Social Sciences

Social sciences is the broad field of academic inquiry concerned with how human societies work: how they are structured, how people within them form identities and relationships, how power is distributed and exercised, how institutions function, and how change happens. It encompasses disciplines including sociology, politics, economics, anthropology, human geography and psychology, and draws on both quantitative and qualitative methods to understand the social world. What unites these fields is a commitment to examining human behaviour and social organisation empirically and critically, rather than simply taking the way things are for granted.

At the University of the Highlands and Islands, this part-time programme offers a flexible route into social science education for students who need to fit their studies around other commitments. The mode of study is designed to allow you to progress through the material at a pace that works alongside work, family or community responsibilities, and the university's dispersed campus model across the north of Scotland and the island communities makes higher education accessible to students who might not otherwise be able to attend. You will develop the core intellectual skills of social science inquiry: the ability to define a research question, gather and assess evidence, apply theoretical frameworks, and communicate your findings in writing.

The curriculum draws on the full range of social science perspectives, giving you a broad foundation rather than premature narrowing.

Graduates from social sciences programmes go on to careers across a wide range of sectors. Public services, local government, community development, health and social care, the third sector, education, policy research, journalism and the civil service all draw regularly on graduates with this background. The combination of analytical thinking, research skills and understanding of how social systems function transfers well to almost any organisation concerned with people and communities.

Further study at postgraduate level, whether in sociology, social policy, public administration or a related field, is a natural route for those who want to develop specialist expertise.