Sociology

Sociology is the systematic study of how human societies are organised, how they function and how they change. It examines the relationships between individuals and the social structures, institutions and cultural forces that shape their lives, from the family and education to the economy, politics, media and global processes like migration and climate change. Sociology develops both a way of seeing the world and a set of research skills for investigating it rigorously.

At the University of Sheffield, this programme includes a foundation year, a sandwich year, a work placement and a year abroad, making it one of the most comprehensively supported pathways into the discipline. The foundation year gives you the academic grounding to engage confidently with degree-level sociological study. The sandwich and placement elements provide direct professional experience in research, policy, public services, charities or community organisations, connecting theory to practice.

The year abroad gives you the chance to study sociology in a different national context, which is particularly valuable for a discipline concerned with understanding how societies differ and why.

You will study sociological theory from classical to contemporary, research methods, the sociology of inequality across class, race and gender, globalisation, health, work, education and social change. Quantitative and qualitative research skills are both developed, preparing you to design studies, collect data and analyse evidence in different ways.

Graduates go into careers in social research, policy, public services, education, health and social care, charities, journalism, human resources, the civil service and many other fields. Some go on to postgraduate study in sociology, social policy, social work, public health or related disciplines. The combination of critical thinking, research skills and understanding of social life makes sociology graduates valuable across many sectors.