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SPOL20050

Academic Year 2026/2027

Economics of Social Policy (SPOL20050)

Subject:
Social Policy
College:
Social Sciences & Law
School:
Soc Pol, Soc Wrk & Soc Justice
Level:
2 (Intermediate)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Assoc Professor Micheal Collins
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This course is about the relationship between economics and social policy. It introduces students to the basic principles of economics, and to how the framework derived from them can be applied to the analysis of social justice, the welfare state, and areas of social policy such as healthcare, education, redistribution, housing and transport.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module students should be able to:
1. Understand core basic economic principles
2. Describe the contribution economics can make to social and public policy
3. Apply an economic perspective to substantive areas of social and public policy such as redistribution, education, healthcare, pensions and housing
4. Analyse how different attitudes to efficiency and equity can drive choices that governments and society make
5. Evaluate why social and public policies differ between countries


Indicative Module Content:

The module is delivered through a series of lectures, discussion classes and presentations which are structured to cover: the key 'concepts' for the course (markets, equity and efficiency); the key 'contexts' for the course (including the economic climate, the welfare state, taxation and international rules and agreements); and key 'applications' for the course (such as Healthcare, Education, Housing, Poverty, Inequality, Income Maintenance, Transport).

Full details are available on the course outline.

UNESCO highlights a set of key competencies that support individuals in their development and support society in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UCD has adapted these competencies and is combining them with others to form a general framework of learning competencies. This module will help you develop the competencies below to the levels specified. 
Learning Competency Additional Information Level

Collaboration

 The ability to learn from others; to understand and respect the needs, perspectives and actions of others (empathy); to understand, relate to and be sensitive to others (empathic leadership); to deal with conflicts in a group; and to facilitate collaborative and participatory problem solving. Competent

Critical Thinking

 The ability to question norms, practices and opinions; to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions. Proficient

Systems Thinking

 The ability to recognize and understand relationships; to analyse complex systems; to think of how systems are embedded within different domains and different scales; and to deal with uncertainty. Proficient

Strategic

 The ability to collectively develop and implement innovative actions that further sustainability at the local level and further afield. Competent

Integrated Problem Solving

 The overarching ability to apply different problem-solving frameworks to complex sustainability problems and develop viable, inclusive and equitable solution options that promote sustainable development, integrating the competencies in this list. Competent

Self-awareness

 The ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community and (global) society; to continually evaluate and further motivate one’s actions; and to deal with one’s feelings and desires. Competent

Normative

 The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underlie one’s actions; and to negotiate values, principles, goals, and targets, in a context of conflicts of interest and trade-offs, uncertain knowledge and contradictions. Proficient

Anticipatory

 The ability to understand and evaluate multiple scenarios for the future – possible, probable and desirable; to create one’s own visions for the future; to apply the precautionary principle; to assess the consequences of actions; and to deal with risks and changes. Proficient

Digital Literacy and Judgement

 The ability to access, evaluate, create and communicate information in digital environments; to engage critically, ethically and responsibly with digital technologies and digital information; to understand their opportunities, limitations, risks and impact on individual’s digital identities; and to exercise informed judgement in digital participation and decision-making. Proficient

AI Literacy & Agency

 The ability to understand, critically evaluate and responsibly engage with artificial intelligence; to recognise how AI systems are shaped by human values; to assess their ethical, social and environmental implications; and to exercise human judgement, agency and accountability in AI-related contexts. Competent

Wellbeing

 Wellbeing is having the resources and skills to meet life's challenges, including attributes such as personal development skills, resilience, stress management, strengths, lifestyle skills, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, alcohol/substance use, academic skills, time management, goal setting, interpersonal skills, group work, communication. Not addressed

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Specified Learning Activities

30
Autonomous Student Learning

50
Lectures

20
Total

100

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Learning is through lecture attendance and participation, course reading, completion of assignments and self-directed learning. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) techniques are applied throughout.

Students are expected to uphold academic integrity in all of their submitted course work and assessments. Students may use Generative AI tools as part of researching and preparing their coursework. Where it is used, students should include an appendix to their assignment outlining how and why they used AI; this should also include the prompts used to generate any AI output. Omission to report the usage of AI will be penalised with an E grade or lower. However, students are reminded that in accordance with UCD Academic Integrity policies, in all cases the coursework you present must be your own work. Students should consult the course outline document where more details on these issue are provided.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations
Learning Requirements:

none

Learning Exclusions:

none


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade Component repeat (in-module) Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): An individual assignment which links course material to contemporary policy developments. Week 9 Pass/Fail Grade Scale No
40
 No
Exam (In-person): An MCQ exam - online exam, completed in person in a lecture hall during week 12. Week 12 Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% No
60
 No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring Yes - 1 Hour
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Course Assignment Students will be provided with feedback which will include the assignment grade and some individual comments. These will be provided electronically via Brightspace. A document will also be made available with some overall comments on the assignments. Draft grades will be available via Brightspace.

Core texts:

Le Grand, J., Smith, S. & Propper, C. (2008) The Economics of Social Problems, 4th edition, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.

Barr, N. (2020) The Economics of the Welfare State, 6th edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press. (there is a 5th edition (2012) also available – references below are to both editions)

O’Hagan, J., F. O’Toole and C. Whelan (eds.) (2025) The Economy of Ireland, 15th edition, London: Bloomsbury Academic. (note the earlier 14th edition (2021) is also relevant)

The majority of lectures will draw on the core texts mentioned above. References to the relevant chapter of these texts, plus other reading material, are listed in the course outline.

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Thurs 09:00 - 09:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Tues 09:00 - 09:50
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