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Develop an interdisciplinary and cutting-edge understanding of local, national and global inequality issues. Explore strategies for change. Research an area of inequality to specialise in. Gain a career in the public, voluntary or education sector, or take your studies to PhD level. Be a part of changing the world.
Why does inequality exist and what can we do about it? In this theoretical and research-based Inequality and Society course, you'll examine the major causes of inequalities in our world. You'll explore the nature of intersectionality, including how factors such as gender, sexuality, ethnicity, age, and others come together and how certain groups face unique forms of disadvantage. You'll develop as a researcher and work out strategies that can be used to change the unequal world in which we live in order to help achieve equity and social justice.
Take advantage of a broad range of optional modules which explore the nature of inequality further, examining topics such as gender, activism and social justice, mental and physical health, sexualities and gender identities, media exclusions, childhood inequalities, and socio-economic inequalities. We're proud of our ‘internationalising of the curriculum’ approach where topics explored will be from national to global in their outlook. Our modules have been aligned to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
You'll have opportunities to develop your own employability skills and depending on your chosen modules, to learn skills such as conference speaking, using social research software like Nvivo and SPSS, writing a report for global bodies like the United Nations, writing a campaign strategy for an activist movement, and developing electronic resources such as blogs, podcasts and YouTube clips.
The full-time MSc Inequality and Society is studied over one year from October to September. The course runs on a Tuesday with modules in three-hour blocks to fit around work and childcare commitments and to reduce the number of days that you are in university.
The course will typically be taught as the following:
All classes in semester one are on a Tuesday. These are held in the afternoon (1-4pm for first core module) and one evening class (5-8pm for second core module).
Development Sessions also run on a Tuesday from 12-1pm throughout both semester one and two, and are optional. Development Sessions will cover topics such as writing a PhD proposal, searching for academic journals, exploring additional research methods outside of your modules, providing dissertation drop-ins, introducing employability and graduate support, and offering opportunities to give course feedback. There will also be informal opportunities to have coffee with the Programme Leaders.
All classes in semester two are also on a Tuesday. Depending on your option choices, these will typically run in the timeslots of: 9-12pm, 1-4pm or 5-8pm.
Alongside writing your dissertation, there will be two mandatory ‘dissertation days’ to prepare you for your dissertation research, which will typically be a full day (10am-4pm) over two Fridays, one in November and another in January. You'll be provided with an academic calendar with the exact dates of these when you enrol.
The part-time version of the MSc Inequality and Society is studied over two years and follows the same day and time slots as full-time students. However, in your first year you'll study a core module in semester one (1-4pm) and an optional module in semester two (time dependent on choice, but between 1-8pm). In your second year, you'll complete your second core module in semester one, an optional module in semester two, and your dissertation module over the year.
You must also take part in a day-long ‘MSc Inequality and Society Dissertation Conference’ towards the end of the course, in the September as you complete your MSc. We would also encourage students to attend other voluntary training courses and opportunities that fall on other days where possible.
A typical week for you, whether full-time or part-time, will include interactive lectures, seminars, workshops, blended learning, group and individual work, and computer-based learning. Throughout the course, you'll have one-to-one support from an allocated Personal Academic Tutor who will meet with you regularly.
During both semesters where there are local half-term holidays, teaching doesn't take place during these weeks. Instead, we offer all students ‘enrichment weeks’ of optional and additional activities. These have included guest lectures, training sessions, theatre trips, visits to museums, and more. We encourage all students to come along to enrichment weeks in both semesters.
Despite leaving school after her A Levels to concentrate on her music career, Izzy returned to education after a ten-year break to study for the MSc Inequality and Society, and has graduated with a First Class Honours degree.
Read more about Izzy's journey
Kirsty's research topic around the attitudes of players towards the protagonists within character-focused video games gained her the highest mark on the MSc Inequality and Society course and a prize for Dissertation of the Year.
Read more about Kirsty's achievements
We caught up with Drew Dalton, Senior Lecturer in the School of Social Sciences at the University of Sunderland, to find out why Social Sciences are a great area to study at degree level.
Read more about why Social Sciences make you think differently
Our typical offer is:
| Qualification | Minimum grade |
|---|---|
| a Canadian bachelor's degree | GPA 2.40 |
| a USA bachelor's degree | GPA 2.5 |
If you already hold a postgraduate qualification, please see our Applying for additional postgraduate degrees Help and Advice article.
If you don't meet our standard entry requirements, you can take one of the foundation pathways at our partners ONCAMPUS Sunderland. Find out more information and whether your course is eligible on our ONCAMPUS page.
If your qualification is not listed above, please contact the Student Administration team at studentadmin@sunderland.ac.uk for further advice.
We usually require applicants to hold at least a second class honours degree (usually a 2:1 or above) or equivalent.
Experience may be counted towards your application. We welcome applicants with degrees in areas such as social sciences, psychology, business, law, education, humanities, health, arts, technology, and the sciences.
We do recommend that applicants have a knowledge of sociological theories and concepts before entering the course. We offer a Social Theory Summer School in October before the course starts to cover the basics, but we also recommend applicants read about sociological theories before the course starts.
Applicants whose first language isn't English must achieve a minimum IELTS score of 6.5 in all four areas.
If you feel you already know some of the topics covered in this course, either due to previous learning or from experience of work, you may not need to study all of the course.
Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) is the name given to the process of gaining credit towards a qualification because of something you have learnt in the past. If you're eligible for APL you won't have to learn the same topic again, so you can be exempt from a module, set of modules, or year of a course.
Fees are:
Part-time fees are £445 per 10 credits. Please note that part-time courses aren't available to international students who require a student visa to study in the UK.
*European Union (EU), EEA (European Economic Area), and Swiss nationals who don't qualify for the EU Settlement Scheme are classed as international, however, for 24/25 admission, you'll receive a European student fee scholarship and will pay the home tuition fee rate for the duration of your studies. The discounted fee will be reflected in your offer letter. Learn more in our Help and Advice article.
Take a look at the scholarships and bursaries that may be available to you.
This information was correct at the time of publication.
The MSc Inequality and Society creates a number of career options. Your expert knowledge of equality and diversity, data analysis, and strong research skills will be highly prized by employers. You'll become a specialist in your chosen area of inequality, as well as other areas that you choose to study.
Many University of Sunderland postgraduates now work in the fields of human rights, equality, inclusion and diversity, education, the criminal justice system, the private sector and business, local and national government, international development, social justice campaign work, advocacy, and social research. Many of our graduates also go on to study a postgraduate research qualification, such as a PhD.
Read more about what you can do with a Social Science degree.
Graduates of this course will be able to forge careers:
At the beginning of the course, a full induction and Flying Start pre-course module will introduce you to the Employability and Enterprise Hub offering a range of career and CV-enhancing services that you can use as a master's student. During the course, Development Sessions from 12-1pm on Tuesdays will be offered to support you in learning new skills, research methods, and boosting future employment opportunities. There may also be additional training courses offered for you to top up your CV, and opportunities for you to go to conferences and events will be promoted. These additional courses may be on different days to timetabled modules.
You may be offered opportunities to engage with short or long-term internships with organisations that are involved with tackling social inequalities. This is a great way to gain experience over the year of your MSc with cutting-edge organisations as you study and which may form the basis of your final dissertation topic. Excellent opportunities to take part in internships and long-term volunteering may be offered and previous MSc students have taken positions with acclaimed organisations such as The Equality Trust and JustFair.
At the end of the course in the September, you'll take part in arranging and presenting your dissertation findings in front of your peers and staff members. This is a supportive experience that allows you to familiarise yourself with presenting research and associated findings in a conference setting, which will enhance your confidence, CV, and career development.
The University of Sunderland’s Centre for Applied Social Sciences (CASS) combines original academic research with practice-based collaborations and outreach activities, often working directly with practitioners, policymakers, and front-line delivery staff regionally, nationally, and internationally.
The mission of CASS reflects that of the University's aim as a civic university: to take an active interest in the social issues that affect the region and beyond by engaging in research and practice-based collaborations that aim to improve living conditions, address inequalities and social exclusion, and promote social justice.
Currently, our research focuses around three strands: children, young people and families; communities, health and social exclusion; and crime, victims and social justice.
CASS regularly hosts visiting speakers and holds events that you'll be invited to. This can be an excellent way to learn from the real-life experience of experts in the field who already have a strong track record in sociological and social policy related research.
PhD options include:
Drew Dalton, Programme Leader, led a team of social scientists to introduce this inequality-focused master's course. Here, he talks about welfare reforms and the rising cost of living, coupled with the concerning rise of hate crime and the far right, as well as the impact of Brexit. Learn more about how the course came about, its intention, and hear from an applicant in our ‘Solving inequalities in society’ news article.
The structure, support and friendly culture are better than any other university I’ve studied at.
I’ve enjoyed being part of the community and University all five years I’ve been a student here.
The University has helped me achieve my dream of receiving an education to be proud of.
The level of support from staff has really been the key to my success.
My experience has been truly life-changing – I have seen myself develop and gain confidence.
The range of modules are amazingly diverse and interesting – I wish I could have chosen them all!
You’ll receive an education that will put your critical thinking on a whole new plane.
I loved every lecture and the teaching team were incredibly supportive throughout.
The course content is super and I’m always looking forward to getting stuck into the material.
Everyone is made to feel welcome and given an equal chance to thrive.
The University and this course have given me hope, a direction and purpose.
I’ve made incredible memories and had lecturers who are extremely passionate about their subjects.
The lecturers are so passionate and professional in what they do, which is very inspiring.
