Sociology

Sociology is the systematic study of society: how it is structured, how it changes, and how social forces shape the lives of individuals and groups. It examines the institutions, norms, values and power relations that organise social life, and it asks fundamental questions about inequality, identity, culture and the possibilities for social change. Sociology makes the familiar strange, encouraging you to look critically at social arrangements that most people take for granted and to ask why they exist, who benefits from them, and how they might be different.

At Coventry University, this three-year full-time degree takes a distinctive approach, focusing specifically on social inequalities and on developing the analytical tools needed to understand and challenge them. You will engage with the major theoretical traditions in sociology, including class, race, gender, disability and other axes of inequality, alongside the empirical research methods that sociologists use to investigate social phenomena. The programme encourages you to connect sociological knowledge to real-world social questions and to think about how understanding can support change.

A sandwich year placement, a year abroad, and a work placement are all available, giving you substantial professional and international experience that broadens your understanding of how inequality operates across different social and cultural contexts.

You will develop strong analytical, research and communication skills, the ability to work with both qualitative and quantitative data, and a sophisticated understanding of how social structures shape individual and collective experience.

Graduates from sociology degrees move into social research, public policy, social work (with further training), community development, education, journalism, charities and the voluntary sector, local government, health services, and a wide range of roles in organisations concerned with social welfare and justice. Postgraduate study in sociology, social work, public policy or criminology is a well-established pathway.