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Social & Political Thought

MA (NFQ Level 9)

This course is available through the following application route(s)

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SPT is an inter- and multidisciplinary Master’s degree in which a number of UCD Schools participate (Sociology, Philosophy, Geography, History, Music, and Politics and IR).

Thinking about social and political issues and problems doesn’t stop at disciplinary boundaries. The MA in Social and Political Thought harvests the benefits that come with a more openly structured, interdisciplinary approach that is based on a wider contextual appreciation of political and social ideas. It will provide students with a deeper understanding of how ideas play out in practice and develop the knowledge base and critical skills required to think beyond disciplinary boundaries when addressing contemporary social and political problems. 

About This Course

The SPT degree puts an emphasis on:

- Improving analytical and interpretative skills through analysing politically and socially relevant meanings in texts and other media, and engaging with critical methodological approaches;

- Developing an awareness and diagnostic skills that allow for addressing the complex relationship between thinking and action;

- Building the resourcefulness and facilitating scholarly/intellectual capacity-building powers to address social and political problems and issues;

- Sharing an awareness and encouraging a more self-reflective approach vis-à-vis a purely practical-oriented political engagement or a propensity towards ideological politics;

- Encouraging political and social engagement by stressing the educational dimensions of citizenship and civic engagement.

- Fostering communication and presentations skills, orally and in writing;

Prof Andreas Hess
Programme Director

Being a good citizen and intellectual openness depend on each other. The Social and Political Thought Masters degree offers a critical perspective on the all-too-often prevailing methodological nationalism and the tendency to form fragmented communities of academic disciplines that all too often follow solely the somewhat limited horizon of the existing division of labour

MA Social & Political Thought (W544) Full Time
EU          fee per year - € 9100
nonEU    fee per year - € 22600

***Fees are subject to change

Tuition fee information is available on the UCD Fees website. Please note that UCD offers a number of graduate scholarships for full-time, self-funding international students, holding an offer of a place on a UCD graduate degree programme. For further information please see International Scholarships.

The Mary Kelly Bursary comprises an award of €2,000 towards university fees to EU students who have been accepted to one of the School of Sociology’s taught masters programmes as a full-time student. For more informatoin please see Mary Kelly Bursary

Applicants should have an undergraduate degree (NFQ Level 8 or international equivalent) in the Social Sciences or Humanities (or equivalent).  A Second Class Honours Grade One (2:1) or higher is required but Second Class Honours Grade Two (2:2) standard or equivalent may be considered. 

All candidates are expected to be proficient in written and spoken English. Applicants whose primary language is not English must submit evidence of a certificate of proficiency (such as TOEFL, Cambridge or IELTS). Test results must be less than two years old. Details of english language requirements can be found here

Students meeting the programme’s academic entry requirements but not the English language requirements, may enter the programme upon  successful completion of UCD’s Pre-Sessional or International Pre-Master’s Pathway programmes. Please see the following link for further information http://www.ucd.ie/alc/programmes/pathways/ 

Full Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. Yes

Part Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. No


General application route(s) for Irish/UK/EU applicants* for International (non-EU) applicants* to Social & Political Thought:

ROWCLASS Apply to   Application Type  
showAudience-audienceEU showAudience-audienceInt W544
Social & Political Thought
Master of Arts
Full-Time
Commencing 2024/2025 September
Graduate Taught Closed
showAudience-audienceEU showAudience-audienceInt W545
Social & Political Thought
Master of Arts
Part-Time
Commencing 2024/2025 September
Graduate Taught Closed
* you can change options at the top of the page