Enabling Social Change

University of Salford

United Kingdom, Salford

University RankQS Ranking

945

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Home/United Kingdom/Salford /University of Salford/Enabling Social Change

University of Salford

United Kingdom , Salford

Key Facts

Program Level

Master by Course Work

Study Type

Full Time

Delivery

On Campus

Campuses

Main Site

Program Language

English

Start & Deadlines

Next Intake DeadlinesSeptember-2026

Apply to this program

Go to the official application for the university

Duration 1 year(s)

Tuition Fee

GBP 14,400 / years

Next Intake September-2026

Enabling Social Change

About

Introduction

In a nutshell

This course adopts an innovative approach to examining the changing dynamics of social policy and social change. It draws on the strengths of the social sciences, where staff are engaged in researching issues of poverty, inequality, and exploitation. It is designed to appeal to professionals in public sector and third sector roles as well as graduates of social science and related programmes.

You will:

Develop an advanced understanding of how change happens, exploring the changing zeitgeist, and understanding the dynamic nature of social transformation.
Explore the power of public unrest and state responses to the demands for policy change.
Learn about the forces and actors that shape social change, by getting to know the work of public sector organisations (including universities), community groups, think tanks, political parties, and lobby/campaign/activist groups.
Examine real-life examples of social change from the UK and internationally, including topics such as deep-rooted social inequality, universal basic income, (food) poverty, (un)employment, homelessness, and issues of charity/aid.
Gain a deep understanding of theories of social change, and how they relate to the current debates on politics, populism, globalisation, and neoliberalism.
Develop practical skills that will help you apply your knowledge and make an impact in the field of social policy and enhance your research and practice skills.

International

students accepted

This is for you if...

You are excited to explore ‘how change happened’ previously and reflect on ‘how change can/will happen’ in the future.

You are interested in understanding the development of historic and contemporary social policies, addressing how we arrived at today’s policy positions through social movements.

You are willing to critically reflect upon past, present and future policies across a diverse range of themes, including education, precarity, poverty, artificial intelligence, work and (un)employment.

You want to learn from and work with experts and peers who share your vision, in a supportive and collaborative environment encouraging you to enable social change.

You want to learn through ‘live-briefs’ from key external partners to stimulate intellectual discussion about real-world issues.

You want to prepare for a PhD in a social science discipline, where you can conduct original and independent research that advances the knowledge and understanding of your field.

Requirements

Entry Requirements

Requirements

What you need to know

Applicant profile

You will be an adaptable, reflective, and critically aware student who is open to the nuances of sociological discourse, debate, and the political economy. Or a graduate who has achieved a good standard of undergraduate education yet has the desire to develop this to an advanced level with industry and political awareness of policy development and change, social advocacy, and engagement. You should be proficient in academic skills and open to the development of new and innovative forms of teaching, learning, and assessment.

Industry experience is desirable; however, it is unnecessary at this stage. You should have an active interest in the socio-political and socio-economic debates of welfare ideology and provision, and how the power of activism and trade unions informs the development of policy.

Standard entry requirements

Undergraduate degree

A lower second-class (2:2) or above in an undergraduate degree is required.

English Language Requirements

International applicants will be required to show proficiency in English. An IELTS score of 6.5 (with no element below 6.0) is proof of this.

If you need to improve your written and spoken English, you might be interested in our Pre-sessional English course.

Alternative entry requirements

Accreditation of Prior Learning

We welcome applications from students who may not have formal/traditional entry criteria but who have relevant experience or the ability to pursue the course successfully.

The Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) process could help you to make your work and life experience count. The APL process can be used for entry onto courses or to give you exemptions from parts of your course.

Two forms of APL may be used for entry: The Accreditation of Prior Certificated Learning (APCL) or the Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL).

English Language Requirements

International applicants will be required to show proficiency in English. An IELTS score of 6.5 (with no element below 6.0) is proof of this.

If you need to improve your written and spoken English, you might be interested in our Pre-sessional English course.

Career

Employment and stats

What about after uni?

Upon graduation, you could explore a variety of job titles and areas, offering a glimpse into your potential career path. You could find yourself typically working in organisations as diverse as:

Local government organisations (including local authorities, transport networks, housing associations etc)
National government (Civil Service roles)
Third/community sector organisations and trade unions
Political organisations (including lobby groups, think tanks and policy developers)
Universities and related education organisations

Within these organisations, you could occupy important roles such as:

Policy development roles
Advocacy and lobbying roles
Research including monitoring and evaluation roles
Management and leadership roles
Advocacy Roles
Project officer and project manager roles
Teaching, training, and lecturing roles

We also encourage high-achieving students to apply for funding to pursue doctoral study, either at the University of Salford or beyond.

Examples of jobs held by past students include policy analysts, project managers, researchers, advocacy officers, and lecturers, with employment in organisations such as local councils, government departments, non-profit organisations, and universities.

Career Links

The course team maintains deep and extensive partnerships and working relationships with several social policy-focused organisations across Greater Manchester.

Greater Manchester Poverty Action (GMPA): The University of Salford, represented by Dr Dave Beck, is a Principal Partner. Benefits to the student include access to a policy-focused organisation working alongside the Mayor of Greater Manchester, involvement in policy development, research, workshops, and knowledge transfer, as well as access to placements and future employment opportunities.

Salford City Council: The University of Salford, through Dr Dave Beck and Prof Lisa Scullion, has extensive working relationships with key departments involved in the delivery and examination of active Social Policy and Implementation across Salford.

UBILab Greater Manchester: The University of Salford, through Dr Dave Beck (co-chair of UBILabGM), collaborates with the UBILabNetwork to establish a Greater Manchester-focused area of social welfare and policy development, engaging students across Greater Manchester in researching Social Policy and Social Welfare.

Research and partnerships with these organisations inform programme development and delivery. Workshops draw extensively on key policies and the experiences of these key stakeholders.

Throughout the programme, live briefs and real-world scenarios will introduce you to key dilemmas relevant to the sector, ensuring that all learning has an applied practical focus. You can also opt to undertake an applied project for your dissertation, which can be developed in consultation with a key partner.

Further study

If this programme develops your passion for the social sciences and the issues, challenges and experiences of social change and you want to extend this into doctoral study, the programme team will support you in developing a PhD proposal and explore routes to funding. Visit our Doctoral School page to find out more.