Course summary

Foundation courses A foundation year can develop your skills and make it easier to get started at university. It is an extra year of study at the start of your course that leads in to a full degree programme. It’s a great option if: You don’t have the grades for a full degree course You have non-traditional qualifications or experience You’re starting university after some time away from education You’re looking for more support during the transition into university study. Life as a foundation year student During a foundation year you’ll learn about your chosen subject, develop your study skills and get used to university life. On successful completion of your foundation year, you’ll be ready to progress to the first year of your degree course. As a foundation year student, you’ll be a full student of the University and part of our community. You’ll have access to all our campus facilities and support. Why choose this course -Study with us, and you’ll join one of the most prestigious sociology departments in the UK, which is also well known for its friendly and supportive nature. -You’ll gain a thorough grounding in theoretical and empirical debates within sociology and be trained to apply this understanding to current issues. You will also be equipped with an understanding of social divisions and social inequalities. Through research methods training from your first year onwards, you will gain an understanding of qualitative and quantitative methods which is valued by many employers. -You’ll have the option to take one of our award-winning Professional Training placements that will prepare you for work in industry. What you will study The BSc Sociology at University of Surrey aims to provide you with a comprehensive knowledge of how people shape, but are also shaped, by the world around them. Studying sociology at Surrey involves building a detailed and critical understanding of societies and the social processes and relations that link individuals, groups and institutions, such as the family, education, the economy, criminal justice, the media, health, community and the welfare state. Your studies will help you to develop your sociological imagination, question common assumptions and see current issues in a new light. In an increasingly unstable and rapidly changing world, you will focus your thinking on big questions concerning inequalities and social justice, such as those relating to social class, gender, ethnicity, age, disability, religion and sexuality, and social challenges at both the local and global level, including major issues like the effects of international migration, the impact of artificial intelligence, the abuse of human rights, and responses to the environmental crisis. The programme also provides opportunities for you to reflect on how sociological approaches can help to better address contemporary problems in society, to facilitate and enact positive, sustainable improvements and be one of the change-makers of tomorrow.