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Philosophy, Public Policy and Social Change MA

London, Bloomsbury

This dynamic route of the Philosophy MA immerses you in philosophical debates about the design and ethical implications of public policies, and how to measure and effect change. Taught by UCL’s renowned departments of Philosophy and Political Science, the Philosophy, Public Policy and Social Change route will teach you a raft of transferable skills for a range of professional careers. You’ll learn in the heart of London, home to one of the largest and most varied philosophical communities in the world, and join a lively intellectual circle.

UK students International students

Study mode

UK tuition fees (2026/27)

£16,800

£8,400

Overseas tuition fees (2026/27)

£35,400

£17,700

Duration

1 academic year

2 academic years

Programme starts

September 2026

Applications accepted

Applicants who require a visa: 20 Oct 2025 – 26 Jun 2026

Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Applicants who do not require a visa: 20 Oct 2025 – 28 Aug 2026

Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

A minimum of a upper second-class Bachelor's degree in philosophy from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Applicants with a strong degree in a non-philosophical subject are welcome.

The English language level for this course is: Level 5

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

The Philosophy, Public Policy and Social Change route of the Philosophy MA course will provide you with the ability to analyse the design and ethical orientations of a range of public policies using core philosophical skills in argumentation, critical reading, and clear and precise writing. Students who successfully complete the MA will have developed a detailed understanding of a range of central philosophical debates related to ethical trade-offs in the design of policies, and how to measure and effect change. A diverse range of module options are available, which will allow you to explore your own interests.

Who this course is for

The MA route is open to graduates from all disciplines who are interested in thinking philosophically about public policy and social change. We would expect you to have some prior background or interest in either philosophy or public policy, or effecting social change, whether through academic study, employment, or lived experience.

If you are a Philosophy graduate who is aiming to develop a career in academic philosophy, you may consider applying for the two-year Philosophical Studies MPhil Stud, which is the route to the PhD at UCL.

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

The MA route is taught jointly by UCL’s globally renowned departments of Philosophy and Political Science. This dual perspective creates a uniquely stimulating environment for studying the ethical and philosophical underpinnings of policymaking, and why some strategies for achieving social change are more successful than others. You will learn through interactive seminars in a supportive environment with some of the leading figures from both fields.

UCL Philosophy is one of the largest departments for the discipline in the UK. In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), 60% of our activity was assessed as world-leading (4*), the highest of any UK philosophy department. UCL Political Science is recognised for its world-class research and policy impact, ranking among the top departments in the UK in the REF 2021, and offers a unique environment for the study of political theory.

You will further benefit from the central London location. London is a global philosophical hub, in addition to its central place within UK policymaking. London is home to a number of renowned journals (Philosophy; MIND; Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society), and leading institutions (Institute of Philosophy, Royal Institute of Philosophy and the Aristotelian Society), which frequently host visiting speakers from across the world and you will have access to as a UCL graduate student.

Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

The Philosophy, Public Policy and Social Change route of the Philosophy MA will equip you with the skills to analyse complex ideas, develop independence of judgement and originality of thought, present views lucidly both orally and in writing, and question orthodox views. You may choose this route as a precursor to a career in NGOs, local, regional or central government, businesses or the charity sector, but these skills are important across all workplaces. In addition, this course provides a basis for graduates to boost their profile in engaged philosophy, should they wish to apply for a research degree.

Employability

Graduates from this MA route will be able to think rigorously and creatively about the principles that underpin attempts to make positive improvements, whether through government action, business or the non-profit sector. These skills are sought after by employers both in the public and private sectors.

Networking

Academic staff in UCL Philosophy are involved in the running of the Aristotelian Society, the main philosophy society in the UK, which holds weekly public lectures at the University of London. Philosophy graduate students also host a philosophy conference at the start of every year, while the Royal Institute of Philosophy lecture series, co-ordinated by the Institute of Philosophy at nearby Senate House, is open to our graduate students. All of these present ample opportunities for networking and exposure to the latest thinking in the field.

Teaching and learning

The Philosophy, Public Policy and Social Change route is taught by specialist experts and is delivered through a combination of seminars, presentations and individual supervisions for the dissertation.

As well as attending seminars, lectures, and supervisions, you can expect to be assessed through presentations, coursework, the dissertation, for certain modules, by exam.

Each module usually has a two-hour seminar each week and will require around eight hours of independent study per week. In Term 1 and Term 2, full-time students take four modules, meaning that they can expect to spend around eight hours in contact with staff every week, and complement these with around 32 hours of independent study.

In all Terms, you should expect to spend approximately 40 hours per week for contact hours and self-directed study. This includes Term 3, where the vast majority of these hours will be made up of self-directed study.

Modules

You will take eight taught modules and the research dissertation. There are three compulsory modules:

Public Ethics (PUBL0026) provides an in-depth understanding of the philosophical foundations of policy-relevant topics that affect people’s everyday lives.
The Dynamics of Social Change (PHIL0202) focuses on core philosophical questions about how change occurs within societies, and how government policy is made and enacted.
Research Preparation in Philosophy 1 (PHIL0142) provides an introduction to graduate study in philosophy and to undertaking independent research in philosophy.

Together, the core modules aim to equip students to critically debate a range of ethical questions that arise in public policy, and a range of philosophical questions about the nature of social change, and how these insights should inform the design of policy interventions.

The remaining 75 credits are taken from a curated list of modules in Philosophy (List A) and Political Theory (List B), with students taking at least one module from each list. The concepts and skills from these modules will prepare you to go forward to do your dissertation in Term 3, for which you will receive supervision from a member of staff with expertise relevant to your chosen project.

List A and List B are updated annually as available modules change.

List A (Philosophy)
PHIL0066 Philosophical Foundations of Effective Altruism
PHIL0067 Free Speech and Theories of Autonomy
PHIL0077 Equality
PHIL0052 The Regulation of Intimacy
PHIL0073 Feminism and Philosophy
PHIL0165 The Philosophy and Ethics of Climate Change
PHIL0203 Changing the World: The Philosophy of Social and Political Transformation
PHIL0206 Philosophy and Public Affairs

List B (Political Science)
PUBL0084 Social Justice, Social Mobility, Education, and the Family
PUBL0094 The Ethics of Social Media
PUBL0045 Global Ethics
PUBL0071 Contemporary Political Philosophy 1: Political Authority and Democracy
PUBL0072 Contemporary Political Philosophy 2: Social Justice and Equality
PUBL0018 The Theoretical Foundations of Human Rights
PUBL0016 Energy and Climate Policy
PUBL0013 The Ethics of Poverty
PUBL0023 Equality Justice and Difference

First year
Terms 1 and 2: You will take three compulsory modules, Public Ethics, The Dynamics of Social Change, and Research Preparation, plus one optional module.
Term 3: You will submit assessments (if applicable) and start to plan independent study for the dissertation.

Second year
Terms 1 and 2: You will take 60 credits of optional modules. (For further details of available modules, see Full-Time section.)
Term 3: You will undertake supervisions and independent work on the dissertation.

Compulsory modules

The Dynamics of Social Change

Public Ethics

Research Preparation in Philosophy 1

MA Philosophy Dissertation

Optional modules

Regulation of Intimacy

Free Speech and Theories of Autonomy

Feminism and Philosophy

Equality

Recent Work in Moral Philosophy

The Theoretical Foundations of Human Rights

Equality, Justice and Difference

Global Ethics

Contemporary Political Philosophy I

Contemporary Political Philosophy II

Social Justice, Social Mobility, Education and the Family

Changing the World: The philosophy of social and Political Transformation

The Philosophy and Ethics of Climate Change

Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MA in Philosophy, Public Policy and Social Change.

Accessibility

The department will endeavour to make reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities, including those with long-term health conditions, neurodivergence, learning differences and mental health conditions. This list is not exhaustive. If you're unsure of your eligibility for reasonable adjustments at UCL, please contact Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

Reasonable adjustments are implemented on a case-by-case basis. With the student's consent, reasonable adjustments are considered by UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services, and where required, in collaboration with the respective department.

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information about support available can be obtained from UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

For more information about the department and accessibility arrangements for your course, please contact the department.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students

Fee description	Full-time	Part-time
Tuition fees (2026/27)	£16,800	£8,400
Tuition fees (2026/27)	£35,400	£17,700

Additional costs

For full-time and part-time offer holders with a fee status classification of UK, a fee deposit will be charged at 2.5% of the first year fee.

For full-time and part-time offer holders with a fee status classification of Overseas, a fee deposit will be charged at 10% of the first year fee.

Further information can be found in the Tuition fee deposits section on this page: Tuition fees.

While the department strives to keep additional costs low, students may incur additional expenses such as books, stationery, printing or photocopying and conference registration, depending on their preferred way of working. The amount will vary per student. Books and journal articles are available via the UCL library, either as hard copies or via e-journal subscriptions, and prices for book purchases will range by retailer. Printing costs are available on the UCL website and will vary depending on the level of printing a student chooses to do. Academic conference fees and travel costs will also differ, depending on location - students should factor these into their own costs, should they wish to attend specific conferences.

For in-person teaching, UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £119.90. This price was published by TfL in 2025. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

Funding your studies

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

Next steps

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

There is an application processing fee for this course of £90 for online applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

When we assess your application, we would like to learn:

why you want to study Philosophy, Public Policy and Social Change at graduate level;
why you want to study this MA route at UCL;
what particularly attracts you to this MA route;
how your academic and/or professional background meets the demands of a challenging academic environment;
where you would like to go professionally with your degree.

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this route match what the course offers. Early submission is recommended.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate courses (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

This course only requires one reference in support of your application. Your reference should be academic unless you have been out of university education for more than four years. Further information regarding references can be found on this Selecting your references page.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.