PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION: MSc Inequalities and Social Science
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Awarding Body
Details of accreditation by a
professional/statutory body,
e.g. ESRC; BPS etc
Name of final award
Programme Title
Duration of the course
Based in the Department/Institute:
Relevant QAA subject benchmark
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UCAS Code
First written/last amended
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The programme aims to:
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LSE
N/A
MSc
Inequalities and Social Science
1 year
Sociology
N/A
L3UJ
March 2014
1. Introduce students to a range of interdisciplinary approaches to the social scientific
analysis of inequality
2. Develop theoretical awareness of different conceptions of the meaning of inequality and
its various dimensions
3. Introduce students to the political economy of inequality and the role of political
institutions in combatting inequality
4. Introduce students to different methods for the measurement of inequality, both
quantitative and qualitative
5. Make students familiar with debates on the causes and consequences of increasing
global inequality
6. Allow students to place issues of inequality in a fully international context
7. Give students the skills and awareness to go onto conduct research in the area of
inequalities.
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Programme outcomes: knowledge and understanding; skills and other attributes
1. A knowledge of different understandings of the relationship between dimensions of
inequality: class, gender, race and ethnicity, age, sexuality, disability,
2. Awareness of different measures of inequality, including macro measures such as the gini
coefficient, use of income and occupational measures, definitions of poverty and
wellbeing, and an appreciation of the use of both quantitative and qualitative methods for
the study of inequality
3. A knowledge of the debates regarding the causal significance of economic, political,
social and cultural processes in the generation of inequality
4. Knowledge of research examining the impact of economic inequalities on social, cultural
and political issues
5. A knowledge of the global, spatial and historical aspects of analysing inequality
6. Understanding of issues posed by diversity and equality
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Teaching, learning and assessment strategies to enable outcomes to be achieved and
demonstrated
Teaching and learning strategies:
In the core course, students will be exposed to different disciplinary approaches to the study of
inequality. We are expecting input from the Departments of Economics, Geography, Government,
Media and Communications, Social Anthropology, Social Policy, Sociology, and Statistics. We
expect the core course to be organised in themes which allow different disciplines to explore
common issues from different perspectives. Although these are to be finalised, themes might
include
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Conceptualising economic bases of inequality
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Social mobility
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Welfare
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Conceptualising relationship between class, gender, race and ethnicity
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Scales of inequality.
Continuity will be provided by each session being taught by two colleagues, one with discipline
specific expertise, and the other (probably based in the Department of Sociology) being an anchor
who attends every week and seeks to explore link different sessions and disciplinary perspectives.
The classes will normally be taught in a two hour block, with a one hour lecture, and one hour
seminar, to allow students to be exposed to detailed evaluation of core issues
Assessment strategies:
The core course will adopt a standard assessment model of 50% examination and 50%
coursework. We think this is appropriate since an examination component can guarantee that
students need to answer questions from different disciplines, whilst an essay component can
ensure that students can answer questions of specific interest to them in depth.
The optional courses will adopt the assessment strategies used in different Departments
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Programme structures and requirements, levels, modules and awards
MSc Inequalities and Social Science
Additional information
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Criteria for admission to the programme
Undergraduate degree (2.1 or above, or equivalent)
Demonstrable interest in the interdisciplinary analysis of inequality (as evidenced from personal
statement)
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Indicators of quality
The LSE probably has more inter-disciplinary expertise in the analysis of inequality than any other
university in the UK, and indeed in the world. This MSc will be a device which will allow the
pooling of expertise between Departments and will help train a cadre of students who might be
able to develop a distinctive LSE ‘brand’ in the area.
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Methods for evaluating and improving the quality and standard of teaching and
learning
Optional courses will fall into existing Departmental structures, including TLC and SSC.
We expect that overall responsibility for the degree, and the core course in particular, will fall into
the proposed International Institute for Inequalities, which will have its own SSC, and whose
management board will include an academic with overall responsibility for the running of the
programme.
School level quality assurance processes include:
1. a system of initial programme approval, with input from the providers of resource-based
services (including the Library, IT Services and the Academic Planning and Resources
Committee) and including an external assessor's report, to be conducted by the School's
central academic bodies;
2. a system of initial course approval, with input from the providers of resource-based
services and conducted by the School's central academic bodies;
3. a system of approval of major modifications to programmes and courses, conducted by
the School's central academic bodies;
4. a system of central review of departmental taught provision every five years or so,
informed by available evidence, including student views, the main purposes being to
promote development, identify and disseminate good practice, and to flag any concerns
over standards to departments, without adjudicating on them;
5. a system of gaining student feedback on their teaching and learning experience in the
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School;
6. periodic review by the School's academic bodies of its internal Codes of Practice;
7. due and appropriate consideration of national quality assurance requirements through the
School's committee structure; and
8. departments have the following arrangements in place for assuring their quality and
standards:
8.1. Staff-Student Liaison Committees for all students that meet regularly, with minutes of
meetings produced and circulated to staff and students;
8.2. Departmental Staff meetings that involve all staff, meet at least three times per
academic year, and consider information from any other extant departmental committees.
Minutes should be produced and circulated to staff;
8.3. A Teaching Committee that involves appropriate departmental staff, meets regularly
each academic session and considers all aspects of departmental learning and teaching,
including new programme and course proposals. Minutes should be produced and
circulated to members;
8.4. A system for ensuring the effective participation in the School's annual programme
monitoring exercise;
8.5. A system for considering course and programme results annually, and revising
taught provision as appropriate;
8.6. A system for considering student survey course results annually, and revising taught
provision as appropriate;
8.7. A system for considering external examiners' reports, and acting on them, on an
annual basis, with the School having an associated responsibility (a) to ensure that the
system functions and (b) for any School-wide lessons on both good practice and areas of
concern from the reports collectively.
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