Course Overview - Sociology
**This is a Connected Degree**
Portsmouth is the only University in the UK with the flexibility to choose when to do an optional paid placement or self-employed year. Either take a placement in your third year, or finish your studies first and complete a placement in your fourth year. You can decide if and when to take a placement after youve started your course.
**Overview**
Understand how and why the world is changing on this BSc (Hons) Sociology degree.
Step into the centre of critical debates on current social and political issues, from Brexi...
**This is a Connected Degree**<br/><br/>Portsmouth is the only University in the UK with the flexibility to choose when to do an optional paid placement or self-employed year. Either take a placement in your third year, or finish your studies first and complete a placement in your fourth year. You can decide if and when to take a placement after youve started your course.<br/><br/>**Overview**<br/><br/>Understand how and why the world is changing on this BSc (Hons) Sociology degree. <br/><br/>Step into the centre of critical debates on current social and political issues, from Brexit and Black Lives Matter, to income inequality, drone warfare, veganism and the #metoo movement. Make sense of what’s going on, why it’s happening, and what we can do about it.<br/><br/>On this BSc (Hons) Sociology degree, you’ll learn classical sociological theories and have the chance to specialise in what interests you most.<br/><br/>Youll graduate with the skills to critically engage with the world around you, aa well as the confidence, knowledge and methods to enact positive change.<br/><br/>**Course highlights**<br/><br/><br/>- Tailor your studies to topics that matter most to you – from gender, sexuality, race, and social class, to happiness, the body, and the politics of nationalism<br/><br/><br/>- Learn ways to apply classical sociological theories, such as developing policies and actions to produce social change and solutions to the pressing issues affecting the world right now<br/><br/><br/>- Learn from leading sociologists whose research is addressing social issues around the world<br/><br/><br/>- Hear from industry specialists on topics such as racism, asylum and gender-based violence – recent guest speakers have come from Friends Without Borders and Portsmouth Abuse and Rape Counselling Services (PARCS)<br/><br/><br/>- Build competent research skills that support you to carry out your own research and analysis of issues youre passionate about – previous student dissertations were on the Black Lives Matter movement, online dating, musical taste and K-Pop, happiness and social media, becoming vegan and racism in sport<br/><br/><br/>- Follow an optional media studies pathway, where you could explore topics such as digital cultures and media fandom<br/><br/><br/>**Careers and opportunities**<br/>The knowledge you gain on this course, coupled with the communication, research, critical thinking and analysis skills you learn, means youll have lots of career options when you graduate.<br/><br/>In fact, 95% of graduates from this course are in work or further study 15 months after graduation, earning an average starting salary of £22,000 – higher than the national average for sociology graduates. After 5 years, you could earn up to an average of £32,000.<br/><br/>After the course you could also continue your studies to a PhD or other postgraduate qualification, following in the footsteps of your lecturers.<br/><br/>What sectors can you work in with a sociology degree?<br/><br/>Many of our sociology graduates go into people-focused roles, or in roles that allow them to do research, shape social policies or bring about social change.<br/><br/>Areas you could go into include:<br/><br/><br/>- teaching and lecturing (with additional training or further study)<br/><br/><br/>- research and policy<br/><br/><br/>- health and social care<br/><br/><br/>- advertising, marketing and media<br/><br/><br/>- local government<br/><br/><br/>- careers advice, human resources and recruitment<br/><br/><br/>- charity work and community development<br/><br/><br/>What jobs can you do with a sociology degree?<br/><br/>Roles you could go onto include:<br/><br/><br/>- fundraising and project manager<br/><br/><br/>- hr adviser<br/><br/><br/>- housing strategy and policy officer<br/><br/><br/>- social worker<br/><br/><br/>- evidence and evaluation manager<br/><br/><br/>- peer support and young persons service manager<br/><br/><br/>- recruitment consultant<br/><br/><br/>- senior research executive<br/><br/><br/>- marketing manager<br/><br/><br/>- data analyst<br/><br/><br/>- fraud operations executive<br/><br/><br/>To give you the best chance of securing the ideal job when you graduate, our Careers and Employability service can help you find relevant work experience during your course.<br/><br/>Well also be available to help, advise and support you for up to 5 years as you advance in your career.