Sociology with Media Studies

Sociology with media studies is a combination that examines how society and communication are intertwined, exploring the structures that shape collective life alongside the systems and practices through which information, representation, and culture are produced and distributed. Sociology asks fundamental questions about power, inequality, identity, and social change, using theoretical frameworks and empirical methods to understand how societies are organised and how they reproduce and transform themselves. Media studies examines the forms, institutions, and practices of mass and digital communication, exploring how media shapes public understanding, culture, and politics.

At Sussex, this three-year degree with a foundation year allows you to develop both disciplines in an internationally respected sociology department while also engaging seriously with media and communication. The foundation year provides a supported entry into higher education before you progress to the main degree, where you will study the major traditions of sociological theory alongside empirical approaches to understanding society, and examine media forms and practices through critical and theoretical frameworks. Sussex's interdisciplinary culture encourages you to make connections between the social and the communicative, understanding how media is itself a social institution and how social life is increasingly mediated.

The degree includes a sandwich year, a year abroad, and work placement opportunities, giving you professional experience and international exposure alongside your academic development.

Graduates of sociology with media studies move into careers in journalism, broadcasting, public relations, digital media, social research, policy, education, and the charity and third sector. The combination of social scientific understanding and media literacy is valued by a wide range of employers who need graduates who can both analyse complex social questions and communicate about them effectively. Postgraduate study in sociology, media studies, journalism, social policy, or communications is a natural next step for those who wish to develop specialist expertise or pursue research.