Sociology BA (Hons)
What makes Sociology at Worcester special?
Sociology offers a critical perspective on contemporary society. We explore the way society is developing and the present day social crisis, including the problems of globalisation, inequality, crime and conflict. You will become adept at analysing the influence of social structures, rules and ideas on individual lives; and gain an understanding of the ways in which people respond to these circumstances. Sociology enables you to better grasp the social world you live in and approach it with a sceptical mind.
Sociology at the University of Worcester has a long history and continues to develop a distinctive curriculum that emphasises the international and political dimensions of contemporary society, while offering a specialist focus on themes of sexuality, intimacy, emotions and the body.
The knowledge and skills you will acquire can then be used across multiple sectors of employment and is particularly relevant for careers in areas such as counselling, education, youth work, business and politics.
Key features
- Our curriculum emphasises a range of distinctive fields, including gender, sexualities and the sociology of personal life, race and ethnicity, education, and crime.
- Our staff have extensive professional experience in teaching, research and public engagement.
- We are a small and lively course, and you will have extensive opportunities to meet your teachers and classmates, work in one-to-one tutorials, and receive personalised feedback on your learning.
- Within our course, you will have the opportunity to learn a foreign language or study abroad, either for a semester or a whole academic year.
“The academic staff team has been extremely supportive and provided me with valuable feedback, both written and verbal.”
2014 student
Entry requirements
What qualifications will you need?
104
UCAS tariff points
Entry requirements
104 UCAS tariff points
The points above are the new UCAS tariff, which will be used for courses starting from September 2017. See our new UCAS tariff page for more information.
Other information
If you have any questions about entry requirements, please contact the Admissions Office on 01905 855111 or email admissions@worc.ac.uk for advice.
Further information about the UCAS Tariff can be obtained from http://www.ucas.com
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What will you study?
Here is an overview of current modules available on this course. Regular updates may mean that exact module titles may differ.
Year 1 |
Mandatory
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Optional
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Year 2 |
Mandatory
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Optional
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Year 3 |
Mandatory
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Optional
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Case study
Alice Byrne
BA (Hons) Sociology and Politics graduate
Alice chose her Joint Honours courses because she lived in Worcester, “liked the course information and felt comfortable at the Open Day”. Alice “loved the variety of modules and the lecturers where fantastic”. She is currently volunteering as well as fulfilling family care responsibilities. Alice has applied to undertake a “taught MA at Warwick University in Gender and International Development”, and then plans to “return to Worcester to study for a PhD.” -
Case study
Nathan Richardson
BA (Hons) Media & Cultural Studies and Sociology graduate
Nathan graduated in 2010 and decided to study at Worcester “because of the positive things that I had heard about the university and the town of Worcester itself. Also, Worcester offered a greater range of courses that I could study in combination, and this was the main reason why I chose it.” The best feature of the Sociology course was the way that it “broadened how I viewed society and its structures. I found the modules that focussed on race and education the most interesting.” Nathan is currently working as a Behaviour Support Officer in a secondary school, where he is second in charge of an inclusion unit. Nathan also teaches RE and Citizenship unqualified. Nathan will be fulfilling his ambition to become a fully qualified teacher when he takes up a place at the University of Roehampton to complete his PGCE Secondary in Religious Education in September 2014. -
Case study
Horace Coward
Graduate, Sociology BA (Hons)
“Coming to university made me feel 20 years younger. I was just another student, and I felt like I really belonged. I have spoken at several groups and talked about what I have done, with the aim of proving to others that they can do it too. It's amazing how many people say ‘I wish I could be like you’ - and I tell them 'you can'." -
Case study
Kirsten Nayler
BA (Hons) Sociology graduate
Kirsten chose the course at Worcester initially for reasons of convenience, “because I had two very young children at the time and needed to study somewhere within a reasonable distance from my home. The flexible, modular system suited my needs and the University appeared friendly and approachable. As a mature student who had not studied at ‘A’ level, this was important as I didn’t feel intimidated or overwhelmed. The course was excellent with a good choice of modules that covered a wide range of topics within sociology. The lecturers were knowledgeable, approachable and made the effort to get to know their students. The assessments were varied and interesting, offering a variety of questions from which to select. The modular system also enabled me to sample other subjects: I studied a number of History modules which were very interesting and there were modules in completely unrelated subjects that were also available to me.”
Kirsten is currently working as part-time administrator at the University’s Graduate Research School because “it is a job that fits in with my childcare responsibilities. However I would really like to carry on with further study in the future and to complete a Masters or MPhil degree.”
Teaching and Assessment
How will you be taught?
Teaching approach
Sociology modules are typically delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials and directed learning. Lectures introduce you to the literature of the subject under consideration and direct you to appropriate reading. Seminars are designed to encourage you to discuss your views on topics introduced in previous lectures based on the research that you have undertaken in preparation for the seminar.
Tutorial Support
Module tutors are available throughout the teaching semester for one-to-one tutorials. You can arrange such tutorials as often as you feel you need to.
All students are allocated an Academic Tutor whom you will meet regularly throughout your time at university. Academic Tutors will advise you on study skills, module choices and career planning, and can offer support and advice if you are experiencing difficulties that are affecting your academic performance.
Assessment
The great majority of assessment is by coursework. While the most obvious purpose of assessment is to judge your ability to research and communicate your knowledge of Sociology, it is equally important that assessment strategies give you the opportunity to develop and acquire key transferable skills that will serve you well in the workplace. Assessment, therefore, takes a variety of forms - essays, oral presentations, book and literature reviews, reports, briefing papers, portfolios and learning journals are all in use.
Meet the team
Here are a few of the current members of the department who teach on this course:
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Mike Webb
Mike Webb is a PPE (Philosophy, Politics & Economics) graduate of Oxford University. At Worcester, he teaches across Politics and Sociology undergraduate courses with particular emphases on crime, political campaigning, the world of work, and social welfare. His teaching also draws on his varied background as a former economics researcher, national organiser of a youth movement, special school teacher, and lecturer in media.
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Lesley Spiers
Lesley Spiers’ teaching and research interests are wide-ranging. Previous research has included examining femininity and discourses of dieting, beauty therapists and their relationships with clients as well as offering critiques on popular culture including the TV programme Little Britain. She has also worked on learning and teaching research projects with her colleagues across the Institute, focusing specifically on the way that academic subjects embed ‘employability’ into their curricula.
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Daniel Nehring
Teaching areas include: intimacies, globalisation, cultural sociology, qualitative and quantitative research methods. Daniel’s research explores the personal consequences of globalisation and rapid social change.
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Dr Mehreen Mirza
Mehreen Mirza’s teaching and research interests range widely. She co-edited a collection on Teaching Gender and Sexualities in the Twenty-first Century in 2011 published by C-SAP (the Higher Education Academy’s Subject Centre for Sociology, Anthropology & Politics) and, more recently, has completed two chapters on the representation of gender in Kays Catalogue to be published later this year in Gender Construction in Kays Catalogues: 1920 to the New Millennium. She is currently working with colleagues on learning and teaching projects on a cross-institutional basis.
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Dr Simon Hardy (Head of Division)
Teaching areas include; sociological thought historical and contemporary sexualities, media and society, war reporting and pornography. He is currently researching the history of erotic writing, from Fanny Hill to 50 Shades of Grey.
Careers
Where could it take you?
Employability
A degree in Sociology is a gateway to many careers, especially jobs that involve managing and communicating with people, thinking out solutions to problems, and understanding the diverse society in which we live. Our graduates have an excellent employment record and have taken up a variety of careers, including careers in housing, the probation service, youth work, caring professions, social services, the police, business and personnel management, public relations, media, marketing, and teaching.
In order to help you reflect, plan and work on your career and progression aspirations, Sociology provides a number of opportunities for you to discuss and develop them.
Volunteering/Work Experience
During your time at Worcester you will have the opportunity to experience subject-related work experience and volunteering activity. In Year 2 you can choose to register for a Sociology work experience module and to take up volunteering opportunities with local and regional organisations. (These are regularly publicised to students).
Costs
How much will it cost?
Full-time tuition fees |
UK and EU studentsThe standard tuition fee for full-time UK and EU students registering in 2017 will be £9,250. For more details, please visit our course fees page. |
International studentsThe standard tuition fee for full-time international (non-EU) students registering in 2017 will be £11,700 per year. For more details, please visit our course fees page. |
Part-time tuition fees |
UK and EU studentsThe standard tuition fees for part-time UK and EU students registering on this course in 2017 will be £1,156 per 15-credit module, £1,542 per 20 credit module and £2,313 per 30-credit module. For more details, please visit our course fees page. |
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Additional costs |
Every course has day-to-day costs for basic books, stationery, printing and photocopying. The amounts vary between courses. |
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Accommodation |
Finding the right accommodation is paramount to your university experience, and our welcoming student communities are great places to live and study. We have over 1,000 rooms across our halls, 358 of which were new in 2009. We offer halls of residence to suit every budget and need, from our 'Traditional Hall' at £94 per week to the £153 per week 'En-suite Extra'. For full details visit our accommodation page. |
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Apply
How do you apply?
Applying through UCAS
Single Honours:
Sociology BA - L300
Joint Honours:
Criminology and Sociology - L301
Education Studies and Sociology BA - XL33
History and Sociology BA - VL13
Human Geography and Sociology BA - LL7H
Media & Culture and Sociology BA - LP33
Politics: People and Power and Sociology BA - LL23
Psychology and Sociology BA - CL83
Sociology and Sports Studies BA - LC36
Religion, Philosophy & Values in Education and Sociology - V501
UCAS is the central organisation through which applications are processed for entry onto full-time undergraduate courses in Higher Education in the UK.
Read our How to apply pages for more information on applying and to find out what happens to your application.
Get in touch
If you have any questions, please get in touch. We're here to help you every step of the way.
Admissions office
01905 855111
admissions@worc.ac.uk
Admissions tutor
Dr
Daniel Nehring
01905
542 752
d.nehring@worc.ac.uk
