Sociology

Sociology is the scientific study of society, examining how social structures, institutions and processes shape human behaviour and experience. It investigates the forces that create and perpetuate inequality, how institutions like families, schools, workplaces and governments function, and how cultural norms, identities and social change operate across different historical and contemporary contexts. Studying sociology means developing the ability to see beneath the surface of everyday social life, to understand the social origins of things that often appear natural or inevitable, and to engage critically with the claims made about how societies work.

At Birkbeck, this three-year full-time programme offers a sociology education that engages seriously with the most compelling and important aspects of social life. Birkbeck has a long tradition of making higher education accessible to people who are working or who come from non-traditional backgrounds, and the sociology degree is taught with a commitment to connecting sociological ideas to the lived experiences that students bring to the classroom. You will explore social processes and their influence on individuals, groups, societies, institutions and states, developing both theoretical understanding and the empirical and research skills to investigate social questions rigorously.

Sociology at Birkbeck is enriched by London's diversity and its concentration of social, cultural and political institutions, which provide a constant backdrop against which sociological ideas can be examined.

Graduates of sociology programmes move into the civil service, local government, social work, healthcare management, education, journalism, research, the voluntary sector, human resources, public affairs and policy. The analytical, research and communication skills the degree develops are valued across almost every sector that deals with people and organisations. Further study in sociology, social policy, social research or law is a natural option.