Politics and Sociology

Politics and sociology is a pairing that takes the study of power and society seriously, from two complementary and mutually illuminating angles. Politics examines the formal institutions of governance, the exercise of political authority, the dynamics of parties and elections, and the frameworks of international relations. Sociology takes a wider view, asking how societies are structured and stratified, how institutions reproduce inequality, and how collective identities and social movements shape and are shaped by the political order.

Together the two disciplines develop a sophisticated and critical understanding of how the world is organised and why it looks the way it does.

At Cardiff University you will study across three years on a full-time programme. The degree gives you the scope and space to explore how power works, how society is shaped and reshaped, and who is driving that change. You will engage with political theory and empirical political science, examining how states, parties, and international organisations function and how political change happens.

The sociological strand introduces you to classical and contemporary social theory, the sociology of inequality, the family, religion, media, and the state, and the methods, both quantitative and qualitative, that social scientists use to investigate the social world. Cardiff's location in a capital city with active political institutions gives additional immediacy to the study of politics, and the university's strong research environment enriches the curriculum.

Graduates of politics and sociology enter careers across the public and third sectors, journalism, communications, research, and social work. The civil service, local government, political parties and campaign organisations, trade unions, and NGOs are all common employers. Journalism, public relations, and policy research draw on the analytical and communication skills the degree develops.

Academic research is a natural direction for those who continue to postgraduate study, and MSc or MRes programmes in politics, sociology, or social research methods are well-established next steps. The combination of political understanding and sociological analysis is also valued in human resources, management consultancy, and community development.