Psychology and Sociology

Psychology and sociology together provide two complementary frameworks for understanding human behaviour and social life. Psychology focuses on the individual: how people think, feel, learn, remember, develop and interact. Sociology focuses on the collective: how social structures, institutions, norms and inequalities shape the conditions in which individuals live.

Together, the disciplines give you a more complete picture than either can offer alone, allowing you to understand both the internal and the external dimensions of social experience. At Queen Margaret University Edinburgh, this four-year full-time degree develops both sets of analytical and empirical skills within a programme designed to prepare graduates for a range of careers in health, education, social care and the wider public and voluntary sectors.

You will study the major theoretical traditions in both disciplines, covering social psychology, cognitive and developmental psychology, the sociology of inequality, culture, health and institutions, and the research methods, both quantitative and qualitative, that each discipline uses. Queen Margaret's programme has a distinctive health and social sciences orientation, reflecting the university's particular strengths, and the combination of psychology and sociology prepares you well for roles where understanding both individual and social dimensions of health and wellbeing is needed. A typical tariff of around 136 points is expected.

Graduates pursue careers in social work, health promotion, community services, youth work, mental health support, education, human resources, criminal justice, policy research and the charity sector. The degree provides a strong foundation for postgraduate training in social work, occupational therapy, clinical psychology or public health, and for research degrees in either discipline. The combination of psychological and sociological training is valued wherever understanding people, groups and social systems is central to the work.