Program Overview

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Sociology (with integrated year in Industry)

Key Facts

• UCAS Tariff: 120 - 96
• Course duration: 4 years
• Available for September start 2025

Course Overview

The BA Sociology with integrated year in industry degree at Aberystwyth University will train you to develop a critical awareness of and engagement with the social world. By studying this course, you will develop a thorough grounding in the conceptual and theoretical approaches that have been employed by sociologists to study the world around us. The integrated year industry which is undertaken in-between your second and final year of study will be linked to this degree scheme, it will also give you an increased confidence and knowledge as you approach your final year of study. You will also develop your ability to analyse social phenomena through training in the collection, analysis and presentation of sociological data.

Some of the distinctive aspects of Aberystwyth’s approach to Sociology include:

• Emphasising the value and significance of a field-based approach to Sociology, with field exercises being integrated into lecture modules, and a dedicated Field-Based Sociology module in year 2
• Learning how to apply the key concepts associated with sociology in real-world situations and develop your employability skills
• Learning from our research strengths to ensure that you are exposed to cutting-edge theoretical and empirical understandings analysed through a sociological lens.

Course Aims

A degree in BA Sociology at Aberystwyth will allow you to:

• Be able to critically evaluate ideas, concepts and approaches across the whole of the subject and within particular branches of Sociology
• Be able to carry out independent research, applying a range of skills in relation to data collection, analysis and presentation; have developed a range of skills and be able to apply them to a variety of Sociological issues
• Be able to recognise that your learning experience has been positively reinforced by exposure to research
• Be able to evaluate your own performance in a range of learning contexts and under different modes of assessment
• Be able to work independently, in a team and with a social awareness of the contribution made by scholarship and applied research in their discipline to social policy
• Have the necessary skills and awareness to seek employment in a variety of professional careers or to begin postgraduate research and study.

Modules

Year 1

• Introducing Sociological Research (GS17120, 20 credits)
• Key Concepts in Sociology (GS16120, 20 credits)
• Place and Identity (GS14220, 20 credits)
• Thinking Sociologically (GS15120, 20 credits)

Year 2

• Cementing Sociological Research (GS20620, 20 credits)
• Genders and Sexualities (GS20220, 20 credits)
• Graduate Career and Professional Development (CD20220, 20 credits)
• Sociological Research in the 'Field' (GS21220, 20 credits)
• Sociological Theory (GS25020, 20 credits)

Year 3

• Work Placement (GSS0260, 60 credits)

Year 4

• Everyday Social Worlds (GS33320, 20 credits)
• Sociology Dissertation (GS31240, 40 credits)

Careers

The study of Sociology provides a solid foundation for you to consider a wide range of careers including the media, social work, international development, community engagement, and the civil service to name a few. Nowadays, employers are seeking graduates who possess various skills which include the ability to think analytically and laterally. The BA in Sociology degree provides you with a breadth and flexibility of skills which is why Sociology graduates nationally are attractive to employers.

Sociology graduates have progressed on to:

• Criminology, the Police Force
• Health and Social Care
• Social Work
• Social Policy (including public housing, social work, local government administration and the voluntary sector)
• Management
• Journalism
• Public Relations
• Teaching
• Research.

Teaching & Learning

During your first year of your course, you will be introduced to the main concepts, themes and perspectives of Sociology which include:

• Key concepts and theoretical approaches that have been and are developing within Sociology
• The relationships between individuals, groups and social structures
• Social Diversity and inequalities
• The role of culturally organised processes in life
• Processes underpinning social change
• The distinctive character of Sociology in relation to other forms of understanding, such as its relation to other disciplines and to everyday explanations
• The relationship between analysis of evidence and sociological arguments

Your third year will be spent undertaking your industry placement.

During your second and final year, the teaching will consider:

• Core knowledge and understanding modules to develop your capacities relating to your first year modules
• A range of qualitative, quantitative and digital data sources, research strategies and methods of data collection and analysis
• The importance of ethical issues in all forms of sociological data collection, analysis and argumentation
• Practical classes and fieldwork exercises.

During the duration of this course you will be taught through a combination of lectures, seminars, practical classes and fieldwork. Your assessments will depend on the modules that you select, however you may be assessed through the following: Examinations, Practical classes, Fieldwork, Coursework, Dissertation.

Typical Entry Requirements

• UCAS Tariff: 120 - 96
• A Levels: BBB-CCC
• GCSE requirements (minimum grade C/4): English or Welsh
• BTEC National Diploma: DDM-MMM
• International Baccalaureate: 30-26
• European Baccalaureate: 75%-65% overall
• English Language Requirements: See our Undergraduate English Language Requirements for this course. Pre-sessional English Programmes are also available for students who do not meet our English Language Requirements.

Useful Links

• Accommodation
• Advice for International Students
• English Language Requirements
• Fees & Finance
• Global Opportunities
• Online Resources Hub

80% of students were satisfied overall with their course.

Data for courses in Sociology (with integrated year in Industry) at Aberystwyth University

88% of students say teaching staff have supported their learning well.

Data for courses in Sociology at Aberystwyth University

80% in work or doing further study 15 months after the course.

Data for courses in Sociology at Aberystwyth University

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