Sociology - BA (Hons)

Study BA Sociology at Royal Holloway and discover how societies function, how people and institutions interact, and how social change shapes the world around us. You’ll be taught by leading researchers within our Geography and Sociology department at Royal Holloway, an ideal environment to explore the connections between people, places, and social change. You’ll learn how to gather and analyse evidence as you investigate a world that is more complex, contested, and historically dependent than it first appears. You’ll engage with contemporary debates around culture, knowledge, gender, violence, religion, sexuality, inequality, health, ethnicity, migration, and technology. In your first and second years, you’ll explore how major sociological thinkers offer different ways of understanding society and responding to challenges. You’ll build a strong foundation in sociological concepts, theories, and research methods, while developing your understanding of evidence, inquiry, and sociological analysis. In the second and third years, you’ll choose from a wide range of optional modules to deepen your knowledge in areas that interest you most. Your final-year dissertation or placement-linked dissertation will give you the opportunity to pursue independent sociological inquiry in greater depth. You’ll apply the methods, analytical skills, and research techniques developed throughout the course to investigate some of the most pressing questions facing contemporary society. #### Skills to succeed This course develops your ability to think critically about how societies function, how people and institutions interact, and how evidence can be used to understand complex social issues. You’ll build strong research and analytical expertise through hands-on training in qualitative and quantitative methods, data analysis, and independent inquiry. #### Prepare for a meaningful career  The BA Sociology is a flexible degree that can take you into careers that centre on the challenges and demands facing society as well as giving you an edge in a wide range of businesses. This is because an understanding of sociological thinking can connect you to contemporary social and global challenges.  You’ll gain confidence in applying research, analytical, and communication skills to real-world questions, and develop the capacity to navigate complexity, evaluate evidence, and contribute to public and civic life. Further enrich your experience through placement and networking opportunities with civil society and community organisations, preparing you for careers in policy, education, communications, media, NGOs, social and market research, public services, and beyond. We sometimes make changes to our courses to improve your experience. If this happens, we’ll let you know as soon as possible.