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Social Policy (Evidence Synthesis) MSc

London, Bloomsbury

UCL's Social Policy (Evidence Synthesis) MSc has a specialist focus on advanced methods for the systematic review of research, also known as evidence syntheses, and explores how research is combined with professional and community knowledge to support policy decision-making by governments and other national and international organisations around the world. The course offers students the opportunity to conduct systematic reviews of both qualitative and quantitative data, with an emphasis on the challenges and innovations in evidence synthesis, including the use of AI and machine learning tools.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2026/27)
£16,800
£8,400
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Overseas tuition fees (2026/27)
£35,400
£17,700
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
5 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 an upper second-class Bachelors' degree from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard in a Social Science subject, such as Sociology, Psychology, Social Policy, Economics or History. If you do not meet these requirements, other considerations, such as relevant work experience, may be taken into account.

The English language level for this course is: Level 4

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 Social Policy (Evidence Synthesis) MSc offers you the opportunity to study the meeting points of social research and social policy. The course emphasises the value for policy development of combining findings from all relevant studies to create systematic reviews of research. 

You gain understanding and skills for conducting systematic reviews with the latest innovations in synthesis methods, including use of AI and machine learning, and for involving the public, practitioners, policymakers and researchers in shaping research and informing policy. Core modules give you a sound foundation for working in this field. Optional modules allow you to tailor your studies to a career in research, policy or intermediary organisations.

The dissertation component provides an opportunity to design and carry out an empirical research project with the support of an academic supervisor. You develop a topic for the project from your own area of interest or professional expertise, or work with a non-academic partner to produce research that is of practical interest to the organisation.

Who this course is for

The Social Policy (Evidence Synthesis) MSc is suited to recent graduates and early career professionals. The course will provide you with the skills and knowledge to pursue, or further, a career in the field of social science research and evidence-informed policy and practice. Students bring interests in varied sectors, including health, education and international development. It is also useful preparation for study for a postgraduate research degree, such as a PhD, EdD or MPhil. 

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

What this course will give you

The course is located in the UCL Social Research Institute, a research-intensive department with an outstanding international reputation for policy-oriented social science. It is taught by an interdisciplinary team, all with specialist expertise across a wide range of policy areas. 

You learn from research-active tutors based at UCL’s Evidence for Policy and Practice Information Centre (EPPI Centre), which is recognised worldwide for its development of methods for diverse kinds of evidence synthesis, for the production of policy-relevant research, and for working collaboratively with policymakers, practitioners and communities to conduct research and inform policy.

The course can be studied on campus or fully online, and it is available full-time (one year), part-time (two years) or via flexible/modular study (taking a maximum of five years to complete). Find out more about each of these ways of studying.

This MSc has Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) 1+3 training recognition, meaning it stands alone as a degree but can also prepare students for doctoral research. It is eligible for ESRC funding as the first year of the 1+3 PhD course. Prospective candidates can apply to the Knowledge, Evidence and Policy pathway. Find more information on ESRC studentships.

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

The foundation of your career

Graduates of previous versions of this course have gained sought-after skills that allowed them to pursue professional careers in academia or policy research, development and analysis.

Employability

With its core focus on theoretical knowledge and practical methodological skills for planning and conducting systematic reviews and other types of evidence synthesis, the course fosters development of disciplinary knowledge and transferable skills that are in high demand in the labour market and will be competitive in a broad range of occupations. Our interdisciplinary approach will give you the confidence to apply your analytical and methodological skills in a wide range of settings. Students completing the course are equipped with enhanced critical thinking skills and skills for research design and appraisal, spanning a full range of research purposes and problems.

Networking

Our central London location and network of partners and alumni give students access to nationally and internationally prominent guest speakers who provide insight into policy as it is formed.

Our students come from a range of backgrounds from all over the world, providing great networking opportunities within the course. You will encounter academics, researchers, alumni, and visiting speakers at seminars, lecture series, career events, workshops, and other department and student-organised events. You will be kept up to date with opportunities to participate in events and apply for internships or jobs.

UCL Careers also offers a range of services, providing access to skills development, recruitment and networking events.

Teaching and learning

The course is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, practical sessions, tutorials and research supervision, and is taught by scholars who have carried out research in the field. You will take part in both guided and self-guided personal work. You discuss and apply your learning from lectures and other activities in seminar sessions. In research methods courses, lectures are often mirrored by a practical workshop seminar in a computer lab where you will put the analytical techniques introduced that week to use.

Modules are taught over 10 weeks each term and are offered as campus-based and fully online courses, with both versions of the module running in parallel. For campus-based students, this is usually in the form of either a one-hour lecture followed by a one-hour seminar or workshop, or a two-hour practical workshop.

Distance learners have access to the same information delivered to students studying on campus through a range of online teaching tools. For distance-learning students, most learning activities are self-paced and asynchronous. Online discussion boards are used to help foster a sense of community and to allow you to keep in touch with peers and academics throughout your studies. There will be opportunities for weekly one-to-one contact with your tutors. Optional live sessions can also be arranged where time zones permit.

For student visa holders, all study that is part of your course is expected to take place on the university’s premises, with Tier 4 conditions preventing selection of distance learning modules where a campus-based version is available.

Assessment is carried out through a blend of formative and summative assessment methods. Module assessments on the course vary, and may include coursework (for example, essays and written assignments), presentations, or a form of examination. You may be expected to complete both individual and group assessments. UCL’s module catalogue details individual module assessments, but please note these may be subject to change on an annual basis.

Outside of lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials, full-time students typically study the equivalent of a full-time job, using their remaining time for self-directed study and completing coursework assignments.

For full-time students studying on campus, typical contact hours are around 10 hours per week. In Terms 1 and 2, full-time students can typically expect between 8 and 12 contact hours per teaching week through a mixture of lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials. In Term 3 and the summer period, you will complete the dissertation research, keeping regular contact with your supervisor.

Part-time and modular/flexible students will need one day per week for each 15-credit module, plus additional time to prepare for assessments.

Modules

The course consists of eight compulsory modules (120 credits) and a dissertation (60 credits). 

Four taught modules are taken in Term 1 and another four modules in Term 2. Dissertation teaching commences in Term 1 and includes workshops and individual supervision, with the research and writing conducted in Terms 2 and 3 and the summer.

Over the two years, students take eight compulsory modules (120 credits) and a dissertation (60 credits).

In Year 1 of the course, you will take Understanding the Policy Process and a further three to five of the 15-credit modules. Where relevant, you will be required to take introductory modules before moving on to the more advanced ones. The number of modules that you take in each academic year will depend on your commitments outside UCL, such as employment and family responsibilities. In Year 2, you will take the remaining 15-credit modules, bringing the total number to eight, and commence work on the 60-credit research dissertation. 

The course consists of eight taught compulsory modules (120 credits) and a dissertation (60 credits).

Modular/flexible students have between two and five years in which to complete the course, with Understanding the Policy Process taken in Year 1 and the 60-credit research dissertation taken in the final year of study. The number of modules that you take in each academic year will depend on your commitments outside UCL, such as employment and family responsibilities. Where relevant, you will be required to take introductory modules before moving on to the more advanced ones. You do not have to take modules every year.  

Compulsory modules












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.

Fieldwork

You may choose to organise and undertake fieldwork in relation to your research for your dissertation, but this is not a requirement. If undertaken, fieldwork must be self-funded.

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

Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.

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.

For modular/flexible offer holders with a fee status classification of UK, a £350 deposit will be charged.

For modular/flexible offer holders with a fee status classification of Overseas, a £500 deposit will be charged.

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

The purchase of books may constitute an additional cost, but there is no requirement to purchase any book as part of the course. 

Students are responsible for covering any travel, accommodation, and other expenses involved in conducting research for their dissertation and should account for these costs when planning their finances. Fieldwork is not compulsory to complete a dissertation. If fieldwork is conducted, this is at the student’s own expense and should be estimated according to the type and length of fieldwork proposed. The exact cost to the student will depend on the location, prevailing exchange rates, and the price of travel and accommodation.

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

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

  • why you want to study Social Policy and Evidence Synthesis at graduate level.
  • why you want to study Social Policy and Evidence Synthesis at UCL.
  • what particularly attracts you to the chosen course.
  • how your academic and professional background meets the demands of this challenging course.
  • 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 course match what the course will deliver.

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.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2026-2027

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

Social Research Institute
Social Research Institute

mscsp@ucl.ac.uk

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