualifications and grades that would usually be considered to meet the University’s minimum entry requirements.
GRE General Test scores
No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or GMAT scores are sought.
Further guidance
Quantitative methods and statistics: Prior training in statistics or quantitative research methods is not a requirement. However, a large component of the course is training in quantitative methods for applied research, both statistical principles and applied analysis using the statistical software R and RStudio. All modules start at an introductory level and no prior knowledge is assumed. For those new to quantitative analysis, the summer pre-course reading list will make recommendations for open-source self-study materials including an introduction to R and RStudio.
Publications: Publications are not expected.
English language proficiency
This course requires proficiency in English at the University's higher level. If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence that you meet this requirement. The minimum scores required to meet the University's higher level are detailed in the table below.
| Test | Minimum overall score | Minimum score per component |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic (Institution code: 0713) | 7.5 | 7.0 |
| TOEFL iBT* including the 'Home Edition' (Institution code: 0490) | 110 | Listening: 22 Reading: 24 Speaking: 25 Writing: 24 |
| C1 Advanced† | 191 | 185 |
| C2 Proficiency‡ | 191 | 185 |
| Oxford Test of English Advanced | 165 | 155 |
*Changes to the TOEFL iBT test are being introduced on 21 January 2026. The University will not accept TOEFL tests taken from that date to meet the English language condition until a review of the revised test has been completed. Our Application Guide provides full details of the tests we accept.
†Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English or Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE)
‡Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English or Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE)
Your test must have been taken no more than two years before the start date of your course. Our Application Guide provides further information about the English language test requirement.
Declaring extenuating circumstances
If your ability to meet the entry requirements has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic (eg you were awarded an unclassified/ungraded degree) or any other exceptional personal circumstance (eg other illness or bereavement), please refer to the guidance on extenuating circumstances in the Application Guide for information about how to declare this so that your application can be considered appropriately.
References
You will need to register three referees who can give an informed view of your academic ability and suitability for the course. The How to apply section of this page provides details of the types of reference that are required in support of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.
Supporting documents
You will be required to supply supporting documents with your application. The How to apply section of this page provides details of the supporting documents that are required as part of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.
Performance at interview
Interviews are not normally held as part of the admissions process.
Offer conditions for successful applications
If you receive an offer of a place at Oxford, your offer will outline any conditions that you need to satisfy and any actions you need to take, together with any associated deadlines. These may include academic conditions, such as achieving a specific final grade in your current degree course. These conditions will usually depend on your individual academic circumstances and may vary between applicants. Our 'After you apply' pages provide more information about offers and conditions.
In addition to any academic conditions which are set, you will also be required to meet the following requirements:
Financial Declaration
If you are offered a place, you will be required to complete a Financial Declaration in order to meet your financial condition of admission.
Disclosure of criminal convictions
In accordance with the University’s obligations towards students and staff, we will ask you to declare any relevant, unspent criminal convictions before you can take up a place at Oxford.
Other factors governing whether places can be offered
The following factors will also govern whether candidates can be offered places:
- the ability of the University to provide the appropriate supervision for your studies, as outlined under the 'Supervision' heading in the About section of this page;
- the ability of the University to provide appropriate support for your studies (eg through the provision of facilities, resources, teaching and/or research opportunities); and
- minimum and maximum limits to the numbers of students who may be admitted to the University's taught and research programmes.
Funding
For entry in the 2026-27 academic year, the collegiate University expects to offer over 1,100 full or partial graduate scholarships across a wide range of graduate courses.
If you apply by the January deadline shown on this page and receive a course offer, your application will then be considered for Oxford scholarships. For the majority of Oxford scholarships, your application will automatically be assessed against the eligibility criteria, without needing to make a separate application. There are further Oxford scholarships available which have additional eligibility criteria and where you are required to submit a separate application. Most scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic merit and/or potential.
To ensure that you are considered for Oxford scholarships that require a separate application, for which you may be eligible, use our fees, funding and scholarship search tool to identify these opportunities and find out how to apply. Alongside Oxford scholarships, you should also consider other opportunities for which you may be eligible including a range of external funding, loan schemes for postgraduate study and any other scholarships which may also still be available after the January deadline as listed on our fees, funding and scholarship search tool.
Details of college-specific funding opportunities can also be found on individual college websites:
Please refer to the College preference section of this page to identify which of the colleges listed above accept students for this course.
For the majority of college scholarships, it doesn’t matter which college, if any, you state a preference for in your application. If another college is able to offer you a scholarship, your application can be moved to that college if you accept the scholarship. Some college scholarships may require you to state a preference for that college when you apply, so check the eligibility requirements carefully.
Further information about funding opportunities for this course can be found on the department's website.
Costs
Annual course fees
The fees for this course are charged on an annual basis.
Fees for the 2026-27 academic year at the University of Oxford
Fee status | Annual Course fees |
| Home | £22,600 |
| Overseas | £35,090 |
What do course fees cover?
Course fees cover your teaching as well as other academic services and facilities provided to support your studies. Unless specified in the additional information section below, course fees do not cover your accommodation, residential costs or other living costs. They also don’t cover any additional costs and charges that are outlined in the additional costs information below.
How long do I need to pay course fees?
Course fees are payable each year, for the duration of your fee liability (your fee liability is the length of time for which you are required to pay course fees). For courses lasting longer than one year fees will usually increase annually, as explained in the University’s Terms and Conditions.
Where can I find more information about fees?
Our fees and other charges pages provide further information, including details about:
- course fees and fee liability;
- how your fee status is determined; and
- changes to fees and other charges.
Information about how much fees and other costs will usually increase each academic year is set out in the University's Terms and Conditions.
Additional costs
There are no compulsory elements of this course that entail additional costs beyond fees and living costs. However, as part of your course requirements, you may need to choose a dissertation, a project or a thesis topic. Please note that, depending on your choice of topic and the research required to complete it, you may incur additional expenses, such as travel expenses, research expenses, and field trips. You will need to meet these additional costs, although you may be able to apply for small grants from your department to help you cover some of these expenses.
Living costs
In addition to your course fees and any additional course-specific costs, you will need to ensure that you have adequate funds to support your living costs for the duration of your course.
Living costs for full-time study
For the 2026-27 academic year, the range of likely living costs for a single, full-time student is between £1,405 and £2,105 for each month spent in Oxford. We provide the cost per month so you can multiply up by the number of months you expect to live in Oxford. Depending on your circumstances, you may also need to budget for the costs of a student visa and immigration health surcharge and/or living costs for family members or other dependants that you plan to bring with you to Oxford (if dependant visa eligibility criteria are met).
Further information about living costs
The current economic climate and periods of high national inflation in recent years make it harder to estimate potential changes to the cost of living over the next few years. For study in Oxford beyond the 2026-27 academic year, it is suggested that you budget for potential increases in living expenses of around 4% each year – although this rate may vary depending on the national economic situation.
A breakdown of likely living costs for one month during the 2026-27 academic year are shown below. These costs are based on a single, full-time graduate student, with no dependants, living in Oxford.
| Lower range | Upper range | |
|---|---|---|
| Food | £315 | £545 |
| Accommodation | £825 | £990 |
| Personal items | £160 | £310 |
| Social activities | £50 | £130 |
| Study costs | £35 | £90 |
| Other | £20 | £40 |
| Total | £1,405 | £2,105 |
For information about how these figures have been calculated as well as tables showing the likely living costs for nine and twelve months, please refer to the living costs page of our website.
College preference
Students enrolled on this course will belong to both a department/faculty and a college. Please note that ‘college’ and ‘colleges’ refers to all 43 of the University’s colleges, including those designated as societies and permanent private halls (PPHs).
If you apply for a place on this course you will have the option to express a preference for one of the colleges listed below, or you can ask us to find a college for you. Before deciding, we suggest that you read our brief introduction to the college system at Oxford and our advice about expressing a college preference.
If you are a current Oxford student and you would like to remain at your current Oxford college, you should check whether it is listed below. If it is, you should indicate this preference when you apply. If not, you should contact your college office to ask whether they would be willing to make an exception. Further information about staying at your current college can be found in our Application Guide.
The following colleges accept students on the MPhil in Evidence-Based Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation:
Before you apply
Our guide to getting started provides general advice on how to prepare for and start your application, including advice to help you evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive.
If it is important for you to have your application considered under a particular deadline – eg under the January deadline in order to be considered for Oxford scholarships – we recommend that you aim to complete and submit your application at least two weeks in advance. Check the deadlines on this page and the information about deadlines and when to apply in our Application Guide.
Application fee waivers
An application fee of £75 is payable for each application to this course. Application fee waivers are available for the following applicants who meet the eligibility criteria:
- applicants from low-income countries;
- refugees and displaced persons;
- UK applicants from low-income backgrounds; and
- applicants who applied for our Graduate Access Programmes in the past two years and met the eligibility criteria.
You are encouraged to check whether you're eligible for an application fee waiver before you apply.
Do I need to contact anyone before I apply?
You do not need to contact the department before you apply but you are encouraged to visit the relevant departmental webpages to read any further information about your chosen course.
Improving access to graduate study
This course is taking part in initiatives to improve the selection procedure for graduate applications, to ensure that all candidates are assessed fairly.
Contextual data (where it has been provided in the application form) will be used as part of an initiative to contextualise applications at the different stages of the selection process.
Completing your application
You should refer to the information below when completing the application form, paying attention to the specific requirements for the supporting documents.
For this course, the application form will include questions that collect information that would usually be included in a CV/résumé. You should not upload a separate document. If a separate CV/résumé is uploaded, it will be removed from your application.
If any document does not meet the specification, including the stipulated word count, your application may be considered incomplete and not assessed by the academic department. Expand each section to show further details.
Referees:
Three references, academic preferred
Whilst you must register three referees, the department may start the assessment of your application if two of the three references are submitted by the course deadline and your application is otherwise complete. Please note that you may still be required to ensure your third referee supplies a reference for consideration.
Your references will support intellectual ability, academic achievement and motivation for the chosen area of study. Therefore academic references are preferred.
If you are currently studying on another graduate course, we strongly suggest that one of your references be from your current academic supervisor.
Please contact your referees well in advance of the application deadline to give sufficient time for references to be prepared and submitted.
Official transcript(s)
Your transcripts should give detailed information of the individual grades received in your university-level qualifications to date. You should only upload official documents issued by your institution and any transcript not in English should be accompanied by a certified translation.
More information about the transcript requirement is available in the Application Guide.
Personal statement:
A maximum of 1,000 words
Your statement should be written in English. It should explain your motivation for applying for the course and its specific focus on evidence-based social intervention and policy evaluation at Oxford, your relevant experience and education, and the specific areas that interest you. The statement should also give an overview of your proposed MPhil research project. This should clearly state your research question, provide a brief outline of your research design and methods, and name a potential supervisor. Please include the following subheadings: 'Motivation' and 'Plans for MPhil research’.
If possible, please ensure that the word count is clearly displayed on the document.
It will be normal for your ideas subsequently to change in some ways as you investigate the evidence and develop your project. You should nevertheless make the best effort you can to demonstrate the extent of your research question, sources and method at this moment.
Please indicate your preference for either the social intervention or policy evaluation pathway.
Your personal statement will be assessed for:
- motivation for, and commitment to, graduate studies in evidence-based social intervention and policy evaluation
- reasons for selecting the department
- understanding of the proposed area of study
- fit of your research interests to research undertaken in the Department
- coherence of proposed MPhil research project
- any relevant practical/applied experience (such previous jobs).
- ability to present a reasoned case.
Written work:
One essay, a maximum of 2,500 words
An academic essay or other writing sample from your most recent qualification, written in English, is required. An extract of the requisite length from longer work is also permissible. Sole-authored writing samples are strongly preferred; should you choose to submit co-authored materials, you must have been solely responsible for writing the material submitted to us as a sample. Please note that internal checks are carried out on all submitted writing samples to ensure compliance with length requirements, and over-length submissions can cause errors or delays. The topic of your work need not be directly relevant to your proposed subject of study but academic essays are preferred to professional or workplace reports. The word count does not need to include any bibliography or brief footnotes.
If possible, please ensure that the word count is clearly displayed on the document.
Written work will be assessed for:
- ability to construct and defend an argument
- ability to explain complex subject matter
- ability to demonstrate analytical thinking
- clarity of expression.
Start or continue your application
You can start or return to an application using the relevant link below. As you complete the form, please refer to the requirements above and consult our Application Guide for advice.
After you've submitted your application
Your application (including the supporting documents outlined above) will be assessed against the entry requirements detailed on this course page. Whether or not you have secured funding will not be taken into consideration when your application is assessed. You can find out more about our shortlisting and selection process in our detailed guide to what happens next.
Find out how to manage your application after submission, using our Applicant Self-Service tool.