Fascinated by social issues? Want to help make the world a better place? Our Sociology degree could be for you.

  • In our fast-changing world, Sociology is exciting, relevant and provides essential skills.
  • Learn to tackle problems creatively and make better decisions, applying your knowledge to specific issues.
  • Choose to specialise in specific areas of the subject, such as education and crime.

Do you want to know more about the world we live in? Do you care, and want to make a difference? If so, you’re well-suited to a Sociology degree at Bath Spa.

Sociology is the study of societies, cultures, and groups. We live in complex societies, with laws and informal rules that govern how we interact. Sociology helps you understand more about yourself, others and how society is organised.

#1 in South West

for Satisfaction with Feedback in Sociology (Guardian University Guide 2025)

Joint #8 in UK

for Value Added in Sociology (Guardian University Guide 2025)


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What you'll learn

Overview

You’re taught about society, social groups and social organisation. You’ll learn about social problems and social policies.

Learn how to make sense of social change and conflict, and gain a good understanding of social differences, inequalities and social divisions.

Apply your knowledge and skills to specific problems and issues to help you become a good decision-maker.

Course structure

Year one
You’ll be introduced to sociology, and the techniques and philosophies of the social sciences. You'll focus on identities – beginning with thinking about your own identity, and building your knowledge and understanding so that you're more familiar with social divisions, structures, and the influence of culture. You’ll also learn how to visualise the most important components of society.

Year two
The second year builds on the first and teaches you about the history of and key ideas within sociology. You can also specialise in more specific areas of the subject, such as education and crime. You’ll undertake practical training in research skills. This will enable you to complete your final year project, and prepare you for the kind of employment that you’ll typically undertake as a sociology graduate.

Year three
You’ll concentrate on an aspect of sociology that most interests you in your final dissertation, undertaken with the support of a member of staff as a supervisor. You can also focus on more detailed subjects, such as globalisation, environment, ethnicity and gender.

How will I be assessed?

Assessments vary and may include essays, reports, book and article reviews, seen and unseen examinations, portfolios, projects, learning journals, individual and group work, videos and screencasts, and research projects.

How will I be taught?

You’ll be taught in lectures, seminars, individual and group tutorials, and through our extensive online learning support environment.

To find out more about how we teach and how you'll learn, please read our Learning and Teaching Delivery Statement.

Course modules

This course offers or includes the following modules. The modules you take will depend on your pathway or course combination (if applicable) as well as any optional or open modules chosen. Please check the programme document for more information.

Year one (Level 4) modules
  • Questioning Society
  • Introduction to Social Science Research
  • Power/Resistance
  • Crime: Representation and Reality
  • Sociology of Deviance and Social Control
  • Cities and Environment
Year two (Level 5) modules
  • Sociological Debates
  • Social Science Research Methods
  • Migration: Identity, Belonging, Citizenship and Security
  • The Life Course: Ageing and Generation
  • Crime, Law and Society
  • Sociology of Education
  • Climate and Society
  • Health: Mind, Body, Society
  • Social Problems, Social Divisions, Social Justice
  • Work Placement
  • Exploring Violence
  • Professional Placement Year
Year three (Level 6) modules
  • Dissertation in Sociology
  • Punishment and Penology in Contemporary Society
  • Gender in Society: Critical Perspectives
  • Culture, Risk and Environmental Justice
  • Community Engagement
  • Sociological Fieldwork: Society, Culture and Environment
  • Ethnicity and Society
  • Media, Sociality and Everyday Life
  • Critical Approaches to World Politics

“Sociology helps me piece things together and see the world how it really is. The campus at Bath Spa is beautiful! It’s a really peaceful place to think and the lecturers are passionate about what they teach.”

Kirsty Taylor, Sociology student

Opportunities

Study abroad

As part of your degree, you could study abroad on a placement at one of Bath Spa’s partner universities.

Fieldwork

We run optional visits to places such as criminal justice institutions and religious places of worship. You can take a dedicated fieldwork module.

Work placements, industry links and internships

We provide support in obtaining placements and making links with professionals, and we invite our Sociology graduates back to meet with you. Optional modules have links with professionals and visiting speakers built into the teaching and learning. This means you’ll learn about the real-world application of what you're learning and be able to make more informed decisions about your future career.

Careers

A Sociology degree is useful for any career that involves working with people, either in the private, public or third sectors, typically:

  • Management or administration in the public or private sector
  • Human resource management
  • Marketing and public relations
  • Media or journalism
  • Social work
  • Youth and community work
  • Health education or nursing
  • Law
  • Policing
  • Offender management and interventions
  • Work in the voluntary sector and fundraising
  • Social research and analytics.

Employers such as the National Osteoporosis Society, the Ministry of Defence, Wiltshire Council and Truro College have recruited graduates from this course. Students have also gone into roles including Assistant Education Officer, Student Services Assistant and Relocation Advisor.

Global Citizenship

If you’re a full-time undergraduate student starting your first year at Bath Spa University, you can apply for the Certificate in Global Citizenship, which you’ll study alongside your degree.

You’ll gain global awareness and add an international dimension to your student experience, and funding is available. On successful completion of the programme, you’ll be awarded a Certificate in Global Citizenship. This is in addition to your degree; it doesn’t change your degree title or results.

Adobe Creative Campus

Develop a wealth of indispensable digital skills that you can take into your future career. One of only three Adobe Creative Campuses in the UK, we provide all Bath Spa students with access to the full Adobe Creative Suite, giving you the tools to communicate creatively, whatever your course or chosen professional field.   

Professional placement year

Overview

The Professional Placement Year (PPY) provides you with the opportunity to identify, apply for, and secure professional experience, normally comprising one to three placements over a minimum of nine months. Successful completion of this module will demonstrate your ability to secure and sustain graduate-level employment.

By completing the module, you'll be entitled to the addition of 'with Professional Placement Year' to your degree title.

Preparation

Before your PPY, you'll work to identify roles of interest and secure a placement. The Placements Team will support through timetabled sessions and 1:1 appointments.

How will I be assessed?

As well as completing a minimum of 900 placement hours, you will complete two assessments demonstrating your skill development, growth in professional behaviours and how the PPY has impacted your future career aspirations.

The PPY Bursary

Aiming to make work experience more accessible, we have introduced the PPY Bursary. Students undertaking a PPY can receive between £500 and £1,500 to be used towards placement costs such as travel, food, workwear or accommodation.

For more information and details of eligibility criteria, please visit the PPY Bursary webpage.

Facilities and resources

Resources

All modules can be found on our Virtual Learning Environment, Ultra, providing unlimited online access to learning materials such as handbooks, lecture slides, assessment information, discussion boards and other resources.

Our library gives you access to books, academic journals and DVDs and an extensive range of electronic services. It also provides a place for individual study and collaborative work.

Fees

2025 entry
Student Annual tuition fee
UK full time £9,250
UK part time £4,625
International full time £16,460

Professional Placement Year

During the placement year, the fee is reduced to 20% of the full time fee. This applies to UK and EU/International students.

  • UK: £1,850
  • International: £3,292

Additional course costs

You may need to pay additional course costs over and above your tuition fees, for example, for specialist equipment or trips and visits. Please check the course Programme Document (linked under the main image on this page) for details of any additional costs. You can also read our Additional Course Costs Policy for further information.

Interested in applying?

What we look for in potential students

We're looking for applicants who are concerned about social issues and social problems – maybe you’ve been part of a project group and taken a lead or tried to make a difference. You'll have a sense of social justice and fairness, and you'll be able to see things from different points of view.

Typical offers

We accept a wide range of qualifications for entry to our undergraduate programmes. The main ones are listed below:

  • A Level - grades BBB-BCC preferred.
  • BTEC – Extended Diploma grades from Distinction Distinction Merit (DDM) to Distinction Merit Merit (DMM) accepted in any subject.
  • T Levels – grade Merit preferred.
  • International Baccalaureate - a minimum of 32 points are required.
  • Access to HE courses – typical offers for applicants with Access to HE will be the Access to HE Diploma or Access to HE Certificate (60 credits, 45 of which must be Level 3, at Merit or higher).

If you don’t meet the entry requirements above, we may be able to accept your prior learning or experience from outside of formal education. See our Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) page to learn more.

English Language Requirements for International and EU Applicants

IELTS 6.0 - for visa nationals, with a minimum score of IELTS 5.5 in each element.

Course enquiries

For further information about the programme or entry requirements, please email us at admissions@bathspa.ac.uk.

How do I apply?

Ready to apply? Click the 'apply now' button in the centre of this page.

Need more guidance? Head to our how to apply pages.

Get ahead

We recommend the following publications:

Course leader: Dr Scott Kerpen
Email: s.kerpen@bathspa.ac.uk

Three year course
With placement year