BA Politics and Sociology
Entry requirements
A Level: ABB IB: 33; 32, with B in the extended essay
About this course
BA in Politics and Sociology, a degree centred on the study of political and social structures. Core topics include Research Methods, Communication & Writing, Critical & Analytical Thinking, Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Social & Cultural Analysis, Global & Comparative Perspective. The curriculum culminates in a supervised independent research dissertation during the final year. The first year establishes foundational knowledge through Political Analysis 1: An Introduction to Research and Scholarship, Thinking Politically: Key Concepts, Introduction to Social Theory, Theories of Society, and Understanding and challenging inequality: Sociological and policy debate, alongside optional choices such as Gender Politics and British Politics. The second year expands upon these themes with compulsory modules including Sociological Theory and Analysis, Political Analysis 2: How to do empirical research, Solidarity: Politics, Law, and Society across the Globe, and Oppression and Resistance, together with diverse optional studies like Europe in Crisis and Chinese Politics. In the final year, students complete a compulsory independent research dissertation via Political Analysis 3: Independent Research Through a Dissertation. Optional modules in the final year allow further specialisation across various areas such as Children, Families and Welfare States, Global Data Industries, Organised Crime and Illicit Markets, Protest, Movements and Social Change, Sociology of Evil, Whiteness, Power and Privilege, Race, technology and digital media, Intimacy and Personal Relationships, Queer Identities in the Media, Algorithms, AI and Society, Sex Work: Rights, Regulation and Resistance, Digital Health, What it means to be human, Sociological Futures: Creating change beyond the academy, Party Politics: Competition, Strategies and Campaigns, Hunger in the Global North, Global Culture Wars, Legitimate and Illegitimate Violence, Gender Politics in the Arab World, Animals, Ethics and Politics, Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict, Corporations in Global Politics: Possibilities, Tensions, and Ambiguities, and Britain in a New Age of Crisis.
Modules
- Political Analysis 1: An Introduction to Research and Scholarship
- Thinking Politically: Key Concepts
- Introduction to Social Theory
- Theories of Society
- Understanding and challenging inequality: Sociological and policy debate
- Gender Politics
- British Politics
- Global Political Economy
- Western Political Thought
- World Politics
- Sociological Theory and Analysis
- Political Analysis 2: How to do empirical research
- Solidarity: Politics, Law, and Society across the Globe
- Oppression and Resistance
- Political Theory in Practice
- Europe in Crisis
- Digital Media and Social Change
- Sociology of Media and Consumer Culture
- Chinese Politics
- Social Problems: Policy and Practice
- The Sociology of Crime
- Dynamics of Social Change and Policy
- The Political Economy of Global Capitalism
- The Making of The Modern Middle East
- Men, Feminism and Gender relations
- Contemporary Security Challenges
- Africa in the World
- Sociology of Family: Continuity and Change
- Sociology of the Body
- In Sickness and in Health: The Sociology of Medicine
- Crime, Justice and Social Policy
- Understanding 'Race' and Migration
- Political Analysis 3: Independent Research Through a Dissertation
- Children, Families and Welfare States
- Global Data Industries
- Organised Crime and Illicit Markets
- Protest, Movements and Social Change
- Sociology of Evil
- Whiteness, Power and Privilege
- Race, technology and digital media
- Intimacy and Personal Relationships
- Queer Identities in the Media
- Algorithms, AI and Society
- Sex Work: Rights, Regulation and Resistance
- Digital Health
- What it means to be human
- Sociological Futures: Creating change beyond the academy
- Party Politics: Competition, Strategies and Campaigns
- Hunger in the Global North
- Global Culture Wars
- Legitimate and Illegitimate Violence
- Gender Politics in the Arab World
- Animals, Ethics and Politics
- Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict
- Corporations in Global Politics: Possibilities, Tensions, and Ambiguities
- Britain in a New Age of Crisis