Sociology
BSc (Hons)
Undergraduate degree - single or combined honours
- UCAS codes: Institution B20, Course L300 or L301 (with professional placement year)
- Sociology - Programme Document
Key facts
- Award
- BSc (Hons) Sociology
- School/s
- School of Sciences
- Campus or location
- Newton Park
- Course length
- Three years full time, or four years full time with professional placement year. Part time available.
- UCAS codes
- Institution Code: B20
- Course Code: L300 or L301
- Campus Code: A,BSU
Entry requirements
We accept a wide range of qualifications for entry to our undergraduate programmes. The main ones are listed under 'Typical offers' in the main column below. For combined courses, please check both subjects. If your qualification is not listed, please email admissions@bathspa.ac.uk with your specific details.
Fascinated by social issues? Want to help make the world a better place? Our Sociology degree could be for you.
- In our fast-changing world, Sociology is exciting, relevant and provides essential skills.
- Learn to tackle problems creatively and make better decisions, applying your knowledge to specific issues.
- Choose to specialise in specific areas of the subject, such as education and crime.
Due to Covid-19, we have made some changes to teaching and learning for the 2020-21 academic year: we have blended high-quality virtual engagement with in-person teaching on campus when possible. Blended learning will continue to some extent in the 2021-22 academic year and we will continue to keep the situation under review in light of ongoing Government guidance. If you’re planning on joining us in September 2021 we will communicate with you about specific details of how your course is taught nearer the time.
Do you want to know more about the world we live in? Do you care, and want to make a difference? If so, you’re well-suited to a Sociology degree at Bath Spa.
Sociology is the study of societies, cultures, and groups. We live in complex societies, with laws and informal rules that govern how we interact. Sociology helps you understand more about yourself, others and how society is organised.
You could study Sociology alongside another subject as part of a combined course.
What you'll learn
Overview
You’re taught about society, social groups and social organisation. You’ll learn about social problems and social policies.
Learn how to make sense of social change and conflict, and gain a good understanding of social differences, inequalities and social divisions.
Apply your knowledge and skills to specific problems and issues to help you become a good decision-maker.
Course structure
Year one
You’ll be introduced to sociology, and the techniques and philosophies of the social sciences. You'll focus on identities – beginning with thinking about your own identity, and building your knowledge and understanding so that you're more familiar with social divisions, structures, and the influence of culture. You’ll also learn how to visualise the most important components of society.
Year two
The second year builds on the first and teaches you about the history of and key ideas within sociology. You can also specialise in more specific areas of the subject, such as education and crime. You’ll undertake practical training in research skills. This will enable you to complete your final year project, and prepare you for the kind of employment that you’ll typically undertake as a sociology graduate.
Year three
You’ll concentrate on an aspect of sociology that most interests you in your final dissertation, undertaken with the support of a member of staff as a supervisor. You can also focus on more detailed subjects, such as globalisation, environment, ethnicity and gender.
How will I be assessed?
Assessments vary and may include essays, reports, book and article reviews, seen and unseen examinations, portfolios, projects, learning journals, individual and group work, videos and screencasts, and research projects.
How will I be taught?
You’ll be taught in lectures, seminars, individual and group tutorials, and through our extensive online learning support environment.
Course modules
This course offers or includes the following modules. The modules you take will depend on your pathway or course combination (if applicable) as well as any optional or open modules chosen. Please check the programme document (below the main image on this page) for more information.
Year one (Level 4) modules
- Questioning Society
- Visualising the 21st Century World
- Power / Resistance
- Crime and Disorder in Everyday Life
- Crime, Violence and Harm
- Crime: Representation and Reality
- Sociology of Deviance and Social Control
- Introduction to psychological research design and analysis
- Global Development
Year two (Level 5) modules
- Sociological Debates
- Social Science Research Methods
- Migration: Identity, Belonging, Citizenship and Security
- The Life Course: Ageing and Generation
- Crime, Law and Society
- Sociology of Education
- Climate and Society
- Health: Mind, Body, Society
- Social Problems, Social Divisions, Social Justice
- Work placement
- Exploring Violence
- Professional Placement Year
Year three (Level 6) modules
- Dissertation in Sociology
- Punishment and Penology in Global Context
- Gender in Society: Critical Perspectives
- Culture, Risk and Environmental Justice
- Community Engagement
- Sociological fieldwork
- Ethnicity and Society
- Media, Sociality and Everyday Life
“Sociology helps me piece things together and see the world how it really is. The campus at Bath Spa is beautiful! It’s a really peaceful place to think and the lecturers are passionate about what they teach.”
Kirsty Taylor, Sociology student
Opportunities
Study abroad
We have opportunities for you to study abroad through our Erasmus and Sociology links. We also offer you other overseas learning opportunities including an optional international field trip to India in your second year.
Field trips
We run optional visits to places such as criminal justice institutions and religious places of worship. You can take a dedicated field trip module.
Work placements, industry links and internships
We provide support in obtaining placements and making links with professionals, and we invite our Sociology graduates back to meet with you. Optional modules have links with professionals and visiting speakers built into the teaching and learning. This means you’ll learn about the real-world application of what you're learning and be able to make more informed decisions about your future career.
Careers
A Sociology degree is useful for any career that involves working with people, either in the private, public or third sectors, typically:
- Management or administration in the public or private sector
- Human resource management
- Marketing and public relations
- Media or journalism
- Social work
- Youth and community work
- Health education or nursing
- Law
- Policing
- Offender management and interventions
- Work in the voluntary sector and fundraising
- Social research and analytics.
Employers such as the National Osteoporosis Society, the Ministry of Defence, Wiltshire Council and Truro College have recruited graduates from this course. Students have also gone into roles including Assistant Education Officer, Student Services Assistant and Relocation Advisor.
Professional placement year
Overview
This optional placement year provides you with the opportunity to identify, apply for and secure professional experience, normally comprising one to three placements over a minimum of nine months. Successful completion of this module will demonstrate your ability to secure and sustain graduate-level employment.
By completing the module, you'll be entitled to the addition of 'with Professional Placement Year' to your degree title.
Preparation
Before your Professional Placement Year, you'll work to secure your placement, constructing a development plan with your module leader and your placement coordinator from our Careers and Employability team.
How will I be assessed?
On your return to University for your final year, you'll submit your Placement Portfolio, detailing your development on your placement.
Facilities and resources
Where the subject is taught
Politics is taught at Newton Park campus.
You'll have access to excellent facilities and resources such as:
Resources
All modules can be found on our Virtual Learning Environment, Minerva, providing unlimited online access to learning materials such as handbooks, lecture slides, assessment information, discussion boards and other resources.
Our library gives you access to books, academic journals and DVDs and an extensive range of electronic services. It also provides a place for individual study and collaborative work.
Fees
Please note: Students from the EU, EEA and Switzerland are no longer eligible for the UK (Home) fee status. Please refer to the international student rate.
UK students full time
2021/22 Entry
Course fees
Year 1 | £9,250 |
Year 2 | Published Jan 2022 |
Year 3 | Published Jan 2023 |
2022/23 Entry
Course fees
Year 1 | Published Jan 2022 |
Year 2 | Published Jan 2023 |
Year 3 | Published Jan 2024 |
2023/24 Entry
Course fees
Year 1 | Published Jan 2023 |
Year 2 | Published Jan 2024 |
Year 3 | Published Jan 2025 |
UK students part time
2021/22 Entry
Course fees
Year 1 | £4,625 |
Year 2 | Published Jan 2022 |
Year 3 | Published Jan 2023 |
2022/23 Entry
Course fees
Year 1 | Published Jan 2022 |
Year 2 | Published Jan 2023 |
Year 3 | Published Jan 2024 |
2023/24 Entry
Course fees
Year 1 | Published Jan 2023 |
Year 2 | Published Jan 2024 |
Year 3 | Published Jan 2025 |
International students full time
2021/22 Entry
Course fees
Year 1 | £13,910 |
Year 2 | Published Jan 2022 |
Year 3 | Published Jan 2023 |
2022/23 Entry
Course fees
Year 1 | Published Jan 2022 |
Year 2 | Published Jan 2023 |
Year 3 | Published Jan 2024 |
2023/24 Entry
Course fees
Year 1 | Published Jan 2023 |
Year 2 | Published Jan 2024 |
Year 3 | Published Jan 2025 |
All students full time - with professional placement year
During the placement year, the fee is reduced to 20% of the full time fee. Otherwise, fees are the same as for full time study. This applies to UK, EU and International students.
Interested in applying?
What we look for in potential students
We're looking for applicants who are concerned about social issues and social problems – maybe you’ve been part of a project group and taken a lead or tried to make a difference. You'll have a sense of social justice and fairness, and you'll be able to see things from different points of view.
Typical offers
We accept a wide range of qualifications for entry to our undergraduate programmes. The main ones are listed below:
- A Level - grades BBC-CCC preferred.
- BTEC - Extended Diploma grades from Distinction, Merit, Merit (DMM) to Merit, Merit, Merit (MMM) accepted in any subject.
- International Baccalaureate - a minimum of 27 points are required.
- Access to HE courses - typical offers for applicants with Access to HE will be the Access to HE Diploma or Access to HE Certificate (60 credits, 45 of which must be Level 3, including 30 at merit or higher).
English Language Requirements for International and EU Applicants
IELTS 6.0 - for visa nationals, with a minimum score of IELTS 5.5 in each element.
Course enquiries
For further information about the programme or entry requirements, please email us at admissions@bathspa.ac.uk.
How do I apply?
Ready to apply? Click the 'apply now' button in the centre of this page.
Need more guidance? Head to our how to apply pages.
Get ahead
We recommend the following publications:
- The British Sociological Association (BSA)
The national subject association for sociologists in the UK. - Discover SocietyA free monthly online publication and web resource written by British sociologists.
Course leader: Dr Adrian Barton
Email: a.barton3@bathspa.ac.uk