BSc (Hons) Sociology

Want to understand why society works the way it does? Want to be part of a change in our social world? Sociology looks at the most important issues facing our society today including poverty, culture, immigration and refugees, families, global issues, religion, social exclusion and social justice, crime and deviance, ‘race’ and ethnicity, disability, gender, sexuality, politics and policy, and social class divisions. You will cover topical and dynamic content, reflecting current social issues, policy and what is happening in society today. You'll also begin your continuous training as a social researcher in order to spot trends and suggest responses to them.

You will graduate capable of working in a broad range of employment settings using the skills and knowledge that you will develop. You will gain strong social research skills, policy knowledge and real-world experience via placements. In parallel, we run a unique three-year skills programme which offers you study skills and develops your practice and employability for the future, making you ready for the graduate job market. You even have the option to study abroad in another institution for a year. Sociologists go into a wide range of careers and we prepare you for this. We recognise sociology is a diverse area of study and we offer you the opportunity to choose from four new specialist routes. You get to choose your specialist route after your first year of study at level four:

BSc (Hons) Sociology

Engage in modules from all four routes and become a generalist in sociology. Engage with social problems and issues such as globalisation, social policy, social divisions, stigma and inequality. Develop a strong knowledge of policy and social research methods and learn skills needed for employment after your degree, becoming alert to the nature of modern society. This route is ideal if you are seeking a broad understanding of social problems, issues, inequalities, social research and social policy, want to progress to postgraduate study or teaching, or if you want to pick a broad range of options of interest and to shape your career goals as you develop throughout your degree.

BSc (Hons) Sociology: Gender and Inequality

Engage in some of the most pressing issues facing our modern world as you become a specialist in gender and inequality. Explore issues such as social justice, human rights, stigma, gender inequality, racism, civil rights, global poverty, religion and culture and intersectionality. Engaging in this specialised route will be of interest to you if you wish to go on to postgraduate study, teaching, or a career in gender-specific settings such as domestic abuse, housing services, tackling wider inequalities working with vulnerable and marginalised groups in communities, criminal justice and campaigning, international development and human rights work.

BSc (Hons) Sociology: Research and Social Policy

Develop a strong understanding of the welfare state, social policy, the policy process, and the role of research in identifying the nature of social problems within society. Engage with topical and fascinating issues such as how people are affected by poverty, inequality, social exclusion and marginalisation. Gain critical insights into political ideologies and the substance and success of policy responses to some of these issues. This specialised route is relevant to those interested in postgraduate study, teaching, the charity sector, local government, or those who have ambitions to become a data analyst, housing manager or social researcher.

BSc (Hons) Sociology: Research in Practice

Expand your understanding of how organisations work and approaches to working with individuals, groups and communities that experience complex social problems. Examine issues of ‘race’, class, and gender within communities to raise your awareness of structural inequality, to enable you to develop your practice in ways that seek to empower individuals and groups to navigate the social, political and structural contexts that shape their everyday lives. Enhance your knowledge and practice in networking and developing partnerships with external organisations and agencies, and in ensuring that services respond to the real, not perceived, needs of a community. Develop research techniques to ensure service users have a voice in the design, delivery and evaluation of services that are appropriate and relevant to their needs. This specialist route is designed for students who have a specific career in mind, such as probation and family work, human resources, mental health, working with children and young people, community work, international development or social work.