Sociology [with Placement year]

Discover how humans shape and are shaped by the world they live in, and prepare for careers in policymaking, community development or social change.

On this degree you'll explore what shapes societies and individual lives, the relations that connect individuals, groups and institutions within societies and those that the divide them.

As a BA (Hons) Sociology student at ARU, you’ll look at the work of classical sociologists, such as Weber, Du Bois and Marx, while adopting a decolonial approach to understand how sociology as a discipline is changing to respond to global issues. Through the study and application of social research methods viz., interviewing, group discussions, statistical analysis, etc., you will acquire transferable skills to take with you into a wide range of careers.

We have a supportive community of staff and students at ARU. Throughout your BA (Hons) Sociology degree, you’ll be taught by a team of research-active sociological scholars including Dr Claudia Schneider, Dr Mirna Guha, Dr David Skinner and Dr Rachel Ryder who have real-world expertise in researching how various social issues viz., migration, educational and health inequalities, gender-based violence against women, science and technological advancements, etc., affect different communities. You’ll be able to specialise in areas that interest you too – such as the impact of intoxicants on societies, the formulation and analysis of social policy, the significance of global feminist movements, the relationship between environment, nature and society ,the shifting nature of cybercrime, ‘woke wars’, and the application of digital methods – through our diverse range of optional modules.

You’ll also prepare for your future career, with the opportunity to conduct your own community or workplace research, gaining valuable practical experience and insight into different approaches to social issues. You’ll consider how you can apply this understanding by researching, pitching and evaluating an idea that could potentially make a positive contribution to society. You'll be challenged to solve industry briefs from our partners, like our students who recently worked with Deafblind UK. You can also take an optional placement year; this might be in a governmental organisation, NGO, charity or social enterprise – wherever your own interests lead you.

You could enhance your CV further by studying abroad for a semester, with funding on offer to help cover the cost.

Once you’ve graduated, you might choose to develop your skills with one of our Masters degrees, such as MA Sociology.

Careers

Our BA (Hons) Sociology degree will equip you with skills in independent, creative, critical and analytical thinking. Previous students have gone on to careers in journalism and the media, business administration and management, health management, the civil service, teaching, social care, social research, the police, prison and probation services.

Specialist modules in years 2 and 3 will help you tailor the course towards your career goals with topics including cybercrime, drinking cultures, health, violence, feminism, and sport.

You could also learn more about sociology, develop a specialism or start an exciting career in research with our MA Sociology. Take advantage of our Alumni Scholarship and get 20% off your fees.