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Sociology and Social Inequalities MSc

London, Bloomsbury

The Sociology and Social Inequalities MSc offers advanced sociological training with a dedicated focus on understanding and addressing social inequalities. Through a curriculum that combines rigorous methodological training with an interdisciplinary approach, you will explore the roots, mechanisms, and impacts of inequality across individual, community, national, and global contexts. Topics that may be covered include intersections of race, gender, social class, social justice, the climate crisis, AI and new technology, and the paths towards creating a more equitable future.

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 calendar year
2 calendar years
5 calendar 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 sociology or a related social science subject. If you do not meet these requirements individuals with relevant work experience, or with A level sociology and an undergraduate degree in another subject who show a clear desire to change discipline may be considered.

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.

This course is suitable for international students on a Student visa – study must be full-time, face-to-face, starting September.

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 Sociology and Social Inequalities MSc offers a comprehensive approach to understanding society and the pervasive impact of social inequalities. The curriculum includes foundational modules in Advanced Social Theory, Global Sociology, Principles of Sociological Explanation, and Social Change in Contemporary Society, alongside the specialised module, Sociological Approaches to Inequalities. In this module, students critically explore the intersecting dimensions of inequality, focusing on how disparities in power, resources, and representation shape life outcomes, from individual wellbeing to national stability in the face of global crises like climate change. 

Students can tailor their studies with a wide range of optional modules, exploring topics especially relevant to inequalities in today’s world. You will learn to analyse inequality through tools such as computational methods, systematic reviews, and impact evaluation, but also through qualitative, critical, and intersectional approaches. The dissertation component provides an opportunity to conduct an independent research project on a topic of your choosing, demonstrating your understanding and application of sociological tools to the inequalities of today. Graduates of the course leave with a nuanced understanding of contemporary inequality, critical and analytical skills, and hands-on research experience highly sought after in today’s labour market. 

The course is one of four postgraduate sociology degrees offered by UCL Social Research Institute. Others are Sociology MSc, Sociology and Data Science MSc, and Sociology of Childhood and Children's Rights MA. It is available full-time (one year), part-time (two years) or via flexible study (taking a maximum of five years to complete). Find out more about each of these ways of studying.

Who this course is for

This degree is likely to be of interest to students with a sociology background wishing to expand their sociological training or those from other social science backgrounds who wish to switch to sociology.  It will appeal to people with an interest in how the real world works, and those who work in jobs related to understanding and improving society, including policy makers, teachers, journalists, and those working in NGOs and charities.

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

What this course will give you

This course offers a robust foundation in sociological theory and methodology, enriched with a specialised focus on mechanisms of social inequality. You will learn to critically analyse inequality through both established and emerging sociological frameworks, using qualitative and quantitative methods, analytical software like R and NVivo, and academic writing. The course emphasises critical thinking, flexibility, and empathy, preparing graduates for roles in academia, policy, and beyond – where these analytical and interpersonal skills are in high demand. 
 
The Social Research Institute is a world-leading centre for policy-oriented social science. Our mission is to change the world for the better through our research, our teaching and our public engagement. This degree plays to the department’s strengths, is applied, empirical, policy-relevant, and interacts with the real world. Students will leave with a range of both hard and soft transferable skills that are in high demand in the labour market and will be competitive in a broad range of occupations. 
Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

This is a new degree so there are no alumni yet.

Employability

Upon completing your studies, you will emerge from our course equipped with the essential skills and a forward-thinking mindset necessary to confront the challenges that define 21st-century society. Whether you decide to pursue further postgraduate studies or embark on a competitive career path, your time at UCL will provide you with a distinct advantage. Join us in shaping a brighter future through academic excellence and societal impact.

What this means in practice is students will acquire a range of skills that increase their employability, in addition to their subject specific expertise they will require. Through a comprehensive approach based on UCL’s Pillars of Employability, encompassing formative and summative exercises across different modules, methodological training, extracurricular activities, career guidance including PhD preparation support, and volunteering opportunities (e.g., under the UCL Community Research Initiative), we are confident that we provide our students with a well-rounded portfolio of skills and training that will set them apart in the labour market.

Upon graduation students will have acquired the following transferable skills:

  • Data analysis
  • Programming, using the latest software packages
  • Decision making
  • Problem solving
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Teamwork
  • Independent work and leadership
  • Presentational skills
  • Communication skills
  • Time keeping and workload prioritisation
  • Project management

Networking

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

Teaching and learning

This campus-based 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. Students are expected to take part in both guided and self-guided personal work. Seminar sessions are where students discuss and apply their learning from their lectures and other activities. In research methods courses, lectures are often mirrored by a practical workshop seminar in a computer lab where students will put the analytical techniques introduced that week to use.

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.

On average, it is expected that a student spends 150 hours studying for each 15-credit module. This includes teaching time, private study and coursework. The 60-credit dissertation module requires a notional learning time of about 600 hours.

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. 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 are taught over 10 weeks each term. 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.

For full-time students studying on campus, typical contact hours are around 10 hours per week. In terms one and two, 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 three and the summer period, students will be completing the dissertation research, keeping regular contact with their supervisors.

Modules

The Sociology and Social Inequalities MSc consists of five compulsory modules (75 credits), three optional modules (45 credits), and a dissertation (60 credits).

Students on this course take four compulsory modules alongside other postgraduate sociology students in the department: Global Sociology, Principles of Sociological Explanation, Social Change in Contemporary Society, and Advanced Social Theory. They also take one further compulsory module, Sociological Approaches to Inequalities, and three optional modules, two of which must focus on research methods.

Dissertation teaching begins in term one and includes workshops and individual supervision.

The Sociology and Social Inequalities MSc consists of five compulsory modules (75 credits), three optional modules (45 credits), and a dissertation (60 credits).

Part-time students will complete the course over two academic years. Up to six 15-credit modules can be taken in the first year, with the remainder taken in the second year.

Dissertation teaching begins in term one of the second year and includes workshops and individual supervision.

The Sociology and Social Inequalities MSc consists of five compulsory modules (75 credits), three optional modules (45 credits), and a dissertation (60 credits).

Modular/flexible students have between two and five years in which to complete the course, with the dissertation taken in the final year of study. You do not have to take modules every year. 

Compulsory modules








Optional 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

Students may choose to organise and undertake fieldwork in relation to their research for their 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

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

IOE - Aziz Foundation Scholarships

Value: Full tuition fees (1 year)
Criteria Based on academic merit
Eligibility: UK

IOE-Clarke Scholarships

Deadline: 5 May 2025
Value: Tuition fees, return flights and stipend (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: EU, Overseas

IOE-ISH Centenary Masters Scholarships

Deadline: 5 May 2025
Value: Tuition fees and accommodation at International Students House (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: Overseas

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 Sociology and Social Inequalities at graduate level.
  • Why you want to study Sociology and Social Inequalities 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

mscsoc@ucl.ac.uk

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