Program Overview

Gain a thorough understanding of the applied and theoretical aspects of social justice and apply your knowledge through a practical service-learning project integrated into the degree.

• Undertake work in the service of the community with a charity - this can be volunteering or paid work. If you are already working or volunteering for a charity, this service will count as part of your degree.
• Choose modules from multiple disciplines related to applied social justice including in areas such as international development, education, human trafficking, applied politics, business, charity management, bio-ethics and Catholic social teaching.

This course the first Master's degree in the UK devoted to service-learning that integrates a practical volunteering and/or paid experience at the service of the community with theoretical and applied understanding of social justice.

This degree suits anyone aspiring to work in - or already working in - the ever increasing NGO, voluntary and charity sectors.

Why St Mary's

St Mary’s is a welcoming university of around 6000 students from over 90 different countries and is ranked in the top 10 in the UK for Teaching Quality and top 5 for Student Experience (2022 Good University Guide). The University has a proud history of teaching and research in public policy, humanitarian action, and managing charitable organisations.

Established in 1850 and with a distinctive Catholic identity, St Mary’s welcomes students of all faiths and no faith. However, our teaching and research is founded on our Catholic values, particularly social justice and the common good, and this course builds on our tradition of preparing our students to be agents of change in their community.

This multidisciplinary postgraduate degree allows students to explore a wide range of topics in the social sciences and development studies, however, all students will take the Social Justice from Theory to Practice module which will be taught across both semesters, helping students to apply their skills on placement, and to prepare for future leadership roles.

Marianne Rozario

Lecturer of MA Social Justice and Public Service