BSc (Hons) Sociology

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Sociology examines how our actions are shaped by our social environment. It explores the values, beliefs and ideas that people hold, the lives we live and choices we make. Sociology will disturb your taken-for-granted view of the world, making even the mundane things in everyday life seem extraordinary. If you are inquisitive, seek challenges, take pleasure in discovery, desire to see the world afresh, and don’t want to simply believe that things can only be the way you’ve been told they are, then a sociology degree is for you.

You’ll study the organisation of societies, how people become united and divided in different cultural and social arrangements, and how people view their identities and understand their place in the world. Key topics across the sociology degree include violence and conflict, community and family life, society and the environment, technologies and security, and gender and sexuality. As you study sociology, you’ll develop the transferable skills that are sought after by employers, including research and problem-solving skills, and a range of communication skills.

2023
2024

UCAS Code	Study Mode 2023	Duration	Start Date	Campus	Campus Code
1J13	Full-time	3 Years	September	Treforest	A

UCAS Code	Study Mode 2024	Duration	Start Date	Campus	Campus Code
1J13	Full-time	3 Years	September	Treforest	A

The first year of your sociology degree is designed to get you thinking sociologically and critically. You’ll be introduced to the ways that sociological knowledge of societies has been produced through a range of applied approaches and theories. First year modules address key problems facing contemporary societies and help you start to understand how sociological investigations can help us account for the complex world we live in.

In the second and third years, you’ll have the chance to develop a rich understanding of specialist topics in more depth, undertake a placement that provides a crucial opportunity to apply and reflect on the skills you’re gaining in a workplace environment, and conduct a supervised research dissertation project where you can further develop and display your sociological expertise and graduate-level skills.

Year One: Sociology Degree

Questioning Everyday Life 1
Questioning Everyday Life 2
Researching Contemporary Society 1
Researching Contemporary Society 2
Classical Sociological Theories
Poverty, Inequality, and Social Exclusion

Year Two: Sociology Degree

Research Methods in the Social Sciences
Work Experience in Sociology
Social Justice and Social Exclusion
Global Perspectives on Violence and Conflict
Contemporary Social Theory

Plus one module from the following options:

Equality and Diversity
Society and the environment

Year Three: Sociology Degree

Dissertation - Social Policy
Global Studies
Self and Society

You will also study two modules from the following options:

Family, Youth and Community
Conflict, War and Peace
Social Policy and Young People

Foundation Year

The BSc (Hons) Sociology is also available as a four year course including an integrated Foundation Year, and is designed for students who do not currently meet admissions criteria for direct entry onto the degree. You will start by completing a foundation year, which provides well structured support, allowing you to develop your skills and knowledge before continuing onto the three year sociology degree programme. Find out more: Sociology including Foundation Year (Social Sciences)

Teaching

The sociology degree is taught through lectures, seminars, and workshops, all of which use established and innovative teaching methods to get you thinking and working together. You’ll be required to work on assignments, read about current topics to prepare for participation in seminars, and attend lectures. Assessment is closely matched to each module’s learning objectives, and a range of different assessments are used in order to fully develop your transferable skills.

For each assessment your lecturers will provide detailed feedback and feedforward in order to help maximise the trajectory of your learning. You’ll be taught by team of lecturers who have an array of expertise in areas such as social policy, nationalism, religion, globalisation, digital technologies, and the politics of climate change. You’ll be exposed to current real world issues and taught by academics who are actively contributing to the discipline and their own specialist field.

As one of our students you’ll have the opportunity to become a member of the British Sociological Association and participate in the USW Sociology Society, which is run by our current students. Our Global Choices series offers inspiring public lectures that address some of the most complex and pressing challenges facing the world today, delivered by people who have witnessed and been participants in major world events. Recent speakers include: Lord Hain of Neath, former cabinet minister; Rt Hon Jack Straw, former cabinet minister; Sir Richard Dearlove, former Head of MI6; and Steven Frank, child holocaust survivor.

Assessment

The sociology degree is assessed primarily through coursework, with some exams. Assessments include presentations, group and individual projects, marked debates, surveys, portfolios, manifestos and peer assessments.

Placements

You may be able to study for up to a year in Europe, the USA, or further afield. Studying abroad is a great boost to your learning and your CV. You’ll gain an international perspective on your studies, and the time you spend overseas can count towards your sociology degree.

Featured Lecturer:
Professor Howard Williamson

Professor Howard Williamson is Professor of European Youth Policy and a member of the Centre for Social Policy Research.

In 2016, Professor Williamson was honoured with a CVO (Commander of the Royal Victorian Order) for his contribution to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award charity, for whom he served as a UK Trustee for 12 years. He recently became one of its international trustees. He has also served on the Council of the Prince’s Trust Cymru for 10 years, and was a Founder of the Diana Princess of Wales Award for Young People.

Professor Williamson has managed and conducted research projects for local, national and European organisations. His research work has been predominantly on youth issues, notably concerning youth work and youth training, but it has also addressed juvenile justice and youth crime, drug misuse, special needs housing, inter-agency partnerships, mini-enterprise in schools, local economic development and training for enterprise in Europe.

His latest has included action research with schools around alternative key stage 4 curricula, an evaluation of the Home Office On Track initiative, and a formative evaluation of a police-led schools curriculum on drugs, crime and personal safety.

Lecturers

Additional teaching is provided by colleagues in Criminology.

We regularly revalidate courses for quality assurance and enhancement

At USW, we regularly review our courses in response to changing patterns of employment and skills demand to ensure we offer learning designed to reflect today’s student needs and tomorrow’s employer demands.

If during a review process course content is significantly changed, we’ll write to inform you and talk you through the changes for the coming year. But whatever the outcome, we aim to equip our students with the skillset and the mindset to succeed whatever tomorrow may bring. Your future, future-proofed.

The entry criteria below reflect our standard entry requirements for the course for September 2023. However, all applications received by the University are reviewed holistically and individually. Entry criteria for September 2024 is changing and will be published on ucas.com from 8th May 2023. Entry criteria for September 2024 will be updated on our website from the end of October 2023.

Contextual offers

We may make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (where you live and the school or college that you attended for example), your experiences and individual circumstances (as a care leaver, for example). This is referred to as a contextual offer and we receive data from UCAS to support us in making these decisions. USW prides itself on its student experience and we support our students to achieve their goals and become a successful graduate. This approach helps us to support students who have the potential to succeed and who may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university. Here is a link to our Contextual Admissions Policy.

Other qualifications and experience

We can also consider combinations of qualifications and other qualifications not listed here may also be acceptable. We can sometimes consider credits achieved at other universities and your work/life experience through an assessment of prior learning. This may be for year one entry, or advanced entry to year two or three of a course where this is possible.

To find out which qualifications have tariff points, please refer to the UCAS tariff calculator.

If you need more help or information or would like to speak to our friendly admissions team, please contact us here

Typical A-Level Offer

BCC - CDD (this is equivalent to 104-80 UCAS tariff points).

Typical Welsh BACC Offer

Pass the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Diploma with Grade C/D in the Skills Challenge Certificate and BC - CD at A Level (this is equivalent to 104-80 UCAS tariff points).

Typical BTEC Offer

BTEC Extended Diploma Distinction Merit Merit - Merit Merit Pass (this is equivalent to 112-80 UCAS tariff points).

Typical Access to HE Offer

Pass the Access to HE Diploma and obtain a minimum of 80 UCAS tariff points

Additional Requirements

GCSEs: The University normally requires a minimum 5 GCSEs including Mathematics/Numeracy and English at Grade C or Grade 4 or above, or their equivalent, but consideration is given to individual circumstances.

International Entry Requirements

We also welcome international applications with equivalent qualifications. Please visit the country specific pages on our international website for exact details.

English Requirements

In general, international applicants will need to have achieved an overall IELTS grade of 6.0 with a minimum score of 5.5 in each component.

However, if you have previously studied through the medium of English IELTS might not be required, but please visit the country specific page on our international website for exact details. If your country is not featured please contact us.

Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits. Once enrolled, the fee will remain at the same rate throughout the duration of your study on this course

August 2023 - July 2024 Fees

Full-time UK: £9000
Full-time International: £14100

August 2024 - July 2025 Fees

Full-time UK: TBC
Full-time International: £14950

Student Perks

At the University of South Wales, you’re investing in so much more than a degree. We strive to provide our students with the best possible experience, no matter what you chose to study. Whether it’s access to top of the range mac books and PCs, state-of-the-art facilities packed with industry-leading equipment and software, masterclasses and events led by industry experts, or a wide range of clubs and societies to meet likeminded people, better tomorrows start with extra perks.

Each course also has their own unique student benefits to prepare you for the real word, and details of these can be found on our course pages. From global field trips, integrated work experience and free course-related resources, to funded initiatives, projects working with real employers, and opportunities for extra qualifications and accreditations - at USW your future, is future-proofed.

Click here to learn more about student perks at USW.

Additional Costs

As a student of USW, you’ll have access to lots of free resources to support your study and learning, such as textbooks, publications, online journals, laptops, and plenty of remote-access resources. Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of travel, memberships, experience days, stationery, printing, or equipment.

* Obligatory

Item	Cost
Professional Memberships: British Sociological Association	£57	Students can become members of the BSA
DBS	£55.42	Students will need to pay for a DBS depending on the research and modules they choose. The fee includes £44 for the enhanced DBS check and the online admin fee and post office checks
Placement expenses: Work placement	£	Students will cover their own costs of a work placement. Costs will vary depending on location.
Other : Textbooks	£300 - £400	Students will need to buy course books, eBooks, etc.

Funding

Funding to help pay for (or cover) course tuition fees and living costs

Whilst you’re studying, you’ll have two main financial obligations – tuition fees and living costs. There’s lots of financial help available from the University of South Wales and external funding sources, that may provide loans (which have to be paid back) and grants, scholarships and bursaries (that don't).

To learn about course fees, funding options, and to see if you are eligible for financial support, visit our Fees and Funding pages.

UK students

Apply via UCAS if you are a UK residing applicant, applying for year one of a full-time undergraduate degree, Foundation Year, Foundation Degree or HND and you have not applied through UCAS before. If you are applying to study part-time, to top up your Foundation Degree or HND, or to transfer to USW from another institution, please apply directly.

International and EU students

Apply directly to the University if you live outside the UK.

Admissions statement

Graduates of this sociology degree have entered a range of rewarding careers that include teaching, professional social work training, community and youth work, charity work, and in local authorities, or in police, prison, probation, protection and victim support services. Many of our graduates also progress to postgraduate study and research.

Our Careers and Employability Service

As a USW sociology student, you will have access to advice from the Careers and Employability Service throughout your studies and after you graduate.

This includes: one-to-one appointments from faculty based Career Advisers, in person, over the phone or even on Skype and through email via the "Ask a Question" service. We also have extensive online resources for help with considering your career options and presenting yourself well to employers. Resources include psychometric tests, career assessments, a CV builder, interview simulator and application help. Our employer database has over 2,000 registered employers targeting USW students, you can receive weekly email alerts for jobs.

Our Careers service has dedicated teams: A central work experience team to help you find relevant placements; an employability development team which includes an employability programme called Grad Edge; and an Enterprise team focused on new business ideas and entrepreneurship.