Why does inequality exist and what can we do about it? In this theoretical and research-based Inequality and Society course, you'll examine the major causes of inequalities in our world. You'll explore the nature of intersectionality, including how factors such as gender, sexuality, ethnicity, age, and others come together and how certain groups face unique forms of disadvantage. You'll develop as a researcher and work out strategies that can be used to change the unequal world in which we live in order to help achieve equity and social justice.

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Take advantage of a broad range of optional modules which explore the nature of inequality further, examining topics such as gender, activism and social justice, mental and physical health, sexualities and gender identities, media exclusions, childhood inequalities, and socio-economic inequalities. We're proud of our ‘internationalising of the curriculum’ approach where topics explored will be from national to global in their outlook. Our modules have been aligned to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

 

You'll have opportunities to develop your own employability skills and depending on your chosen modules, to learn skills such as conference speaking, using social research software like Nvivo and SPSS, writing a report for global bodies like the United Nations, writing a campaign strategy for an activist movement, and developing electronic resources such as blogs, podcasts and YouTube clips.

 

The full-time MSc Inequality and Society is studied over one year from October to September. The course runs on a Tuesday with modules in three-hour blocks to fit around work and childcare commitments and to reduce the number of days that you are in university.

 

The course will typically be taught as the following:

Semester one (two core modules and weekly Development Sessions)

All classes in semester one are on a Tuesday. These are held in the afternoon (1-4pm for first core module) and one evening class (5-8pm for second core module).

 

Development Sessions also run on a Tuesday from 12-1pm throughout both semester one and two, and are optional. Development Sessions will cover topics such as writing a PhD proposal, searching for academic journals, exploring additional research methods outside of your modules, providing dissertation drop-ins, introducing employability and graduate support, and offering opportunities to give course feedback. There will also be informal opportunities to have coffee with the Programme Leaders.

 

Semester two (two optional modules)

All classes in semester two are also on a Tuesday. Depending on your option choices, these will typically run in the timeslots of: 9-12pm, 1-4pm or 5-8pm.

Semester three (core dissertation module over the year)

 

Alongside writing your dissertation, there will be two mandatory ‘dissertation days’ to prepare you for your dissertation research, which will typically be a full day (10am-4pm) over two Fridays, one in November and another in January. You'll be provided with an academic calendar with the exact dates of these when you enrol.