BSc in Sociology
Kingston University
Key Information
Campus location
Kingston upon Thames, United Kingdom
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
3 - 6 years
Pace
Full time, Part time
Tuition fees
GBP 9,250 / per year *
Application deadline
Request info
Earliest start date
Request info
* UK students: £9,250 per year | international: £14,300 for the first year
Introduction
Why choose this course?
How can we better understand today's social inequalities, and what can we do to solve them? What impact has globalisation had on our everyday lives? How do our culture and society shape our identity and how do we evaluate others? These are the types of questions we examine in our sociology degree.
You'll look at many areas of social life, such as gender, race and class, family, migration, creative industries and fashion, to understand how power operates, how individual behaviour, norms and values are shaped by the social world, and how conflict exists and is resolved.
Throughout the course, you'll be asked to reflect on your own life experiences and to consider contemporary real-world issues and events. You'll make connections with ideas and arguments from other social sciences, such as psychology, criminology, and politics. You'll take your learning out of the classroom, broadening your experience of work environments and cultural spaces such as museums and galleries.
Reasons to choose Kingston University
- An optional work placement will enhance your learning and give you valuable work experience for your future career.
- There are opportunities to enrich your studies by participating in field trips.
- You'll be taught in a vibrant department with events such as student conferences and research seminars.
Gallery
Admissions
Curriculum
What you will study
Take a look at some of the content and modules that you may have the opportunity to study in our Sociology course:
Year 1
In Year 1, you will gain the theoretical grounding necessary to becoming a sociologist as you look at some of sociology's key thinkers whilst tracking the historical development of sociological theory from ‘classical' to 'contemporary'. You will be introduced to some of the most influential ways of thinking about self and identity, drawing on both sociology and psychology; and you will explore who is policed and disciplined in societal, popular and political cultures. You'll understand how researchers utilise qualitative and quantitative research methods and will gain hands-on experience in research skills.
Core modules
- Social Order and Social Control
- Social Selves
- Classical Social Theory in a Contemporary World
- Introduction to Research Methods
Year 2
In Year 2, you'll explore a range of classic and contemporary thinkers to address the double role that sociology has inherited from its origins. You will understand the historical and theoretical conceptualisations and methodological approaches to researching ‘race' and ethnicity in contemporary society. Alongside this, you will build upon your existing research skills. You will have the opportunity to specialise in your main interests via a choice of modules.
Core modules
- Social Justice and Social Movements
- Researching Race and Ethnicity
Optional modules
- Creative Societies and Fashion
- Securing Human Rights: Contemporary Themes and Issues
- Globalisation and Social Change
- Religion and Belief
- Animals and Society
- Crime on Screen
- Culture and Harm in the Digital Age
Optional year
Study abroad optional year
You have the option to take an additional year to study abroad or to undertake a year-long work placement overseas (or even a mix of both.)
Sandwich year
This course has a sandwich year option which takes place between Year 2 and your Final year. During this sandwich year, you will take a placement within a relevant setting, ensuring you gain essential experience to add to your CV and help you secure a graduate job.
Final year
In your Final year, you will explore the social intersections between gender, race and class. You will undertake an advanced research project on a topic of interest and receive training in research skills. You will also choose from a range of specialist modules that suit your area of interest.
Core modules
- Sociology Dissertation
- Sociology Extended Dissertation
- Social Issues
Optional modules
- Consumption and Cultural Practices
- Migration in a Global Context
- Applied Sociology: Work and Volunteering
- Risk and Crime
- Families, Relationships and Intimacies
- Bodies and Emotions
Please note
Optional modules only run if there is enough demand. If we have an insufficient number of students interested in an optional module, that module will not be offered for this course.
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
After you graduate
Graduates work in social research, teaching, policymaking, the charity sector, local government, human resource management and retail. This degree is an excellent foundation for postgraduate study in sociology and related areas.
A sociology degree prepares students for life after university by teaching key transferable skills that employers are looking for. These include problem-solving and analytic skills; critical thinking and reasoning; team working, project planning and leadership; self-motivation and working independently; managing and interpreting data sets; written and oral communication, including public speaking.
Some graduates have continued their academic studies by doing master's courses and doctoral studies in the UK and internationally.