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University of Glasgow · Undergraduate
MA(SocSci) (Hons) Computing Science/Politics Master's degree at the University of Glasgow
MA(SocSci) (Hons) Computing Science/Politics at University of Glasgow. Rather than treating the two as separate disciplines bolted together, the course lets you build technical skills in computing science alongside a genuine grounding in political analysis - useful territory given how much of modern…
MA
Award
4
Years
Full-time
Study mode
85%
in work/study (15m)
About this course
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MA(SocSci) (Hons) Computing Science/Politics is a Master's degree (MA) at the University of Glasgow, based in Glasgow Campus. It runs 4 years, studied full-time.
For Computer science graduates from this provider, 85% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 85% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £38,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Computer Science, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
8.6
/ 10
Excellent
3 of 3 official measures
Student satisfaction
What students say in the National Student Survey
Excellent81
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Graduate outcomes
In work or further study 15 months after graduating
Excellent85
Limited evidence Published sample: 25; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 85% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Continuation
Students who continue past their first year
Exceptional92
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 92% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year 1 5 modules
- Computing Science 1P (Standard Route)
- Computing Science 1F - Computing Fundamentals
- Computing Science - 1S Systems
- Computing Science - 1CT Introduction to Computational Thinking
- Computing Science 1PX (Alternate Route)
Year 2 6 modules
- Introduction to Object Oriented Programming
- Object-Oriented Software Engineering 2
- Algorithmic Foundations 2
- Networks and Operating Systems Essentials 2
- Algorithms & Data Structures 2
- Web Application Development 2
Honours 8 modules
- Algorithmics ICore
- Data FundamentalsCore
- Human-centred Systems Design and EvaluationCore
- Systems ProgrammingCore
- Professional Software DevelopmentCore
- Team ProjectCore
- Individual ProjectCore
- Professional Skills and IssuesCore
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
Across the degree you'll divide your time between computing science and politics, building programming and analytical skills in the former while developing the ability to interpret institutions, policy and power in the latter. As you progress you can direct your computing science work towards areas such as Software Engineering, Data Science, AI & Machine Learning, Cyber Security, Web & Mobile, Cloud & DevOps, Games, and HCI, letting you tilt the technical side of the degree towards whichever area suits your interests and career plans. The politics side complements this by giving you frameworks for thinking about how technology intersects with government, policy-making and society, which is increasingly relevant given how much political life is now mediated through digital platforms and data systems. The four-year structure gives you time to establish foundations in both subjects before specialising, and the Honours element means a more substantial final-year project or dissertation than you'd find on a shorter degree.
Who it's for
This course suits someone who doesn't want to choose between a technical subject and a social science, and who's curious about how the two actually connect in practice - whether that's how algorithms influence political discourse, how governments use data, or how software is regulated and governed. If you enjoy problem-solving and logical thinking but also want to argue about policy, power and institutions, this dual focus will feel natural rather than like two unrelated courses running in parallel. It suits people who are comfortable with a longer, four-year commitment and who want breadth alongside depth - the chance to specialise in a computing area later on while keeping a genuine social science strand running throughout. Most students who take this route arrive with A-levels or equivalent qualifications, and typical entrants have UCAS tariffs above 240 points, though these reflect what past students held rather than a fixed requirement. Studying this combination will feel like building two distinct skill sets simultaneously - one rooted in code and systems, the other in argument and analysis - and by the end you should be equally at ease writing a policy essay or a technical report.
Careers & job market
Graduates from Computer Science courses nationally tend to move into a wide range of work, and the Graduate Outcomes data gives a sense of what that looks like across the sector rather than for any single university. Nationally, 85% of Computer Science graduates are in work or further study 15 months after graduating, and 75% of those in work are in roles classed as highly skilled. National earnings data (not specific to this university or guaranteed for any individual) show starting salaries 15 months after graduation typically ranging from £25,000 to £35,000, settling to £23,375–£33,000 after three years, and rising to £29,750–£42,000 after five years. Combining computing science with politics can open routes into areas where technology meets policy and governance, alongside more conventional computing careers, though outcomes will always depend on the specialisation you pursue and the wider job market at the time you graduate.
University & format
The University of Glasgow is a public, research-intensive institution and a member of the Russell Group, founded in 1451. It's. This course is delivered full-time over four years at the Glasgow Campus, taught in English, and leads to an MA (Hons) award under UCAS code LG23. Nationally, around 85% of Computer Science students continue past their first year, either still enrolled or having completed their studies, which gives a broad sense of retention across the subject area.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively. Overall student satisfaction: 85%.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
2027 entry deadlineCheck the provider deadline
Most postgraduate courses use provider-specific application dates. UCAS dates
AccreditationBCS
Names detected beside accreditation or recognition copy on the provider course page; verify the route and intake.
2026 entryLive availability check
Opened 2 July 2026; last choice 19 October 2026. Check vacancies now. A cached page never claims a place is still available.
Entry & how to get in
Most entrants held A-levels or equivalent83% of accepted students came in with A-levels or equivalent (entrants over recent years).
Typical UCAS tariff: More than 240 pointsThe most common UCAS tariff band among accepted students. This is what entrants had, not a stated requirement.
Entry requirements are set by the universityGrades, subjects and contextual offers vary. Check the University of Glasgow's official course page for the current offer.
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 83% |
| an Access course | 10% |
| a Baccalaureate | 4% |
| Other | 2% |
| a previous degree | 1% |
| another higher-education qualification | 1% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Competitive entry
Accepted students typically held strong UCAS tariffs. Check how your predicted grades compare and whether a contextual offer applies.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Your UCAS points0
▾
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Add your grades to see where you land
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
Apply byCheck the provider deadlinefor this course
Typical gradesA*A*A*+A-level equivalent admitted students held
UCAS codeLG23quote this on your application
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course (code LG23). One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by Check the provider deadline
Most postgraduate courses use provider-specific application dates. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
💡 Many universities make a contextual (reduced-grade) offer, for example based on your school’s results, time in care, or where you live. Ask University of Glasgow whether you’re eligible before you apply; it can lower the grades you need.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Internationalset by the university
Set under Scotland's student-finance system; the provider's page is authoritative.
Check fees at University of Glasgow →If you normally live in Scotland
For eligible Scottish-domiciled students at an eligible Scottish provider, SAAS can pay tuition directly. Living-cost support can combine bursary and loan and depends on household income and student circumstances. Students from elsewhere use their home funding body.
Check the current amounts with SAAS →Paying for it
- SAAS tuition payment: paid directly to the university for eligible Scottish-domiciled students, applied for through SAAS.
- Living-cost support: a mix of bursary and loan from SAAS, depending on household income.
- Repayment: only above the Scottish repayment threshold, and written off at the end of the plan term.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
Scotland runs its own system through SAAS; check saas.gov.uk for current rates.
Funding matched to this course
All University of Glasgow funding →Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
Named awards published by the university. Compare the eligibility and application route before budgeting for one.
Amounts, exclusions and deadlines can change. An award is not guaranteed unless the university confirms it.
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Career quizApplication walkthroughSalary & CV check
Careers & earnings
What Computer Science graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £38,000 | £30,000 – £41,000 | 25 |
| 3 years after | £32,500 | £26,500 – £43,000 | 70 |
| 5 years after | £46,500 | £32,500 – £64,000 | 70 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Limited evidence. Published sample: 25; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
85%
in work or further study 15 months on
85%
in highly skilled work or study
92%
continue past their first year
75%
find their work meaningful
70%
say work fits their future plans
- 1Graduate / Junior DeveloperFirst engineering role · 0–2 yrs
- 2Software EngineerShipping features end-to-end · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / Lead EngineerOwning systems and mentoring · 5–9 yrs
- 4Principal / Engineering ManagerArchitecture or leading teams · 9+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Computer Science nationally
Starting (15 months) HESA GO
£38,000
£25,000 – £35,000After 3 years LEO
£32,500
£23,375 – £33,000After 5 years LEO
£46,500
£29,750 – £42,000national rangethis course’s medianaxis £21,500 – £48,500
National figures for Computer Science graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
85 of 100
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
66% working17% working and studying11% in further study85% in highly skilled work or study
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Limited evidence. Published sample: 25; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Computer Science courses at the same study level.
This course £46,500Peer median £34,500Middle 50% £29,000–£43,000
87th percentile
Compared with 1,820 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Information Technology ProfessionalsSOC 2020 213 · 70% of published destinations · ASHE median £55,357
- Administrative occupationsSOC 2020 41 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £27,006
- Business and public service associate professionalsSOC 2020 35 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £38,760
- Science, engineering and technology associate professionalsSOC 2020 31 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £34,828
- Business, Research and Administrative ProfessionalsSOC 2020 243 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £48,746
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 100; response rate: 60%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How Computer Science graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
85%
in work or further study 15 months after graduating, across Computer Science courses nationally.
Graduate Outcomes75%
of working graduates are in highly skilled work or further study.
highly skilled85%
of students continue past their first year (still enrolled or completed).
continuationHow AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Boilerplate and scaffolding code
- First-pass tests and docs
- Routine debugging and refactors
- Standard data wrangling
More human than ever
- System design and architecture trade-offs
- Reviewing and owning correctness & security
- Translating fuzzy problems into software
- Leading delivery and mentoring
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Computer Science graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Tech companies
- Banks & fintech
- Consultancies
- Government (GDS) & startups
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Computer Science graduates.
Software Developer Placement Programme No experience neededIT Online LearningSoftware Developer - .NET & Azure for Green Energy ProjectsOfgemSoftware Developer Backend (SFIA5)ZaiziSoftware Developer (Mobile Apps) in Guildford - ECM Selection (Holdings) LimitedJava Script WorksSoftware Developer (Contract) – Higher Education Projects (UK)Burman RecruitmentSoftware Developer – Distributed Scheduling & Workload OrchestrationCGG Services (UK) LimitedLive from the StudySmarter job board · as of 2026-08-01.See all matching jobs
Is this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
💷
Student finance
Fees for this course are set under Scotland's own student-finance system, not the England cap; check the provider's course page for the exact figure. Tuition for eligible Scottish-domiciled students is paid by SAAS directly to the university, applied for through SAAS and not Student Finance England. Living-cost support is a mix of bursary and loan, and you repay only above the Scottish threshold.
📈
Where graduates go
85% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £38,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
🎯
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
⭐
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 8.6 out of 10: NSS 80.9% · in work or study 85% · continued 92%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
The University of Glasgow
All students38,710
International35.9%
Aged 25+26.3%
Computing across the UK
Students205,990
Aged 25+31.2%
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Is Computer Science right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to University of Glasgow from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by University of Glasgow; international fees are typically £12,000–£30,000/year for classroom subjects and higher for lab/clinical ones. You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check University of Glasgow’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with University of Glasgow and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at University of Glasgow
Common questions
How competitive is entry?
Entry is competitive. Accepted students typically held strong UCAS tariffs. The most common tariff band among recent entrants was More than 240 UCAS points. Use the calculator on this page to see where your predicted grades would put you; many universities also make lower contextual offers.
What are the entry requirements?
Set by the University of Glasgow. Most accepted students held A-levels or equivalent. Check the university's course page for the exact offer.
What do graduates go on to do?
For Computer science graduates from this provider, 85% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 85% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £38,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
What will it cost me?
Fees for this course are set under Scotland's own student-finance system, not the England cap; check the provider's course page for the exact figure. Tuition for eligible Scottish-domiciled students is paid by SAAS directly to the university, applied for through SAAS and not Student Finance England. Living-cost support is a mix of bursary and loan, and you repay only above the Scottish threshold. See Fees & funding on this page to work out your numbers.
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