Sociology

Sociology is the discipline that turns a systematic and critical gaze on the social world, asking how societies are organised, how they change, and how the structures and institutions of social life shape the experience of the individuals within them. It examines inequality and power, culture and identity, institutions and organisations, globalisation, and the social dimensions of technology, health, and politics. Sociology treats questions that are sometimes taken for granted, about the family, the economy, crime, education, or religion, as objects of investigation and analysis, and it produces graduates who can think critically about the social world they inhabit and the forces that shape it.

At the University of Liverpool, this three-year, full-time programme develops a thorough sociological education within a research-active department. You will engage with the classical theoretical traditions of sociology alongside contemporary debates, studying the major sociological thinkers and the ideas they developed while also engaging with current empirical research on social inequality, urban life, digital society, globalisation, and related topics. Research methods, both quantitative and qualitative, are central to the programme, and you will develop the ability to design and evaluate social research with rigour and reflectiveness.

Liverpool itself, with its distinctive social history and its urban dynamics, provides a rich context for sociological thinking.

This programme includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to study sociology in a different national context and to develop the international perspective and personal independence that such an experience fosters. Graduates in sociology go on to careers in research, the civil service, social work, education, journalism, policy, the third sector, international organisations, and many other fields. The analytical thinking, evidence-based reasoning, and social awareness that sociology develops are genuinely transferable across a wide range of professional contexts.

Further postgraduate study in sociology, social policy, or social research methods is also a well-established pathway.