Sociology

The MSc in Sociology equips you with an advanced and critical understanding of sociological theories and perspectives, and how they are applied  to contemporary issues and social transformations. It paves the way into careers in a range of fields, from government and NGOs to charitable organisations, social research and teaching. The analytical focus of the MSc also offers a route into academic research.

Through a range of engaging learning approaches, you will begin to view the world in a different way. You will explore the interrelationships of power, social divisions, social diversity and social inequality and their application to social action and public sociology. Course content draws directly on the research specialisms of internationally renowned experts in the Department. These areas of specialism link to many important issues in contemporary society, from gender, violence and abuse to health and social theory, education and inequalities to communities and social justice.

Core modules such as 'Public Sociology: Theory and Practice' develop your understanding of the use of sociological inquiry to inform social change in the contemporary world, while 'Researching Society, Policy and Practice' provides a thorough grounding in the main approaches and methods of social research, and how it is used to inform social welfare policy and practice. The wide selection of optional modules on offer allows you to tailor your learning to your interests and career aspirations, and the MSc dissertation is a further opportunity to explore a particular area of sociology in greater depth.

As the course progresses you will develop your own approaches to research, taking into consideration the methodological, epistemological and ethical issues inherent in sociological research, activism and public engagement in contemporary societies.

Course structure

Core modules:

Public Sociology: Theory and Practice examines contemporary sociological theories and how they apply to real-world issues and social transformations in modern society. This module places sociological theories in historical contexts, exploring different theories of social divisions, examining the concepts of self and identity, and assessing how theorists have sought to account for recent social changes. 

Researching Society, Policy and Practice develops  your critical understanding of main approaches and methods of social research, and the skills used in this area. The module makes  particular reference to the use of research in social welfare practice settings within an ethical framework, exploring areas such as research questions, sampling, methods of data collection and analysis, and interpretation. 

The 15,000-word Dissertation gives you the opportunity to explore and write about a suitable subject of your choice under the guidance of a supervisor, and to use the techniques developed in the research modules. It enables you to demonstrate your capacity for independent thought, critical thinking and analysis.

In recent years, optional modules have included:

• Gender, Violence and Abuse
• Social Policy and Society
• Communities, Civil Society and Social Justice
• Education and Social Inequality
• Sociology of Health and Illness
• Policy-Related and Evaluation Research
• Participatory Action Research
• Analysing Causal Relations in Social Science Research
• Computational Social Science
• Interdisciplinary Perspectives and Practices Across Social Research
• Quantitative Methods and Analysis
• Qualitative Methods and Analysis
• Prisons, Crime and Justice
• Placement
• A language module