Sociology and Psychological Studies

Sociology and psychological studies is a degree that combines two disciplines concerned with understanding human behaviour from different angles. Sociology examines how social structures, institutions, culture and power shape the way people live their lives and the opportunities available to them. Psychology investigates the mental processes, emotions and behaviours of individuals, asking how perception, cognition, motivation and social interaction work at the level of the person.

Together, they provide a comprehensive lens for understanding human life as both a social and an individual phenomenon.

At Leeds Beckett University, the three-year full-time programme develops your skills in both disciplines alongside the research methods needed to investigate social and psychological questions empirically. You will study sociological theory, the sociology of inequality and difference, and applied sociology topics including crime, health and education, alongside core areas of psychology including cognitive psychology, developmental psychology and social psychology. The degree is assessed through a variety of methods, and the learning environment encourages active intellectual engagement: in your second year, you may have the opportunity to present your own research findings at a day-long conference and to publish work in the university's sociology journal.

The degree includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to study sociology and psychology in a different national context.

Graduates work in social research, the civil service, human resources, education, social work, community development, the third sector, mental health services and a wide range of other fields where understanding people and society is important. Many go on to postgraduate study in sociology, psychology, social policy or social work.