Sociology

Sociology is the systematic study of human society, asking how social structures, institutions, and cultural forces shape the lives of individuals and groups, and how those structures change over time. It is a discipline that refuses to take the social world for granted, instead treating class, race, gender, religion, inequality, identity, and power as objects of rigorous critical inquiry. Sociology has always been driven by a dual commitment: to understand the world as it is, and to think carefully about how it might be changed.

At Goldsmiths you will pursue this three-year full-time degree at one of the UK's most distinctive universities, known for combining intellectual rigour with a commitment to creative and critical thought. The programme gives you the practical tools to analyse social phenomena, examining how social theory connects to empirical research, and how methods of inquiry, both qualitative and quantitative, can be deployed to investigate social questions. You will engage with major thinkers across the sociological tradition and with cutting-edge debates about digital society, global inequality, migration, urban life, culture and subjectivity.

The curriculum reflects Goldsmiths' distinctive intellectual character, which takes art, politics and culture as seriously as the formal institutions of society.

Sociology graduates develop skills in research, analysis, critical thinking and communication that are valued across a wide range of sectors. Graduates work in social research, policy development, community and youth work, education, journalism, public relations, the charitable sector, and the civil service. Many bring their sociological training to roles in health and social care, housing, probation, and equality and diversity work, where the ability to understand social context is directly applicable.

Postgraduate study in sociology, social policy, criminology, media studies, or cultural studies is a common next step for those who wish to deepen their expertise or pursue research and academic careers.