Sociology

Do you share a concern for the future of society? Discover sociology’s potential to chart a course towards more hopeful alternatives. Learn to analyse contemporary social phenomena, such as the advancement of technology and climate change, and offer solutions to current and future challenges with Sociology at Keele. Explore the intersections of culture, community and identity, and the methods that shape our understanding of social systems and our roles within them.

Why choose this course?

• Taught by specialists in a wide range of areas including, migration, cultural studies, consumer culture, family and personal life, anthropological perspectives, and environmental sociology

• Global Top 300 for Social Sciences (Times Higher Education World University Subject Rankings, 2022)

• A chance to broaden your horizons and study abroad at a partner university

• Opportunity to gain professional experience with a placement year

• Top 15 in the UK for Graduate Employability (Uni Compare rankings, 2026)

Delve into the study of culture, community and identity, taught by lecturers who are actively researching in the industry today. Put your learning into practice in real-world situations by having the opportunity to engage with the public and community sectors during your studies at Keele.

This modern curriculum has been carefully curated to ensure that you get an understanding of well established and emerging theories, concepts and methodologies used in contemporary practice. You will gain hands on experience by training in practical research skills such as, formulating research questions, sampling strategies, the collection of quantitative and qualitative data, and data analysis, considering the ethical issues related to this.

Throughout your time at Keele, you will get under the skin of some of the contemporary issues that we face in society today such as gender, migration and belonging, the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the ever-present challenges around climate change, to name but a few. The final year focuses on sociology as a ‘live’ subject. You will learn how sociology can be used to improve social conditions and the lives of individuals and will be supported to explore a sociological concern that interests you in an independent study project.

About Keele

Keele University was established in 1949 by the former Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University. Founded to meet the needs of a changing world, Keele has always had a pioneering vision to be a different kind of university.

We excel in both teaching and research, with some of the most satisfied students in England, and research that is changing lives for the better at a regional, national and global level.

Our beautiful 600-acre campus is one of the biggest in Britain – but all the most important services and facilities are on your doorstep, with accommodation, teaching spaces, facilities including a medical centre, sports centre and pharmacy, and a range of shops, eateries and entertainment venues – including the Students’ Union – clustered around the centre.