Sociology

Sociology is concerned with how people create and sustain society, and how society shapes people. Students learn to adopt the 'sociological imagination', which illuminates the interplay of individual biographies with historical and social circumstances. Sociology at Aberdeen is recognised for its excellence in both research and teaching.

Why Aberdeen?

• The Department has an international reputation for its research and was ranked joint 6^th in the UK in the most recent Research Assessment Exercise. It was also one of the top two Sociology departments in Scotland
• It is recognised by the UK Government's Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) as an outlet for research training and supervision for Masters and PhD students
• Sociology at Aberdeen is consistently rated very highly in all the main rankings for undergraduate degrees. It has also year-on-year achieved extremely high student satisfaction ratings in the National Student Survey (NSS): in 2011 the overall student satisfaction rate for the department was 97%, placing it 5th out of 86 universities teaching sociology across the UK.
• The Scottish Higher Education Funding Council judged the department to be "excellent" in its most recent Teaching Quality Assessment exercise: the highest grade possible

Programmes

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Anthropology, Politics and International Relations, Divinity, Economics, Film and Visual Culture

Study Abroad

Study abroad information

 

The opportunity to take Enhanced Study options as part of your degree and participate in co-curricular activities. See www.abdn.ac.uk/thedifference for more information.

Courses are available at levels 1 through 4. There is an Honours degree and a Designated degree in Sociology.

First Year

Introduction to Sociology 1 answers the question of what sociology is. It addresses the relationship between individuals and society and looks at how society is reproduced over time. Introduction to Sociology 2 examines the key sociological notion of ‘social structure’ by means of a range of contemporary social themes and issues, such as religion, surveillance and the media.

Second Year

The second year extends the analysis of the ‘sociological imagination’ and looks at a range of contemporary social issues and themes that exemplify sociology’s attention on people acting in social settings and the structures they inhabit, and which comprise what we call society. Topics will be approached in order to illustrate how sociology combines both theory and empirical investigation. Substantive topics covered include issues such as consumerism, tourism, food and risk society.

Third and Fourth Year (Honours)

In third year take courses in the core areas of sociology, namely Research Methods and Sociological Theory. In the fourth year, students begin their individual research projects and choose from a range of option courses such as Sociology of Modern Scotland, Sociology of Art and Culture, Body Work, Political Sociology, European Societies, Sociology of the City, Religion and Culture, the Sociology of Peace Processes, Animals and Society and Sociology of Contemporary European Social Movements.  

Teaching and Assessment

Most courses are taught using a combination of lectures and small-group seminars, and are assessed by both essays and formal examinations. For Honours students, the year-long research project forms a major element in the final assessment.

Careers

Recently qualified Sociology graduates from Aberdeen have found careers in such diverse areas of work as journalism, local and national government, non-governmental organisations, social research institutions, teaching English as a foreign language, the health service, social work, human resources, market research, and university and college lecturing.

Finding your direction

There are many opportunities at the University of Aberdeen to develop your knowledge, gain experience and build a competitive set of skills to enhance your employability. This is essential for your future career success.  The Careers Service can help you to plan your career and support your choices throughout your time with us – from first to final year – and beyond.

• More information on employability at the University of Aberdeen.
• More information on the Careers Service.
• More information on careers prospects and employability with a degree in Sociology.

Entrance Requirements

SQA Highers - BBBB
A Levels - BBB
IB - 30 points, 15 points at HL
ILC - BBBB

For further details of entrance requirements click here

Please click on the links below to find out more information on funding in your area.

• Scotland and EU (Excluding England, Wales and Northern Ireland)
• Rest of UK (England, Wales and Northern Ireland)
• International
• Scholarships

Related Links

• Scholarships
• Entrance Scholarships
• Funding Database
• England Wales and Northern Ireland Finance Guide