Sociology

Sociology helps you understand the structures, relationships and behaviours that shape everyday life.

By exploring how society operates, from education and families to beliefs, crime and social policy, you’ll develop the analytical skills to question assumptions, evaluate evidence and form well‑reasoned arguments. This subject builds critical thinkers who are ready to make sense of an ever‑changing world.

What you will study

Paper 1: Education with Theory and Methods

• The role and functions of the education system
• Educational achievement across gender, ethnicity and class
• Teacher-pupil relationships, identities and subcultures
• Educational policy, selection, marketisation and inequality

Paper 2: Families and Households, Beliefs in Society

• Changing family structure, marriage patterns and childhood
• Gender roles, domestic labour, and power relationships
• Ideology, science, religion and beleif systems
• Social stability, change and the role of religion

Paper 3: Crime and Deviance with Theory and Methods

• Crime, deviance and social control
• Crime patters by class, ethnicity and gender
• Globalisation and crime
• Surveillance, punishment and prevention
• Research methods in crimes

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Next steps - where might it lead?

Studying Sociology can lead to degrees such as:

• Sociology
• Criminology
• Social Policy
• Education Studies
• Law and Politics
• Psychology and Social Research

What experience and skills will you gain?

You’ll develop a broad set of transferable and career-ready skills, including:

• Advanced analytical and critical-thinking skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication
• Evaluation and comparison of sociological perspectives
• Research and data-interpretation skills
• The ability to form evidence-based arguments in exam and real-world contexts

Future careers - where might this take you?

Graduates can pursue careers such as:

• Social Research (£34,000-£47,000)
• Policy and Public Sector Roles (£33,000-£75,000)
• Education and Teaching (£32,000-£50,000)
• Law, Politics and Third-Sector Careers (£27,000-£35,000)