Sociology

You’re taught about society, social groups and social organisation. You’ll learn about social problems and social policies. You’ll be able to make sense of social change and conflict. You’ll have a good understanding of social differences, inequalities and social divisions. You’ll be able to apply your knowledge and skills to specific problems and issues to help you to be good decision-maker.

Year one
You’ll be introduced to Sociology as well as to the techniques and philosophies of the social sciences. You will focus on identities – starting out thinking about your own identity then building your knowledge and understanding so that you are more familiar with social divisions, social 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 enables you to begin to learn about the history and important ideas in Sociology. You can also specialise in more specific areas of Sociology such as education and crime. You’ll undertake practical training in research skills. This will enable you to complete your final year project as well as preparing 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 a 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 racism, and gender.

Assessments vary and may include essays, reports, book and article reviews, seen and unseen examinations, web wikis, portfolios, projects, learning journals, individual and group work, videos and screencasts, research projects.

You’ll be taught in lectures, seminars individual and group tutorials and through our extensive online learning support environment.

• Questioning Society
• Visualising the 21st Century World
• Power / Resistance
• Global Development
• The World in Ten Objects

• 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
• Future Cities
• Climate and Society
• Health: Mind, Body, Society
• Social Problems, Social Divisions, Social Justice
• Media, Sociality and Everyday Life
• Work placement
• Professional Placement Year

• Research Design
• Research Study
• Dissertation
• Gender in Society: Critical Perspectives
• Exploring Violence
• Culture, Risk and Environmental Justice
• Community Engagement
• Work, Identities and Organisations
• Sociological fieldwork
• Ethnicity and Society
• Punishment and Penology in Global Context

We have opportunities for you to study abroad through our Erasmus+ Sociology links. We also offer you other overseas learning opportunities including an optional international field trip to India in your second year.

We run optional visits to places such as criminal justice institutions and religious places of worship. You can take a dedicated field trip module.

We provide support in obtaining placements, 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 make more informed decisions about your future career.

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.

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.

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.

On your return to University for your final year, you'll submit your Placement Portfolio, detailing your development on your placement.

Sociology is taught at our Newton Park campus. You'll have access to a range of excellent facilities, including:

• Commons building
• Newton Park library
• Virtual Learning Environment