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Information in Society BSc

London, Stratford (UCL East)

Blend practical knowledge and skills from the humanities and technology through this innovative degree designed to help you solve real-world problems. The Information in Society BSc will give you enhanced skills in using information, data and evidence to make a difference to society. Taught at UCL East, our changemaking interdisciplinary hub, you’ll learn key skills to take forward into your future career. Graduates will have the skills to contribute to a number of fields, ranging from government to the charity sector.

UK students International students
Study mode
Full-time
Duration
3 academic years
UK tuition fees (2025/26)
£9,535
Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)
£29,800
Programme starts
September 2026
Application deadline
14 Jan 2026
UCAS course code
GL00
Apply via UCAS

Entry requirements

A levels IB Diploma Other qualifications
Grades
ABB
Subjects
No specific subjects. At least two A level subjects should be taken from UCL's list of preferred A level subjects.
GCSEs
English Language and Mathematics at grade C or 4.

Contextual offer information

Grades
BBB more about contextual offers
Subjects
No specific subjects. At least two A level subjects should be taken from UCL's list of preferred A level subjects.
GCSEs
English Language and Mathematics at grade C or 4.
Points
34
Subjects
A total of 16 points in three higher level subjects, with no higher level score below 5.

Contextual offer

Points
32 more about contextual offers
Subjects
A total of 15 points in three higher level subjects, with no higher level score below 5.

UK applicants qualifications

For entry requirements with other UK qualifications accepted by UCL, choose your qualification from the list below:

Equivalent qualification

Pass in Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 30 credits at Distinction, 12 credits at Merit and 3 credits at Pass in the Level 3 units. 

BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (QCF) or BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (RQF - teaching from 2016) with Distinction, Distinction, Distinction.

D3,M1,M1 in three Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subjects

ABB at Advanced Highers (or AB at Advanced Higher and BBB at Higher)

'Digital Production, Design, and Development' and 'Digital Business Services' T-Levels with an overall grade of Distinction.

Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.

International applications

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

Access and widening participation

UCL is committed to widening access to higher education. If you are eligible for Access UCL you do not need to do anything in addition to the standard UCAS application. Your application will be automatically flagged when we receive it.
Check your Access UCL Scheme eligibility

Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates

The Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates (UPC) prepare international students for a UCL undergraduate degree who don’t have the qualifications to enter directly. These intensive one-year foundation courses are taught on our central London campus.

Typical UPC students will be high achievers in a 12-year school system which does not meet the standard required for direct entry to UCL.

For more information see: ucl.ac.uk/upc.

English language requirements

The English language level for this programme is: Level 4

Information about the evidence required, acceptable qualifications and test providers can be found on our English language requirements page.

A variety of English language programmes are offered at the UCL Centre for Languages & International Education.

Course overview


Used effectively, information drives good decision making in organisations, businesses, the third sector, and governments, and brings new opportunities to solve the big problems our society faces. UCL’s Information in Society BSc is a strong asset for careers where real-world problems need information-driven solutions.

Whether you are confident around technology or more comfortable interacting with people, this degree enables you to strengthen skills in each area so you can lead impactful work in the service of society. Bringing together technical, creative and communication skills, this course enables graduates to act as changemakers across a range of careers.

Year 1 provides a balanced foundation for your degree, introducing technical skills (programming, maths, data science, web technologies), and a critical understanding of how societies use information in decision-making (social anthropology or social theory, ethics, artificial intelligence, information literacy). In Year 2, you deepen your knowledge and skills to address increasingly complex information problems that bridge the socio-technical divide. From digital media platforms to the information life cycle, to databases and data processing, your focus is to take those foundational skills into real-world scenarios. In Year 3, you have the chance to focus on a study path and specialise towards a career that interests you most.

What this course will give you

Based at UCL East, our new campus in Stratford, you will be part of a community of students studying interdisciplinary degrees in both arts and science subjects that are focused on creating, designing and making, with a strong emphasis on active engagement with communities to effect change.

You’ll be part of the world-renowned Department of Information Studies at UCL, which has been training information professionals for more than a century and where you will benefit from a world-class teaching and research environment. 

Our new campus is based in East Bank, the education and cultural Olympic legacy of London 2012, alongside partners such as the BBC, the V&A, Sadler’s Wells and the UAL London College of Fashion.

You'll also have the chance to take optional modules (pending availability) at our Bloomsbury campus in the heart of the Knowledge Quarter and close to the British Library and British Museum.

Teaching and learning

In each year of your degree you will take a number of individual modules, normally valued at 15 or 30 credits, adding up to a total of 120 credits for the year. Modules are assessed in the academic year in which they are taken. The balance of compulsory and optional modules varies from programme to programme and year to year. A 30-credit module is considered equivalent to 15 credits in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).

Upon successful completion of 360 credits, you will be awarded a BSc (Hons) in Information in Society.

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 is 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.

Year 1

No matter what your existing academic background is, this first year provides the foundation on which you will build your knowledge and skills in Years 2 and 3 of your studies. You take four core modules that provide a foundation for your learning, and choose two further optional modules.

Year 2

You take four compulsory modules and choose two further optional modules located at either UCL East or Bloomsbury, subject to availability. These can include picking up a new foreign language, for example, if you wish to add an international element to your skillset.

Year 3

You take three core modules and have a range of choices for two additional options from our offering at UCL East or Bloomsbury, dependent on availability. This includes the chance to apply for a specialist masters-level module from within UCL Information Studies. The degree culminates with a dissertation, in which you develop an independent and original piece of research under the direction of an academic supervisor.

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3

Compulsory modules






Optional modules






Compulsory modules






Optional modules

Evidence-Based Reasoning

Collaborative Design for Society



Compulsory modules

Information Spaces


Protecting and Managing Creative Content

Dissertation


Optional modules








Your learning

You'll learn through a combination of lectures, seminars, computer labs and independent study. To ensure you graduate as a well-rounded and flexible thinker with both strong communication and technical skills, this blend of in-depth discussion and practical technical work is split roughly 50:50 across the core curriculum. To build real-world skills, students will work both independently and collaboratively, learning to project manage effectively with other students, mirroring the world of work.

In your final year, you'll also work under an academic supervisor to design and execute a substantial and challenging individual project that represents the culmination of your degree and your academic achievements.

Typical contact hours vary between 11-15 hours per week, depending on the year of study and module choice, and include lectures, seminars, practice-based activities and e-learning activities. Students will also display a level of independent study (20-25 hours per week), for example, by engaging with key topics and required readings in preparation for the discussions promoted in the programme.

Assessment

You'll learn to communicate your knowledge in a range of formats and for a range of audiences. These include portfolios of creative or technical work, essays and reports, presentations, and technical assignments. Some optional modules have different modes of assessment, including technical portfolios and take-home exams. Most assessed pieces of work are individual assignments, while some modules also include group work to promote collaborative skill building. The weighting given to each assessment method will vary across modules to ensure manageable workloads throughout your programme.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team.

Visit us

All open days and events

Online - Open day

Information in Society information video

Watch this video to find out more about Information in Society at UCL, including entry requirements, course structure and other helpful information. Recorded Spring 2024.

Watch on demand event

The foundation of your career

You will graduate ready to contribute to a number of fields, including tech companies, policy organisations, government, consultancy, data analysis, information management, charitable/third sector organisations, the creative industries, and cultural heritage.

You may also choose to go on to further study and would be a strong candidate for Masters degrees within the department (information studies, digital humanities, publishing, library science, and archival science) or beyond, as well as in adjacent fields such as the humanities, social sciences, and technology degrees.

Employability

With an interdisciplinary background that combines humanities and technology, strong communication and leadership skills, and embedded exposure to collaboration strategies, graduates from the programme will be attractive to employers with real-world problems to solve.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time
Tuition fees (2025/26) £9,535
Tuition fees (2025/26) £29,800

Fees are for Undergraduate 2025/26 entry and are for the first year only. Fees for subsequent years may be subject to increase: Student Terms and Conditions. UK fees are in line with the Government announcement on fee cap increases and are subject to the passing of secondary legislation. Overseas fees shown are the fees that will be charged to 2025/26 entrants for each year of study on the programme, unless otherwise indicated below.

Full details of UCL's tuition fees, tuition fee policy and potential increases to fees can be found on the UCL Students website.

Additional costs

The department aims to minimise any additional costs to students. 

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 £114.50. This price was published by TfL in 2024. 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. If you are concerned by potential additional costs for books, equipment, etc., please get in touch with the relevant departmental contact (details given on this page).

Funding your studies

Various funding options are available, including student loans, scholarships and bursaries. UK students whose household income falls below a certain level may also be eligible for a non-repayable bursary or for certain scholarships. Please see the Fees and funding pages for more details.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

Scholarships

The Scholarships and Funding website lists scholarships and funding schemes available to UCL students. These may be open to all students, or restricted to specific nationalities, regions or academic department.

Next steps

Your application

We welcome applicants with a wide range of skills and interests to our programme, whether you’re passionate about humanities-related skills, like writing and small group discussion, or you have a background in more technological or maths-related fields. Our Admissions Team will assess both types of prior aptitude on an equal basis.

We recognise that this course is unique and that you may also be applying to other related, but intrinsically different subjects. We therefore do not expect your personal statement to outline your suitability solely for our Information in Society BSc programme. Instead, your application should demonstrate and provide evidence that: you are bringing some skills and interests that are relevant to the subject area; highlights your areas of strength or areas in which you are looking to learn new skills; you are a well-rounded student who is interested in wider societal, cultural and global issues.

How to apply

Application for admission should be made through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). Applicants currently at school or college will be provided with advice on the process; however, applicants who have left school or who are based outside the United Kingdom may obtain information directly from UCAS.

Selection

For further information on UCL's selection process see: How we assess your application.

Students with an A Level or equivalent in Maths will take ‘Foundations of Statistical Methods and Computing’ in their first year. Students without an A Level Maths qualification will be enrolled on ‘Mathematics and Statistics in Information Studies’. Whether you are applying with or without an A Level in Maths will not affect application success rates. We are keen to attract students from a wide range of backgrounds to create an intellectually and socially stimulating community.

Apply via UCAS
Application guidelines
Download prospectus

Got questions? Get in touch

Information Studies
Information Studies

dis-infosoc@ucl.ac.uk

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students.