University of Edinburgh | School of Social and Political Science

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Across all our programmes, students are encouraged to question the social, political and technological systems and structures that surround us.

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Research

Our researchers are tackling some of the biggest issues facing society today, aiming to understand a world that’s changing more rapidly than ever.

Subject areas

Our subject areas are the heartbeat of our School, with communities of staff and students working together across the social sciences to explore, challenge and identify how to create better societies.

Students

Whether you’re a current student or you want to join us, you’ll find all the information you need about studying, academic life, and all our support and services here.

03/06/2026

University of Edinburgh experts strengthen pandemic preparedness

A new initiative led by University of Edinburgh researchers will help the world prepare more effectively for future pandemics by addressing one of the major lessons of COVID-19 – that pandemics affect far more than healthcare systems alone.

03/06/2026

Science, Technology and Innovation Studies

AI is challenging the core values of mathematics: researchers call for urgent action

As the rise of artificial intelligence forces mathematicians to rethink what makes their field reliable and valuable, an international group of researchers has warned that AI is putting fundamental values of the discipline under threat.

18/05/2026

Social Work

Experts call for urgent reforms to better protect and support children affected by parental domestic homicide

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh are calling for urgent reforms to better protect and support children affected by parental domestic homicide, following a major new study examining the long-term impact on young people across the UK and Ireland.

14/05/2026

Social Policy

Dr Lukas Lehner honoured for research impact by Wiley Research Heroes Prize

Dr Lukas Lehner was highly commended in the international Wiley Research Heroes Prize, recognising the societal impact and benefit of his work.

Lukas was honoured in the Impact Beyond Academia category for his research on job guarantees, which aim to abolish long-term unemployment. This category is for researchers ‘whose work has made a tangible difference in policy, industry or society’.