Sociology
Sociology gives you the tools to tackle issues related to social justice, such as inequalities, poverty, sustainability, communities, conflict, humanitarianism, climate change and social media. During the course you will learn and critique classical and contemporary sociological theories and methodologies; consider different perspectives on real-world social issues and build knowledge through conducting your own research.
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Key Course Details
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UCAS Code
1J13
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Start Date
September
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Location
Pontypridd
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Campus Code
A
Fees
Home students
£9,535*
International students
£15,850*
- Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits.
Sociology helps us think critically about the factors affecting societies around the world. Our commitment to applied sociology will build your understanding and ability to engage with real-world problems while developing the skills required by future employers driving social change.
DESIGNED FOR
Sociology helps you think critically and understand social issues deeply, leading to careers in the civil service, the third sector, NGOs, UN organisations, universities, think tanks, support services, policy design, and more. You'll develop skills in research, communication, and applying theory to practice, preparing you for a range of career paths.
Career paths
- Civil service and local government
- International development and UN organisations
- Social policy development and design
- Charitable, counselling, and voluntary organisations
- Social and market research
- Community and third sector organisations
- Probation services
- Family support work
- Public relations
- Think tanks
- Post graduate studies
Skills taught
- Critical thinking
- Sociological theories
- Communication skills
- Research methodologies
- Reflective practice
- Policy design and analysis
Course Highlights
Module Overview
Our Sociology degree blends theory with real-world issues, focusing on how sociology applies to everyday life. The modules have been designed with a distinct focus on applied sociology, with complementary international, economic, and political dimensions.
Year One
Classical Sociological Theories
Poverty, Inequality and Social Welfare
Social Justice and Social Exclusion
Past, Present and Future Sociologies
Research, Evaluation and Policy
Equity, Equality and Diversity
Year Two
Contemporary Sociological Theory
Society and the Environment
Design Thinking, Research Methods and Project Management
Work Experience in Sociology
Global Perspectives on Violence and Conflict
Youth Studies, Young People and Social Policy
Year Three
Dissertation – Social Policy
Global Studies
Self and Society
Community Activism in Civil Society
In your first year, you'll develop your sociological imagination, connecting theories to real-world issues like poverty, inequality, and social exclusion. You'll also learn to present strong arguments, conduct research, and write academically.
Classical Sociological Theories
Explore major issues in classical social theory, its development and impact on contemporary sociological understanding and methods in academic and non-academic contexts.
Poverty, Inequality and Social Welfare
Examine the history of poverty and inequality in Britain, state policies, and how historical attitudes shape current debates on poverty and social welfare.
Social Justice and Social Exclusion
Analyse contemporary social issues and how theories of social justice and exclusion influence political debates and societal views on moral legitimacy and justice.
Past, Present and Future Sociologies
Develop your sociological imagination by studying changes in lifestyles, crime, education, media, and AI, introducing you to key concepts and debates in sociology.
Research, Evaluation and Policy
Tie academic research with real applications in social policy. Use case studies and tools like SWOT analysis to understand the role of research in policy and practice.
Equity, Equality and Diversity
Investigate the terms equity, equality, and diversity in modern policy and theory, exploring their meanings, uses, and the debates surrounding these critical concepts.
In your second year, you'll explore social justice and sustainability issues, linking them to sociological theories. Through discussion-based sessions, you'll share ideas, develop solutions, and research effectively. You'll also be required and supported in completing work experience.
Contemporary Sociological Theory
Study social theory to understand our place in the world, exploring theorists like Parsons, Symbolic Interactionism, the Frankfurt School, Habermas, and Foucault.
Society and the Environment
Examine Wales' sustainable development policies and their global context, while evaluating your own ecological footprint and local responses to environmental challenges.
Design Thinking, Research Methods and Project Management
Link research with project management using design thinking. Use empathy mapping and stakeholder engagement to tackle societal problems.
Work Experience in Sociology
Learn how sociology applies to various careers. Build your CV, master interview skills and get practical experience through a 70-hour placement tailored to your interests.
Global Perspectives on Violence and Conflict
Explore socio-cultural theories of violence in different contexts. Apply social theory to issues like cross-cultural variations and political violence.
Youth Studies, Young People and Social Policy
Study how social policies affect young people’s lives from childhood to adulthood. Cover perspectives in the UK, Europe, and beyond.
In your final year, you’ll continue to study key social, economic, and environmental issues, with a greater level of critique and engagement with the academic literature. You’ll also complete your dissertation, which will involve researching a relevant topic of your choosing.
Dissertation – Social Policy
Undertake a 10,000-word dissertation or social impact project on a topic of your choice, diving deep into research and fieldwork to explore social policy issues.
Global Studies
Learn how global forces shape communities and wellbeing. Study automation, ethnic and religious politics, international organisations, and more to understand their impact worldwide.
Self and Society
Investigate how theories like existentialism, Kantianism, and utilitarianism shape our understanding of selfhood, freedom, equality, and social justice within society.
Community Activism in Civil Society
Explore how civil society and community activism tackle social issues, their interactions with the state, and the impact of political ideologies on these dynamics.
Course Highlights
How you’ll learn
Your learning will involve a mix of lectures, seminars, workshops, and hands-on activities. In Year 2, you'll complete a work placement, which will also be assessed. To get the most from your course, you’ll actively join in all classroom activities. Assessments will include essays, exams, reflective pieces, presentations, and portfolios.
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Teaching staff
Our sociology course benefits from a team of experts with extensive experience in various fields. The staff includes specialists in global citizenship, social justice, and educational policy, alongside experts in political philosophy, youth policy, and development. With knowledge of community issues, environmental concerns, and work placements, the team also includes researchers who have conducted fieldwork in challenging environments and those focusing on self-identity and consciousness. This diverse expertise enriches your learning experience and provides valuable insights into both theoretical and practical aspects of sociology.
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Placements and work experience
You'll complete 70 hours of hands-on experience in a placement designed to match your career goals and interests. This bespoke placement is tailored just for you, with details worked out through conversations with the University’s placement officer, you, and the host organisation. This is designed to help you bridge the gap between study and employment through practical support in areas such as interview skills, CV development, and recognising the transferrable skills you will bring to the workplace.
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Facilities
Our sociology course is offered at the Pontypridd Campus, where a vibrant and welcoming community awaits you. The campus blends historic buildings with modern facilities, reflecting the university’s rich heritage and forward-thinking approach. From here, you can explore all that South Wales has to offer - whether it’s relaxing on stunning beaches, hiking historic mountains, or experiencing city life and culture. Studying in Pontypridd provides the perfect base to discover both the natural beauty and vibrant urban life of South Wales.
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ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
UCAS points: 80 (or above)
Typical qualification requirements:
- A Level: CDD
- BTEC: Merit Merit Pass
- Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate: C/D in the Skills Challenge Certificate and DD - CD at A Level
- Access to HE: Pass the Access to HE Diploma and obtain a minimum of 80 UCAS tariff points.
Additional requirements include:
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 applications welcomed:
We welcome international applications with equivalent qualifications of our entry requirements. For more details related to your country of residence, please view our dedicated country pages.
English language requirements
International applicants will need to have achieved an overall of IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component/TOEFL 72 overall and a minimum of 18 in reading, 17 in listening, 20 in speaking and 17 in writing or equivalent.
Equivalents can be located on our English Language pages.
If you have previously studied through the medium of English, IELTS might not be required, please visit our country specific page for further details. If your country is not featured, please contact us.
If you do not meet the English entry criteria, please visit our Pre-Sessional course pages.
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.
We're here to help
Whether you a have a question about your course, fees and funding, the application process or anything else, there are plenty of ways you can get in touch, and we'd love to talk to you. You can contact our friendly admissions team by phone, email or chat to us online.
Fees and Funding
£9,535
per year*£15,850
per year*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.
Students can become members of the BSA
Cost: £57
Students may 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
Cost: £55.42
Students undertake a work placement of their choice in the second year. In this case, they will be responsible for travel costs and may need to budget for suitable workplace attire depending on their chosen placement. These figures assume at most two hours' local travel for a two-week (70 hour placement) and purchase of one work outfit.
Cost: Up to £100
University Quality Assurance
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.
Life at USW
Halls are a big part of your student experience and there’s accommodation at all three of our locations. If you don’t want to live near the campus, there are great transport links to keep you connected.
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How to apply
All applications for full-time undergraduate courses or foundation degrees should be made via UCAS. Take the next step: Apply through UCAS. You can apply to us directly for all part-time undergraduate courses, if you’re seeking advanced entry or you’re an international student. To apply directly, please choose the application form below for your preferred start date and mode of study (full-time or part-time.)
Advanced entry
If you already have a relevant qualification or experience related to the course you're applying for, you may be eligible to start at a later stage of the course. For example, students from partner colleges can ‘top up’ their qualifications to a degree by joining us in Year Two or Year Three of a course. This process is known as ‘advanced entry’, you can apply directly to the University for 'advanced entry' using the application forms provided above.
International admissions
International applicants can apply to us directly. If the University has an in-country team in your region, your application will be assigned to them for assistance.
