History and Social Policy

About this programme

Graduate outcomes: Strathclyde ranked joint 1st in Scotland HESA Graduate Outcomes results 2026 Ranked: 3rd in Scotland for Social Policy (Complete University Guide 2027) and Top 10 in the UK for History (The Guardian University Guide 2026) Studying history – the story of humanity through the ages – develops your knowledge of the past and gives you a better understanding of the present. Our classes cover some of the most important and interesting historical periods at home and abroad, including Scotland’s ‘Highland Problem’ in the 16th century, Slavery in World History and Cold War Europe, 1945-1991. Throughout your studies, you'll receive excellent training in areas such as problem-solving, communication, research methods and interpretation. Social Policy examines the ways in which societies distribute resources and develop services to meet individual and social needs. Key social policy issues examined include poverty; economic, race, age and gender inequality; social justice health; education; criminal justice and housing. It utilises a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods to improve our understanding of how societies organise their resources to meet individual and social needs and how they measure progress in these areas. This programme gives you the opportunity to learn more about the social and economic challenges facing Scottish society and place these in a broader international perspective. It draws on disciplines such as history, sociology, anthropology, economics, law, psychology, social anthropology and politics.