In year one, students explore education, focusing on the role of the education system, processes within schools, pupil identities and subcultures, and patterns of educational achievement across social groups, including class, gender and ethnicity. Students also examine the impact of educational policies.

Alongside this, students develop a strong foundation in sociological theory and research methods. This includes understanding quantitative and qualitative approaches, research design, and a range of methods such as interviews and observations. Students also complete a group primary research project, developing practical research skills and presenting their findings to a panel of experts.

Students will also study an additional topic selected by the tutor. Culture and identity explores different forms of culture, the process of socialisation, and how identities are shaped by factors such as class, gender, ethnicity and globalisation. Health focuses on the social construction of health and illness, patterns of inequality in health outcomes, and the role of medicine and healthcare systems in contemporary society.

In year two, students explore crime and deviance, examining definitions of crime and the relationship between crime and social groups, including gender, ethnicity and social class. They also study the role of the media in shaping perceptions of crime, as well as issues of control, punishment, victims, human rights and the criminal justice system.

Students also study the media in greater depth, focusing on ownership and control, the construction of news, and the role of popular culture. They examine how different social groups, including age, class, ethnicity, gender, sexuality and disability, are represented in the media and consider the impact of these representations.

Students engage with key theoretical perspectives, including positivism and interpretivism, and explore debates around objectivity, value freedom and the scientific nature of sociology.