Social and Political Sciences

Social and political sciences bring together two disciplines that are deeply concerned with how human life is organised and how power is distributed. Social science examines the structures, institutions, and forces that shape society, from class and inequality to identity and culture. Political science asks how those structures are governed, how decisions are made collectively, and how political systems develop and change.

Studying them together produces a perspective that is both analytically rigorous and genuinely wide in scope.

At the University of Leeds, this three-year full-time programme develops your understanding of society and politics through a combination of theoretical frameworks and empirical research. You will engage with the major traditions in social and political thought, develop skills in qualitative and quantitative research, and study topics ranging from political economy and social inequality to comparative government and international relations. The programme includes a sandwich year, a year abroad, and work placement opportunities, giving you the chance to develop professional experience, build international perspective, and test your analytical skills in real-world contexts.

These opportunities are significant in a discipline where the ability to connect theory to practice is a defining professional quality.

You will develop skills in critical reading and writing, research design, data analysis, and evidence-based argument that are highly valued across many professional fields. The programme also engages with contemporary challenges in democracy, governance, migration, inequality, and global change, giving your studies real political urgency.

Graduates go on to careers in the civil service, politics, public policy, journalism, NGOs, international organisations, research, law, and the private sector. The analytical and communication skills developed through social and political sciences are broadly applicable. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in politics, sociology, public policy, law, or international relations.