Course summary

Gain insight into the global issues we face in modern society by studying Sociology at Roehampton. Our department is rated one of the best in the UK for the impact of our Social Sciences research. This option includes a foundation year, which will provide you with a sound introduction to key elements needed for studying Sociology at degree level. The foundation year is carefully designed to build confidence in your abilities, develop essential academic and study skills, and provide you with the subject specific knowledge essential for success. Sociology is about exploring the building blocks of society. It’s the study of the connections that bind us together: families, organisations and social groups. This course will help you understand how societies are created and how they change. You will learn how educational attainment, ethnicity, gender and geography affects people’s place in society, including the resources they accumulate and the networks they build. You’ll leave with a different view of other individuals and the world around you. This course is taught with a practical approach, enabling you to apply your everyday experience to key issues and to gain critical-thinking skills that help you understand the theories that underpin these issues. Our expert teaching staff will develop your knowledge of what shapes society, considering issues such as politics, inequality, religion, the environment, human rights, family, identity, and the economy. You will explore issues through the context of health and illness, ‘race’ and ethnicity, power and politics, crime and deviance, and culture and communication. Modules include ‘Contemporary Urban Life’, which combines debates on the condition of urban life and includes a field trip where your impressions of the city will be discussed and analysed. In ‘Becoming a Sociologist’, you will have the opportunity develop the required skillsets for your career by analysing our world through leading focus groups, conducting interviews, and surveys. There will be many exciting opportunities to gain practical experiences to prepare you for your career. You will leave the course having developed your skills you need to succeed in your chosen career: analytical-thinking, communication and leadership skills. Taught on our south-west London campus, on this degree you will have access to many opportunities for work experience through our Careers Team, and access to face-to-face and 24/7 online careers support, whether you choose to live on campus or commute to us. This course offers all students the option of a one-year paid work placement, to boost your employability even further. If you choose this route, you will take the placement following year two of your course, and then return to complete your degree. A placement year is the perfect opportunity to gain valuable work experience, to build on the career skills we will teach you on this degree. The connections you make on the placement will improve your career prospects further, and equip you with the skills you need to secure graduate-level employment.