Department of Sociology | BA Sociology (with Foundation Year)

BA Sociology (with Foundation Year) at Durham University

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Whether you're interested in understanding individual behaviour or large-scale social change, as a student of Sociology you'll learn how society is structured and develops through critical engagement with the major social and political issues of our time.

Sociology aims to understand the relationships between individual people and the wider cultural and institutional contexts within which they live. It is concerned with the nature of what we refer to as "society", how it shapes the way in which we live and, in turn, how it is shaped by our individual and collective action.

As a student of Sociology, you will join a dynamic learning and research community, which includes internationally recognised experts actively involved in collaborative projects focused on local, national and international issues. We are defined by our curiosity about the issues that impact the world around us and our drive to use our work to bring about positive social change.

Drawing on this expertise, this course explores key social issues that affect our everyday lives including Education, Employment, Health, Criminality, Race and Digital Technologies. Alongside these kinds of topics, you will learn about historical and contemporary concepts that define sociological thought and place them within their social and political contexts.

You will also learn how to design and carry out sociological research through research projects carried out in the second and final year of study. We offer the option to undertake a placement with a local community organisation to deploy your knowledge in an applied setting.

Sociology provides the combination of sociological knowledge and transferable skills gained during your studies will prepare you for a career in many different sectors. From interpreting and evaluating information to analysing situations and constructing a persuasive argument, these skills are highly valued by employers and will give you a competitive edge.

Sociology graduates work in a wide range of settings all over the world, including health and welfare, local and central government and the Civil Service, education, the police, social research, the media and non-profit organisations. Many recent graduates from the Department have progressed to careers with high-profile employers including M&S, Mencap, Accenture and Unilever. Others have moved on to postgraduate study and academic research.

In Criminology, as well as building detailed subject-specific knowledge of criminological issues, our courses are designed to develop transferable skills that are valuable for both personal and professional development including, how to assemble and evaluate evidence, how to turn evidence into an effective argument, how to design a research project and analyse data.

Our graduates work in a wide range of employment settings worldwide, including the criminal justice system, the Civil Service, local and national government, banking, academic research and law (through graduate conversion programmes).

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