History and Sociology

History and Sociology is a pairing that rewards students who want to understand not just what happened in the past but why social arrangements take the forms they do, and how those forms change over time. History trains you in the close analysis of evidence, the construction of narrative, and the evaluation of competing interpretations. Sociology equips you with theoretical frameworks for analysing power, inequality, identity, and social institutions.

Together they make a degree that is both intellectually ambitious and practically versatile.

At the University of Sussex, you will benefit from an internationally respected Sociology department and a History department with particular strengths in modern European, British, and global history. Sussex has a long tradition of interdisciplinary teaching, and this degree is designed to take advantage of that. The three-year, full-time programme includes a foundation year for students entering with non-traditional qualifications or backgrounds, as well as the option of a sandwich year and a year abroad, both of which allow you to extend your studies into different institutional or international contexts.

A work placement is also available, giving you the chance to apply your analytical skills in a professional setting and to build the kind of practical experience that strengthens your graduate prospects considerably.

You will study how societies have been shaped by historical forces, including capitalism, colonialism, migration, and state formation, and how sociologists have theorised those forces from Marx and Weber through to contemporary debates about race, gender, globalisation, and digital life. The skills you develop, including critical reading, sustained argument in writing, and the capacity to handle complex and sometimes contradictory evidence, are among the most transferable produced by any humanities or social science degree.

Graduates move into careers in social research, public policy, journalism, education, the voluntary sector, and the civil service. Some go on to postgraduate study in history, sociology, social policy, or law. The breadth of the Sussex degree, reinforced by placement and year abroad options, makes it genuinely adaptable to a wide range of futures.