Social Sciences Higher National Certificate - HNC

Course update: We are currently planning to introduce the new 'NextGen' HN qualification for students joining this course in 2027, subject to final approval. Applications are currently being accepted against this existing HN award while this process is completed. Further information is provided below.

The Social Sciences HNC will help you to find answers to the bigger questions in our society.

This course is designed to help you see the world differently. We are all exposed to so much information in our daily lives that it can be difficult to assess what is real and what is ‘fake’: HNC Social Sciences is the perfect course for students who want to develop the skills to search for the truth.

The course is designed to help you investigate and examine the areas of our lives that we can and cannot control: much of our social existence is influenced by forces that we do not know or understand, so this course helps you explore those factors.

You will be supported to develop your critical thinking and your complex problem solving abilities by looking for creative solutions to social, political and psychological problems. You will learn how topics cross over between all of your subjects, for example, the concept of power – you will explore this from a socio-political perspective but also an historical, a criminological and a psychological perspective; similarly, the concept of conformity and how this weaves into our everyday social, political and psychological behaviours.

Course update: We are currently planning to introduce the new ‘NextGen’ HN qualification for students joining this course in the next academic year, subject to final approval.\
Applications are currently being accepted against the existing HN award while this approval process is completed. The new qualification is designed to enhance the student learning experience and strengthen alignment with current industry and educational developments.\
As a result, some aspects of the course, including its title, structure, modules and assessment approach, may change before enrolment. We will publish updated information and notify applicants of any significant changes once these have been approved.