MASocial and Political Theory
Source: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/courses/politics/polthoughtma/ Parent: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/courses/
MA Social and Political Theory
MA Social and Political Theory
| UCAS code | 1234 |
| Duration | 1 year full time 2 years part time |
| Entry year | 2026 |
| Campus | Streatham Campus |
| Typical offer View full entry requirements | 2:2 Honours degree |
| Contextual offers |
Why study MA Social and Political Theory at Exeter?
- You will study the ideas that have shaped our political and ideological traditions, focusing on the study of key thinkers, such as John Locke, Karl Marx and Michel Foucault
- We employ analytical and institutional approaches to debate the history of political ideas and changing perceptions of money, work and commerce
- You’ll benefit from an active research culture with seminar series and highly successful annual postgraduate conference
- Tailor your degree to your interests with an array of optional modules including Problems and Texts in Social and Political Thought, Sources in Modernity and Post-Modernity and Contemporary Ethics
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Select date of entry Sept 2026
Select programme Full time 1 year Part time 2 years
Apply for Jan 2026 entry
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Fast Track (current Exeter students)
Contact
Programme Director: Dr Sarah Drews Lucas
Web: Enquire online
Phone: +44 (0)1392 72 72 72
Top 15 in the UK for Politics
14th in The Complete University Guide 2026
Top 100 in the world for Politics
QS World University Subject Rankings 2025
Flexibility to follow your interests with a world-leading cluster of researchers
Top 100 in the world for Political Sciences
Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (GRAS) or Shanghai Rankings 2025
Entry requirements
We will consider applicants with a 2:2 Honours degree or above in their first degree. While we normally only consider applicants who meet this criteria, if you are coming from a different academic background which is equivalent to degree level, or have relevant work experience, we would welcome your application.
Please also see our guidance on essential documentation required for an initial decision on taught programme applications.
Entry requirements for international students
English language requirements
International students need to show they have the required level of English language to study this course.
The required IELTS test scores for this course fall under Profile B2.
Please visit our English language requirements page to view the required test scores and equivalencies from your country.
Course content
The MA Social and Political Theory gives you the opportunity to study the thinkers who have shaped the modern world – Locke, Hegel, Marx and others – as well as more recent debates in social and political theory. It draws upon the diverse interests of our lecturers; refers to both Anglo-American and ‘Continental’ literatures; and employs analytical and institutional approaches.
As a graduate of this programme you will have a broad knowledge of classic debates in the history of political ideas and of changing perceptions of money, work and commerce. You will also have the opportunity to take a wide range of options in subjects including philosophy of social science, science and technology studies, and theories of revolution.
The modules below provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this degree course based on recent academic teaching. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand.
Modules
Please note that the module information displayed here is from a previous year and is subject to change.
*Students must take three compulsory modules: POLM803 (30 credits), SOCM027 (30 credits), and POLM886 (60 credits).
Students must also take a further 60 credits-worth of optional modules at Master’s level. Of these, at least 30 credits must be Politics or Sociology modules (module codes beginning POLM or SOCM). The remaining 30 credits can be in Politics, Sociology, Philosophy (PHLM), or any other discipline in the university, with approval from the programme director (or equivalent) of the relevant discipline.
The ‘Recommended optional modules’ in the table below are some of those currently led by political and social theorists/philosophers, or otherwise closely related to core topics in the MA Social and Political Theory.
Politics and International Relations modules https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/studyinformation/modules/?prog=politics*
Compulsory modules
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| POLM886 | Dissertation | 60 |
| POLM803 | Sources in Modernity and Post-Modernity | 30 |
| SOCM027 | Social Theory | 30 |
Optional modules
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MA Social and Political Theory Option Modules 2025-6 | ||
| POLM168 | From Oppression to Resistance: Exploring the Intersections of Race, Class and Gender | 30 |
| POLM156 | The Transformation of Politics in the Global Age | 30 |
| POLM307 | International Politics of the Body | 30 |
| POLM502 | International Relations: Power and Institutions | 30 |
| SOCM002B | Philosophy of the Social Sciences | 30 |
| PHLM006 | Contemporary Ethics | 30 |
| POLM084 | Conflict, Security and Development in World Politics | 30 |
| POLM173 | Theories of International Development | 30 |
| POLM174 | Tools, Policy and Practice of International Development | 30 |
| POLM343 | Gender, War and Militarism | 30 |
| POLM503 | Foreign Policy Decision-Making | 30 |
| POLM651 | State and Society in the Middle East | 30 |
| POLM063 | Qualitative Methods in Social Research | 15 |
| POLM140 | Qualitative Methods in Social Research | 30 |
| POLM809 | Applied Quantitative Data Analysis | 15 |
| POLM222M | The Politics, Policy and Practice of Sustainable Development | 30 |
| POLM228M | Leadership, Equality and Diversity | 30 |
| POLM237M | Collaborative and Participatory Governance | 30 |
| POLM342M | Public Accountability and Governance | 30 |
| POLM158 | Digital Politics and Policy | 30 |
| POLM887 | Public Policy Process | 30 |
| POLM231 | State Crime | 30 |
| POLM246 | The Politics of the Future | 30 |
| SOCM021 | Food Systems, Alternative Food Networks and Ethical Consumption | 30 |
| SOCM054 | Food Systems, Alternative Food Networks and Ethical Consumption | 15 |
| SOCM045 | Food and Sustainability: Economy, Society and Environment | 30 |
| SOCM044 | Food and Sustainability: Economy, Society and Environment | 15 |
| POLM344 | Empire and Hierarchy in Russia and Eurasia | 30 |
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Fees
2026/27 entry
UK fees per year:
*£12,650 full-time; £6,325 part-time*
International fees per year:
£25,550 full-time; £12,775 part-time
Scholarships
The University of Exeter offers a wide range of scholarships to support your education, with £7 million available for international students applying to study with us in the 2026/27 academic year, including our prestigious Exeter Excellence Scholarships *. We also provide awards for sport, music and other achievements, as well as regional and partner scholarships with organisations such as Chevening, The Beacon Trust and the British Council. For more information on scholarships and other financial support, please visit our scholarships and bursaries page.
University of Exeter Alumni Scholarship
We are pleased to offer University of Exeter alumni beginning a standalone postgraduate programme in 2026/27 with us a scholarship towards the cost of your tuition fees. Full details can be found here.
*Terms and conditions, including deadlines, apply. See our website for details..
Find out more about tuition fees and funding »
Teaching and research
Learning and Teaching
With the exception of the dissertation, each module on this programme is normally taught through academic lectures expanded through seminar discussion, presentations, group work, reading and essay assignments.
You will have an individual supervisor for your dissertation, which is a 16,000-20,000 word extended political theory essay on a topic of your choice (following discussion and approval from your supervisor).
The teaching and assessment on this programme should enable you to develop insight into recent critiques of modern Western societies and their values, and the ways in which these form crucial theoretical elements in debates across the social sciences.
Library services
Our main library is open 24/7 throughout the academic year. With a book stock in excess of 1.2 million, we have one of the highest UK academic library ratios of books to students. The main library offers self-service machines, state-of-the-art multimedia facilities, and an extended wifi network. The library provides world-class study facilities to all students. It has extensive holdings of works on political science, international relations and the various sub-disciplines.
Dr Sarah Drews Lucas
Programme Director
Dr Alex McLaughlin
Lecturer
Dr Dario Castiglione
Associate Professor
Dr Sarah Drews Lucas
Programme Director
Sarah’s research is focused on developing models of feminist agency that enable political action. She is especially interested in identity formation, communication and communicability, and interrogating the boundaries of the political (especially asking after the necessary pre-political conditions for action).
Her area of expertise is feminist philosophy, but she is also interested in critical theory, contemporary political theory, continental philosophy, and human rights.
Dr Sarah Drews Lucas
Programme Director
Sarah’s research is focused on developing models of feminist agency that enable political action. She is especially interested in identity formation, communication and communicability, and interrogating the boundaries of the political (especially asking after the necessary pre-political conditions for action).
Her area of expertise is feminist philosophy, but she is also interested in critical theory, contemporary political theory, continental philosophy, and human rights.
Dr Alex McLaughlin
Lecturer
My research is in political theory, focusing on questions of global and intergenerational justice, particularly as they arise in relation to climate change. I am currently working on a project that explores the role for political protest and resistance in pressing for a sustainable future.
Dr Dario Castiglione
Associate Professor
Dario teaches on the core module Problems and Texts in Social and Political Thought. His field of interest is political theory and its history, with particular application to contemporary European developments. His main areas of research comprise democratic theory, the interconnection between state and society, the history of early modern political thought, and democracy and constitutionalism in the EU.
Careers
You will develop a number of skills that are valued in professional and managerial careers: the ability to research and analyse information from a variety of sources along with written and verbal skills needed to present and discuss your opinions. The understanding you will gain of complex political and cultural issues, often in continually changing environments, can also be relevant to both business and public sector appointments.
Consequently, University of Exeter Politics postgraduates have been highly successful in securing interesting career opportunities and progressing to PhD level study.
Careers support
Our careers advisory serviceprovides expert guidance to all students to enable them to plan their futures through psychometric testing, employer presentations, skills events, practice job interviews and CV preparation.
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