Sociology with Education

Sociology with education is a degree that brings together two disciplines with a natural and important relationship. Sociology examines how societies are structured, how institutions operate, how inequality is produced and reproduced, and how cultural norms shape behaviour and opportunity. Education is one of the most significant social institutions there is, with the power to expand or constrain life chances depending on how it is organised and whom it serves.

Studying them together means you can examine education not just as a system for delivering learning, but as a site where broader social forces play out.

At York, this three-year full-time programme includes a sandwich year, a year abroad and a work placement, giving you substantial professional and international experience alongside your academic development. The sociology content will develop your theoretical and empirical understanding of social structures, institutions and inequality, while the education strand will engage you with the ideas that underpin educational systems and the environment in which they operate. You will explore how education shapes and influences people and their societies, examining questions of access, curriculum, pedagogy, educational policy and the sociology of schooling.

You will develop strong research skills, including both qualitative and quantitative methods, and the ability to construct evidence-based arguments about social and educational phenomena. The year abroad and work placement give you practical and international perspectives that deepen your professional and personal development.

Graduates of sociology with education programmes move into teaching, educational policy and research, social work, youth work, community development, public sector roles, the voluntary sector, journalism and academic research. Many graduates use the degree as a foundation for postgraduate training as teachers or educational researchers. Further study in sociology, education, social policy or social research is a natural option.