Global Social Challenges
Entry requirements
A level
ABB. We do not accept two A/S Levels grades in place of one A Level. We accept the Level 3 Diploma in Financial Studies (DipFS) as equivalent to an A-level if taken alongside two full A-levels that are in different subject areas of the Diploma.
Access to HE Diploma
We require a QAA-recognised Access to HE Diploma (a minimum of 60 credits overall with at least 45 at Level 3), with merit or distinction in a subject area relevant to the chosen course. Typical applicant - A mature student returning to education after a number of years. Typical offer - Pass Access to HE Diploma with 45 level 3 credits (36 Distinctions / 9 Merits). 'Pass' in Level 2 English and Mathematics.
Applicants are expected to achieve D3, M1,M1 - M1, M1, M1 in the Cambridge Pre-U. Applicants can either take three Pre-U qualifications or study them in conjunction with A Level subjects.
The University recognises the benefits of the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) and the opportunities it provides for applicants to develop independent study and research skills. Although the Extended Project will not be included in the conditions of your offer, we strongly encourage you to provide information about the EPQ in your personal statement and at interview. A number of our academic Schools may also choose to take your performance in the EPQ into account should places be available in August for applicants who narrowly miss the entry grades for their chosen course.
GCSE/National 4/National 5
Applicants must demonstrate a broad general education including acceptable levels of Literacy and Numeracy, equivalent to at least Grade C or 4 in GCSE/iGCSE English Language and Mathematics. GCSE/iGCSE English Literature will not be accepted in lieu of GCSE/iGCSE English Language. We would normally expect to see a good GCSE profile with minimum grades across all subjects of A*/8 to C/4.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
34 points overall. 6,5,5 in Higher Level subjects. Changes to International Baccalaureate Diploma Mathematics Courses from September 2019, first examination 2021. We are aware of the planned changes to the IB Mathematics curriculum. IB students will be able to choose from Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches and Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation from September 2019. For this programme of study we will accept: Higher Level Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches or Applications and Interpretation . Applicants studying the International Baccalaureate Career Related Programme (IBCP) should contact the academic School prior to applying so that their academic profile can be considered.
OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma
Accepted with grades DM in combination with an A-level at grade A in a different subject area to the diploma.
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate
Accepted with grade D in combination with two A-levels at grade BB in different subject areas to the diploma.
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma
Accepted with grades MMM in combination with an A-level at grade A in a different subject area to the diploma.
OCR Cambridge Technical Foundation Diploma
Accepted with grades MM in combination with two A-levels at grade BB in different subject areas to the diploma.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Accepted with grades DM in combination with an A-level at grade A in a different subject area to the diploma.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)
Accepted with grade D in combination with two A-levels at grade BB in different subject areas to the diploma.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Accepted with grades MMM in combination with an A-level at grade A in a different subject area to the diploma.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Foundation Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Accepted with grade M in combination with two A-levels at grade BB in different subject areas to the diploma.
We typically ask for grades of ABBBB in Scottish Highers. In addition, we accept Scottish Advanced Highers and Highers in one of the following combinations: Three Advanced Highers at grades BBB. or Two Advanced Highers at grades BB, plus two additional Highers at grades BB. Applicants taking a different combination of Highers and Advanced Highers should contact [email protected] for further advice. Applicants not taking English language or Mathematics at Higher level must achieve grade C in English language and Grade B in Mathematics at SCQF Level 5.
We typically ask for grades of ABBBB in Scottish Highers. In addition, we accept Scottish Advanced Highers and Highers in one of the following combinations: Three Advanced Highers at grades BBB. or Two Advanced Highers at grades BB, plus two additional Highers at grades BB. Applicants taking a different combination of Highers and Advanced Highers should contact [email protected] for further advice. Applicants not taking English language or Mathematics at Higher level must achieve grade C in English language and Grade B in Mathematics at SCQF Level 5.
The University welcomes and recognises the value of the Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma/Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate and requires two A Levels or equivalent to be included within this. We consider the Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma/Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate as equivalent to an A-level on a grade-for-grade basis.
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
BA Global Social Challenges is a first-of-its-kind transdisciplinary programme in the School of Social Sciences at The University of Manchester.
The central aim of this programme is to equip students with skills to understand and tackle challenges that result in globally significant harms. Contemporary global challenges include complex issues such as:
- Social injustice;
- conflicts and violence;
- climate change;
- the migration and displacement of people.
Students on this programme will learn to analyse and approach these challenges using perspectives from across the social sciences, including law, economics, politics, philosophy, sociology and social statistics.
As students progress through the degree, they will learn about and critically analyse the local, national, international and global responses to the pressing challenges societies across the globe face, as well as how these responses create new problems of their own.
By graduation students will have built their own areas of expertise and will have gained the key knowledge, skills and expertise to work across national and international organisations, governmental bodies and the third sector.
Tuition fees
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Extra funding
There is one fully funded scholarship (tuition fees and living costs) available per year to international students. There are also three smaller scholarships of £2,000 per year available to international students. Scholarships and bursaries, including the Manchester Bursary , are available to eligible home/EU students. Some undergraduate UK students will receive bursaries of up to £2,000 per year, in addition to the government package of maintenance grants. You can get information and advice on student finance to help you manage your money.
The Uni
University of Manchester
School of Social Sciences
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Social policy
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
Social sciences (non-specific)
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This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
Personal development
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Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Social policy
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
Just over 1,600 students graduated in social policy in 2015, which makes it one of the smaller social studies subjects. This is a popular subject at Masters level — 750 Masters in social policy were awarded last year - and so a lot of the more sought-after jobs in management and research tend to go to social policy graduates with postgraduate degrees. For those who leave university after their first degree, then jobs in social care (especially community and youth work) and education, the police, marketing and human resources and recruitment are popular — along with local government, although there are fewer of those jobs around than in the past. This degree is a bit less reliant on London for jobs than other similar subjects, so if you'd like to work outside the capital, it might be worth considering - although the jobs still tend to be in big cities.
Social sciences (non-specific)
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
This section covers a range of subjects that are often very different, so if you have a particular course in mind, the data here might not fully reflect the possible outcomes from your particular choice. Graduates from these subjects tend to do similar sorts of things to graduates from other social studies courses, so welfare and community roles are common, as are education, whilst graduates also often go into management, marketing and HR jobs and jobs in the police, and employment rates are good in general — but talk to course tutors and attend open days and try to get stats for the course you’re interested in.
Sorry, no information to show
This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Social policy
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£19k
£25k
£30k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
Social sciences (non-specific)
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£19k
£25k
£30k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
Sorry, no information to show
This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.
Sorry, no information to show
This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.
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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).
This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.
You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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