The School of Social and Political Science (SSPS) at the University of Edinburgh is a unit within the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. Its constituent departments (called 'subject areas' in Edinburgh) conduct research and teaching in the following disciplines:
In addition to these core subjects, the school includes the Europa Institute, Centre for Security Research, Innogen Institute (a collaboration with the Open University) and the Centres of African Studies, Canadian Studies and South Asian Studies.[1]
The School is primarily based in the Chrystal Macmillan Building on George Square, named after the suffragist and first female science graduate of the university. It is one of only two buildings at the University named after a woman.[2]
The School employs over 400 full-time and part-time academics and almost 100 professional services staff.[3] Its current dean is Professor of Social Work John Devaney.[4]
The School's subject areas are consistently placed in the top 100 departments globally in academic rankings, such as the Academic Ranking of World Universities (political science – top 100,[5] sociology – top 75),[6] Times Higher Education World University Rankings (social sciences – no. 36),[7] and the QS World University Rankings (anthropology – no. 16,[8] political science – no. 32,[9] social policy – no. 8,[10] sociology – no. 20[11]).