BA Sociology Course Content
Year One
BA Sociology Year One introduces you to key concepts and debates within sociology, and gives you a broad sociological foundation for your studies at Year Two and Three.
Compulsory modules
Sociological Analysis of Contemporary Society examines the key features of contemporary British society and culture from a sociological perspective. In this module, we consider what aspects of our lives and the social world might be changing, and why such change may occur.
Sociological Thinking initiates you into the sociological way of seeing the world. This module provides the conceptual tools that will enable you to perceive the social patterns beneath a society’s political rhetoric and media noise.
Central Debates in Welfare introduces you to two prominent themes within welfare theory: dependency and citizenship. In this module, we explore how issues such as social exclusion, race, demographic change, globalisation and the so-called 'underclass' challenge perceptions and policy directions about who deserves what and why.
Identity, Difference and Inequalities investigates how we acquire our social identities, differentiate ourselves from other people and comprehend inequalities. In this module, we consider how far the world of ideas can shape peoples' sense of themselves, and how differences in gender, race, sexuality, disability and age can shape the way we perceive each other.
Finally, Study Skills for Social Science gives you the opportunity to gain practical skills in essay writing, researching, exam revision, referencing and avoiding plagiarism. The module also introduces you to giving effective presentations, group and teamwork.
Elective modules
You also have a number of 'credits' that you can use to take another one or two modules of your choice.
Year Two
Compulsory modules
Central Problems in Sociology focuses on the important thinkers within the history of the discipline, and explores how they have elucidated their main ideas and influenced each other. The module covers the themes of social integration, power, social change, the individual and society, as well as examining the social basis of culture, beliefs and consciousness.
Sociology and Social Policy Research Methods will provide you with a thorough understanding of how to design and conduct your own sociological research, and interpret results in an accurate manner. The module explores qualitative and quantitative approaches to social research, and covers issues from questionnaire construction to descriptive statistics.
Optional modules
You then select two modules from the list below, and a further optional or elective module to complete the course. Electives can be taken from within the School or elsewhere in the University.
- Crime, Law and Regulation
- Race and Hollywood Cinema
- Drugs: Society, Politics and Policy
- Disability Studies: An Introduction
- The Sociology of Gender
- Sociology of Health and Illness
- Racism and Ethnicity Studies: A Global Approach
- Gender, Race and Culture
- Tourism and Culture
- Emotions, Power and Contemporary Society
- Individual, Mind and Society
- The Sociology of the Environment
- Urban Disorders, Social Divisions and Social Control
Year Three
Compulsory modules
The only compulsory module in year Three is your Sociology Dissertation. You agree a topic for study with an academic member of staff, who then acts as your supervisor. We encourage you to choose an area of personal, or professional, interest for your dissertation subject. The dissertation will be between 10,000 and 12,000 words.
Optional modules
You then choose three of the following modules.
- Sexualities and Society
- Governing Cultures, Identities and Emotions
- Disability Rights and the International Policy Context
- Education, Culture and Society
- Organised Crime, Violence and the State
- Urban Regulation, Power and Difference
- Discipline and Punish
- Sociology of Consumerism
- Protest and Social Movements
- Globalisation and the Sex Trade
- Understanding Interpersonal Violence
- Ethnicity and Popular Culture
Key Information
UCAS code: L300
Number of places: 80.
Duration
3 years full-time.
6 years part-time.
Entry Requirements:
ABB at A level for entry, plus C in GCSE Mathematics
Full entry requirements
UK/EU student fees
£9,000 per year full-time.
International student fees
£12,500 per year full-time.
Full finance information
Admissions Contact
Faculty of Education, Social Sciences and Law
Tel: 0113 343 5049
Tel: 0113 343 5020
Fax: 0113 343 5019
