Politics and Sociology

Politics and sociology together form a natural pairing for anyone seeking to understand why societies are organised the way they are and who benefits from that organisation. Politics examines power: how it is acquired, how it is exercised, how institutions are structured, and how political decisions affect the conditions of everyday life. Sociology examines the social structures, norms, and inequalities that shape those conditions, from class and race to gender, education, and the family.

Studied together, the two disciplines offer a richer picture of contemporary society than either provides alone.

The three-year full-time programme at Liverpool Hope University begins from the premise that politics shapes our lives in many ways, influencing governance, conflict resolution, our rights, our freedoms, and our access to essential services. You will explore who makes political decisions, how they are made, and what their effects are on local, national, and global society. Alongside this political analysis, your sociology studies will equip you to examine the social forces that both enable and constrain political life, including structures of inequality, processes of social change, and the ways in which culture and identity are formed.

A sandwich year provides the opportunity for a substantial period of professional experience, while the year abroad and work placement options allow you to extend your learning into international and applied settings, building skills and perspective that classroom study alone cannot provide.

The combination of political analysis and sociological understanding gives you a toolkit that is highly valued in roles concerned with policy, communities, and social change. A typical entry tariff of 88 points reflects Liverpool Hope's commitment to broadening access to this socially important field of study.

Graduates pursue careers in the civil service, local government, politics and policy, social work, the voluntary sector, journalism, education, and community development. Many go on to postgraduate study in politics, sociology, public policy, or social research, and some progress to careers in academic or applied research examining the social and political issues of the day.