Venues

Gilmorehill Campus

Content

Year 1: You will be introduced to the discipline of sociology and to the key concepts, theories and methods sociologists use to understand the nature of contemporary societies and processes of social change. Through studying classic and contemporary examples of sociological research from a range of different societies, you will explore what it means to think sociologically about topics such as class, gender, crime and control, the body, religion and the media.

You will also study two other subjects in year 1 according to your interests: see Degrees in Arts, Science and Social Sciences.

Year 2: In the following year you will deepen your understanding of inequalities, social identities and social change in a global context, by examining a range of examples drawn from sociology and related disciplines, and by encouraging a higher level of theoretical consideration.

You will also study one or two other subjects in year 2 according to your interests: see Degrees in Arts, Science and Social Sciences.

Years 3 and 4: If you successfully complete the courses in first and second years you may progress to two further years of study for an Honours degree. You can choose to study Sociology on its own for a Single Honours degree, or in combination with another subject for a Joint Honours degree. As a Single Honours student, you will take some compulsory courses in theory and research methods and produce a dissertation.

All students will choose from a number of course options such as: Black radical social thought; Consumption; Cosmology, culture and belief; Disability and society; Doing cultural sociology; Drugs and culture; Forced migration, asylum and refugees; Gender; Global civil society and human rights;
Global health, local healing; Imperialism: classical analysis and contemporary directions; Media 1: issues of production, information supply and content; Media 2: audiences, new media and the future of public broadcasting; Power, politics and the state; Punishment and society; Ritual, society and change; Sexualities; Social theory; Sociology of racism; Understanding and explaining crime; Understanding social research; Understanding qualitative research; Violence and social harm; World views; Young people and social change.

Entry Requirements

2026 entry requirements

Standard entry: 5 Highers at AAAAB (by end S6 with min BBBB after S5) including English and a humanities subject at AA (AB or BA may be considered).

Entry to year 2 may be possible with 3 Advanced Highers at AAA in relevant subjects.

Widening access entry: 4 Highers at AABB or BBBB (by end S6) including English and a humanities subject. Completion of pre-entry programme is necessary.

Grades and subjects may vary depending on combinations taken.