Sociology BA (Hons)
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UCAS Code: Combined Honours only – see combinations tab|Duration: 3 years|Full Time|Hope Park
UCAS Campus Code: L46
Work placement opportunities|International students can apply|Study Abroad opportunities
About the course
Why study Sociology today? Because many of the world’s biggest challenges, from artificial intelligence and climate change to inequality, migration, political polarisation, housing and mental health, are fundamentally social. Understanding these issues requires more than knowledge, it requires critical thinking, evidence-based analysis and the ability to develop practical solutions.
Sociology at Liverpool Hope University equips you with the knowledge, confidence and practical skills to understand society and contribute to positive social change and social justice. You’ll study with research-active academics in a supportive environment, benefiting from small-group teaching, personalised feedback and one-to-one academic guidance.
Sociology explores people, power and society, helping you understand why social problems emerge, how institutions shape people’s lives and how meaningful change can happen. You’ll explore contemporary questions such as how AI is transforming work and education, why inequalities persist, who holds power and how societies should respond to climate change.
Alongside sociological theories and contemporary debates, you’ll develop highly valued skills in critical thinking, communication, research, teamwork, digital literacy, systems thinking and evidence-based decision making.
These transferable skills prepare graduates for careers across public, private and voluntary sectors, including social research, policy, education, health, criminal justice, communications, sustainability and consultancy.
You won’t just study society, you’ll learn to question it, challenge it and become a positive change-maker.
Course structure
Assessment is designed to help you develop the knowledge, confidence and professional skills required for graduate employment rather than simply measure academic performance.
Alongside traditional academic writing, you'll complete a diverse range of authentic assessments including policy briefings, podcasts, posters, photo essays, media analysis, visual presentations, debates, collaborative projects and independent research. These assessments develop your ability to communicate complex ideas to academic, professional and public audiences while strengthening creativity, teamwork, leadership, digital communication and problem-solving.
You'll receive regular formative feedback through tutorials, workshops, peer learning and one-to-one academic support, enabling you to build confidence throughout your degree. By graduation you'll be equipped to analyse complex social issues, communicate evidence effectively and apply sociological thinking across a wide range of professional contexts.
Whether your ambition is to influence public policy, improve communities, work in business, conduct research or continue into postgraduate study, you'll graduate with the analytical, professional and leadership skills employers increasingly value.
Assessment and feedback
Throughout your three years on the sociology course, you will complete a variety of assessments, including essays, portfolios, reports, and individual and group presentations. In your final year, you will also undertake a dissertation research project on a topic of your choice within sociology.
You will receive written feedback on your assessments and have the opportunity to discuss this with your tutor. In addition, you will receive regular formative verbal feedback on your academic performance from your tutor.
Year One
Your first year of studying sociology provides a comprehensive introduction to sociology and encourages you to ‘think like a sociologist’ by helping you develop the knowledge and skills needed to foster a critical understanding of the social world and our place within it. The course covers the following areas:
Big Ideas in Sociology
You will explore some of the major ideas and issues in society today by developing your sociological toolkit. You will learn how to develop and apply a sociological imagination and engage with major debates, such as whether it is agency or structure that shapes society. Through this course, you will be encouraged to critically explore historic, contemporary, and future issues related to pressing social concerns, including climate change, work, employment and AI, globalisation, and social media. Altogether, these activities provide the knowledge and skills needed to understand and apply what sociology is for, what it can hope to achieve in the real world, and to communicate this in a variety of ways.
Social Divisions
In Semester 2, we examine some of the major social divisions that feature in contemporary society. Focus is placed on key divisions including social class, race/ethnicity, gender, and disability. Current issues and social movements, such as Black Lives Matter and #MeToo, provide insight into the corrosive impact of social inequalities and the need for social change. You will develop knowledge and skills by analysing society using a variety of media.
Year Two
In your second year of studying sociology, building on your first-year studies, you will develop an understanding and working knowledge of leading theoretical frameworks in sociology, alongside key approaches to research methods and the links between them. The course covers the following areas:
Key Thinkers
You will explore key thinkers from the classical sociological tradition. This part of the course examines the lasting contributions of classical-era thinkers to understanding contemporary social issues in the 21st century. Study then moves to social thinkers from the contemporary era, helping you develop a deeper understanding of thinkers and ‘Schools’ of thought within sociology and across the wider social sciences. You will also develop knowledge and skills in communicating ideas to suitable audiences.
Social Research in Action
This part of the course introduces the qualitative tradition of research within sociology, through which sociologists study the social world. You will gain ‘hands-on’ experience in conducting social research, including ethnography, interviews, and processing the data you gather.
The focus then shifts to quantitative research, where you will develop the knowledge and skills necessary to work with, and critically analyse, big data. The research knowledge and skills gained in this course are highly desirable graduate attributes.
Year Three
In your third year of studying sociology, you will develop an advanced understanding of social processes and issues within contemporary society. The course covers the following areas:
Advanced Research Courses
You will have the opportunity to choose from a wide variety of specialist courses reflecting the research interests of staff within the School of Social Sciences. Subject to availability, these may include courses in areas such as the social aspects of death and dying, the sociology of stories/story-telling, gender and migration, critiques of contemporary capitalism, poverty and precarious employment, corporate power, health inequalities, and many others.
Research Project
Building on the knowledge and skills developed in your first and second years, you will conduct independent research on a sociological topic of your choice. This project will be undertaken under the supervision and guidance of a member of the sociology team. The project allows you to develop a wide range of graduate attributes.
Advanced Studies in Sociology
Alongside your independent research project, you will learn from the experiences of established researchers how to conduct social research. You will be supported in developing your project idea, conducting a literature review, navigating practical and ethical issues, analysing data, writing up your research, and completing your dissertation.
You will also deepen your knowledge and understanding of current issues and the role of sociology within contemporary society. The specific topics may vary each year depending on the research interests of staff within the sociology team.
Entry requirements
| A-Levels | BBC |
|---|---|
| UCAS Tariff Points | 112 UCAS Tariff points must come from a minimum of two A Levels (or equivalent). Additional points can be made up from a range of alternative qualifications.
Find out how many UCAS points your qualifications are worth, by using the Tariff calculator. |
| BTEC | DMM |
| Access to HE | 112 Tariff Points |
| IB | 26 points |
| Irish Leaving Certificate | 112 Tariff Points from Higher Level qualifications only |
| Welsh Baccalaureate | This qualification can only be accepted in conjunction with other relevant qualifications |
| T-Levels | Merit |
| Subject Requirements | No specific subject requirements |
International entry requirements
| Specific Country Requirements | Select your country |
|---|---|
| IELTS | 6.0 overall (with reading and writing at 6.0) and no individual score lower than 5.5. We also accept a wide range of International Qualifications. For more information, please visit our English Language Requirements page. |
Careers
Employers increasingly seek graduates who can understand complex systems, think critically, communicate effectively, solve complex problems and work collaboratively. Sociology develops these capabilities through research, policy analysis, teamwork, leadership, digital communication and evidence-based decision making.
These capabilities are increasingly valuable in a world transformed by AI because they rely on human judgement, ethical reasoning, communication and systems thinking. Our graduates progress into careers across business, public services, charities, communications, education, health, local government, social research and postgraduate study.
Enhancement opportunities
SALA
The Service and Leadership Award (SALA) is offered as an extra-curricular programme involving service-based experiences, development of leadership potential and equipping you for a career in a rapidly changing world. It enhances your degree, it is something which is complimentary but different and which has a distinct ‘value-added’ component. Find out more on our Service and Leadership Award page.
Study Abroad
As part of your degree, you can choose to spend either a semester or a full year of study at one of our partner universities as part of our Study Abroad programme. Find out more on our Study Abroad page.
Tuition fees
The tuition fees for the 2026/27 academic year are £9,790 for full-time undergraduate courses.*
If you are a student from the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands, your tuition fees will also be £9,790.
The tuition fees for the 2027/28 academic year will be £10,050 for full-time undergraduate courses.*
If you are a student from the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands, your tuition fees will also be £10,050
The University reserves the right to increase Home and EU Undergraduate and PGCE tuition fees in line with any inflationary or other increase authorised by the Secretary of State for future years of study.
Home students (UK)
*Tuition fees are subject to inflation-linked increases in line with government policy. Updated fees will be confirmed in line with the maximum fee cap set by the Government or the Office for Students (OfS) for each academic year. This means your fee may increase for each academic year of study, but only up to the maximum amount permitted for that year.
Eligible UK students can apply to the Government for a tuition loan, which is paid direct to the University. This has a low interest-rate which is charged from the time the first part of the loan is paid to the University until you have repaid it.
Additional costs
On top of your tuition fees, you also need approximately £100 to purchase core textbooks.
You will also need to consider the cost of your accommodation each year whilst you study at university. Visit our accommodation pages for further details about our Halls of Residence.
Scholarships
We have a range of scholarships to help with the cost of your studies. Visit our scholarships page to find out more.
International tuition fees
The International Tuition fees for 2026/27 are £15,225.
The International Tuition fees for 2027/28 are £16,000
Visit our International fees page for more information.
Course combinations
This course is only available as a Combined Honours degree with the following subjects:
Course Enquiry
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