Philosophy and Sociology

Philosophy and sociology is a degree that connects the disciplinary homes of two of the most fundamental questions in human enquiry. Philosophy asks what is real, what can be known, and how we should live, engaging with questions about ethics, knowledge, mind, language and the foundations of rational thought. Sociology examines how those questions are answered in practice within legal, political, economic and cultural systems, asking how inequality, power and identity shape the structures of contemporary society.

Together they offer a degree that develops both the capacity for abstract reasoning and the ability to analyse social institutions and processes empirically.

At Sussex, this three-year programme includes a foundation year, a sandwich year, a year abroad and a work placement, making it an unusually comprehensive combination of academic study and professional and international experience. The foundation year provides the academic grounding needed to engage fully with degree-level work in both disciplines. Sussex has strong traditions in both philosophy and sociology, and the School of Law, Politics and Sociology is a recognised centre for social science research.

The year abroad and work placement give you practical and international perspectives that deepen your academic development and strengthen your professional profile.

You will develop your capacity for philosophical argument alongside sociological research skills, including qualitative and quantitative methods, and you will engage with the major debates in both disciplines. The combination produces graduates who can think carefully about principles and at the same time analyse how those principles play out in the real social world.

Graduates move into research, policy, the civil service, education, journalism, public affairs, the voluntary sector, law and a wide range of other fields. Further study in philosophy, sociology, social research, law or ethics is a natural option.