Sociology BA (Hons)

Study level: Undergraduate
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Sociology is ideal for you if you have an inquisitive mind ready to engage with social issues in tumultuous times. We examine diverse societies and the experiences of different individuals and groups.

Year of entry

Location

Coventry University (Coventry)

Study mode

Full-time
Part-time
Sandwich

Duration

3 years full-time
4 years sandwich
Flexible part-time

Course code

L300

Start date

September 2023

How to apply
Book an Open Day
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Course overview

You’ll explore the pressing issues of modern-day society in the UK and internationally, including: inequalities and social injustice, body, self and identities, race and racism, gender, sex and sexuality, crime and punishment, media and popular culture, families and personal relationships and much more.

  • You’ll have opportunities to apply to work in diverse situations on short and long-term placements2. This can provide the opportunity for practical, real-life experience that’s relevant to your future career aspirations.
  • Studying sociology should help you develop your own sociological imagination. Upon successful completion, you will gain a critical understanding of the contemporary world, human behaviour and the forces shaping society. 
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Guardian University Guide 2021 and 2022
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5 QS Stars for Teaching and Facilities

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Top 5 UK Student City (Coventry)

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Why you should study this course

The Sociology team at Coventry are committed to your academic and personal development. Student support is one of our top priorities and you’ll be joining a welcoming, friendly and inclusive community. You will be taught by a combination of qualified educationalists, active researchers who are experts in their chosen fields (Staff may be subject to change). Other benefits include the following:

  • A range of topics covered on the course can include gender, sexuality, race, class, disability, crime and identities.
  • Opportunities to expand international experience by participating in studying or working abroad2.
  • Opportunities to develop skills that potential and future employers desire from graduates, such as: workload and project management, presentational, verbal and written communication skills, working with others, and critical thinking.
  • Current excellent professional links with local and national employers and visiting speakers from areas of industry and practice relevant to your sociology course2 (subject to availability). 

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What you'll study

This course has a common first year.

The common first year enables you to work alongside students doing similar courses to you, to widen your knowledge and exposure to other subject areas and professions. You will have the opportunity to collaborate with other students, so you can share your insights and experience which will help you to develop and learn. 

If you discover an interest in a specific subject you have studied, upon successful completion of your first year, you could swap degrees with another course in your common first year (subject to meeting progression requirements).   

Common first year courses

  • Sociology BA (Hons)
  • Sociology and Criminology BA (Hons)

In the first year, the curriculum is shared across related courses allowing you to gain a broad grounding in the discipline before going on, in the second and third years, to specialist modules in your chosen field.

Modules

  • This module will provide an introduction to critical areas of theory and analysis in contemporary sociology. It aims to introduce you to the basic concepts, theories, and methods that sociologists use. You will look to gain an understanding of leading-edge research and debates within the discipline, and of how sociology engages with key real-world problems. 

    Compulsory

  • This module introduces you to key concepts, issues and theories in criminology, through the examination of different types of crime and disorder and the response to those crimes. You will become familiar with different approaches to the explanation of crime and victimisation and come to see how crime and social control is socially and historically constituted. 

    Compulsory

  • This module aims to develop your academic, study, and digital technology skills in order to give you a firm base to continue to develop throughout your degree, while also supporting you to recognise skills for employability.  

    Compulsory

  • This module will explore long-established identities and divisions such as class, gender and ‘race’/ethnicity as well as more contemporary sociological developments such as sexuality and disability. It will examine the impact of social divisions, the emergence of new social divisions, and how social divisions adapt and develop. 

    Compulsory

  • This module is designed to offer you an understanding of the basic principles of how mass media operates in contemporary society. It aims to develop your ability to critically engage with various media and to understand both the benign and malign aspects of media. 

    Compulsory

  • This module examines social policy as both an academic subject and a dynamic field of politics, practice and social action. Social policies aim to sustain or improve human well-being and cover areas of government such as benefits and pensions, health and disabilities, education, transport, immigration, law and order. 

    Compulsory

In year two, you will develop more advanced knowledge and skills to do with: social theory, 21st century lifestyles and political activism, amongst others. 

Modules

  • This module aims to provide you with a deeper appreciation of 'classical' social theory as well as explore a set of more contemporary theoretical perspectives – including Postcolonial Theory, Critical Race Theory, and Queer Theory – which shed new light on how our societies operate.

    Compulsory

  • The aim of this module is to develop your understanding of the rationale for, and methodological issues associated with research. This module should enable you to prepare for your final year dissertation as well as develop the core employability skills of research design, fieldwork and presentation of research.

    Compulsory

  • This module explores life in the 21st century and how people navigate meaning, purpose, happiness, and belonging within an ever-shifting local, national, and global set of circumstances. It outlines and interrogates some of the main theories relating to individual purpose and happiness as well as exploring the perspectives of different cultural groups across the world. 

    Compulsory

  • This module develops your understanding of how self, body and society are connected, along with the impact of social change on the self. You will examine how selfhood is understood in sociological theories and how identity is debated and understood from multiple perspectives and standpoints.  

    Compulsory

  • This module will aim to further our understanding of social movements by examining how they are developed, are sustained, and how they (sometimes) decline. Our study of social movements will move back and forth between abstract concepts and particular case studies. 

    Compulsory

  • This module explores sociological understandings of relationships and families, and their relationship to ideologies and social change. You will critically examine topics such as childhood, transnational families, and the third shift. 

    Compulsory

There’s no better way to find out what you love doing than trying it out for yourself, which is why a work placement2 can often be beneficial. Work placements usually occur between your second and final year of study. They’re a great way to help you explore your potential career path and gain valuable work experience, whilst developing transferable skills for the future.

If you choose to do a work placement year, you will pay a reduced tuition fee3 of £1,250. For more information, please go to the fees and funding section. During this time you will receive guidance from your employer or participating institution, along with your assigned academic mentor who will ensure you have the support you need to complete your placement.

Modules

  • This module2 provides you with an opportunity to reflect upon and gain experience for an approved placement undertaken during your programme. A placement should usually be at least 26 weeks or equivalent; however, each placement will be considered on its own merits, having regard to the ability to achieve the learning outcomes. 

    Optional

  • This module2 provides you with an opportunity to reflect upon and gain experience for an approved international study/work placement undertaken during your programme. A work/study placement should usually be at least 26 weeks or equivalent; however, each placement will be considered on its own merits, having regard to the ability to achieve the learning outcomes. 

    Optional

Year three aims to bring you to the level to enter the world of work by consolidating your knowledge and skills from year one and two. You could also work on a large final project in an area of your interest, with the support of a mentor and your Academic Personal Tutor. You will be asked to choose optional modules on top of the compulsory modules, ‘Final Project’ and ‘The Lunar Society: Philosophy of the Midlands’, to total 120 credits in your final year.

Modules

  • The module encourages you to employ your Sociological skills in the gathering, synthesis and interpretation of information and knowledge to pursue an in-depth analysis of a subject of your own choosing within the context of your programme of study. This can take the form of an extended piece of writing, or a new media project such as a documentary film. 

    Compulsory

  • This module takes as its starting point the midlands-based Lunar Society, an eighteenth-century group of artists, industrialists, inventors, and scientists. The legacy of these key members of the English Enlightenment will be considered in the culture, politics and industry of the Midlands as we ask: Is it possible to define a philosophy of the Midlands? 

    Compulsory

  • This module will introduce you to the theoretical and practical importance of race and racism in the historical and contemporary construction of modern societies. Topics will focus on the ways race and racism are socially constructed phenomena with very real implications for people’s lives.   

    Optional

  • This module explores and interrogates the impact of gender from both real-world and theoretical perspectives. It critically assesses some of the main theories of gender, illuminates how gender underpins and influences social institutions across the world, and explores the everyday settings in which people encounter and experience gendered ideas. 

    Optional

  • This module will explore the construction of disability as identity, and the experience of being disabled, through a critical disability studies approach. The module will give you a grounding in disability theory and its application, while challenging you to critically consider the role ableism plays in your own lived experience. 

    Optional

  • This module examines the shifting attitudes towards sexuality and critically evaluates the role discourse has played in these changes. It explores the relationship between sex, sexuality and political and moral definitions of crime and deviance and examines a range of issues from the viewpoint of both victim and perpetrator. 

    Optional

  • This module offers a critical exploration of various digital sites and social media spaces with a particular focus on how cultures, identities and social divisions play out within them. The module begins by tracing the early history of the social web. It then examines the more contemporary and mainstream social web. 

    Optional

  • This module explores histories of punishment, considering both custodial and non-custodial sanctions in the context of penal theories, policy and practice. The focus of the module will be on penal systems in the UK with reference to the global context of the development of modern forms of punishment. 

    Optional

We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.

How you'll learn

This course can be offered on a part-time basis. Whilst we would like to give you all the information about our part-time offering here, it is tailored for each course each year depending on the number of part-time applicants. Therefore, the part-time teaching arrangements vary.

Request further information about part-time study.

Teaching contact hours

We understand that everyone learns differently, so each of our courses will consist of structured teaching sessions, which can include:

  • On campus lectures, seminars and workshops
  • Group work
  • Self-directed learning
  • Work placement opportunities2.

The number of full-time contact hours may vary from semester to semester, however, on average, it is likely to be around 12 contact hours per week in the first and second year dropping to around 10-12 contact hours per week in the third and final year as you become a more independent learner.

Additionally, you will be expected to undertake significant self-directed study of approximately 15 hours each week, depending on the demands of individual modules.

Part of university life is undertaking self-directed learning. During a typical week you will have time that allows you to work independently to apply the skills and knowledge you have learnt in taught or facilitated sessions to your projects or assignment briefs. This self-directed learning allows you to use your research skills, consolidate your knowledge or undertake collaborative group work.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are prepared for courses due to start in or after the 2023/2024 academic year to be delivered in a variety of forms. The form of delivery will be determined in accordance with Government and Public Health guidance. Whether on campus or online, our key priority is staff and student safety.

Assessment

This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which will vary depending upon the module.

Assessment methods can include:

  • Phase tests
  • Essays
  • Group work
  • Presentations
  • Reports
  • Projects
  • Coursework
  • Individual Assignments

The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.

International experience opportunities

One of the main features of this course is its international focus. Our lecturers come from across the world and have expertise in international issues, global development and comparative sociology. (staff are subject to change)

There are opportunities for study or placements abroad. For example, past students have studied on a range of courses at universities in Sweden, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands2.

To ensure that you fully understand the visa requirements, please contact the International Office.

The modules were a great mix between traditional sociology and contemporary topics, along with some interconnecting modules with criminology which I’m also interested in. The vast array of the content covered is so interesting, alongside the passionate and experienced lecturers. 

Bethany Smith, final year Sociology BA (Hons) student, 2020
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Entry requirements

Typical offer for 2023/24 entry.

Requirement What we're looking for
A level BBC
GCSE 5 GCSEs at grade 4 / C or above to include English
BTEC DMM
IB Diploma 29 points
Access to HE The Access to HE Diploma. Plus GCSE English at grade 4 / C or above.

We recognise a breadth of qualifications, speak to one of our advisers today to find out how we can help you.

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Are you eligible for the Fair Access Scheme?

We believe every student should have the opportunity to dream big, reach their potential and succeed, regardless of their background. Find out more about our Fair Access Scheme.

Select your region to find detailed information about entry requirements:

Europe

Americas

Middle East

South Asia

South East Asia

East Asia

Africa

Russia and Central Asia


You can view our full list of country specific entry requirements on our Entry requirements page.

Alternatively, visit our International hub for further advice and guidance on finding in-country agents and representatives, joining our in-country events and how to apply.

English language requirements

  • IELTS: 6.0 overall with at least 5.5 in each component area

If you don't meet the English language requirements, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course. 

For more information on our approved English language tests visit our English language requirements page.

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Fees and funding

2023/24 tuition fees.

Student Full-time Part-time
UK £9,250 per year Request fee information
International £16,800 per year Not available

If you choose to do a work placement2, you should consider travel and living costs to cover this. There is also a tuition fee3 of £1,250 that will cover your academic support throughout your placement year.

For advice and guidance on tuition fees and student loans visit our Undergraduate Finance page and see The University’s Tuition Fee and Refund Terms and Conditions.

We offer a range of International scholarships to students all over the world. For more information, visit our International Scholarships page.

Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessments, facilities and support services. There may be additional costs not covered by this fee such as accommodation and living costs, recommended reading books, stationery, printing and re-assessments should you need them. Find out what's included in your tuition costs.

The following are additional costs not included in the tuition fees:

  • Any optional overseas field trips or visits: £400+ per trip.
  • Any costs associated with securing, attending or completing a placement (whether in the UK or abroad)

  • We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Your fee status determines your tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available to you. The rules about who pays UK (home) or international (overseas) fees for higher education courses in England are set by the government's Department for Education. The regulations identify all the different categories of student who can insist on paying the home rate. The regulations can be difficult to understand, so the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) has provided fee status guidance to help you identify whether you are eligible to pay the home or overseas rate.

    If you meet all the criteria required by any one category, including any residence requirements, your institution must charge you the home rate. You only need to find one category that you fit into.

Facilities

Students will benefit from studying on our well-equipped, modern campus4.

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Academic support

No matter which degree you’re studying, you’ll find a lot of support on campus, including the Centre of Academic Writing and sigma, which offers mathematics and statistics support.

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The Library

You will benefit from our support designed to help you succeed and our industry-relevant teaching and resources. These include our modern library and computing facilities, dedicated careers advice and Students’ Union.

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Confucius Institute

The School of Humanities is home to the Confucius Institute. This is a collaboration created through a partnership with Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics, which aims to promote an understanding of the Chinese language and culture.

Careers and opportunities

On successful completion, you will be able to:

  • Demonstrate systematic knowledge and critical understanding of sociological thought and how this develops from empirical research and theorising.
  • Evidence systematic knowledge and critical understanding of social issues and social problems that are central to sociological debates.
  • Develop critical knowledge and awareness of the ethical, political, socio-economic, cultural, and global contexts that frame sociological investigation.
  • Demonstrate and recognise their abilities to locate, generate, critically analyse, and interpret data and information, and construct evidence-based and theoretically informed arguments.
  • Reflect on their own perspectives and positionality in relation to the viewpoints expressed in the learning community of social science.
  • Acquire and exemplify transferable skills that can be applied in both scholarship and research and in professional working environments.

Upon successful completion of our course, you can be equipped with a range of skills and competencies that make you attractive to potential employers.

We’re committed to preparing you for your future career and aim to give you a competitive edge in the graduate job market. The university's dedicated employability support, the Talent Team, provides a wide range of support services to help you plan and prepare for your career4.

Where our graduates work

Past graduates are now employed in the private sector in industries ranging from banking and finance to media, and across the public sector in education, the civil service, police forces, local authorities, charities and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). 

Further study

You can choose to continue your studies at Coventry University with the Sociology and Social Research MA. You may be entitled to an alumni discount on your fees if you decide to extend your time with us by progressing from undergraduate to postgraduate study.

How to apply

  • Coventry University together with Coventry University London Campus, CU Coventry, CU London, CU Scarborough and Coventry University Online come together to form part of the Coventry University Group (the “University”) with all degrees awarded by Coventry University. 

    1Accreditations

    The majority of our courses have been formally recognised by professional bodies, which means the courses have been reviewed and tested to ensure they reach a set standard. In some instances, studying on an accredited course can give you additional benefits such as exemptions from professional exams (subject to availability, fees may apply). Accreditations, partnerships, exemptions and memberships shall be renewed in accordance with the relevant bodies’ standard review process and subject to the university maintaining the same high standards of course delivery.

    2UK and international opportunities

    Please note that we are unable to guarantee any UK or International opportunities (whether required or optional) such as internships, work experience, field trips, conferences, placements or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be subject to additional costs (which could include, but is not limited to, equipment, materials, bench fees, studio or facilities hire, travel, accommodation and visas), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable travel COVID and visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand the visa requirements, please contact the International Office.

    3Tuition fees

    The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated in the above table for the first Academic Year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, the University may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation.

    For International Students, we may increase fees each year but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation. If you defer your course start date or have to extend your studies beyond the normal duration of the course (e.g. to repeat a year or resit examinations) the University reserves the right to charge you fees at a higher rate and/or in accordance with any legislative changes during the additional period of study.

    4Facilities

    Due to COVID-19, some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) and some non-academic offerings (particularly in relation to international experiences), may vary from those advertised and may have reduced availability or restrictions on their use.

    Student Contract

    By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the university. The 2023/24 Contract is currently being updated so please revisit this page before submitting your application. The Contract details your rights and the obligations you will be bound by during your time as a student and contains the obligations that the university will owe to you. You should read the Contract before you accept an offer of a place and before you enrol at the university.

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