Social Justice and Community Action - Online Learning (MSc)

This part-time and fully online Masters programme offers you the opportunity to critically engage with foundational ideas and debates about equality, fairness, power, democracy and citizenship and to consider a range of actions in communities, in public and third sector organisations, and in policy and legislation processes, for the real world application of these ideas.

The programme is designed for both professionals working on social justice issues in research, policy or grassroots practice in the public, private or non-governmental sectors across the globe; and recent graduates who wish to gain the skills to enter the fields of social justice and community practice. 

The goal of this unique interdisciplinary programme is to challenge and support you to connect ideas of liberty, equality, citizenship and democracy to real-world practice in diverse contexts. These include:  

  • grassroots activism  
  • education  
  • public policy development 
  • organisational management 

The programme draws on perspectives from critical education, politics, social policy and sociology.  

This online degree allows for flexible, high-quality, critical and collaborative learning in a supportive digital community. You will be studying courses designed in an institute renowned for its expertise in digital education. 

Apply now

Visit the University’s Degree Finder for detailed entry requirements, fees, international grade equivalency, language requirements and to apply.

Innovative and internationally recognised

The programme was recently featured in Re-imagining the University in the Climate Crisis: A catalogue of transformative university practices in Northern Europe.

What you will study

This is a part-time, fully online masters programme.  

You can study towards a Postgraduate Certificate over 1-2 years, a Postgraduate Diploma over 2-4 years, or complete the full masters (MSc) programme over 2-6 years.  

We recommend that you study for a Postgraduate Certificate over 12 months, a Postgraduate Diploma over 24 months, or the full masters (MSc) programme over 36 months. However, the programme’s flexibility means you can study at a pace that suits you best. 

An introduction to the MSc Social Justice and Community Action programme.

Courses

Students must complete 60 credits to be awarded a Postgraduate Certificate. 

Of these, students must obtain 40 credits by completing the courses below. 

Students may obtain the remaining 20 credits by completing option courses.  Option courses on Social Justice and Community Action include: 

Please note that courses are subject to change each year.

Upon successful completion of the 60 credits, you can exit with a Postgraduate Certificate, or progress onto the Postgraduate Diploma with the approval of your Programme Director.


Students must complete 120 credits to be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma. This includes the 60 credits that make up a Postgraduate Certificate, as well as three option courses worth 60 credits. Options courses on the MSc Social Justice and Community Action are:

Students wishing to progress to Masters level must select Activist Social Research as one of their three courses: 

You will have an opportunity to take several of these courses at some stage during your time on-programme. 

You may also request enrolment on other online distance learning courses across the University, subject to the approval of the Programme Director and relevant course organiser. In the past, popular courses have included:

You might also consider the intensive courses offered by the Edinburgh Futures Institute (EFI). 

Please note that the availability of option courses is subject to change each year and that courses offered in other Schools may have different fees. 


Students must complete a dissertation or an applied research project to be awarded the MSc (180 credits). To progress to the dissertation stage of the masters programme, students must pass all taught courses in line with the University’s postgraduate teaching regulations. 

Depending on your interests and career goals, you may select either a standard masters dissertation or an applied research project. You will be supported through this process through both the Activist Social Research course and individual meetings with a designated supervisor. 

Dissertation

The dissertation is a major piece of research that demands significant time and commitment. Through the dissertation, you will identify a research topic, develop and implement a plan for gathering data and undertake systematic analysis and write-up of that data.  

Applied Research Project

As an alternative to the standard masters dissertation, the applied research project is a significant piece of work that allows you to undertake real-world research directly applicable to the aims, interests and needs of a particular activist network, community group or organisation. The project can also be approached as a substantive investigation and analysis of an important policy development and/or practice issue. 

The project will be underpinned by logical theorisations, conceptualisations and evidence and should include: 

  • significant and critical discussion of the relevant context 
  • rigorous and substantive analysis of the identified issue or problem 
  • a creative approach to addressing the identified issue 

Time commitment

For each 20-credit course, you can expect 24 hours of lecturer contact time. Each course requires a time commitment of approximately 15-17 hours a week. This commitment is likely to increase around the time when you’re completing assignments. 

Global Justice Academy

This programme is the flagship teaching initiative of the University of Edinburgh’s Global Justice Academy. The Global Justice Academy is a multi-disciplinary network of academics and research centres committed to global justice concerns. 

Global Justice Academy

Teaching, assessment, and support online

All elements of the programme are delivered online, making use of the University of Edinburgh's expertise in digital education.

The starting point is recognising and taking seriously the digital medium that profoundly changes the context for learning. On this programme, we seek to build meaningful and supportive relationships between teachers and students to facilitate critical analysis.

All courses are taught through a combination of lectures, group activities and independent study via Moodle, the programme’s virtual learning environment.

Some of the activities on the programme include:

  • synchronous and asynchronous lectures (including podcasts from guest speakers), group discussions (through Collaborate and discussion forums) and tutorials (through Skype or Google Hang Out)
  • individual and group blogging
  • creation of digital artefacts through group wikis

Courses will be assessed through a diverse range of methods and will support your development as an independent and critical learner. Course assessment is designed to align productively with your professional practice.

Assessment methods include a number of traditional academic approaches such as essays as well as more innovative methods such as blogs, community case studies and a briefing paper on a policy issue. 

I found [the programme] engaging, topical and a welcome return to studying. The content lent me new and varied perspectives on policy issues and implementation, particularly around ... public health issues including fuel poverty, and other areas ... It helped me articulate a viewpoint and translate that into a coherent argument - skills I use in my current job. 

The enthusiasm of the course tutors was inspiring and the support from all the staff was very encouraging, while the flexible nature of an online course was ideal for me as I was still working. 

Sarah Nimmo

Studying online and student support

The programme does not require specialist IT skills, but to access your courses you will need to have a computer with a broadband internet connection.

You will be assigned a Student Adviser - who will provide academic guidance and support and signpost you to other relevant student support, for example wellbeing advisors, as needed. 

All teaching materials will be available online and you will have full access to the library’s digital resources. In addition, we have a dedicated learning technologist for this programme who will be on hand to help with any technical problems you may experience.


In terms of student networking, you will join a growing and vibrant group of online distance education students in Moray House School of Education and Sport and the College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences.

It is a particular aim of this programme to ensure meaningful interactions with students, their peers and a range of academic colleagues by linking them to a number of other relevant online distance learning programmes, such as the MSc in Digital Education and the MSc in Global Challenges.


Careers

Students on this programme will learn how to perform social justice work in the public, third and private sectors.

They learn applied skills and gain the knowledge to relate and connect social justice theories to real-world challenges. They’re also able to critically evaluate and combine research, policy and practice evidence and claims regarding social (in)justice.

Graduates may find jobs or advance their careers in areas such as:

  • grassroots community practice
  • education
  • policy advocacy
  • research

Our graduates gain the skills to engage with the foundational and current debates and dilemmas around social justice, political activism, equality, democracy and citizenship in global and local contexts. They also have the research and inquiry skills to critically investigate these issues.

The University of Edinburgh's Careers Service supports all current students (and graduates for up to 2 years) to develop their potential and achieve satisfying and rewarding futures.

Join in and make use of:

  • individual appointments
  • group sessions
  • wider campus-based activity
  • online services and resources

We also deliver a diverse programme of face-to-face and online events throughout the academic year.

Visit the Careers Service website


Our students

The programme welcomes approximately 25 students a year. Our community of students come from all over the world. To date, our student body has included students studying from (but not limited to): Australia, Austria, Bermuda, Canada, Dominican Republic, England, Jamaica, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Ukraine and the United States.

We organise and make use of digital learning tools to strike a balance between flexible study and the development of a vibrant online community.

Barbara Becnel

video

Barbara provides insight into the programme and how the Master's degree has helped her as she undertakes PhD study in the field.

Elisa Martinez Salazar

Elisa Martinez Salazar

'If you want to make a conscious type of impact in the world - wherever you are, in whichever field you choose and with the need to manage different responsibilities - this programme is for you!'

Alanna Barrett

video

Alanna shares what she enjoyed most about the MSc Social Justice and Community Action and how the degree is influencing her career in the film industry.

Samantha Wood

Samantha Wood, MSc Social Justice and Community Action

'The work we do on the course is practical and we are given opportunities to focus our learning on issues that are of personal interest. This ‘learning by doing’ approach brings the topics to life and gives us the tools we need to operationalise the principles of social justice in real-world contexts.'

Fees and funding

Annual tuition fees are listed on the Postgraduate Study Programme Fees pages related to your desired pathway, exit level and duration of study.

If you register to study on a 'part-time intermittent study' basis you will pay the academic tuition fees on a course-by-course basis, rather than paying for the entire programme at the outset.

University of Edinburgh tuition fees are subject to increase each year. From 2023-24, tuition fees for new entrants to this programme will be fixed for the duration of their studies. In most cases, if you joined us from August 2023 onwards and you are studying for a degree or qualification that will take more than one year to complete, the annual fee charged will be fixed at the level charged on the year of entry.

The cost for courses on this programme is the same for all students, whether based in the UK, the European Union, or elsewhere.

For reference, the Masters programme is equivalent to 180 credits: three 20-credit compulsory courses, three 20-credit option courses, and the Dissertation (60 credits).


Scholarship opportunities are subject to change each year. Therefore, students are encouraged to seek out funding opportunities from the University and external funding bodies.

More information about available scholarships and funding can be found on our Scholarships and Studentships page.

Scholarships and studentships

Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program scholarships

Scholarships are available for the Social Justice and Community Action taught programme. The postgraduate study scholarships for the 2025/26 academic year will accept applications from 1st October 2024 at 10:00 AM until 8th November 2024 at 5:00 PM (UK Time).

Applicants must be residents and citizens or hold refugee status in a Sub-Saharan African country.

For more information and how to apply, visit the website:

Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program scholarships

If the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program is the only scholarship you are interested in applying for at the University of Edinburgh, please apply for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program scholarship only. If you receive a scholarship offer from the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, you can then apply for the academic programme.


Contact us

Programme-specific enquiries

For programme-specific enquiries, contact the Programme Director.

Dr Callum McGregor

Programme Director

  • Moray House School of Education and Sport

Contact details

Questions about your application or how to apply

For enquiries about your application or how to apply, contact the Postgraduate Admissions office.

Postgraduate Admissions Office (Education)

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences (CAHSS)

Contact details

Join the Online Learning mailing list

Join the Online Learning mailing list to learn more about studying an online postgraduate degree at the University of Edinburgh and to find out about upcoming Open Days and virtual events.

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