Sociology with Social Psychology

Sociology and social psychology together examine the forces that shape who we are and how we act. Sociology takes the wider view, asking how social structures, institutions, inequalities and cultural norms shape individuals and groups. Social psychology works at a finer grain, investigating how individuals think about themselves and others, how group membership affects behaviour, and how processes of persuasion, conformity and identity formation operate in everyday life.

Studied in combination, the two disciplines give you a genuinely layered understanding of the relationship between self and society, and of how individual experience and social structure mutually shape each other.

This three-year full-time degree at the University of York includes a sandwich year with a work placement and a year abroad, giving you professional and international experience alongside your academic studies. You will engage with the latest sociological and social psychological thinking, developing a rigorous sociological perspective on how society, culture and interaction influence identities, choices and actions. The programme develops strong research skills in both quantitative and qualitative methods, the ability to critically evaluate social scientific evidence, and the capacity to construct and present complex arguments about social processes and human behaviour.

Graduates from sociology and social psychology programmes are valued in a wide range of careers. Social research, public policy, the civil service, health and social care, education, human resources, marketing, communications, journalism and the voluntary sector all regularly recruit graduates with this combination of social scientific training. The analytical and communication skills the degree develops are broadly transferable, and many graduates find that their ability to understand social processes and human behaviour gives them an advantage in almost any professional context.

Postgraduate study in sociology, social psychology, social research methods or public policy is a natural progression for those seeking specialist or research careers.