Program Overview

Politics and Sociology BA Honours

The Politics and Sociology BA Honours course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the art and science of identifying, evaluating, and harnessing the political and social forces that shape our lives. This three-year degree program allows students to divide their time equally between politics and sociology, acquiring a rich theoretical understanding of both disciplines and a set of practical skills valued by employers.

Course Overview

The course features regular fieldwork and hands-on workshops to ensure that students graduate as practicing sociologists and political scientists. Students will be trained to conduct surveys, evaluate statistics, and use SPSS, a world-leading statistical software that helps to understand data, analyze trends, and make informed recommendations.

Quality and Ranking

• Global Top 140 University - QS World University Rankings 2026
• Top 200 for Sociology - QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025
• Top 200 for Politics and International Studies - QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025
• 65% increase in research power since 2014 – Research Excellence Framework 2021
• 42% of research is classified as 4* world-leading research – Research Excellence Framework 2021
• Top 25 in the UK and Top 100 in the world for sustainable development – Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2024
• Top 125 for Social Sciences – Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject 2025
• Global Top 160 University - Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025

Modules and Learning

The course is divided into stages, with each stage lasting for one academic year. Students will complete modules totaling 120 credits by the end of each stage.

Stage 1

• Compulsory Modules:
  • Power and Inequality: How to Study Global Politics ... and Change the World (20 credits)
  • Politics and Society (20 credits)
• Optional Modules:
  • UK Politics: Westminster and Beyond (20 credits)
  • Key Concepts in International Politics (20 credits)
  • Order and Disorder: The Shaping of the 21st Century (20 credits)
  • Politics of Happiness (20 credits)
  • State, People and Politics: Comparative Politics in a Globalised World (20 credits)
  • Comparing Cultures: An Introduction to Anthropology (20 credits)
  • The Sociological Imagination: An Introduction to the Discipline (20 credits)
  • Knowing in Sociology: An Introduction to Theory, Methods and Epistemology (20 credits)
  • Understanding Everyday Life (20 credits)
  • Investigating Inequalities and Crime (20 credits)

Stage 2

• Compulsory Modules:
  • Researching Social Life (20 credits)
• Optional Modules:
  • Career Development for second year students (20 credits)
  • Politics of the Middle East (20 credits)
  • Becoming a Political Researcher (20 credits)
  • Government and Politics of the USA (20 credits)
  • The Politics and Policy of the European Union (20 credits)
  • Power and Poverty in the Global Economy (20 credits)
  • A Global History of Political Thought (20 credits)
  • Political Violence and the Modern State (20 credits)
  • Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: Social Issues in Contemporary Political Philosophy (20 credits)
  • Politics Work Placement (20 credits)
  • Democracy in Deeply Divided Societies (20 credits)
  • Democracy or Autocracy? What are the differences and how do we analyse them (20 credits)
  • Sex, Gender and Power (20 credits)
  • The Global Politics of Race (20 credits)
  • International Organizations and Diplomacy (20 credits)
  • Being Human: debates, questions and conversations in anthropology (20 credits)
  • Climate and Society (20 credits)
  • Sociology of Crime: Social Control in Neoliberal Societies (20 credits)
  • Theorising Social Worlds (20 credits)
  • This is How We Do It: Sociology Research Design and Proposal (20 credits)
  • Refugees and Displacement: Borders, Camps, and Asylum (20 credits)
  • Exploring city life: urban studies in action (20 credits)

Stage 3

• Compulsory Modules:
  • One of the following designated modules:
    • Final Year Dissertation (40 credits)
    • Dissertation in Sociology (40 credits)
    • Community-based Research in Politics (40 credits)
• Optional Modules:
  • The Ethics of Killing (20 credits)
  • Political Leadership in Britain (20 credits)
  • Who and why votes for far right? Using data for political analysis (20 credits)
  • Political Parties and Elections in the UK (20 credits)
  • Community-based Research in Politics (40 credits)
  • Politics of Immigration (20 credits)
  • Politics of Citizenship (20 credits)
  • Gender and Sexuality Politics in the Middle East (20 credits)
  • Public Policy: Theories, Cases, Skills (20 credits)
  • Politics as a Way of Life (20 credits)
  • Public Policy Placement (20 credits)
  • Power and Policy: Understanding Impact (20 credits)
  • Global Justice and Human Rights (20 credits)
  • Being Human: debates, questions and conversations in anthropology (20 credits)
  • Regulating Sexuality (20 credits)
  • Critical Approaches to Policing and Security (20 credits)
  • States of Mind: Sociology and Mental Health (20 credits)
  • Who Counts as a Person and Why Does It Matter? Questioning Personhood with Anthropology (20 credits)
  • Exploring city life: urban studies in action (20 credits)
  • Student Exchange (40 credits)
  • Investigating the Body (20 credits)
  • Class in Everyday Life (20 credits)
  • Dissertation in Sociology (40 credits)

Opportunities

• Work placement: Get career-ready with a work placement and leave as a confident professional in your field. You can apply to spend 9 to 12 months working in any organization in the world, and receive University support from our dedicated team to secure your dream placement.
• Study abroad: Experience life in another country by choosing to study abroad as part of your degree. You’ll be encouraged to embrace fun and challenging experiences, make connections with new communities, and graduate as a globally aware professional, ready for your future.

Facilities and Environment

• You'll be based in the School of Geography, Politics and Sociology's Henry Daysh Building.
• Support: You will have one-to-one academic and pastoral support from a personal tutor and from a student.

Your Future

The nature of the course makes our graduates a good fit for roles in the Civil Service, social welfare, education, human resources, politics, customer services, and other roles that require an understanding of political and social mechanisms and an informed interest in other people.

Entry Requirements

• A-Level: ABB
• IB: 32 points
• Alternative offers at Newcastle: Through one of our contextual or alternative offer routes, you could receive an offer of up to three grades lower than the typical requirements.
• Qualifications from outside the UK: We accept a range of international qualifications.

Tuition Fees and Scholarships

• Tuition fees for academic year 2026:
  • Home students: Not Set
  • International students: £24,500
• Scholarships: We support our EU and international students by providing a generous range of Vice-Chancellor's automatic and merit-based scholarships.