Sociology with Social Policy

Sociology with social policy is a degree that combines the sociological analysis of how societies work with a specific focus on the policy frameworks and institutional responses through which governments attempt to address social problems. Sociology asks why inequality exists, how identities and social structures shape life chances, and how power operates through institutions, relationships, and culture. Social policy asks how welfare states, health systems, education, housing, criminal justice, and social care are organised, how they work, and how they might work better.

This three-year full-time programme at the University of Liverpool includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to study at an international partner institution and to encounter the social and policy questions you are studying from a different national vantage point. Comparing welfare systems and social structures across countries is a core activity in both sociology and social policy, and direct international experience deepens that comparative understanding significantly. With a typical tariff of 136 points, the programme attracts students who are intellectually engaged with social questions and motivated by understanding the structures that shape people's lives.

You will study sociological theory from the classical tradition through to contemporary debates, research methods both qualitative and quantitative, the sociology of health, education, work, family, and inequality, and the analytical frameworks of social policy including welfare state theory, comparative social policy, and the politics of policy change. The skills you develop, reading critically, working with data, and writing analytically about social phenomena, are valued in a wide range of professional contexts.

Graduates from sociology with social policy programmes move into careers in social research, policy analysis, the civil service, local government, health and social care management, non-governmental organisations, journalism, and education. The year abroad often opens additional international connections and career possibilities. Postgraduate study in sociology, social policy, or related disciplines is a natural next step for those who want to develop specialist expertise or research careers.