Policy Studies at Bristol

The School for Policy Studies is a world-renowned centre for social and public policy research.

Our undergraduate degrees are multi-disciplinary and draw from a range of subjects to introduce students to the theories and practice of the major areas of Childhood Studies, Social Policy (including International Social and Public Policy) and Criminology. Courses are highly rated in the national league tables (the School for Policy Studies was ranked 7th in the UK by the Complete University Guide, 2021) and we strive to deliver an innovative student experience.

Teaching is delivered by a friendly academic community at the forefront of their fields of research (80 per cent of our research was rated as 'world-leading' or 'internationally excellent' in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework) which means not only are our students taught by those doing the research, but the research undertaken by our academics is having a direct impact on policy and practice in areas such as social and health inequalities, child welfare, gender violence, migration, poverty and criminal justice.

Our graduates progress on to a broad range of careers in policy and practice including local, national and international governmental organisations, global charities, education, law, and social research.

Unit structure

The school offers many classes that are based in a single semester, and can therefore accept unit requests from Study Abroad students who want to join Bristol for just the autumn or spring semester.

Unit levels

The school offers units across all undergraduate levels of study: year 1 (level C/4), year 2 (level I/5), and year 3 (level H/6) units. Postgraduate units are not available.

Unit codes

Unit codes in the School for Policy Studies begin with 'SOWK' or 'SPOL' . This is followed by a number indicating the year (1, 2, 3). For example:

• SPOL10000 = year 1 unit
• SPOL20000 = year 2 unit
• SPOL30000 = year 3 unit.

For more information about each unit, check the University's unit catalogue for 2023/24. Applicants on all study abroad programmes must review the unit details on the catalogue before listing unit choices on their application form. This includes checking the format of assessment for each unit. The unit catalogue for 2023/24 is updated by April 2023.

Your unit choices cannot be guaranteed. Some units may not have capacity to accommodate all of the unit requests we receive. Registration on a unit also depends on whether you meet the pre-requisite conditions through prior study at your home university.

Study Abroad (Subject pathway)

If you have been nominated to Bristol on the Study Abroad (Subject pathway), you must take the majority of your credits in this department.

Units available on the study abroad programme in 2023/24

The following units from the School for Policy Studies are open to inbound Study Abroad students.

Units by subject area

The School provides units in 3 key areas: Childhood Studies, Criminology, and Social Policy/International Social and Public Policy. Here is an overview of the units by subject matter:

Childhood Studies

• Child and Adolescent Health (TB1) - SPOL20060
• Child and Adolescent Psychology (TB1) - SPOL20032
• Child Nutrition, Activity and Health (TB1) - SPOL30034
• Children and Young People in the Law (TB1) - SPOL30057
• Children in a Global Context (TB1) - SPOL32008
• Constructing Childhoods (TB1) - SPOL10023
• Youth, Sexualities and Gendered Violence (TB1) - SPOL22023
• Contemporary Debates in Global Childhood (TB2) - SPOL10024
• Education, Schooling and Diversity (TB2) - SPOL10029
• Family Support (TB2) - SOWK20002
• Therapeutic Work with Children (TB2) - SPOL30035
• Youth Justice (TB2) - SPOL20022

Criminology

• Globalisation, Crime, Harm and Justice (TB1) - SPOL20025
• Key Thinkers in Criminology (TB1) - SPOL20036
• Representations of Crime and Harm (TB1) - SPOL10037
• Understanding Crime, Harm and Society (TB1) - SPOL10020
• Crime, Harm and Money (TB2) - SPOL20064
• Criminological Theory: An Introduction (TB2) - SPOL10029
• Drugs and Society (TB2) - SPOL30011
• Global Illicit Drug Markets (TB2) - SPOL30080
• Harms of the Powerful (TB2) - SPOL20034
• Punishment in Society (TB2) - SPOL20052
• Responding to Crime and Social Harm (TB2) - SPOL10031
• Sex, Power and Consumption (TB2) - SPOL30073

Social Policy/International Social and Public Policy

• Health Policy in a Global Context (TB1) - SPOL20061
• Key Concepts, Theories and Ideologies in Social Policy (TB1) - SPOL10033
• Poverty, Social Exclusion & Social Policy (TB1) - SPOL20019
• Social Care in Crisis (TB1) - SPOL20047
• Social Policy Past and Present (TB1) - SPOL10034
• Understanding Public Policy (TB1) - SPOL20026
• Cities and communities in the urban age (TB2) - SPOL30062
• Collective Action and Policy Change (TB2) - SPOL10040
• Comparative and International Policy Studies (TB2) - SPOL10035
• Global Challenges (TB2) - SPOL10041
• International Political Economy and Social Policy (TB2) - SPOL20063
• Migration: UK, EU and Global Policy Perspectives (TB2) - SPOL30069
• Segregation and Inequality in International Perspective (TB2) - SPOL10038
• Social Policy and Development (TB2) - SPOL20050
• Theorising Social Welfare (TB2) - SPOL20059

Application queries

Contact the Centre for Study Abroad inbound team if you have any queries about the application process for the study abroad programmes:

Phone: +44 117 39 40207
Email: cfsa-inbound@bristol.ac.uk