Overview

Important notice – campus change This course will move to the Belfast campus.  Students will change campus part way through this course. Find out more

Sociology at Ulster has a record of excellence in teaching and learning, consistently achieving 100% satisfaction rates in the National Student Survey

Summary

Sociology is concerned with developing theories and concepts to explain the origins and nature of the contemporary social world and seeks to justify such theories through systematically collected evidence. A central aim is to provide students with explanatory frameworks relevant to both the wider society in which they will live and the employment settings in which they will work.

Through the Sociology curriculum, you can explore in depth a range of social issues in contemporary Ireland and the world, and understandings of advanced industrial societies, the information society, global development, education, work, conflict, and diversity.

Our curriculum draws on the research strengths of our staff, ensuring you learn cutting-edge Sociological theory with the opportunity to explore real case studies. The Ulster University Sociology degrees provide a strong element of research training, giving our graduates access to the best research skills available, and access to a wide range of careers.

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About this course

In this section

  1. About
  2. Associate awards
  3. Attendance
  4. Start dates

About

There are three key emphases in the Sociology degree: an emphasis on the theories and explanatory frameworks found in Sociology; an emphasis on examining the social features of contemporary society within a global context; and an emphasis on developing student skills in the collection and assessment of evidence and the development of arguments.

During your degree, you will have an opportunity to apply your sociological knowledge through a range of projects and placements, as well as in in-depth discussions with teaching staff. Our approach to teaching and learning gives you a range of opportunities through the degree to reflect on and shape your developing areas of interest in Sociology.

Sociology at Ulster has a history of receiving very high approval ratings in the National Student Survey (which is completed by final year students). It has scored overall satisfaction ratings of 100% in three of the last five years.

Associate awards

Diploma in International Academic Studies DIAS

Find out more about placement awards

Attendance

The Sociology degree is a 3 year programme. Students take 6 modules each year.

Each module usually involves two hours of lectures plus a one hour seminar each week. Workshops may be offered in applied modules.

In addition, students are required to undertake substantial directed independent learning.

Start dates

  • September 2018
How to apply

Entry conditions

We recognise a range of qualifications for admission to our courses. In addition to the specific entry conditions for this course you must also meet the University’s General Entrance Requirements.

In this section

  1. A level
  2. BTEC
  3. Irish Leaving Certificate
  4. International Baccalaureate
  5. Access to Higher Education (HE)
  6. GCSE
  7. English Language Requirements
  8. Teaching and learning assessment
  9. Exemptions and transferability

A level

The A Level requirement for this course is BCC* - BBC*.

* Applicants can satisfy the requirement for an A-Level Grade C by substituting a combination of alternative qualifications recognised by the University.

BTEC

Overall BTEC award profile DMM (to include a minimum of 7 distinctions if the asking grades are set at BCC equivalent, or a minimum of 8 distinctions if they are set at BBC equivalent.

Irish Leaving Certificate

Overall Irish Leaving Certificate profile H3H3H3H4H4 - H3H3H3H3H4.

English Grade H6 (Higher Level) or above, or Grade O4 (Ordinary Level) or above, if not sitting at Higher Level, is required.

International Baccalaureate

Overall International Baccalaureate profile minimum of 24 points (12 at higher level) - 25 points (12 at higher level).

Access to Higher Education (HE)

Pass Access Course (120 credits) with an overall mark of 65%.

GCSE

GCSE Profile to include CGSE English Language grade C or above (or equivalent).

English Language Requirements

English language requirements for international applicants
The minimum requirement for this course is Academic IELTS 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5. Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement for Tier 4 visa purposes.

Ulster recognises a number of other English language tests and comparable IELTS equivalent scores.

Teaching and learning assessment

Students on the Sociology degree learn through a range of lecture, seminar and workshop classes. Projects and placements support the applied elements of the degree.

Assessments on the degree include essays, reports, exams, and presentations. Students are introduced to a range of different formats to increase transferable skills and provide the opportunity to apply knowledge in a range of contexts. You will also be invited to explore current technologies in the presentation of your work.

All students complete an independent research study (dissertation) in their final year. This is supervised individually by a member of staff who will help you to shape your chosen topic and create original sociological knowledge.

Exemptions and transferability

A number of colleges offer a two year part-time Certificate in Higher Education in Social Sciences. Candidates who successfully complete this Certificate are eligible to apply for admission directly onto the second year of any of our full-time Sociology degrees.

Careers & opportunities

In this section

  1. Career options
  2. Work placement / study abroad
  3. Academic profile

Career options

The course provides the opportunity for you to acquire a valuable combination of skills and opens up a wide range of postgraduate educational and career opportunities. The detailed knowledge and understanding of society and social life that you will gain from the degree equips you with core skills to work in a rich variety of settings. Over the past two years our graduates have found employment in areas including: human resource management, health administration, PSNI, the Civil Service, market research, industrial relations, health administration and private sector consultancy. Many others have gone on to take postgraduate courses in Sociology, Media Studies, Social Work and Education.

Our graduates stay in touch with us, offering advice and support to current students, and sharing knowledge from each of their industries. In addition, employability skills sessions are built into our curriculum, ensuring that you can demonstrate excellence in a wide range of skills on graduation.

Work placement / study abroad

All Sociology students undertake a work placement during their degree. The placement is embedded in an academic module to support and develop work-related skills and provide a strong connection between placement work and academic study.

Study Abroad options are available to all students in Europe, the USA and the rest of the world.

Academic profile

Our teaching staff are established experts in the sociological study of conflict, development, diversity, education, work, sport, language and the media, as well as developing new methods for studying these areas. We are active in the British Sociological Association and the Sociological Association of Ireland and on the editorial boards of key Sociology journals.

We also take excellence in teaching seriously, with 2 Senior Fellows of the Higher Education Academy amongst our staff, and we undertake research into higher education teaching methods to support our students' experience and development.

Apply

How to apply Request a prospectus

Applications to full-time undergraduate degrees at Ulster are made through UCAS.

Start dates

  • September 2018

Fees and funding

In this section

  1. Fees information
  2. Scholarships, awards and prizes

Fees (per year)

Important notice - fees information Fees illustrated are based on 18/19 entry and are subject to an annual increase. Correct at the time of publishing. Terms and conditions apply. Additional mandatory costs are highlighted where they are known in advance. There are other costs associated with university study.
Visit our Fees pages for full details of fees

Northern Ireland & EU:
£4,160.00
England, Scotland & Wales:
£9,250.00  Discounts available
International:
£13,680.00  Scholarships available

Scholarships, awards and prizes

The Legal Island Award for Scholarship in Equality and Diversity is awarded annually to the graduate with the best contribution in the sociology of equality and diversity.

Additional mandatory costs

Tuition fees and costs associated with accommodation, travel (including car parking charges), and normal living are a part of university life.

Where a course has additional mandatory expenses we make every effort to highlight them. These may include residential visits, field trips, materials (e.g. art, design, engineering) inoculations, security checks, computer equipment, uniforms, professional memberships etc.

We aim to provide students with the learning materials needed to support their studies. Our libraries are a valuable resource with an extensive collection of books and journals as well as first-class facilities and IT equipment. Computer suites and free wifi is also available on each of the campuses.

There will be some additional costs to being a student which cannot be itemised and these will be different for each student. You may choose to purchase your own textbooks and course materials or prefer your own computer and software. Printing and binding may also be required. There are additional fees for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines. Additional costs vary from course to course.

Students choosing a period of paid work placement or study abroad as part of their course should be aware that there may be additional travel and living costs as well as tuition fees.

Please contact the course team for more information.

Testimonials

“Lecturers provide excellent resources made available via Blackboard. Interesting guest lecturers. Staff take an interest beyond their own module, concerned about future of their students. Staff are always encouraging and promoting opportunities to enhance studies/experience.”

“Lecturers are very welcoming and are always available to help with problems that students have. The coursework encouraged students to be reflective of experiences and allowed us to apply our sociological learning to everyday situations in our placements.”

“Lecturers are very approachable and extremely helpful. I would definitely recommend University of Ulster to anyone who may be considering university. I will be sad to leave as it feels part of my daily life now.”

“I believe all the staff in my department care about the needs of the students. They care when students are experiencing difficult circumstances. I believe they genuinely want to share their knowledge and expand ours. We are not merely a big class, they make the effort to get to know their pupils individually.”

“Lecturers are all excellent. They are enthusiastic about what they teach. Overall fantastic.”

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